Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on January 3rd, 2017
The first Tuesday Round Up of 2017 is getting the New Year off to a spooky start. Lionsgate ventures back into the woods to meet up with the Blair Witch, while Fox makes us lose our heads thanks to Sleepy Hollow: Season 3. Finally, Reel Gore Releasing has a bloody good time with The Orphan Killer. Meanwhile in non-horror news, Cinedigm leaves behind The Ultimate Legacy, while HBO takes us back to the Big Apple (with a detour to Japan) to hang out with Girls: Season 5.
It might be a new year now, but you're going to get the same weekly reminder before we sign 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!
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on January 3rd, 2017
Noma: My Perfect Storm & Entertainment on Blu-ray. Magnolia has been a powerhouse this Christmas for Upcomingdiscs and for all of you guys. I have 1 copy each of these films on Blu-ray. Noma: My Perfect Storm: Noma is the name of the award-winning Copenhagen restaurant operated by Chef Rene Redzepi. The film dips into Redzepi’s origin story. Entertainment: An aging comedian ends up on a tour of dive venues while attempting to re-connect with his estranged daughter.
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Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 2nd, 2017
Since we are knee-deep into the holidays, it would only be fitting to discuss the independent horror film Never Open the Door; after all it takes place on Thanksgiving Day. It’s a shame we don’t have more horror films to watch during turkey day, but for some this new title may be a nice fit to change all that. When I picked up the title I hadn’t heard a peep about it, but I’m a sucker for horror, and seeing that it was shot in B&W just made it all the more enticing. Now, when I watch a title like this, one thing has to work. It has to have a story that engages me; story is what matters with these smaller films, because the budgets tend to not have room for big makeup FX or big-name actors. The limitations placed upon the filmmakers seem to force their hand and have them get more creative with the execution of scenes, whether this means creative camera work or unique storytelling. Many of my favorite directors came from shoestring budget beginnings: Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi, and Kevin Smith, to name a few. So is the next up-and-coming directing star putting his goods on display here?
It’s Thanksgiving, and a group of friends have gotten together to celebrate by making a trip to a secluded cabin in the woods. While the dinner is going on, we get a perspective from outside of a man running through the woods. Most of this is through his POV, so there is plenty of shaky camera footage here; thankfully it’s not too bad. The dinner is interrupted by a knock on the door, Tess (Jessica Sonneborn) gets up to answer it and as a result has blood spat upon her from a stranger that falls to the ground giving an ominous warning about answering the door. There’s nothing new here, and we can pretty much telegraph what happens next; the problem is most viewers are not going to care.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Dan Holland on January 2nd, 2017
Road to the Well is about what you would expect from an independent thriller: atmospheric and character-driven, sporting a slow pace. While the pacing was indeed slow, it was most certainly deliberate and aided in the storytelling. I can’t necessarily say that I would watch the film again, but I can say I understand why it has won awards while on the festival circuit, especially given the fact that it is writer/director Jon Cvack’s first feature length film. It is a good movie. It satisfies. And even though good movies have their faults, Road to the Well succeeds in balancing its failures with tremendous amounts of successful feats.
Jack (Micah Parker), is a drifter who wanders into the town of his youth and starts to look up old friends. He convinces Frank (Laurence Fuller) to spend a night out with him, which ends in the murder of a prostitute. Together, the two strengthen their bond through the initial trauma and must make a series of difficult choices together in order to relieve themselves of the dead body. Along the way they encounter characters who add a unique flare to the story, including an intimidating seasoned military chaplain, played by Marshall R. Teague. With each new character comes a new set of choices, a subtle theme that is rather important to the development of each character.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on January 2nd, 2017
It's another huge bag of goodies from Magnolia. They've given me copies of the following titles on Blu-ray and DVD: The Last King. Imagine if Three Men and a Baby was remade with just two guys, a baby, a battle axe, and a bunch of arrows. Despite its exceedingly generic Americanized title, The Last King has a little something different to offer action-weary movie watchers. Then there is A War. This one is about a Danish commander and his weary, overwhelmed young soldiers fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Finally we have Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The True Story Of National Lampoon. That's six total winners for this contest. Odds look pretty good thanks to our Holiday heroes over at Magnolia Home Entertainment.
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Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on January 1st, 2017
A huge collection of National Geographic television DVD sets. You get Mygrations Season 1, which follows a group of humans migrating across the Serengeti. In Return From The Dead Dr. Steven Laureys investigates death and the human brain. When Sharks Attack Season 3 continues to look into shark attacks across the world. Animals Gone Wild Season 3 takes us from jungles to the depths of the ocean where animals reveal fierce natures. Finally there's Missing Dial which looks into the case of Cody Roman Dial, who vanished in 2014. It's all going to one lucky winner thanks to Upcomingdiscs and Fox Home Entertainment.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on December 31st, 2016
A wonderful bag of vintage entertainment. One lucky winner is going to receive Bob Hope: Hope For The Holidays on DVD. It's the 1993 special where Bob Hope looks back at some of his classic holiday moments. You also get The Red Skelton Hour In Color. This 3 DVD set features full color episodes of the classic show. Guests include John Wayne and Mickey Rooney. Add Hee Haw Salute, which gives you another 3 DVD set this time featuring vintage moments from the old show featuring performances by Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn. Finally, it's The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson Featuring Jerry Seinfeld. Catch some wonderful moments with Johnny and Jerry. It's where the star got his start. You get all of this free thanks to our wonderful friends at Time-Life.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 30th, 2016
It’s been just about four years since Savages (2012) hit the big screen. For me Savages was Oliver Stone simply having a blast, shooting an over-the-top action film fueled by sex, drugs, and violence. Now it seems Stone has stepped back into the paranoid, government-conspiracy form that he seems to be best known for with Snowden. Whether you view him as a traitor to the United States or a self-sacrificing lamb to expose the government and its illegal wiretapping, it’s a choice that is up to you going into this film. Personally, while I feel his intentions were good, still, he did betray his government and committed treason. What I had hoped with this film is that Oliver Stone would capture both sides of the coin, but as the title would suggest, Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is front and center on this ride, and that’s not my only problem here.
When we first meet Snowden, he’s locked away in a Hong Kong hotel room getting ready to give an interview to two journalists, Glenn Greenwald (Zachary Quinto) and Ewan McAskill (Tom Wilkinson) along with documentarian Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) to film the event. It’s this interview that sets up the rest of the film that is told mostly in flashback form. The dynamic of this opening sequence works so well simply because of the elevated bar of talent on the screen; it sets up for what one could only expect will be filled with snappy dialog exchanges as these figures discuss what Snowden is about to unleash to the world. Instead we get a whimper of what could have been.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on December 30th, 2016
Greenleaf Season 1 on Blu-ray. Greenleaf is a show that points out that even the most righteous and respected have their flaws, and we get a glimpse at how this family confronts these indiscretions for better or for worse. You can check out Brent's review Here. Then enter to win a copy for your family. Thanks to the happy elves over at Lionsgate.
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Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on December 29th, 2016
Two titles on DVD. First up is Presenting Princess Shaw, the amazing story of struggling musician Princess Shaw, who made her dreams a reality by inspiring a Youtube star to work with her and change both of their lives. The second title is Sunset Song, based on the heartwarming novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon. It tells the story of a young woman's struggles against the world of World War I Scotland. I have two copies of each film to give away thanks to our Holiday pals at Magnolia Home Entertainment.
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