Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on August 31st, 2016
You think your home life is screwed up? I can almost promise you that the Gallagher family has you beat in spades. If not, perhaps watching them will help you feel better about your situation. Fiona, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, Liam, and of course Frank are back with Season Six of Shameless, and it’s like they never left. That is the good thing about the series; it always feels like you can pick up right where you left off despite the several-month hiatus. This year is filled plenty of the same antics you are used to seeing by one of my favorite dysfunctional families, including illegal marriages, teenage pregnancy, and criminal mischief. After indulging in Season Six, the only thing you can say is in the words of Steve Howey, “F$8#ing Gallaghers.”
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on August 30th, 2016
As the philosopher Randy Newman once sang, it’s a jungle out there. And this week — thanks to a certain smash-hit, live-action re-imagining of an animated classic — it’s a Jungle at UpcomingDiscs HQ too! Disney was kind enough to send us The Jungle Book on Blu-ray, which certainly qualifies as more than the bare necessities. (You can already check out our review here.) Warner Bros. hits the mark with Arrow: Season 4 and revels in debauchery with Shameless: Season 6. ABC checks into Grey’s Anatomy: Season 12, while Sony spies on The Night Manager. Finally, CBS heads out west for Season 7 of NCIS: L.A., and gets in our heads with Criminal Minds: Season 11.
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 J C on August 30th, 2016
“You're about to witness a Helena duel...a most noble affair of character and honor.”
A “Helena duel” is also a brutal, bloody ritual where two combatants are joined at the wrist before engaging in a knife fight to the death. That combination of genteelness and barbarity is at the heart of The Duel, a Texas-set Western that reaches for grandiosity and doesn't quite get there, but is nevertheless thoroughly entertaining.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 29th, 2016
"This is the law of the jungle..."
Disney appears to have a law that all of its classic cartoon features must now be made into live-action films. As I've mentioned in my review of the original classic The Jungle Book, the animated feature was the end of an important era at Walt Disney Studios. It was released about a year after Walt's death and was the last film he supervised from beginning to end. In the wake of Walt's death the studio experienced a sharp turnover and complete retooling of the animation department. With only the nine old men to carry the traditions of Walt into the future, The Jungle Book would forever mark a distinct milestone in the history of animated feature films.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 28th, 2016
NCIS continues to be one of the top dramas on television. After 13 years, that’s a hard trick to pull off. With two spinoffs enjoying a pretty nice run, there are nearly 500 episodes of the franchise. The show just received a rare two-year extension and doesn’t appear to be slowing down. The show has seen a lot of changes over the years. Cast members have come and gone, but a strong core has remained for the long haul. More changes are on the horizon. Michael Weatherly leaves after this season. He’s certainly been one of the more beloved members of the original cast. It will be a tough road, but something tells me the show is going to be just fine. If Season 13 is any indication, NCIS is a long way from slowing down.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on August 26th, 2016
“Your memory's very impressive.”
The first season of The Affair — Showtime's sensual, POV-shifting drama — was built on the notion that there are two sides to every story. The show's hook was that it depicted the beginnings of the same adulterous relationship from two different perspectives. Season 2 doubles down on that idea by offering four different viewpoints. So what this sophomore season lacks in sizzle compared to its predecessor, it makes up for by offering a more expansive view at complicated, messy relationship dynamics.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 24th, 2016
“There is another story. One that comes long before…happily ever after.”
An unseen narrator — an uncredited Liam Neeson, wisely choosing not to show his face in this film — intones these words at the start of The Huntsman: Winter’s War. He’s talking about the saga involving a certain magic mirror and Ravenna (a still-captivating Charlize Theron), the wicked antagonist from 2012’s Snow White and The Huntsman. But as this flat, uninspired prequel/sequel hybrid unfolds, it becomes clear that this “other story” is essentially an unimaginative mish-mash of Disney (shades of Frozen and Brave are added to the Snow White framework) and Tolkien.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on August 24th, 2016
For years (at this point we can say decades), fans have been holding out hope for a new installment in the Evil Dead franchise. Over the years there have been rumors of a fourth film, even talks of doing a crossover involving Ash (Bruce Campbell) taking on various horror icons. In the end these talks seemed to be nothing more than pipe dreams, but then in 2013 something special happened. A remake/sequel occurred for the series that actually was pretty awesome and gory while also being a financial success…but it was the stinger at the end of the credits that got people excited, the brief appearance of the man with the chainsaw hand himself.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on August 24th, 2016
I think for the most part we can all agree that the 90’s were not so kind to horror fans. Sure, you can find a few gems sprinkled throughout the decade, but as a whole the theater was not where you’d find the good stuff. In the 90’s you’d end up having to go to your local video store to check out the straight-to-video titles and the independent films that had just been released. Unless you lived in LA or New York, there were so many titles you’d be missing out on, but the video store brought films like Carnosaur (1993) to your attention. This was pretty much how I first stumbled upon Bad Moon, while cruising the titles in the horror section and this cool box art called out to me.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on August 23rd, 2016
The time-hopping team at the center of The CW's latest superhero hit may come from Tomorrow, but thanks to Warner Bros. you can get caught up with their adventures today! DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Season 1 is just one of the highlights in this week's Tuesday Round Up. Warner also travels back to the '70s with The Nice Guys and heads, um, a little further south to introduce is to Lucifer: Season 1. Universal is the fairest of them all thanks to a spiffy 4K edition of The Huntsman: Winter's War. CBS/Paramount flaunts superstition with NCIS: Season (lucky) 13, and the game is afoot thanks to Elementary: Season 4. Finally, Lionsgate goes mano-a-mano with The Duel, while Anchor Bay bypasses laughs and goes straight for chills with Clown.
It's time for your weekly 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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