BlacKkKlansman (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on November 11th, 2018
Ever since Do the Right Thing came out in 1989, Spike Lee has been a director that critics and fans have kept an eye on. Over the span of his career he’s done everything from music videos with Michael Jackson, to documentaries, to television shows, but mostly he’s made his claim to fame in film. His films have been all over the place as critical and box office successes. Inside Man to this day may be his biggest success financially, but of all his films it feels the least like a Spike Lee film. The man has a distinct visual style; most of his films take place in New York, but the typical thing you’ll find in his films is the “black culture” and the topic of race relations. With his latest film Blackkklansman, Lee ventures into some familiar territory, but for the first time in quite a while he delivers a movie with a strong message but also manages to be entertaining.
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The Darkest Minds (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on November 11th, 2018
When a disease begins targeting and killing children, you fear for the future of the generation. However, when the children whosurvive develop dangerous abilities, you fear for yourself. That is the situation that Ruby Daly finds herself in. To compound her issues, not only does she have powers that she can’t control, but among the powerful her abilities are among the rarest and strongest. Amandla Stenberg stars in this film based on a young adult novel series. Anyone else sensing a franchise in works. Unfortunately, despite the vacuum let behind by Twilight, Hunger Games (which our star was a part of), and the recently ended Maze Runner, I’m not so sure that The Darkest Minds will be the vehicle to fill the gap. Overall it was a solid opening, but I left the film with more than a few unanswered questions.
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Can You Ever Forgive Me
Posted in The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on November 10th, 2018
“For the record, I am a better Dorthy Parker than Dorthy Parker.”
Looks like Melissa McCarthy is attempting to branch out from her usual branch of raunchy comedy. Or at least she is dipping her toe in the water of such an idea, as Can You Ever Forgive Me is not without its raunch. Based on the novel by Lee Israel, a known literary forger said to have forged over 400 false letters from notable writers, McCarthy plays the character and brings the comical quips that she has became famous for. Paired with Richard E Grant, the two work off one another with positive results. Probably one of the best examples of a non-romantic pairing I’ve seen this year.
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Christopher Robin (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 8th, 2018
“If anyone wants to clap, now is the time to do it.”
If he were alive today, A.A. Milne would likely find a reason to smile these days. Perhaps he is. Winnie the Pooh has made quite a bit of a comeback in recent years. Last year we saw the impact the creation had on his son, the real Christopher Robin, in the sentimental Goodbye, Christopher Robin. This year Disney continues its recent trend of bringing many of its classical animated features back for live-action remakes using the wonderful world of computer-generated f/x and motion capture performances. The recent Jungle Book release was a wonder to behold and one of the best films of that year. This year it’s the world of Winnie the Pooh, and to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Disney releases Christopher Robin, and you’re not going to want to miss it. All of your favorite characters from both the classic books and the Disney cartoons are back, and it couldn’t have been a moment too soon.
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Blood, Sweat and Terrors
Posted in No Huddle by Jeremy Butler on November 8th, 2018
What in the world am I watching? That was my initial thought at the beginning of Blood, Sweat and Terrors, a film anthology featuring several short films on varying topics. One common element of all the stories is that they all delve into violence during their run. Some with great success, and some that turned out to be so surreal and dark that my wife had to leave the room due to fear of nightmares. Let me tell ya, at one point I considered joining her. To its credit, not all the short films are that deranged, and after a while it was like having my very own film festival in my living room.
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Valley Girl (Collector’s Edition) (Blu-Ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 8th, 2018
I was raised on the mean streets of Charlotte, North Carolina. Yes, that’s meant to be a joke, since I was raised in the suburbs primarily. My Aunt Donna on my father’s side was working in California (San Diego) most of my life, and that’s where she lives to this day. I would always wonder what life in California was like and how my aunt did it. Like most non-California residents in that time period (80’s), I dreamed that everybody was from the Valley and talked about being “So Sure”. Fast forward 35 years later ,and we have a collector’s edition of the movie simply known as Valley Girl. Let us take a look.
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Incredibles 2 (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on November 8th, 2018
“You’re not good…you’re super.”
For a while, it honestly felt like Disney/Pixar was messing with us. When The Incredibles swooped into theaters in 2004, it was simultaneously one of the best animated/action/superhero movies I’d ever seen. Plenty of people shared that opinion, so a sequel seemed like a no-brainer. That’s why it seemed like a cruel joke when we got not one but two forgettable Cars sequels before The Incredibles got a chance to suit up again. Guess what…the wait is officially over!
