Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 27th, 2014
"It's like Prohibition never happened but for one thing. Prices will increase twenty-fold. We got a product a fellah's gotta have. Even better is that, we got a product he ain't allowed to have."
The fourth season of Boardwalk Empire began pretty much the only way it could have after the bloodbath that ended the previous season. It was an explosive season that delivered the best gangland war in television history. Now there has to be some kind of peace or at least status quo after the end of the violence. Nucky is making his peace with Arnold Rothstein and his people. He also owes Chalky White for saving his behind when war broke out. It's all going to cost him: money to Rothstein and the rebuilt club on the boardwalk for Chalky. The new Onyx club is now run by a man who is not allowed to sit in the front section of his own club.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on August 27th, 2014
Cartoon Network has just released yet another collection of episodes of Regular Show, only this time they are all based around Rigby. For those new to the show who want in on the obsession that kids, friends, and other cartoon addicts have for this show, here is a little need-to-know info about the Regular Show. The show centers on Mordecai (a blue jay) and Rigby (a raccoon) and the crazy adventures they find themselves stuck in the middle of.
The Rigby pack is filled with 16 hilarious episodes that are sure to please the longtime fans of the show, but also work as a DVD to introduce those who are new to the show as well. That’s the great thing about these smaller episode packs that Cartoon Network has been churning out between the releases of the full seasons; it gives you a taste without hurting your pocketbook too much.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 26th, 2014
“Could you please reduce your level of hysteria?”
There is a lot of yelling and a lot of outrage in The Normal Heart. The film chronicles the confusing, terrifying onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in the early 1980s and how a group of gay men (and one intrepid doctor) in New York fought to draw attention to the deadly disease. Their efforts are alternately frustrating and futile, which leads to a higher decibel level for much of the movie’s second half. Thankfully, The Normal Heart is shrewd enough to note that there’s more than one way to make a point. More importantly, the film does a strong job of illustrating the different ways the yelling and outrage were justified.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on August 26th, 2014
Are you bored? Then Boredom may be the most important thing you ever watch. You should know, boredom kills. Many riots occur because people are bored. People jump off mountains with parachutes because they are bored. People engage in unprotected sex because they are bored. People even kill themselves because they are bored. I personally think there are worse things to be than bored, but maybe I'm wrong. After all, things are always rosier on the other side of the fence.
Former reporter Albert Nerenberg (Laughology, Stupidity) has a tongue-in-cheek attitude that is almost ready for Comedy Central's Daily Show. He interviews various “experts” to get to the truth about boredom. Some of it is actually useful information. One of the most notable things is that most people don't actively address boredom as a phenomenon, and when they do people take notice. For instance, Annie Britton, who is a professor of epidemiology at the University College London, caused an uproar when she suggested in print that people who suffer high levels of boredom are twice as likely to die. It was covered in all the major media outlets.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on August 26th, 2014
The outside of the DVD box says, ”Warning: The information you are about to see will result in hives.” It is true that the documentary Bee People is a very passionate polemic meant to get people excited about the idea of having their own backyard beehives. Bees are one of the most important parts of the ecological network, because they pollinate most of the foods and flowers across the planet, and bees are disappearing. It is actually a very alarming fact that bees are disappearing, because we don't know why, nor what the eventual outcome will be if they cease to exist.
The importance of the bees has been known for thousands of years, back to time of Plato and before. Greg McMahon is the Bee Guru in this film and the cheerleader for all of us to bring back the bee. He goes to schools to get young kids excited about the idea of their own hives. He goes to homes to rescue swarms that have taken residence where they are not wanted and gives them a new home. He's always excited and happy to preach to the uninitiated with the hope of a world where there is a backyard hive every two miles. Most of the movie is a fairly do-it-yourself type project by people fanatically interested in the importance of this project. It is similar to many types of programs you might see on Animal Planet in which a small segment of the population is given a close-up look.
Posted in: Tribute by J C on August 25th, 2014
“I wanted to show them something that wasn't an illusion. Something that was real, something that they could see and touch. An aim not devoid of merit.”
