Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on March 21st, 2015
When Divergent ended, it planted the seed for the sequels that would follow. I really enjoyed the first installment and our introduction into the factions that supported this society. What I enjoyed most after revisiting the film is how the film handles the budding relationship between Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James), never too sappy but being a couple we could root for since they were both outsiders to their community. Now that the factions and the characters have all been set up, and with the rebellion beginning to take shape at the end of the first film, Insurgent wastes no time in jumping into the story and delivering one of the better sequels in some time.
To be fair, Insurgent really is its own film. We’re no longer watching our characters train and play capture the flag, or take part in simulations to pass a test. Things are ramped up, and our heroes are being hunted down by Jeanine (Kate Winslet) and her followers. The charm and the innocence we saw in the first film where Tris is wide-eyed with excitement with her training is all gone, and we see this in an overly symbolic scene where we watch Tris cut off those lovely golden locks of hers.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on March 20th, 2015
There's a new horror film out from Anchor Bay. It's called Muck, and it's actually the middle part of a trilogy. If you find that more than a little bit confusing, Upcomingdiscs is here to help you sort it all out. We're going to be delivering a series of interviews with cast and crew to answer all of those burning questions. My first talk was with Bryce Draper. He's a newcomer to feature films, and he's hip-deep in the Muck now. He's pretty enthusiastic about it all. Bang it here to listen in on my chat with Bryce Draper.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 20th, 2015
From the moment Son of a Gun opens up taking you behind bars as JR (Brenton Thwaites) is being processed into an Australian prison, it is the start of a journey that throws everything at its audience till the final credits roll. I have a hard time figuring out just how to classify Son of a Gun; it is everything from being a film about self-discovery, a guys-behind-bars film, to being a heist film and so much more. The title refers to JR as he goes about serving his time behind bars and captures the attention of an infamous thief Brendan (Ewan McGregor). Brendan takes in the young man and protects him from would-be attackers, but of course the protection comes at a price. JR makes up for it by helping spring Brendan from prison in a clever prison break that somewhat reminded me of the prison escape in Superman 2 (you know, when Lex Luthor is rescued via helicopter), same thing only slicker.
It’s when Brendan makes his escape that we see the bond continue to develop with JR, and he teaches him the ropes of being a good thief as well as teaching him a few life lessons along the way. It’s a formula we’ve seen before, but it is a formula that works, and in this film writer/director Julius Avery knows how to deliver the action beats stringing the viewer along for this intriguing yet recycled plot. By the time we get to the gold heist I was sucked in, because the performances are just that good, that they manage to make this rehash seem fresh and even exciting at points.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 20th, 2015
“Do you want to be a banker or a gangster? Why can’t I be both?”
I really kind of dug the concept of the film, definitely. Two guys try to bring down a crooked CEO from within the company. I like that it was done as a comedy instead of a drama; that distinction allows for a more enjoyable experience as a whole. Though the idea could have worked as a drama as well, I think most people would agree that it is always better to laugh. Unfortunately, the way the film was done left some things to be desired. As a whole the movie becomes more of a cheesy experience with cliché characters, stereotypical situations, and a weak, uncharismatic cast.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on March 19th, 2015
Everybody is talking about the next James Bond movie. It seems we've been fascinated by the spy genre since the early 1960's. AMC has added a new wrinkle to the spy game with Turn: Washington's Spies. When we say Washington we're not talking about the city. We're talking General Washington, George Washington. It's a revolutionary show about a real-life spy ring from America's fight for independence. Joining the redcoats is Samuel Roukin. He plays the nasty Captain Simcoe. I had the chance to chat with Samuel and he had some very cool insights into the character and the show. He even reveals a secret about the original fate of Simcoe that you are going to want to hear. He also gives us a sneak peak at season 2. The first season is now out from Anchor Bay. Bang it here to listen to my chat with Samuel Roukin.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 19th, 2015
Anyone who has ever played an instrument or sung understands the therapeutic powers of music. In England they have been using that idea to help physically disadvantaged children with music at the Nordoff-RobbinsMusicCenter in London's KentishTown. The institute was founded by American composer Paul Nordoff and British teacher Clive Robbins. They have thousands of success stories. We're talking children who had closed themselves off from the world around them, many who had stopped speaking or communicating at all. The children come from all over the world. In the late 1980's the Center was looking at the need to expand their facilities. To build a state-of-the-art facility would take a lot of money, so they naturally turned to the professional musical artists whom they had honored yearly with their own Silver Clef Award. We're talking the likes of Elton John, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney, heavy hitters, to be sure. Every one of them who were available immediately agreed to put on a super-concert to raise money for the new facility. The event was so successful that a second beneficiary was added because of the funds the show made available. The BritSchool Of Performing Arts was the added charity. It all came together for 11 hours on June 30th 1990 at a place called Knebworth.
