Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 14th, 2016
When a movie that so clearly lifts its inspiration from the films of Roman Polanski and Alfred Hitchcock, I would have expected to simply embrace this film for the nail-biting thriller it is attempting to be. Instead I found myself sitting back wondering why I just couldn’t get into this film. Is it because the storyline seems uninspired? Whatever it is when it comes to The Ones Below, it may hit all the right notes when it comes to what to expect with a thriller, but that’s the problem; it plays everything by the book and doesn’t dare to take unexpected twists.
Kate (Clemence Poesy) and Justin (Stephen Campbell Moore) are a happy couple living alone in an upstairs flat in London with a baby on the way. When they notice that they have new neighbors who have moved into the space below them; it of course comes as a surprise to see that they too are a couple expecting to have their first child. The new neighbors are Theresa (Laura Birn) and her husband Jon (David Morrissey). There is something off about the couple right from the start, and when Kate and Justin invite their new neighbors to dinner, you don’t have to hold your breath too long before things go awry. When an accident occurs that causes Theresa to lose the baby, as a viewer we can already expect things to go bad, since Jon and Theresa seem to blame Kate and Justin for their loss, but what follows just kind of seems silly rather than menacing.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on September 13th, 2016
Summer’s winding down, and the chillier temperatures of fall and winter are just around the corner…well, at least for those of you who live outside of Florida. As we brace for another unseasonably warm autumn — fingers crossed I’m wrong! — UpcomingDiscs HQ will get a blast of wintry air this week. Join us as we bundle up to explore Wonders of the Arctic in 4K courtesy of Shout! Factory, which also dives underwater to explore The Last Reef in 4K. Lionsgate steals from the rich with Marauders, and ABC/Disney undergoes rigorous training at Quantico: Season 1. Finally, Eagle Rock invites us to come sail away with Styx: Live at the Orleans.
One last 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!
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 12th, 2016
"My name is Barry Allen, and I am the fastest man alive. When I was a child, I saw my mother killed by something impossible. My father went to prison for her murder. Then an accident made me the impossible, and I became the Flash. I used my powers to find the man responsible for my mother's death. I thought I would finally get justice for my family, but I failed. It's been six months since the Singularity. I'm on my own now. Decided it's better that way. Keeps the people I care about safe. There's only one thing I can do now. I run…"
The Flash is CSI with a twist. Barry Allen (Gustin) is a police scientist working in the CSI lab of Central City. In fact, he appears to be the only staff of that unit, having pretty much the run of the lab. When he was 11 he witnessed his mother's murder amid red and yellow streaks of lightning. Within the streaks he saw a man dressed in yellow. No one believed what he saw, and his father (Shipp) has been doing time for the murder he did not commit. Young Barry was taken in by their family friend Detective Joe West, played by Law & Order's Jesse L. Martin, and daughter Iris West (Patton). When a particle accelerator at Starr Labs explodes, the dark matter wave that spreads across Central City combines with a lab accident, and Barry is bestowed with incredible speed. Unfortunately, he was not the only one affected. Other people received various other powers and are referred to here as Meta Humans.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 12th, 2016
It all started back in the early 1960's when Chuck and the late John Panozzo got together with another kid on their Chicago block named Dennis DeYoung and started to play a little music. By 1970 guitarist James "JY" Young joined the band, and they recorded a few minor albums. In 1975 their first hit Lady would put the band on the map, and when Tommy Shaw joined as a singer/writer/guitarist for the Crystal Ball album, the top of the pop charts would be the band's new neighborhood for the better part of a decade. There's little doubt that the band peaked in the late 1970's with The Grand Illusion and Pieces Of Eight. It's amazing how many hit singles came from just two LP's: Come Sail Away, The Grand Illusion, Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man), Blue Collar Man, Sing For The Day, and Renegade. Recently the band cashed in on those glory years by performing a world tour of those classic albums live and in their entirety.