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Beyond The Sky (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on November 8th, 2018
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by UFO stories. It’s a big part of what got me into watching The X-Files. Whether you are a believer or not, there are groups all over the world where people get together and share their experiences about their abductions and how they attempt to cope with the trauma of the event. Beyond the Sky is a film that is sort of a mockumentry about Chris Norton (Ryan Carnes) who has been attempting to find out what happened to his mother after she went missing on his seventh birthday. Now years later, he takes his “documentary” to a UFO convention to meet with abductees and in the process comes across Emily (Jordan Hinson), who may help him on his journey to find the truth.
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Mandy (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on November 8th, 2018
My first attempt at watching Mandy wasn’t a successful one. After fifteen minutes I was nodding off, so I stopped it and held off viewing it for another night. This isn’t a movie you want to throw on too late at night. The first half is definitely a slow burn, but once this film picks up steam, you are in for one crazy, psychedelic, violent experience that will leave an impression on you. It’s no surprise that Mandy has already developed a buzz through the internet and is well on its way to becoming a cult classic. Is the hype for this film real? Can Nicolas Cage still deliver a memorable performance as his career has seemed to have dissolved into constant direct-to-DVD content? Well, the short answer to both these questions is yes, but this film is not for everyone, and to a degree I may be on the fence on the first half of this film.
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Nutcracker And The Four Realms
Posted in The Reel World by John Delia on November 8th, 2018
By John Delia Jr.
The fabled story of the Nutcracker has many experiences, from plays, to musicals, to theater, and to operas; it has entertained us all for a century. What if these stories are real, and these Christmas toys really do have a world of their own? That would be a tale we all would love to hear. Enter Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. After the death of their mother, Clara (Mackenzie Foy), Fritz (Tom Sweet), Louise (Ellie Bamber), and their father, Mr. Stahbaum (Matthew Macfadyen), must endure the Christmas holidays without her. Struggling to move on with the events of the season, Mr. Stahbaum pushes them all to attend the annual event at Drosselmeyer’s house.
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Tuesday Round Up: November 6, 2018
Posted in Tuesday Round Up by J C on November 6th, 2018
This week’s Round Up can best be summed up with one word: incredible. Disney has released its superpowered smash hit Incredibles 2 on Blu-ray, so keep an eye on the site for our review a little later this week. The Mouse House also returns to the Hundred Acre Wood to re-connect with Christopher Robin. Elsewhere, CBS fights The Good Fight: Season 2 and revisits a pair of TV hits from the past by casting a spell with Charmed: Season 1 and getting resourceful with MacGyver: Season 1. RLJE Films travels Beyond the Sky and pours its Blood, Sweat and Terrors into an action-packed anthology. Finally, Shout! Studios shares a few of its favorite things with a 60th anniversary edition of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music Live to commemorate the Broadway classic.
On the big screen, Fox Searchlight asks Can You Ever Forgive Me, while Universal gets green and mean with Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch. And now it’s time for your customary reminder: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon and you do it through one of our links, it’ll help keep the lights on here at UpcomingDiscs. See ya next week!
The Americans: The Complete Final Season
Posted in No Huddle by J C on November 5th, 2018
“We had a job to do.”
When The Americans received a two-season renewal back in 2016, the news was met with unanimous enthusiasm. Fans of FX’s acclaimed (but low-rated) spy drama were guaranteed two more years’ worth of stories, while TV critics applauded the fact that creator Joe Weisberg and Co. could carefully plot out their show’s endgame. Sadly, the first half of that deal resulted in a penultimate fifth season that frustratingly punted a lot of the show’s more pressing plotlines. The sixth and final season of The Americans offers a thrilling and heartbreaking conclusion, even though it also kind of comes off as the brilliant kid who waited until the very end to cram before a big test.
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Dragnet (Collector’s Edition) (Blu-Ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 2nd, 2018
When I think of buddy cop movies, two movies spring to mind as favorites. No, not Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop. Not Bad Boys 2 and Rush Hour, either. While all of those are good films, the best for me are Hot Fuzz and 48 Hours. 48 Hours was a classic match-up of Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte, while Hot Fuzz lampooned every single cliche they could think of and then some. Also, if you said The Heat or Ride Along as your two favorite buddy cop movies, I’m going to need you to move along. Move along to reading my Blu-ray review for Dragnet, because seriously, you need better taste.
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Bohemian Rhapsody
Posted in The Reel World by Gino Sassani on November 1st, 2018
“Is this the real life or is this just fantasy?”