The concert was billed as The Best All British Rock Show Ever Staged, and it very well might have been. The crowd was a living sea of rock 'n' roll fans. But it wasn't really strictly a British affair. The crowd can be seen waving flags from many nations, the United States and Canada quite prominent. It was obvious that fans came from around the globe to see the historic gathering. It doesn't look like they were disappointed in the least.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 18th, 2015
What if there was a place where you can act out your wildest fantasy, whether it be murder, theft, or sex, and at the end of the day you could go home as though nothing happened? That is the tease Vice offers its audience in a sci-fi action film that blends bits of Blade Runner, Stange Days and Westworld into one tight little package. For fans of the sci-fi genre, the movies I reference are staples in the genre, but let me be clear; at no time does Vice measure up to these films. When we meet Kelly (newcomer Ambyr Childers), she is an android leading a life behind the walls of VICE where she is programmed to live the same day over day after day. For all androids within the walls of VICE, they all are living out a Groundhog Day life, only what changes are the outsiders that pay to do some pretty horrible things. I feel a little horrible saying this, but I wish we got to see more of these horrible activities take place, and in a weird way I think that’s the most obvious plot hole of the film. Why is there not constant mayhem occurring behind these walls? In a world where it is a free for all to kill and maim these androids; instead filling the background are well-to-do folks just minding their own business and sipping martinis. This is still Kelly’s life, and early on we see her in a violent encounter that leaves her and her friend dead.
Being dead means very little to an android who has their memory wiped every day, so after Kelly is patched up she is ready to function for another day and face whatever violent act awaits her. That is till she starts having flashbacks from her previous memory swipes, and we get to see she has been a part of some pretty cruel activities.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 18th, 2015
"Space...The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its 5-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before!"
I wish I could say that this new 2-DVD set of Star Trek episodes had gone where none had gone before. Instead it's merely a release of eight original series episodes on two DVDs. The only extras are a couple of very short Shatner interview clips on leadership, the captain's logs and his death scene in Generations. There's nothing new about any of this. Fortunately, the selection of episodes is a pretty solid one.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on March 18th, 2015
It’s been about a decade since Hollywood first tried to make a movie out of Halo, the blockbuster Xbox videogame series. The closest fans came to seeing Master Chief on the big screen was a 2006 adaptation with Peter Jackson serving as executive producer and his then-protégé Neill Blomkamp directing. Unfortunately, development costs started to skyrocket and the duo opted to make District 9 instead. Meanwhile, Halo remained a potentially-lucrative multimedia property. So Microsoft, which owns Xbox, finally decided that if they wanted a Halo movie done, they had to do it themselves.
Nightfall is actually the second live-action offering set in the world of Halo, following 2012’s well-received Forward Unto Dawn. Each of them originally aired as five-part web series aimed at Xbox users, and both had higher production values than what you’re accustomed to seeing in that medium. Expectations for Nightfall were even higher after Ridley Scott signed up as an executive producer. (I mean, it couldn’t be worse than the stuff he’s been directing lately?)
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 16th, 2015
Most films start with a screenplay. Certainly the true genesis is usually an idea or concept, but the film starts to take shape around a screenplay. Never has that been more true then with 3 Holes And A Smoking Gun. In fact, you could say it has a killer script. I'm not actually talking about the one written by Scott Fivelson for the movie. And, when I say killer, I'm not being at all figurative. This is a script that people will literally kill for, hence the smoking gun in the title. That's not to say that Fivelson's work isn't pretty good here. It's quite clever, but it's not the dominating aspect of this particular movie. That comes later.
Bobby Blue Day (Wilder) is pretty much a washed-up Hollywood screenwriter who now teaches a class on film writing. It wouldn't exactly be fair to say he is a has-been, because that would imply that he had anything like a successful career at all. He's obviously more than a little bitter, and that hits home hard when one of his students hands in the best script he's ever read or heard of. It's perfect, and he conspires to get himself a piece of the action by taking advantage of inexperienced writer Jack (Khan). But Jack isn't falling for the act. He knows how good the script is, and he's been through more than a little hell to get it this far. The problem is that Bobby appears to know a big-time director who will see the script's genius and want to make the film. But is that contact worth half the money and a co-writing credit? As it turns out, it's all a negotiation, and the two engage in a rather dangerous dance for position. Along the way we discover that everything isn't always what it appears to be, and Bobby's not the only one who will do anything to get himself attached to the work.
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