Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 13th, 2024
“They say everybody’s good at something. Me? I talk to fish. That’s how I met my friend, Storm. He’s always there when I need a lift. Some people think that makes me a joke, But I don’t care. You know why? ‘Cause I’m also good at something else: breaking heads … I’m Aquaman.”
This film release marks the end of the DCEU as we know it (also known as the Snyder-verse). The DCEU has been an interesting ride to say the least, full of ups and downs. And while it never truly challenged Marvel with their multi-phased game plan, it did provide unique opportunities that gave some deserving talents a platform to showcase their abilities. Momoa was one of them. For me, his casting was among the most unique and triumphant. When he was first announced, I had to take a hard look at that decision, as it went against the grain as far as traditional casting for Arthur Curry went.
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Dune Part II (2024)
Posted in The Reel World by Gino Sassani on March 1st, 2024
“Consider what you are about to do.”
I first read Frank Herbert’s initial Dune book back in the mid 1970’s. I was introduced to one of the most complicated and extraordinary universes of literature I have still ever encountered. It’s a masterpiece followed by several more books over the years that have more completely brought this world to life. The material’s cinematic journey as been somewhat less captivating and quite a disappointment. The 1984 David Lynch film was a train wreck and quite possibly one of the greatest film failures in history. Since then a lot has changed. Today computer-generated images have progressed to the point that with enough money and artistic expertise a filmmaker can depict anything the mind can conceive. Images have become photorealistic, and the worlds of Herbert’s Dune universe can finally be brought to the silver screen with almost no limitations. But is that enough?
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Contagion (2011) (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by John Delia on March 1st, 2024
When Contagion was released in 2011, it was considered a horror film, more a flight of fancy than anything else. It wasn’t a great box office winner. But in 2019 all of that changed as we lived through the pandemic that was mere science fiction before then. Looking back at the film, it becomes a game of what they eerily got right and what was far off the mark. Much of the world disaster element, thankfully, never came through, but in hindsight it is quite surreal the things the film did get right. The idea of a therapy drug possibly being downplayed by the government and an internet guy trying to drive those discords. The fear of a quickly-created vax also looks very much like what is still playing out in the world today. The film depicted a nasal vax that I wish had been true. The film avoided much of the political fallout, but you really must see this film in a post-COVID world.
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Special Ops: Lioness – Season One (Blu-ray)
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on February 5th, 2024
Taylor Sheridan is back at it again. You have to admire the ever-growing body of work he’s brought to the television/streaming screens. He’s really the first one to dominate that landscape the way the likes of Dick Wolf and Steven Bochco have dominated our network television screens for decades. As a writer I often find him a little weak in plots and overall storytelling. But what he does very well is world-building and creating authentic and compelling characters. He did it with the likes of Kevin Costner in Yellowstone. There’s Jeremy Renner in The Mayor Of Kingstown and Sylvester Stallone in Tulsa King. He has the ability to bring the best actors to these projects because they know he’s going to create something compelling and fun to watch. He talked Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren into doing the awesome Yellowstone spinoff 1923.
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Argylle
Posted in The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on February 2nd, 2024
“The greater the spy. The bigger the lie.”
I had some reservations about the plot of this story when it was first announced. A reclusive author who writes espionage novels about a secret agent, and a global spy syndicate realizes the plot of the new book she’s writing starts to mirror real-world events, in real time. That was a bit much for even someone with my imagination to digest easily. However, I remained excited. How could I not be? We are talking Matthew Vaughn’s panache, which took Kingsman to great heights. Then there’s Sam Rockwell’s compulsive dancing; I’m honestly starting to believe that he has that his character has to dance written into all his contracts. It’s sort of like Samuel L Jackson and his favorite expletive, which shockingly didn’t happen in this film. Not to mention that this film’s cast’s chock full of Hollywood heavy hitters that include the already mentioned Rockwell and Jackson, as well as Henry Cavill, John Cena, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Bryan Cranston.