The band's changed since the albums were released. Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw have both had stints of running the band without the other. Now Dennis is gone, apparently for good, and has been replaced by Laurence Gowan, a Canadian musician who came to my attention over 20 years ago. I have several of his hard-to-find CD's and have loved his music for years. John Panozzo passed away, and his brother Chuck isn't really doing so well these days. Chuck's been replaced by Ricky Phillips on bass. Chuck does make an occasional appearance for a song, but it's sad to say and see that he looks rather worn out. While it was great for the guys to welcome him along, I was bummed by his look and lack of energy. He was an important part of the band, and I would absolutely have loved seeing him back in form. The drums are handled by Todd Sucherman, who replaced John when he became ill.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on September 12th, 2016
I have a new opinion, newly formed, that Tyler Labine is underrated, because it goes without question that his performance was the crown jewel of Mountain Men, a story about two estranged brothers who find themselves without a vehicle, trapped in the winter wilderness, and must trek their way back to civilization. This movie features some of the quips and brotherly banter that I’ve seen all year. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that the two look nothing alike, I would be inclined to be believe that they were actually related.
Toph (Labine) is part-time deejay, full-time weed dealer who has just been notified that his girlfriend (Britt Irvin) is pregnant. Cooper (Chace Crawford) is his more successful younger brother, who returns home after a long absence for their mother’s wedding. Early on it is clear that the family is not very close, and much of that is explained to be in part due to the death of their father. Cooper hasn’t accepted their father’s death because his body was never found, partially due to the fact that their last conversation together was not a happy one. As a result, Cooper stalls signing the documents regarding their father’s estate. Toph, in need of that money due to his situation as well as to try and open up his own business, convinces Cooper to visit their father’s old camping lodge for some brotherly time. Everything that transpires after this is a hilarious adventure in adversity and self-discovery.
Posted in: The Reel World by Archive Authors on September 11th, 2016
Clint Eastwood is 86 years old. He is also one of the best film directors working today. His latest film shows no signs of a man winding down his life, let alone his career. I obviously hinted that most other actors (or directors) his age have long ago died or checked into a nursing home. Eastwood looks lean and mean and still directs that way. Eastwood is interesting, as well, because he tends to pick projects that are outside the Hollywood studio corporate thinking. In other words, Eastwood is his own man and does pretty much anything he wants. His films as an actor and director have courted controversy way back to the days of Dirty Harry and A Fistful of Dollars. His films as a director and his personal political views are always full of contradictions that suggest a vibrant, searching mind. Sully is Eastwood’s latest film, starring Tom Hanks, and it is deceptively complex as well. On one level, Sully is a textbook depiction of a famous true life event.
On January 15, 2009, Captain Chesley “Sully” (Tom Hanks) Sullenberger piloted a US Airbus A320 from LaGuardia airport. Three minutes into the flight both engines are unprecedentedly hit by a flock of Canada geese (which is the subject of a pretty good joke later in the film) and created 208 seconds of hell for Sullenberger and the other 154 human beings on the US Airways flight. The film starts with a bang, with Sullenberger struggling to control the plane under the worst possible circumstances. This is part of the nightmares that hound the rigorously professional pilot. The fact is that the world is full of people who do difficult and dangerous jobs, and piloting a giant passenger airliner is certainly one of them. But the film also pays tribute to hundreds of other first responders who have to rush to life-and-death emergencies every day. Much of the film is given to second-guessing a top professional who has given a life time of exemplary service. It is fair to compare Sully to Flight starring Denzel Washington, except this time the Captain wasn’t doing cocaine. In this case, we have a serious and earnest man questioning himself despite knowing from years of experience that he has done the right thing. We see the crash played over and over again from different perspectives and with different outcomes, constantly forcing us to think how we would react in a crucial once in a lifetime crisis. Many of the depictions come from the nightmares of Sullenberger showing how thousands might have died if he had crashed into midtown Manhattan. It goes without saying that this has echoes of 9/11, and much of that is addressed head on. It comes back to the fact that Eastwood is his own man. He is one of the few people who could make such a rigorously square movie and pull it off. This is a movie about an honest man with a lifetime of proven integrity forced to defend himself in front of the whole world. This is also a big part of the movie. The world judges someone in an instant in this media-obsessed world.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 9th, 2016
“High Rise,” the novel written by the late English author J.G. Ballard, was published in 1975. The story follows a diverse group of characters who live in a luxurious skyscraper that features every amenity imaginable. Things are so convenient, in fact, that the tenants gradually become less interested in the outside world. The idea of people becoming increasingly uninterested in the outside world is obviously still relevant more than 40 years later, since many of us prefer to order everything online and only venture outdoors if there's a rare Pokemon to be caught. But while this movie adaptation has its moments of inspired lunacy, it's ultimately too slight and scattershot to leave a lasting impact.