I think even Queen’s biggest fans might have trouble distinguishing between the two in the Freddie Mercury/Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. And that’s absolutely okay. If you look at the film’s trailers, the movie looks less like a bio-film and more like a celebration, and that’s exactly the kind of experience you’re going to have from beginning to end. I’m sure that a lot of film and Queen fans shared more than a little skepticism over the project. I know that I certainly did. But all of that magically disappeared when the first trailer hit the internet and we all watched in amazement as actor Rami Malek appears to be channeling the manic spirit of Queen front man Freddie Mercury down to the smallest of detail.
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“31 Nights Of Terror” Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on October 31st, 2018
“It’s alive!”
After nearly 90 years the Universal Horror cycle stands as one of the most enduring collection of horror movies today. Their influence on modern horror is unmistakable. There have been literally thousands of incarnations of Dracula, The Wolf Man and Frankenstein’s Monster, but the first image that comes to your mind will always be the nightmare creations of those Universal films. Studio head Carl Laemmle, Jr. was trying to break away from his father’s control and create a studio culture of his own. The results would start in 1931 when an unknown Hungarian actor named Bela Lugosi jumped from the stage to the screen in Dracula directed by Tod Browning. Laemmle’s niece, Carla Laemmle, is the girl in the coach headed for Borgo Pass as the film opens to the musical strains from Swan Lake.
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The Matrix Trilogy (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 31st, 2018
The Matrix (1999) was a landmark film in the Sci-Fi genre. While its box office intake was dwarfed by Episode 1, it was The Matrix that had people talking. Andy and Larry Wachowski’s story of a post-apocalyptic world where humans serve as biological generators of energy for the machines that rule the planet challenged people’s perceptions of what reality was. Computer hacker extraordinaire Neo (Reeves) has this gut feeling that life isn’t all that it seems to be. Turns out he’s right in a big way. A group of revolutionaries led by the thought-to-be-mythical Morpheus (Fishburne) open his eyes to the Matrix.
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Sorry To Bother You (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 31st, 2018
So the director had my undivided attention until he went completely sideways. I mean, I was engaged; I was feeling the message behind the film. I found the characters to be original, and the things that they had to say were unlike anything I had seen in recent years. Not to mention that opening scene was the perfect way to bring the audience into this world; and then it all came crashing down. Despite this disappointment, Sorry to Bother You remains among one of the most creative cinematic experiences that I had this year. I wanted very much to love the film, but sadly I can’t say that. I liked it a lot, especially the first half. It is the kind of film that was likely the gem of the film festival circuit. The number one slot at the box office will be out of reach for it, though.
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“31 Nights Of Terror” The Landing
Posted in No Huddle by Brent Lorentson on October 30th, 2018
Apollo 18 at one time was meant to be one of several missions NASA had set up that would take astronauts back to the moon. Due to the fallout from the incident involving Apollo 13 and budget cuts, all the missions were scrapped and focus shifted to the shuttle program. Conspiracy theories have seemed to always swirl around the Apollo missions, the more famous being about whether or not man ever reached the lunar surface and whether everything we saw about the moon landing was really filmed on a Hollywood soundstage. The Landing takes things a step further as a faux-documentary about an Apollo 18 launch that resulted in one of NASA’s greatest disasters (that never happened).
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Tuesday Release Round-Up For Tuesday October 30th, 2018
Posted in Super Round Up by Gino Sassani on October 30th, 2018
Howdy, Partners. Johnny’s working down at the bunkhouse today, so here I am to let you know what might be causing a stampede down at your video store. We’re heading into the final hours of our 31 Nights Of Terror and it’s been a howling good time here on the Upcomingdiscs ranch. Here’s a couple of titles you should look for this week at Upcomingdiscs. Warner Brothers has chosen The Matrix Trilogy for the UHD/4K treatment this week. RLJE Films sends Nicholis Cage to the Devil in Mandy out on Blu-ray. Shout Factory wants just the facts in the feature film version of Jack Webb’s Dragnet on Blu-ray with Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroid. In theaters this weekend get caught up in the landslide with the Queen/Freddie Mercury Bio-pic Bohemian Rhapsody from 20th Century Fox. If you’re feeling like a little Italian, we’ll be reviewing the new version of Dario Agento’s spaghetti nightmare classic Suspiria from Amazon Studios.