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The Man Who Wasn’t There 3-D (Blu-ray)
Posted in No Huddle by Brent Lorentson on February 2nd, 2024
I’m a sucker for a good “Invisible Man” story. Ever since H.G. Wells put out his story in 1897, he’s captivated readers, and his story has been a part of Hollywood history since 1933. For decades we’ve gotten to see Hollywood tackle the story and offer viewers some FX wizardry that has ranged from cheap and silly to simply Hollywood magic (aka CGI or even better, a man in a green suit). A good portion of these films have been good. I’ve always been a fan of the 1992 John Carpenter film Memoirs of an Invisible Man, and more recently in 2020 we had The Invisible Man, which I’d argue might be the best of the “Invisible Man” films. Then you have a film like The Man Who Wasn’t There, a 1983 release that tries to reinvent the story and fails in such a way that you have to wonder if anyone involved with the making of the film had ever seen the previous films or read the books, because the result is a mixture of bad to awful, and no amount of bare breasts could save this film, though they inserted plenty to test this theory. So what makes this a film I’d wager many involved wish it could just vanish from their film resume?
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Mille Milliards de Dollars (Blu-Ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 31st, 2024
While times may have changed a bit, many countries, especially in the 1970’s up until the turn of the century looked down in disgust at those from the United States, from the way they looked, to way they acted, right down to the language they spoke. However, one of the things they most feared was that the US was going to take over their companies and do things the “American” way. Today, we take a look at a film called Mille Milliards de Dollars. In this film, we are introduced to the GTI, the Garson Texas International company, who are secretly taking over France Electronics, one of the biggest companies in Paris. It’s quite the scandal and should be a very interesting film. Let’s take a look.
Exclusive Interview With Gavin O’Donnell, Author Of: The Execution, Life and Times of Patrick O’Donnell
Posted in Podcasts by Gino Sassani on January 27th, 2024
Every now and then we talk about books on this site. It’s rare, and it really has to be something I’m interested in reading. You see, a book takes up far more of my time than any single film. We get solicited at least once a week. Once in a while something will look interesting enough for me to give it a try. And once in a while the book turns out to be more than worth my while, and I’ll want to talk to the author and share that with all of you. Such is the case with The Execution, Life & Times Of Patrick O’Donnell by Gavin O’Donnell. The book is part historical and part fancy. Most of all, it’s 100% entertaining. It was a quick and easy read and left me thinking all the way up to the end. I can’t recommend the tome to you enough. Read it. You’re going to learn a few things. I promise you’re going to be talking about it. I got to talk to the man behind the words. Now you get to hear what he had to say. Bang it here to eavesdrop on my conversation with Gavin O’Donnell all the way from the UK: Gavin O’Donnell.
Once you’ve heard the interview, make sure you hit the link to your right and pick up a copy for yourself.
You can also check out the author at the following sites:
On Facebook: Gavin O’Donnell Facebook
The Devil’s Partner 1961 Creature From The Haunted Sea 1961 Double Feature (Blu-ray)
Posted in No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 24th, 2024
If you’re a fan of some of the old almost-forgotten films, then you’re a fan of Film Masters. For a few years now they’ve been digging up a lot of these old “classics” and spending the time and resources to give them the full 4K restoration treatment. It appears that lately they’ve had their sights on some of the early films from The Filmgroup, which of course is the moviemaking machine of Roger Corman. Corman became the king of making quality low-budget films that almost always made at least a little money. In the 1960’s and 1970’s you could watch these wonderful budget horror and science fiction films doubled up at your local drive-in theaters. I certainly have memories of those days, and they were completely made up of Roger Corman or Hammer films. Corman gave their first break to some of the biggest names in the filmmaking industry: Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, Joe Dante, Peter Bogdanovich, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson and Ron Howard. They all got their first breaks directing films in what has become known as The Roger Corman Film School.