“Living in a high-rise requires a special type of behavior.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 8th, 2016
"Six months ago The Arrow died. But what he stood for didn't. It lived on in the heroes who took up his mantle. People who believe that this city should never descend into hopelessness. Who believe although life is full of darkness, that darkness can be defeated by light. And tonight I am declaring my intention to fight with them for this city. To be a symbol of hope that The Arrow never was. I am the Green Arrow."
The first three seasons of Arrow have to almost be considered one large origin story. Oliver Queen finally takes the name that he's used in the comics for decades... The Green Arrow. Not to be confused with the same-colored Hornet or Lantern. Who the heck is this Green Arrow of whom you speak? If that's your first question, you need to go back a couple of grades and catch up with the rest of us. The comics are good place to begin, but the television universe is its own place and not tied so tightly to the DC comic book universe. Your best place to go to catch up would be the first three seasons. It'll be worth the effort, and I can get you started with those reviews found Here.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 8th, 2016
"When we strike that match, we like to think we can control the burn. We like to think we have any control at all. But fire is wildly difficult to contain. And just when you think you've extinguished the blaze... it reignites. It sucks in air, and it burns hotter and brighter than ever."
Grey's Anatomy has continued to surprise fans and critics alike. As far back as the seventh season there was strong talk that the show was drawing to an inevitable close. Since that time we have seen the end of the spinoff series Private Practice, which I always considered to be a better show. Nothing's changed; as the show entered its 10th year there was the same talk both from outside and from within that the series was ending. Not only did it not end, but the show took some serious strides in ratings and storytelling. The 12th season sees another regular cast member gone with Patrick Dempsey leaving the series, but cast changes have been going on every year for this series. Last year it was Sandra Oh. Huge regulars have left or even been forced out. Over the years we saw huge names like Isaiah Washington, Kate Walsh, Katherine Heigl, T.R. Knight, Eric Dane and Chyler Leigh. You likely won't miss him, and he still manages to dominate some of the stories this season.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 8th, 2016
If you come to this DVD set in the hopes of discovering something to do with Jason or even his machete-wielding mama, you will be very disappointed. There is no Camp Crystal Lake, and no one’s wearing a hockey mask. The fact is that this series, syndicated from Canada, had absolutely nothing to do with the film franchise. They have no characters in common. They have no connection to the stories in the film franchise. Basically the name is the only thing they share. CBS has finally put together the entire series in one release.
It all starts with antique dealer Uncle Lewis. He made a deal with the devil to help His Evilness to distribute cursed and evil objects through his store. Objects included Jack the Ripper’s scalpel. Finally Satan comes to collect Uncle Lewis and his tattered soul, leaving his niece Micki (Robey) to clean up the mess. She and cousin Ryan (Le May) have the unenviable task of tracking down these items and sealing them safely away so they can do no more harm. They were often assisted in their task by Jack (Wiggins), who knew something of the occult. The series ran from 1987 to 1990 and never made more than a ripple in the ratings.
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