Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on August 3rd, 2015
Our buddies over at RLJ Entertainment want you to know about their new DVD release: Blackbird. Julian Walker stars as young Randy who must find himself during a time of personal loss with others who depend on him. It's a tale about being true to who you are. We've got 2 copies to give away. Dan will be giving us his thoughts later. For now you can enter to have a copy sent to you for free.
To win a copy, just follow these simple instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 3rd, 2015
How do you follow up the biggest publishing phenomenon of the last 20 years? Well, if you're J.K. Rowling, you excise all talk of horcruxes and Hogwarts and supplant it with warring parish council members and the idyllic village of Pagford. That's the setting for The Casual Vacancy, Rowling's 2012 follow-up to the Harry Potter series. The book has been adapted by BBC and HBO into a three-part miniseries. With its small-town setting and 23(!) main characters, the series simultaneously feels quaint and sprawling. It also made me wish I was able to spend more than three hours with these people.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on August 2nd, 2015
Loosely based on Melissa de la Cruz’s book, Witches of East End was renewed for a second season in July 2014, opening with over 1 million viewers scrambling to the TV set to see what would happen now that the portal of Asgard was opened and Joanna was struggling to overcome Argentium poisoning. Featuring Julia Ormond as the matriarch Joanna Beauchamp, she is parked in the middle of lofty tales of the supernatural ,which are commonplace to this unusual family. If you’ve been following the trials and tribulations of the Beauchamp brood, you already know these aren’t the wart-nosed witches of your childhood storybooks.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on August 2nd, 2015
The DVD release of In The Dream Machine makes a number of promises. It promises to show rare footage of William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Leonardo DiCaprio. It does, but only in the broadest interpretation of that concept. It has a blurb from famed avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger which says, “More interesting than most documentaries in that it is presented in the way Burroughs writes”. I flat out disagree with that. It does show Burroughs extensively, but mostly in incoherent or unflattering segments. The film is incompetently edited and put together with a slapdash of offbeat and unintelligible segments.
Posted in: The Reel World by Archive Authors on August 1st, 2015
I don't think there has ever really been a great film about a great writer. We naturally compare their lives to works of great fiction. Great fiction tends to distill the tedium and awkwardness out of real life. Real life can be exhausting in the day-to-day disappointments that can sometimes be wrapped in small victories. David Foster Wallace was a great writer. This is almost universally acknowledged. David Foster Wallace no longer is because he hung himself in 2008 at age 46. Many people who were in his life are now very protective of him and his privacy. They are angry at the idea of a movie being made about his life.
Posted in: The Reel World by J C on July 31st, 2015
“This may very well be our last mission, Ethan...make it count.”
You wouldn't know it from looking at him, but Tom Cruise is now 53 years old. So it's only natural to wonder how many more Missions the indomitable superstar has left in him. Well if Rogue Nation is any indication, the above quote is meant to be more winking than prophetic. Just like its tireless star, the fifth installment of the 19-year-old Mission: Impossible film franchise is sprier, tighter, and more energetic than its age might suggest.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 30th, 2015
Shout Factory has brought yet another 1980's Empire Pictures horror film to high definition on Blu-ray. This is another one of those Schlock-O-Rama films that are best viewed with a group of friends. While it's certainly a step ahead of some recent entries on this list, there's plenty of fun to be had in a gathering. This release also has the advantage of just one film on the disc. Of course, I'm talking about Ghost Town, directed by Richard Governor, but did you know that Mac Ahlberg of Ghoulies and Re-Animator fame was an uncredited assistant director on the film? The man's a pretty good cinematographer, and his eye lends itself to a better-looking shoot with more atmosphere than you might ordinarily find on these things.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on July 30th, 2015
In August Entertainment One will be releasing 10 Cent Pistol. The film is about two brothers who deal with the L.A. underworld. What better way to make that work than casting two actual brothers in the roles? It's a great idea, and those two brothers are Damon and JT Alexander. I spent a few minutes on the phone with them both, and it was a great time. We talked about the movie, brothers, and folding your pizza. Want to know what that's all about? There are only two ways to find out. Watch the film when it releases. You can also bang it here to listen to my chat with The Alexander Brothers
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 29th, 2015
It's almost upon us. After many long years and two less-than-stellar films, the original X-Files is returning to its rightful place on television. In the years since it left the airwaves, there have been many attempts to recreate its style and place in the hearts of fans. Helix was an attempt to take something that would have been a great X-Files episodes and turn it into a complete series franchise of its own. You remember the scenario. Mulder and Scully would be locked in the arctic where an ancient disease or worm would contaminate the people there. It would be up to these guys to solve the mystery and rescue what was left of the base scientists.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Dan Holland on July 28th, 2015
Joan Rivers left behind an enormous legacy after leaving us in September of 2014. Known for her sharp wit and celebrity stings, the comedienne proved she was a force to be reckoned with. Most known for her television vehicle Fashion Police (started in 2002 and still running), she has had a major influence in the world of comedy, and her death really shook that world. Perhaps my favorite project she has worked on was the brilliantly-titled In Bed With Joan. While televised, it was also released as a podcast.
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