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I…For Icarus (Blu-Ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 24th, 2024
On November 22nd, 1963; President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX at approximately 12:30pm. Quite possibly everything else about the event can be disputed in such a manner, and I won’t even attempt to confirm one theory or disapprove another. We have had movie after movie about this assassination, taking it in about every angle imaginable. Those movies are not regulated to the United States, either, as other countries have also dabbled in the storytelling of this infamous event. Many times these foreign productions treat it as a fictionalized event set in their own country, but the similarities are often so obvious that it cannot be disputed. Today’s film is I … For Icarus, a French film that explores the controversy behind the assassination of President Marc Jarry, who was killed by Karl Eric Daslow. Attorney General Henri Volney disputes the lone gunman theory, and this is the story of that investigation. That sounds awfully familiar; let’s take a look.
Mongeville: The Complete Series
Posted in No Huddle by Brent Lorentson on January 24th, 2024
One of the best things about being a critic that I have discovered over the years is how it puts shows and films in front of me that under different circumstances I might never have given a chance. The French detective drama, Mongeville, is a perfect example of this. I wouldn’t say the show is a hard–hitting drama, but instead a cozy murder mystery where each episode is 90 minutes that had me nostalgic for the old TV murder mysteries like Murder She Wrote. This was something I was glad I went into blindly and over the course of the 28 episodes the show took me on a journey through the French city of Bordeaux, travelling through the countryside and meeting some interesting characters along the way. So was this a series worth checking out as its characters pieced together the clues one mystery at a time? Grab your passport, gloves, and a few evidence bags, because that’s exactly what you’re about to find out.
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Face/Off (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 19th, 2024
“You are now the property of Erewhon Prison. A citizen of nowhere. The Geneva Convention is void here; Amnesty International doesn’t know we exist. When I say your ass belongs to me, I mean exactly that.”
I am a huge John Woo fan, especially his earlier classics like Hard Boiled. I’ll admit it’s been several years since I last seen Face/Off, but I don’t have a reason why, as I remember really liking this movie then. At either rate now I have a copy of the movie to call my own, and a special two disc release at that. Let’s just hope that it is what I remember, but as a big fan of Nick Cage I don’t think I’ll be let down. In order to catch him, he must become him. I couldn’t put it any better myself, Face/Off tells quite the eccentric story of revenge, devotion, and of course crime. Sean Archer (John Travolta, Wild Hogs) is an extremely devoted FBI agent, obsessed with catching terrorist Castor Troy (Nicholas Cage, Ghost Rider).
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Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (Blu-Ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 18th, 2024
Sequels are a funny thing. Most of the time in modern Hollywood, they come within a breath of the first film, usually after a large box office in order to capitalize on its earnings. Sometimes, they can take years, even decades to make. Blade Runner: 2049 came out in 2017, 35 years after the original film. In addition, many times when a sequel takes so long to materialize, the intended audience has flown the coop, and it has dismal results. See Basic Instinct 2 or The Two Jakes. Other times, it inspires new waves of fans to flock to the theaters, such as Tron: Legacy or The Incredibles 2. Today, we are taking a look at Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, a sequel to the original Ernest & Celestine movie which was nominated for an Academy Award and took home many other film awards. It’s been a decade since the original film; can the sequel keep the spirit of the original and produce a quality film? I’m happy to say, yes, it certainly did. Let’s take a look.
Suspect Zero (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 17th, 2024
“I know what you’re thinking. “Pain is coming. Will I take it like a man?” Well, let me put you at ease. You won’t — but none of them do. Men, women, children, they all weep, they all beg, they pass out, they piss themselves, they attempt negotiation. You wouldn’t believe how many men I’ve seen lying right where you’re lying right now, grown men with wives and children at home, offering all kinds of sexual gratification for a five-minute reprieve. It’s pathetic.”
