Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 28th, 2016
Life on the road as a comic always seemed like it would be the bachelors dream lifestyle: a new town every other night, getting to meet new people and see new sites while getting paid to tell jokes. Well, for the most part I still think it’s a pretty sweet deal, but in the new existential comedy Entertainment, we get a glimpse into what the road life would be if you just happened to be one of the worst comedians to take the stage. This slow, depressing look at The (unnamed) Comedian (Gregg Turkington) as he attempts to mend his relationship with his daughter doesn’t go for laughs but instead attempts to take an introspective look at its star, and just seems to go nowhere.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 28th, 2016
Here is an instance where there was so much promise going into this film, but because of its lack of restraint, it blew an opportunity to be a good film. The Midnight Man offers up a fun premise, a good cast, and high production values, but what plagues this film is a script that is filled with so much bad dialog you’ll wish you were watching a silent film. Quick lesson in screenwriting: don’t try to be Shane Black or Quentin Tarantino; they are a class of their own, and to try to copy them only shines a light on how bad your dialog really is. I’m being hard on this film, because had this film shown some restraint and kept the dialog simple, this could have been a really cool film.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on February 28th, 2016
”We recognize that it is our responsibility to help ensure that casting decisions reflect the diversity and culture of the time periods portrayed. In this instance we failed to live up to our own standards of sensitivity and diversity, for which we sincerely apologize. Lionsgate is deeply committed to making films that reflect the diversity of our audiences. We have, can, and will continue to do better...”
It's a bad sign when a studio issues a public apology months before the film ever hits the screens. Gods Of Egypt will likely be remembered, if it's remembered at all, as having some of the worst timing of any film ever.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on February 26th, 2016
Ever since Michael Mann came along, the bar has been set when it comes to making gritty heist films. Sure, films have come close in reaching the ranks of Thief and Heat, but close isn’t enough to put films over the top. When the trailers came along for Triple 9, it was a film that I immediately had my eye on and was curious what director John Hilcoat (The Road and Lawless) would do with the material. The result is just about the most corrupt cop film to come out in ages and a gritty crime drama full of double-crosses that’ll have you questioning who are the good guys in a sea of so many bad ones. Is this a modern masterpiece or simply a slick action film? Well, to be fair, it’s somewhere in the middle. Strap on your bulletproof vest and grab and extra clip, because Triple 9 throws you in the thick of the action.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on February 26th, 2016
Our good friends at Mill Creek want you to spend some time in the slammer. That's right. One lucky Upcomingdiscs follower is going to be sentenced to 6... 6 prison films, that is. It's the Tales From The Prison Yard DVD collection from Mill Creek. You'll get Convicted with Glen Ford. Spend some time in Cell 2455, Death Row with William Campbell. Attempt an Escape From San Quentin with Johnny Desmond. Visit City Of Fear with Vince Edwards. Read The Valachi Papers with Charles Bronson. Finally, take care of The Last Detail with Jack Nicholson and Randy Quaid. Now this is what I call serving time.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on February 26th, 2016
Back in October I wrote about The Facts of Life: Season 7 in which I dealt with the general history and overall dynamics of the show. I suggest you go back and check that out so I don’t cover the same ground twice. The big addition that year was George Clooney. Not many series have as long and healthy a run as The Facts of Life, but as they age changes are forced on them. One of those changes that occurred in the opening episodes of Season 8 is Charlotte Rae’s (Mrs. Edna Garrett) decision to leave the show. The transition is handled gracefully with Edna’s marriage to a doctor who is leaving to help those in the third world by serving in the Peace Corps.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 25th, 2016
The premise itself is relatively simple and requires no real past knowledge to get on board. Unit 15 is the elite unit of an unnamed Canadian metropolitan police force. The unit is led by Staff Sergeant Oliver Shaw (Gordon). Each episode begins with his roll call. Apparently in Canada it's called parade. He does the usual job of giving out riding partners and assignments and providing the general "hot" information for the shift turn-out. The show focuses on a group of rookie cops assigned here. This is where it gets tricky.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 25th, 2016
“Don’t ever threaten my family again.”
In Extraction, a government analyst embarks on an unsanctioned rescue mission after his father — an over-the-hill CIA field operative — is kidnapped by a shadowy group of bad guys. In a related story, I think I got my dad a CD for Father’s Day last year. But while the hero of Extraction might edge me out in the Son of the Year race, the rest of this crummy actioner is basically a harmless debacle.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 24th, 2016
“Taking the next step in a series of random steps.”
Those words are part of a toast near the start of this season, as chronically neurotic and self-absorbed writer Hannah Horvath prepares to embark on a mini-adventure that will temporarily take her away from her natural habitat of New York City. They also double as a tidy summary of the entertaining (and appropriately messy) fourth season of HBO's Girls, while simultaneously capturing what it's like to progress through your 20's.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 24th, 2016
If there is a television series in the history of the industry as American or timeless as The Andy Griffith Show, I haven't seen it. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone with strong negative feelings about the series. It was one of those organic and comfortable productions that reached deep into the core of rural America. Even if we lived in a bustling city, there were aspects of the show that still rang true. It was populated with the kind of familiar faces that it wasn't hard for anyone in the audience to smile in remembrance of a character they've known in real life.
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