Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 18th, 2013
Is it me or is Beacon Hills turning into more like a beacon for the totally bizarre and supernatural?"
Fox has begun releasing the series in half season sets. I can't say I'm a fan of the choice, but I almost understand the logic here. The series has expanded to more episodes, closer to a normal network run number. There is also now a several-month break between the season halves, much like USA network has treated such shows as Monk and Psych. One the one hand it's annoying to have incomplete season sets on my shelf.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 18th, 2013
Just when I thought the home invasion genre was on its last legs, another addition to the oversaturated canon of films has been released on DVD. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the genre, but like everything else in Hollywood once something works and is a success the first time the only reasonable thing to do is exploit it till there is nothing unique or fresh with the idea, and then try to exploit it some more. Entries into the genre like Funny Games, The Collector, The Strangers and even Panic Room all have a soft spot in my genre-obsessed heart, but seriously, enough already.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on December 17th, 2013
“Just as the dancer, the athlete does not exist who doesn’t move with a certain rhythm.”
My name is John. I am a man, and I love to dance. Dancing requires grace, power, athleticism, coordination and a handful of other attributes that we revere in the world’s biggest sports stars. Those same exact qualities thrill us when they’re on display on a football field or a basketball court. So why can’t one dude tell another dude that he enjoys dancing without drawing a sideways glance? Gene Kelly, one of the most famous and successful dancers of all time, explored that very question during this vintage TV special, now out on DVD.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on December 17th, 2013
I had a remarkable time talking to Bren Foster the other day. His latest film is Anchor Bay's Force Of Execution. The film also stars Steven Seagal and Ving Rhames. Bren's a championship Martial Arts fighter. Many of his fans know him from his long run on the soap opera Days Of Our Lives. We had a lively talk about his career and even scorpions and other venomous creatures. We'll be reviewing the film soon. Until then you can bang it here to listen to my chat with Bren Foster
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on December 16th, 2013
“People always work from the assumption that children are telling the truth.”
Kids really do say the darndest things! Popular kindergarten teacher Lucas finds this out the hard way after his life is shattered in The Hunt, an outstanding and indelible Danish drama that will almost surely pick up a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination when the nods are announced in about a month. The film tackles a touchy (no pun intended) subject with great care. It also raises a number of provocative points about perception versus reality.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on December 13th, 2013
"There are dark spirits, old and full of hate...The world is in great danger."
A trilogy is a hard animal to pull off. Even when you have a popular franchise, it is extremely difficult. All of the pieces have to work just right or you could have a disaster on your hands. It is even harder when you've already beaten the odds once and delivered a trilogy that is both loved and a huge box office success. You run into an almost insurmountable mountain of expectations. Your pieces must somehow fit together so that they can be viewed as one whole product.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on December 12th, 2013
While we usually have a ton of stuff each year from A&E to share in our holiday spotlight, we just haven't seen near as much from the studio in 2013. The distribution has changed, and we just don't see the kind of titles we used to. It's sad both for us and you. Take heart. We have been given two potential gift guide titles to share with you this season
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on December 11th, 2013
Before Billy Bob Thornton became best known for icky PDA and wearing his wife’s blood around his neck, he burst onto the moviemaking scene as an Academy Award-winning triple-threat with Sling Blade, which he directed, wrote and starred in. (I feel like it’s finally safe to bring up Billy Bob’s acting career again.) Despite working steadily as an actor — and even directing a few other films — the Thornton who won an Oscar for writing Sling Blade has been largely absent from moviegoers’ lives. That’s why it was such a delight to see him return to southern-fried form as a filmmaker with the terrific ensemble drama Jayne Mansfield’s Car.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 11th, 2013
When you’ve been playing gigs for fifty years and filling venues with crowds in excess of the 100,000 mark, it’s safe to say that not only are you a success in the music industry but an icon. The Rolling Stones finished their 50th year together by ending their tour back where many would say their legendary status began, back in their hometown and performing at London’s Hyde Park. It was 44 years ago when The Stones first took the stage in the famous Hyde Park and performed for a crowd estimated between 250 thousand to half a million screaming fans who came to what was then a free show. This time around they return with an enormous stage and a set list filled with hits spanning over the decades
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 10th, 2013
"Homer Simpson, it's time you got what's coming to you."
What's been a long time coming is bringing television’s longest ongoing scripted series to high definition and Blu-ray. There's so many seasons that it's going to take some time to get there. While the recent years are now coming out on Blu-ray, Fox has been working hard to get some of the older seasons up to speed. It's time for season 16.
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