Suspect Zero follows the contradictory teacher/student relationship between serial killer Benjamin O’Ryan (Ben Kingsley)
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Night Swim
Posted in The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on January 6th, 2024
It’s January of a new year, and what that means for studios is that they like to release the last of their award-friendly films before the Oscars, and then there are the cast-off films that the studios release with few to no expectations. I felt this was the perfect time for a studio to release something of quality, because there’s literally no competition at the box office, but that might be what Universal is trying to do with their new release Night Swim. For horror fans, this title is one to be cautiously excited over, because it is the beginning of a partnership between Jason Blum and James Wan. The pair have united to release several horror projects in the near future. Night Swim was initially picked up as a feature after the success of the short film with the same title was released back in 2014 from directors Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire. Now ten years later Bryce McGuire dives back in to create a feature length project about a haunted pool in the suburbs in an attempt to scare the floaties off its audience, but does he succeed?
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Babes in Toyland (Blu-ray)
Posted in No Huddle by Jeremy Butler on December 25th, 2023
While the film definitely feels like a Wizard of Oz carbon copy, it is not without its charms. For one, it was nice to see Keanu Reeves in one of his earlier roles, before Bill and Ted or Speed. Same goes for Drew Barrymore; while this wasn’t one of her first roles, as she was a child actor, it was still nice to see some of her earlier work, especially as it was one of the film’s charms that I mentioned earlier. Babes in Toyland tells the story of Lisa Piper, a eleven-year-old girl. While most girls at this age are all-consumed by Christmas and presents, she is too busy caring for her family, as the death of her father has caused her to have to grow up fast. As a result, she has no time for toys, and she resents being treated like a child despite her age. Concerned about a impending snowstorm, Lisa travels to her older sister Mary’s job to warn her. Mary’s boyfriend, Jack Fenton (Reeves), gives them a ride home, but loses control due to the blizzard conditions.
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A Christmas Story Christmas
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on December 24th, 2023
Every family has their holiday traditions. Christmas is probably the king of family traditions. We all have our favorite Christmas songs and our favorite foods and methods of celebrating. A part of that has long been the Christmas movie. I’m talking about those films that somehow represent the spirit of the time of year, and not merely movies that take place during Christmas time. Yeah, John McClain, I’m talking about you. For me it’s been A Christmas Story since its release in 1983. There are others high on the list for me. The Man Who Invented Christmas and It’s A Wonderful Life along with almost every version of the Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol all have a special place in my heart. But none of them come close to Ralphie’s quest for a Red Ryder air rifle. Jean Shepherd’s In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash is as classic a slice of Americana as Norman Rockwell paintings or summer picnics and fireworks. The tale told in A Christmas Story is only a small part of that book, but it’s just Christmas to me and always shall be.
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Holiday Gift Guide Spotlight: Shout Factory: JFK – Collector’s Edition (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on December 22nd, 2023
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. With conditions as they are, shopping won’t be easy this season. The nice thing about discs is that they’re so easy to get from places like Amazon that you can give a great gift and stay perfectly safe while you do it. Now you’re just about out of time. But we’ve got you covered. Just use the Amazon link on your right, and you’re in business. That leaves us with our final Gift Guide selection of the year: JFK: The Collector’s Edition, which includes that extended Director’s Cut on UHD Blu-ray in glorious 4K
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Posted in The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on December 22nd, 2023
“Four years ago, I was basically unemployed, a wanderer with no home. But now I’m a husband, and a father. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
This film release marks the end of the DCEU as we know it (also known as the Snyder-verse). The DCEU has been an interesting ride to say the least, full of ups and downs. And while it never truly challenged Marvel with their multi-phased gameplan, it did provide unique opportunities that gave some deserving talents a platform to showcase their abilities. Momoa was one of them. For me, his casting was among the most unique and triumphant. When he was first announced, I had to take a hard look at that decision, as it went against the grain as far as traditional casting for Arthur Curry went. However, it is difficult for me to imagine anyone else who could have brought the same kind of life to the character. Momoa gave the character an exotic and wild-man energy that made for a very entertaining interpretation. Granted this at times made the character seem dimwitted, making his path to the throne seem all the more unlikely. On the other hand, the character was intended to struggle and chafe under the pressure of the crown, thus making Momoa’s performance believable.
