Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on June 3rd, 2022
We mostly deal with movies and television shows here at Upcomingdiscs. As the name implies discs are what we're all about. But once in a while we find something we just have to tell you about. Many times we take a look at books written by or about the film industry folks. It's rare when I came upon a novel that I just have to tell you about. It's Alive is deserving of that rare post. Written by Julian David Stone the novel takes us back to the Hollywood of the 1930's. It's the very first days of the "talkies" when actors first spoke on film. It was the height of the "studio system" where stars were at the beck and call of the studios who paid their salaries. It was also the rise of Carl Laemmle, Jr. or Junior to those who knew him. His father, Carl Sr founded Universal Studios and now it was Junior's turn to shine. It's just days before the production start on Frankenstein and Junior still can't convince his father that these horror films are going to launch Universal into the future. Worse. He still hadn't decided who would play the pivotal role of The Monster. Bela Lugosi was intended for the role following his hit in Dracula but he was playing hard to get. There was this other guy discovered by the film's director, James Whale. He was an unknown small-bit actor by the name of Boris Karloff. We all know how it turned out. Now go deep inside and see how it almost didn't happen. I read the book and I loved it. I also got the chance to spend some of my Memorial Day Monday talking with the book's author. Now you get to eavesdrop on that conversation and let us take you back to 1931. Bang it here to listen to my interview with Julian David Stone.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 3rd, 2022
"There are among us a people, gifted with a perfect memory of all their past lives. They call themselves Infinites. Among the Infinites, two groups have vied for power. On one side the Believers, dedicated to using their knowledge for the protection and growth of all humanity. Against them stood the Nihilists, who see this power as a curse. New technologies have given the Nihilists an opportunity to end all life on Earth, and the race is on for its control."
Infinite is an adapted story from D. Eric Maikranz's novel The Reincarnation Papers. On the surface this is one of those great concepts that could support a film franchise, and might have accomplished just that if the film itself hadn't taken the route of spectacle over substance. It doesn't help that this film was hurt by the COVID shutdown of productions and never ended up with the wide release it was originally intended to have. Still, the wide-release budget appears to have remained intact, and for a direct streaming or home video release it looks awesome, and that's pretty much where my praise ends.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 3rd, 2022
"Let me speak to you directly and from the heart."
My first exposure to The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance wasn't the film at all. It was the song (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It was a 1962 hit song by Gene Pitney and was written to be included in the film. I wouldn't really be taken with the song until James Taylor would cover it and have his own hit with the song in 1985 with his album That's Why I'm Here. By then I'd seen the film but only on late-night television broadcasts which offered bad transfers and plenty of commercials that caused the film to be chopped by over 26 minutes. The funny thing about the song is that while it was written to be included in the film, it actually never appears. Director John Ford thought it sounded too modern and suggested it would only weaken the film and insisted it not be used. It's almost unfortunate that at the time the song actually received more commercial success than the film did. Now you have a much better opportunity to check out this often overlooked classic, because Paramount has remastered the film and released on UHD Blu-ray and in glorious 4K.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on June 2nd, 2022
When I heard Fox had cancelled Lucifer after Season 3 and Netflix had picked up the show, I have to admit I got excited about the possibilities. I had hoped that the transition from network TV to the streaming service would mean the show could get away with more, because the show wouldn’t be bound to network rating guidelines. As it turns out, the show still has its TV-14 rating, but on the bright side the episodes are longer now, which in my opinion is a good thing. When Netflix picked up the show, they had announced that Season 5 would be the last season of the show. While the show does take some major storyline leaps as ways to wrap things up, thankfully things don’t come to an end just yet, as a Season 6 was produced and is currently airing on the streaming service.