And, Partners, don’t forget. If you’ll be making that video withdrawal from Amazon, lasso yourself one of our many links to get there. It helps keep us going here on the Upcomingdiscs ranch. Until next week, share some light with someone this week… television light, that is.
“31 Nights Of Terror” Haunting Guide Part 2: Diabolik DVD
Posted in News and Opinions by Gino Sassani on October 29th, 2018
You can buy blockbuster films on disc from almost anywhere these days. But if you’re looking for classic and vintage stuff, it gets a little bit harder. If you’re looking for obscure or foreign horror and science fiction titles, it can get near impossible. I say near impossible because there’s a place online that is staffed by the same kind of film fans that we are. They have the largest supply of niche films I’ve ever encountered, and they’ve supplied our staff at Upcomingdiscs many times with that special hard-to-get title. I often get emails asking me where to find some unknown title. I always give the same answer. If you can’t find it at Diabolik DVD, I don’t like your chances finding it anywhere. Help out some folks who are there to help us out. Put them to the test. Tell them Gino sent ya. You can click on the graphic ad to your right, or just bang it here to check out our friends at Diabolik DVD.
Get Shorty (Collector’s Edition) (Blu-Ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on October 29th, 2018
Get Shorty was one of my fondest cinema experiences. I was twenty years old, in college, and had just met a lifelong friend named Robert. He took a bunch of us to a place where you could actually eat a meal, have a drink, and watch a movie at the same time. Back in 1995, that was a big deal; now, of course, we take that experience completely for granted, with such places as Alamo Drafthouse. Anyway, the truth was that most everybody except me wasn’t really interested in the movie. Of course, being the cinephile I am, I absorbed every moment, and it became one of my favorite pictures. It’s only fitting that I finally get to do a disc review about this amazing movie.
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“31 Nights Of Terror” Haunters: The Art of the Scare
Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 27th, 2018
Haunted houses and Halloween seem to go together like turkey and Thanksgiving, but over the years the haunted house experience has evolved to keep up with those who have grown numb to your typical jump scares. Sure, there are still the standard haunted houses that you’ll come across when visiting the carnival, or mazes put together by school groups for fundraisers. But for those who are really looking to be scared, you either have to fork over the big bucks to get into Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, or you have to scour the internet to find a haunt nearby. 2017’s Haunters: The Art of the Scare is a documentary that takes us behind the curtain to what goes on at these attractions and explores how a sub-culture that has evolved of haunted houses that have been created to push the boundaries mentally and physically.
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“31 Nights Of Terror” Haunting Guide Part 1: Mill Creek Entertainment
Posted in Release Announcements by Gino Sassani on October 26th, 2018
We usually reserve our gift guides for the Christmas shopping season but we have a couple of folks we want to bring to your attention during haunting season. The first of these is Mill Creek Entertainment. The folks over at Mill Creek Entertainment specialize in bringing classic television and films back to life for your home theatre. You’ll find plenty of classic films and shows on DVD and even Blu-ray. We’ll be talking about that closer to Christmas. They also have a few sweet horror titles for you to check out. This is not a paid advertisement.
Strait Jacket & Berserk Double Feature: (Blu-ray)
We’re giving a copy of this one away as part of 31 Nights Of Terror. It’s a double dose of Joan Crawford in a couple of twisted mother and daughter films. Strait-Jacket comes straight from William Castle and both films were inspired by Hitchcock’s famous Psycho. So if you want your Mommie Dearest with a side of chills this is the double feature for you
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Hunter Killer
Posted in The Reel World by Gino Sassani on October 26th, 2018
“When someone is shooting at you, you know their intentions.”
Submarines have had their own fascinations since Leonardo da Vinci first designed one. Jules Verne took us 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and used a fantastical submarine to inspire and dazzle readers for centuries. Even television has gotten into the act as Irwin Allen took us on a Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea. But it’s the cinema that truly captured the idea of submarine warfare, from the German classic Das Boot to the equally classic Run Silent Run Deep. Modern films like Crimson Tide and The Hunt For Red October took advantage of modern f/x technologies to bring us even closer to the perilous depths.
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Johnny English Strikes
Posted in The Reel World by John Delia on October 26th, 2018
By John Delia, Jr
In Johnny English Strikes Again, English brings back his hilarious antics. The world’s security is threatened by an internet thief, and there is only one person who can save us all. This clumsy, blundering character who always manages to get the job done, even though it may not be with the intentions he set out to perform, is back in action. The greatest British agent of all time, Johnny English, is back, and he brings us more slapstick comedy than ever.
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