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Holiday Gift Guide Spotlight: Film Masters The Scarlet Letter (1934) (Blu-ray)
Posted in Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on December 22nd, 2023
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. With conditions as they are, shopping won’t be easy this season. The nice thing about discs is that they’re so easy to get from places like Amazon that you can give a great gift and stay perfectly safe while you do it
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Saw X
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on December 22nd, 2023
“I would like to play a game.”
I heard it everywhere. When I would mention that I’d be reviewing the 10th entry in the Saw franchise, almost everyone thought I had miscounted. It’s hard for anyone to believe that the franchise has gotten into the double digits, and there’s more. Next October should be the release of Saw XI. I think what confuses folks is that the numbers stopped with Saw VII. The 8th film was called Jigsaw, and the 9th was called Spiral: From The Book Of Saw. Before you know it, numbers don’t mean a heck of a lot. We keep going to see the films and buying them for our home entertainment collections. A movie here. A movie there. Before you know it you have 10 films. Now you can add the 10th film to your library on UHD Blu-ray in 4K. Just remember that it goes next to Spiral on the shelf.
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Holiday Gift Guide Spotlight: Shout Factory Anime Collector Editions – Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films & Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time 4K
Posted in Holiday Gift Guides by Michael Durr on December 21st, 2023
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. With conditions as they are, shopping won’t be easy this season. The nice thing about discs is that they’re so easy to get from places like Amazon that you can give a great gift and stay perfectly safe while you do it. It certainly feels like the holiday season. Deadlines you have to meet at work before the end of the year, getting down those eight crates of random festival garb from your attic, ordering gift cards for people you’ll never see until this time next year, and an expensive gift for your father who will probably only provide you with expired wits of wisdom.
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Holiday Gift Guide Spotlight: Shout Factory – The Police Academy Collection (Blu-ray)
Posted in Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2023
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. With conditions as they are, shopping won’t be easy this season. The nice thing about discs is that they’re so easy to get from places like Amazon that you can give a great gift and stay perfectly safe while you do it. This spotlight looks at Shout Factory’s release of the entire Police Academy film collection all in one Blu-ray collection. You have the right to laugh your tush off, and you can give that right to one or more members of your Christmas list.
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Holiday Gift Guide Spotlight: Titanic (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Holiday Gift Guides by Archive Authors on December 19th, 2023
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. With conditions as they are, shopping won’t be easy this season. The nice thing about discs is that they’re so easy to get from places like Amazon that you can give a great gift and stay perfectly safe while you do it. This time we’re talking about the greatest box office film in history. It’s gotta be James Cameron’s Titanic, and it’s gotta be on UHD Blu-ray in glorious 4K
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Wonka (2023)
Posted in The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on December 16th, 2023
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Galeries Gourmet, my name is Willy Wonka! I’ve spent the past seven years travelling the world, perfecting my craft. You see I’m something of a magician, inventor, and chocolate maker. So quiet up and listen down. Nope. Scratch that, reverse it.”
I usually don’t go in for musicals. It’s not usually my cup of tea. However, this one took me by surprise. I grew up watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and for me the character of Wonka has always been synonymous with Gene Wilder. But there is something to be said about the showmanship that Timothée Chalamet brought to the role in Wonka. As the titular character, I dare say that he gave Wilder a run for his money as far as showmanship and naïve charm. In this third adaptation based on the 1964 Roald Dahl book, we meet Willy Wonka as a young and naïve man with a pocket full of sovereigns (the film’s currency of choice, though I am unclear as to what one sovereign equates to) and a head full of dreams. Who better to display this charm and innocence than the up-and-coming actor responsible for some of the biggest films in recent years like The King, Dune Part 1, and the upcoming Dune Part 2. He’s also backed up with an excellent cast which includes Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Colman, Rowan Atkinson, and Hugh Grant in a role of a character that goes hand-in-hand with the name Willy Wonka.
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