Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on March 7th, 2017
Resistance to our weekly Tuesday Round Up is futile. Resistance, courtesy of Omnibus Entertainment, is also one of the titles we'll be reviewing in the next week or so. Be sure to check back soon for our take on the World War II drama. Meanwhile, Speakeasy Pictures serves up Bloodrunners, a Prohibition-era vampire thriller starring Ice-T. Film Detective introduces us to Joe Bullet, while Cinedigm logs onto Slasher.com. Finally, our week is set to end with a visit from a certain iconic movie monster when Kong: Skull Island swings into theaters.
Now it's time for your weekly reminder before signing off: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon and you do it through one of our links, it’ll help keep the lights on here at UpcomingDiscs. See ya next week!
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on March 2nd, 2017
"I always know who you are. It's just that sometimes I don't recognize you."
Logan is perhaps one of the most interesting, endearing and popular characters in the Marvel universe. Wolverine has the distinction of having been created by someone other than Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. While they invented the X-Men team from which the adamantium-clawed warrior was born, he was actually created by the team of Len Wein and John Romita, Sr. in the mid 1970's. Since that time the character has taken on a life of his own, a life that is as much owed to actor Hugh Jackman as anyone else.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 2nd, 2017
Brad Pitt appears to be making this World War II thing a bit of a niche. In recent years he went from Inglourious Basterds to the superior Fury and now to Allied. I wish I could say that he's getting better, but Allied marks a step backwards for the actor in more ways than just the performance. It's an unfortunate aspect of Hollywood that sexy rumors and scandals sell more theater tickets than a good movie. Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have called it quits, and the scuttlebutt is that it was Pitt's fling with Allied co-star Marion Cotillard that caused the split. I don't know if any of that is true and honestly wouldn't care a hill of beans if it were.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on March 2nd, 2017
“I don't know what it is with this place. I don't want to call it voodoo because that's so cliché and you guys probably hate that down here...but there's definitely a feel.”
To say that a certain city is “almost like another character” in a movie has become somewhat commonplace. The phrase is usually applied to films where directors have placed an inordinate emphasis on the background and setting of their stories. By that standard, The King of New Orleans doesn't simply cast The Big Easy as “almost like another character”...the city gets a starring role.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on February 28th, 2017
How well do you really know the person you're married to? That's the provocative question at the center of Allied, the stylish World War II drama from Robert Zemeckis. (Of course, the question becomes even trickier to answer when both people in the marriage are well-trained spies.) Thanks to Paramount, you can find out for yourself by grabbing a copy of Allied in 4K...and we'll have a review of the spiffy new disc very soon. And be sure to come back later this week to see if our claws come out when we review Logan.
One last reminder before signing off for the week (and for February): if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon and you do it through one of our links, it’ll help keep the lights on here at UpcomingDiscs. See ya next week!
Posted in: The Reel World by J C on February 24th, 2017
“Sometimes...if there's too many white people, I get nervous.”
Some of the very best horror films/psychological thrillers succeed by taking a relatable source of anxiety and cranking it to 11. For example, The Exorcist can be viewed as the worst-case scenario for anyone suffering a crisis of faith, while The Shining taps into the madness of being cooped up with your family for too long. Get Out works because it uses the nerve-wracking experience of meeting your significant other's parents for the first time as a jumping-off point to tell a subversive, insightful, and entertaining story that mashes together Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and The Stepford Wives.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 23rd, 2017
Before there was South Park, in 1993 MTV released the coolest cartoon that was out there when they began to air Beavis and Butt-Head. When it came to animated shows, there really wasn’t much out there that appealed to the average teenage boy, but MTV understood their audience and took a chance on creator Mike Judge’s little series that was virtually an overnight sensation. The blend of having a short animated series mixed in with music videos that the show’s characters would deliver their commentary from the torn up sofa was the perfect blend for what would be an unexpected pop-culture movement. Looking back at the series with older eyes, I can understand why my parents rolled their eyes about my urgency to get home to watch the new episode of Beavis and Butt-Head.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2017
He's back. I'm talking about author Robert Matzen. I spoke to Robert at Christmas about his amazing book Mission: Jimmy Stewart And The Fight For Europe. You can catch up on that interview Here. Now he has released a new edition of his book Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 which tells the story of the fiery plane crash that took the life of Carole Lombard, her mother, and Otto Winkler, who was Clark Gable's assistant and best friend, on January 16, 1942. The plane was also carrying American servicemen who were an important part of the World War II effort. This new edition contains brand new material and has been released for the 75th anniversary of the tragic crash. I can tell you that it's a page-turner that you'll find hard to put down. (Of course, that could have to do with the sticky stuff they put all over the cover. Just kidding.) All the while as I was reading the book I was looking forward to another conversation with the author. We finally got to talk again. Now you can hear every word. Bang it here to listen in on my chat with Robert Matzen.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on February 22nd, 2017
“I'm not as comfortable as you are with the notion of killing other human beings.”
Remember that time about six months ago when NFL star Colin Kaepernick set off a firestorm of controversy by repeatedly kneeling during the national anthem as a form of protest? A big part of the outrage was tied to the notion that Kaepernick's actions were disrespectful to members of the U.S. military. One of the most striking things about Quarry — Cinemax's compelling, well-rounded Vietnam War-era drama — is how it depicts a period not that long ago in our country's history when veterans were openly treated with venom and vitriol that went way beyond someone taking a knee.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on February 21st, 2017
Did somebody call a cab? Larry Shirt is a taxi driver who shuttles some of the most colorful characters in New Orleans throughout the city. Larry comes across an Ivy League student, and the two form a bond that is complicated by Hurricane Katrina. So please join us in offering a royal welcome to The King of New Orleans, courtesy of Candy Factory. Later this week, we'll take a trip to a mysterious, upscale family estate...hopefully, we can Get Out in one piece!
Here's your customary reminder before signing off for the week: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon and you do it through one of our links, it’ll help keep the lights on here at UpcomingDiscs. See ya next week!
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