Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on September 18th, 2013
If you’ve ever asked someone, "What kind of music do you listen to?", chances are you’ve heard the phrase “I like everything…except country.” By that logic, a significant portion of television audiences automatically dismissed ABC’s Nashville as soon as they saw the first commercial for the show (or heard its title). Well those people missed out on an entertaining, flawed drama with an impressive pedigree. Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere might be the headliners, but the star of the show is usually the great music.
True confessions time: I was one of those “I like everything…except country” people during my more close-minded teenage years. I’m still not what you’d call a country music aficionado, but I am a Friday Night Lights obsessive who would watch almost anything starring Britton. (If the actress signed on for a TV adaptation of Gigli, I’d check out the first five episodes…especially if it co-starred Kyle Chandler.)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 17th, 2013
Is the idea of a “low-budget epic” an oxymoron? I realize an ingenious filmmaker like Neill Blomkamp was able to make the $30 million District 9 look like it cost about five times that much, but I’m talking about really working with scraps. Heck, for $30 million, the filmmakers behind Viking drama Hammer of the Gods could’ve probably made this film 10 times. The Blu-ray case makes it seem like a SyFy-level production, but director Farren Blackburn admirably had his sights set considerably higher.
Viking ruler Bagsecg (James Cosmo) has been mortally wounded during his war against the growing Saxon resistance. From his deathbed, the king orders his son Steinar (Charlie Bewley) to locate banished oldest brother Hakan (Elliot Cowan) so that Hakan can take his rightful place on the throne. (Steinar has another older brother named Harald, played by Finlay Robertson, who also appears to have his sights set on the crown.) Steinar embarks on this mission flanked by his loyal crew: right-hand man Hagen (Clive Standen), superstitious Jokul (Guy Flanagan), and crass savage Grim (Michael Jibson). The foursome, along with a few unexpected allies, soon find themselves venturing into the heart of darkness.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 17th, 2013
"Mystic Falls. I was born here. This is my home. For centuries, supernatural creatures have lived among us. There are vampires, werewolves, doppelgangers, witches and even hybrids. There are those who protect them. And those who want them dead. They're our friends. Our enemies. The ones we love. And the ones we've lost. And then there is me. I'm human... at least I was."
And, of course, that was the big news as season 3 of The Vampire Diaries ended and season 4 begins. To save her life Elena was turned into a vampire by Damon's blood. She died in a crash while the blood was still in her system, and as Damon reminds us, we all know either you feed or you die. Those are the choices. What will she decide?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 17th, 2013
Rick Castle (Fillion) is a very successful mystery pulp-fiction writer with over 26 books hitting the best seller list. He’s rich, and he’s spoiled. He lives with his mother (Sullivan) who is pretty much a has-been actress who thinks she’s just one part away from stardom. He has a young teen daughter (Quinn) who is more responsible than he is. After having so much fun and inspiration tracking down his fiction copycat killer, he decides to pull strings and become an unpaid consultant for the team. At first that wasn't so good for team leader Detective Kate Beckett (Katic). Of course, now the whole sexual tension thing has been discarded, and they are an official couple these days. The team is also filled by a pair of detectives. Detective Javier Esposito is played by Jon Huertas and is the macho member of the team. Detective Kevin Ryan is played by Seamus Dever and is the more reserved member of the team, now trying to start a family. The team is led by the rough Captain Victoria Gates, played by Penny Johnson. She likes to think she's in charge, but she's not.
Nathan Fillion is one of those actors that are hard to pin down. He reminds me a lot of Bruce Campbell. He has a sudden disarming quality to him, even if he is not always the most likable guy in the show. Most fans will remember him as the fearless and cocky captain of the Serenity in Joss Whedon’s short-lived but critically loved Firefly series. He has that kind of charming smile and way about him that gets him out of a lot of trouble and makes you want to love him even as you hate him.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on September 17th, 2013
Ever wondered what Jumanji would have looked like if it were rated R? Well, look no further than The Black Waters of Echo’s Pond. This B-movie focuses on the perils of secrets coming to life through the assistance of a demonic board game which ultimately leads to all kinds of destruction and mayhem. While watching, a thought occurred to me: Why is it that many of these movies start off the same way? With a tale of a place where several people have died under suspicious circumstances, and the first thing the characters do is rush off to this accursed place. Well, it’s safe to say that the film doesn’t really score points for originality in that aspect.