The journey of Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) has been an entertaining one over the years. Season 5 has actor Tom Ellis, doing double duty playing Lucifer’s twin brother, Michael. The two have a bitter rivalry, and their feud is the major arc of Season 5. All the angels have their own unique gifts and powers. Lucifer is able to have people confess their innermost desires, while Michael has a far more sinister power, one that allows him to actualize a person’s innermost fear. Power also seems to be a theme of this season as well; we see characters lose their powers, other characters gain powers, and then there is the major arc of the season: who will become the most powerful being in the universe when God (Dennis Haysbert) decides it may be time for him to retire.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on May 27th, 2022
It has been about 36 years since the release of the first Top Gun. This is one of my earliest memories as a kid, seeing the movie on the big screen with my parents at the old Main Street 6 Cinemas. I was a bit obsessed with this movie growing up. I had a copy of the film that I had recorded off of Showtime, and over the years I’d imagine I’ve seen Top Gun at least 100 times. I was obsessed with the movie and its soundtrack. Kenny Loggins and “Danger Zone” lived rent-free in my head throughout my childhood. I know I’m not alone on this when saying just how much Top Gun is a movie I just love. It’s not perfect, but I just can’t find anything I dislike about it. Even in my forties, I look at this film as comfort food. It doesn’t matter the time or day, if it’s on, I can’t help but sit down and watch it. I’m putting this out there because, yeah, when I heard the talk of them first doing a sequel, I was excited, but I wasn’t too optimistic. Then when Tony Scott died in 2012, I thought for sure that was the nail in the coffin for any potential new Top Gun film. Ten years later, after over two years of delays, Top Gun: Maverick is finally hitting the big screen. After all these years and all the hype, is it worth the wait?
In case you haven’t realized it, Hollywood has been riding the wave of nostalgia for a while now. Just this week alone, Disney Pus is debuting the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Netflix is releasing the new season of Stranger Things (that alone is borderline 80s nostalgia porn at its best), and then we have Top Gun: Maverick. This week is simply old-school pop-culture-on-steroids week, and a reminder of why it’s a good time to be alive as a cinephile. It’s important to keep all this in mind, because when you go in to the theaters to see Top Gun: Maverick, you are not just simply getting to see a new movie, but it’s also a nostalgic trip back to the first film that will leave you excited and at times maybe a little misty-eyed reuniting with these characters we first met so many years ago.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 27th, 2022
“They think I’m hiding in the shadows, but I am the shadows.”
You have certain expectations when you go to a superhero/comic book movie. Sure, it changes a little depending on the character that you’re going to see. But there are certain things that all of these films tend to have in common. There’s an expectation of frantic action and some mind-bending special f/x. You’re looking for colorful villains who tend to act over-the-top and always provide that gentle wink back at the audience. When these expectations aren’t met, audiences tend to be disappointed, and big-budget films can end up costing the studios hugely in the end. Even as we appear to be reaching the last days of the limited pandemic crowds, that risk gets multiplied. It also doesn’t help if audiences are still riding the high off the first big global billion-dollar film in almost three years. That’s the kind of headwinds The Batman is facing when audiences line up to see the return of one of the oldest and most famous heroes in comic history. What if I were to tell you that you won’t get a lot of any of those things, but you’re going to love it anyway? That’s exactly what I am telling you about Warner Brothers’ newest Batman film, simply titled The Batman.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 27th, 2022
Licorice Pizza marks writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s 9th feature film, and it seems to be his most personal film to date, as it takes place in his hometown of San Fernando Valley during 1973. It’s difficult to go into a Paul Thomas Anderson film and not have high expectations. I can’t even guess the number of times I’ve watched Boogie Nights, and Magnolia is one that I adore just as much. These two films just impacted me from the first time I experienced them in the cinema and really fostered my appreciation for film and storytelling with large ensembles. Since then I’ve been waiting somewhat patiently for PTA to do another film like those two, but instead he’s grown as a filmmaker and genuinely become an auteur. While I can look at his films The Master, There Will Be Blood, and Phantom Thread, they are great cinematic achievements that show he can do award worthy films and that he’s definitely one of the best working directors out there, BUT I’d be hard pressed to say they have the re-watchability of his earlier films. It just seems he’s been chasing after that elusive Best Director award rather than simply having fun directing movies. Then Licorice Pizza comes along, and it is a sweet breath of fresh air, a film filled with the cinematic flair and great characters, along with a great soundtrack that got me to become a fan of Paul Thomas Anderson’s work.
The overall plot of the film is simple. Gary (Cooper Hoffman) is a precocious 15-year-old who is an actor and has started up a few businesses of his own. When he meets Alana (Alana Haim) on picture day at school, he is instantly smitten with the 25-year-old who works for the photography company. He’s persistent about getting Alana to go out on a date with him, and reluctantly she agrees in a way to call his bluff. She sets the ground rules that they are meeting, but only as friends. As the film progresses and the relationship gets more complicated, she has to keep reminding herself that they are only just friends … or are they? This isn’t a teenage sex comedy, but it is fun-spirited romance that is charming and innocent. Sure, this has some vibes that remind me of Rushmore (1999) with the precocious teen trying to win over an older woman’s affections. The difference I see is that in Rushmore, the main character was more fueled by jealousy, whereas Gary’s affections and actions are genuine.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 27th, 2022
"Who's the wolf now, Ray?"