Those words were spoken by John Hammond, the man who (in)famously brought dinosaurs back to life in Jurassic Park. However, they also applied to the acclaimed actor/filmmaker who played him. Sir Richard Attenborough died Sunday, leaving behind an indelible mark on movie history thanks to his work in front of and behind the camera.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 25th, 2014
One of the miracles of modern technology is its ability to shrink the world down so you can practically (well, proverbially) hold it in the palm of your hand. The cheerily square Smithsonian Channel series Aerial America goes the other way. In fact, the best thing about the show is how it uses technology to fill every inch of your screen with some of the most famous — along with some of the more underappreciated — U.S. landmarks, employing a larger-than-life/bird’s-eye point of view most of us wouldn’t otherwise be able to enjoy.
Now, Smithsonian Channel and Inception Media Group have released another batch of episodes on Blu-ray.
A quick primer if you’ve never seen the show (as I hadn’t prior to reviewing the Southwest Collection): the series debuted in 2010, and each hour-long episode is devoted to a different U.S. state or region. Every one of those episodes is solely comprised of stunning, leisurely aerial shots of that respective state’s natural and man-made landmarks, along with a brisk history lesson courtesy of narrator Jim Conrad.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on August 22nd, 2014
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For marks the return of the iconic graphic novel since it first splashed across the big screen in 2005. Sin City set out to make the ultimate comic book adaption in which the audience would see the panels move directly from the page and onto the screen. For me Sin City was a celluloid masterpiece that blended the Noir stories beautifully with all the Hollywood tricks that were at Robert Rodriguez’s disposal. Frank Miller’s beautiful black and white imagery was more striking than I could have imagined, and it was the film that had me rooting for the big lug Marv (played by Mickey Rourke who seems to have been born for the role).
Nearly a decade later, Rodriguez and Miller have finally gotten back together to create the long-awaited followup and in the process take on my favorite graphic novel story, A Dame to Kill For. For those unaware about the graphic novel but who saw Sin City, some of the imagery may be confusing, since certain characters who died in the previous film have managed to re-emerge for this prequel/sequel. Though the story does tie together more tightly this time around with its characters, the sequel just isn’t as much fun this time around.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 22nd, 2014
The main thing I look for in a movie is “not the same old thing”. So many movies are retreads into comfortable viewing. If we've seen it a million times, we must like it, right? Why fix it if it isn't broke? Unfortunately, most movies are the same old thing because of laziness and apathy. Hollywood doesn't really welcome new ideas. Are You Here is not “the same old thing”. Some people might not like something new, but I do. I like to be challenged by characters that grow right before your eyes and become people you never expected they'd be. Are You Here is basically a romantic comedy, which makes it even more unusual for it to have such challenging characters.
Steve Dallas (Owen Wilson) seems like a loser when we first meet him, with maxed-out credit cards and multiple dates. It turns out he's not a loser, but we don't know that until we see him visit a real loser who lives in a dilapidated mobile home in the middle of nowhere. The loser is Ben Baker (Zach Galifianakis), who is his friend since childhood. They are comfortable, close and happy together as friends, indicating that they may not be that different. The difference is that Steve is so charming and good looking that nothing ever worries him, and everything comes easy. Ben worries about everything, and even though he nearly got his masters’ degree, he is severely dysfunctional. It should be noted that Steve is fairly shallow and Ben is extremely concerned about major issues, but it all evens out when they smoke pot together.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 22nd, 2014
"Welcome to the SyFy Channel."
OK, not really. Revolution aired on sister network NBC, both part of the Universal family. Usually the sibling resemblances are not very visible. Revolution, however has all the elements of a typical SyFy Channel series. These shows almost always start with strong source material or a crazy but clever idea. Most of the time the idea gets lost in bad acting, cheap computer-generated images and very low production values. None of those are a problem for Revolution. The acting is pretty solid. The effects are innovative and impressive (except for the really bad guys-on-fire images). The production values could stand against any series on the air. The creative team is overrun by talented people with proven track records. So how did Revolution go so far off the rails and end up in a pretty much deserved cancellation after just two years? Let me count the ways.