Turkey 90 years ago: an archeological dig unearths a mythical game said to have been played by demons. The explorers’ curiosity gets the better of them, and they reassemble the game and play; none survive. Fast forward to present day, a group of vacationing friends that includes rich jerkoff Rick (James Duval, Independence Day), twins Erica and Renee (Electra and Elise Avellan, Grindhouse), Kathy (Danielle Harris, Hatchet II) and her boyfriend Trent (Walker Howard, The Express), soft-core actress Veronique (Mircea Monroe, Hart of Dixie), as well as a few other friends make their way to the island expecting a fun-filled weekend. (Isn’t that how it always starts?)
Posted in: The Reel World by Archive Authors on September 17th, 2013
I always have a problem when a comedy involves a lot of people getting killed, but there are always exceptions. Mob comedies are rarely completely satisfying, but there is one exception, and that is The Freshman with Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick, which was completely inspired and hilarious, mostly because it defied expectations at nearly every turn. The new mob comedy, The Family, stars Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer, who have both made OK mob comedies before, Analyze This and Married to the Mob respectively. Almost any other mob comedy you can mention falls flat (including Analyze That).
Two of the interesting distinctions are the inclusion of Martin Scorsese as executive producer and Luc Besson as the writer/ director. Executive producers generally don't do much except contribute early on; there are some very obvious moments that show Scorsese's influence, but this more Besson's show.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 16th, 2013
"Spartacus' mongrel horde has swelled with each passing victory since Glaber's defeat at Vesuvius. They added thousands to rank liberating the mines of Lucania. Slaves across the Republic, humble and grateful to their masters for so many years, have broken to treachery in the wake of ever expanding legend of Spartacus."
Starz has had a pretty good run with their Spartacus series. Coming off the style of blood and violence that was popularized with Zach Snyder's 300, Spartacus brought that comic book/graphic novel intensity to television. The presentation was both original and effective for a television series. Instead of presenting a typical ongoing story, Starz used a serialization method that made each season a separate collection of shows while maintaining the continuity that fans could appreciate and follow.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 16th, 2013
In the caverns beneath the planet’s surface there exists a place like no other, a place where duels are settled not with bullets but with slugs. But these are not the kind of slugs that ooze their way across your driveway; instead they each have their own personalities and skills that are to be used in battle. In the land of Slugterra, El is the quickest slugslinger out there, but there are a lot of baddies out there looking to take control over Slugterra, and thankfully he has the Shane gang (Trixie, Kord, Pronto and Burpy) to help him out.
This somewhat comes off as a slight knockoff of the Pokemon series, but really the kids that’ll be watching this I doubt will care, considering there is plenty of action to keep them entertained. Though the characters are somewhat generic: Trixie, the witty smart and tough girl of the bunch, Kord, the big guy that’s also a bit of a softy, then Pronto, the goofy clumsy one of the bunch; what makes it all tolerable is the writers don’t go too far with the cheesy factor and maintain a somewhat serious tone (for kids’ cartoon standards).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on September 16th, 2013
Half of this story deals with a group of teenage faeries, who are smitten with some cute boys from a neighbouring magical kingdom, trying to connect with said boys. The other half deals with this same group of faeries and boys fighting against a trio of evil witches trying to steal all of the world's “positive magic.” In both halves there is a lot of girlish giggling, butterfly fluttering and sparkly colours....the enemy of any diabetic epileptic.
The plot wavers between flighty (pun sort of intended) teen romance, where the faeries focus their magical powers on obtaining cute-boys and cute-animal companions, and a action-fantasy filled with large scale battles with nightmarish monsters, complete with mass destruction of buildings, swordplay and vicious exchanges of energy blasts.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 16th, 2013
I have a prediction about reality shows: with a new one seemingly sprouting up like a weed every few minutes, the number of people on television will eventually be greater than the number of people watching at home. Granted, some of these shows are amusing, educational and even inspirational. But too many of them reward negative, repulsive behavior with fleeting fame. Speaking of rewarding negative, repulsive behavior with fleeting fame, The Morton Downey Jr. Show was on the air for less than two years, yet that was long enough to earn its host the title of “Father of Trash Television.”
Evocateur chronicles the meteoric rise and spectacular fall of Downey’s controversial, wildly successful talk show in the late 1980s. Documentary filmmakers Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller and Jeremy Newberger frame their subject’s life story as an outrageous psychological drama. As a result, the film also delves into Downey’s past, including his childhood as the son of neglectful showbiz legend Morton Downey and an alcoholic mother, as well as his surprising ties to the Kennedy family in the 1960s. In fact, the film dedicates so much time to the past, the final act of Evocateur — and the final act of Downey's life — feels rushed. (He died of lung cancer in 2001.)
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