For all intents and purposes, Season 7 was the final season of Ray Donovan. The end came rather suddenly, and after it was too late to create and film some kind of satisfying finale for the series. The cast and crew were taken by surprise, so you can imagine how the fans of the show were taking this. To make matters worse, the last episode, while not a complete cliffhanger, leaves too many strands of thread that weren't connected. There's nothing satisfying about the finale, and that created waves in the world of fandom. Star Trek is famous for being the first television show that a network cancelled and then brought back because of a huge letter-writing campaign that flooded network executives and pushed them into an unprecedented action for that time. The show was brought back. Imagine what those rabid fans could have done today with the internet and social media. The call went out, and while Showtime had made no move to offer any kind of reversal or concession, the show's star reached out with a somewhat cryptic message of hope. He assured fans that the Donovan family wasn't finished just yet. The result is a Showtime film like we saw recently for Deadwood. The film has aired and is now out on DVD so that fans can finally own as completed a collection as they are going to get.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 25th, 2022
The original heist movie is often credited to The Asphalt Jungle, directed by John Huston. A criminal mastermind, a million-dollar jewel heist, a band of outlaws, and the dame in a seamy and gritty underworld. It had all the qualities that would set up that genre for decades to come. Today's offering is another film that is often listed on top-twenty lists for the genre, Ad ogni costo, better known by its English title as Grand Slam. In it, a retiring school professor recruits four criminal masterminds to steal ten million in diamonds. We'll have to see if it makes the grade or is doomed to be held back for another year.
Rio de Janeiro. Kids are shouting and singing as people board a plane to go to America. In particular, these kids are wishing their former professor, James Anders (played by Edward G. Robinson) safe travels, as he happens to be going to New York. Music is played, and a hearty goodbye is felt as we roll the credits.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 20th, 2022
From the bouncing opening music by Glenn Fry to the final frame of Eddie Murphy's smile, Beverly Hills Cop had established itself as a classic. The movie had a complicated history, and it's a kind of miracle that the version we know ever happened at all. The movie was originally conceived as a straight action film with the plan to have either Al Pacino or Clint Eastwood in the title role. At that point the script was called Beverly Drive. When they couldn't get Al or Clint, they turned to Sylvester Stallone, and Sly took the role. He took the script and rewrote it to fit his own particular style. The main character's name went from Axel Foley to Cabretti so that he could be called The Cobra. The problem with Sly's version is that the cost was rising higher than the execs at Paramount were willing to put out. Sly was offered another film to drop Beverly Hills Cop. He took his rewrites with him, and they eventually formed the nucleus of his movie Cobra. The rest of the film had already been cast, so imagine their surprise when the action movie they thought they were making with Rocky turned into a comedy/drama starring the Saturday Night Live but unproven box office comedian Eddie Murphy.
The result changed the face of the cop movie forever. With Beverly Hills Cop, the comic buddy cop film was born, and imitations follow to this very day. This was when Eddie Murphy was still hungry. Axel Foley is filled with drive and energy and loaded with charm. Murphy ended up adlibbing a lot of the material, but in those days he was a generous actor and was known for being very good at setting up his co-stars with great material to go with. He didn't feel the need to steal every scene; the truth is he didn't have to. The camera loved him then, and he was a natural. It didn't hurt that the supporting cast here was also very good. Judge Reinhold and John Ashton had wonderful chemistry as the Beverly Hills detectives Rosewood and Taggert respectively. Neither performer has been in a better movie or had better roles before or since. Finally, there was Gilbert R. Hall as Axel's boss, Inspector Todd. While scouting police stations in Detroit, Brest found this particular actor working as a genuine detective in the Detroit police department. He's quite a catch and adds a great dose of authenticity in his few scenes with Murphy. The film didn't get him a switch to movies, however. He only did the three Beverly Hills Cop movies, but he did use his bit of fame to become a Detroit councilman and even ran for the office of mayor of Detroit.
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