Posted in No Huddle by Archive Authors on July 18th, 2014
by Normandy D. Piccolo “We are that which we are really seeking.” Back in the early 80‘s, Grandmaster Mantak Chia stepped outside of traditional Chinese rule and shared a very guarded secret with the world. The Universal Healing Tao System. Where the body, soul and spirit learn to live in balance and harmony with the […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 14th, 2014
Nymphomaniac I and II are 117 and 124 minutes, respectively. There is a longer cut that may be released next year closer to 5 and ½ hours. The story is simple. It chronicles a conversation between two people. Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is found bloody and beaten in an alley by an older man, Seligman (Stellan […]
Posted in No Huddle by J C on June 19th, 2014
“I got kids and I work, and it’s hard sometimes. But, you know, boilerplate misery…alone in the world…might as well be a maggot sucking a dead cat’s face. What’s the point?” That’s how Louis C.K. describes his life during a season 3 episode of Louie. And since the FX comedy series — that is only […]
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on June 17th, 2014
It’s hard to start a series in its fourth season. That’s particularly true of today’s huge mythology-arc shows that require you to be up to date at all times. Such was the task I found myself facing when we got a copy of Rizzoli & Isles to review. Fortunately, this is one of those pleasant […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on June 9th, 2014
After dating an endless string of duds and dolts, Jessica Stein has finally found someone smart, funny, kind, compassionate and attractive enough to meet her impossibly high standards. Much to Jessica’s chagrin, however, it turns out her ideal match is a woman. Kissing Jessica Stein, the 2001 independent romantic comedy created by stars Jennifer Westfeldt […]
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on May 13th, 2014
It’s hard to review a series starting from the fourth season, which is exactly what I had to do when Rookie Blue arrived for review recently. In the early days of television, it wouldn’t have been a problem. Most shows, cop shows in particular, had a full story with each episode and a continuity that […]
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on April 18th, 2014
Who doesn’t have a soft spot in their heart, if not their DVD collection, for the denizens of Mayberry? They’ve been with many of us our entire lives. For most of America, The Andy Griffith Show has become the template for any small rural town. The characters stand as prerequisite citizens in any said town. […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on April 16th, 2014
“You show up late reeking of booze, handcuffed to a stripper, and you expect me to trust your judgment?” Even though we’re more than three years removed from his tiger blood heyday, it’s still impossible to separate Charlie Sheen’s bad off-screen behavior from the sitcom work he (somehow) cranks out every week. The latest example […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on April 3rd, 2014
“I’m Norma Rae. You know me.” Chances are you’ve at least heard of Norma Rae, even if you haven’t actually seen the Oscar-winning film that bears her name. You might know it as the granddaddymomma of underdog stories centered on feisty female crusaders; Norma Rae begat Silkwood, Erin Brockovich, North Country and others. Or you […]
Posted in The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on March 21st, 2014
In the wake of the Hunger Games and Twilight studios have been snatching up the rights to young adult fiction and gearing up for franchises all in the name of capturing the hearts and wallets of the legions of fans of these book series. Though there have been a few hits, the failures have been […]
Posted in No Huddle by Archive Authors on March 13th, 2014
Tinto Brass is a dirty old man, but I’ll get to that later. Tinto Brass directed the film Black Angel in 2002 (when it was called Senso 45), and it is now getting a DVD release. It is an adaptation of the novella Senso, written by Camillo Boito, which was previously filmed by Luchino Visconti. […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on February 17th, 2014
“…Super secret spies living next door. They look like us. They speak better English than we do. I mean, come on. Someone’s been reading too many spy novels.” And now someone has expertly taken the cloak-and-dagger intrigue of a great spy novel, transplanted it onto our television screens, and called it The Americans. While the […]
Posted in The Reel World by J C on February 14th, 2014
“What are we fighting about now?” About Last Night isn’t the first — and certainly won’t be the last — movie about adults taking clumsy, tentative steps toward commitment. Heck, it’s not even the first movie called “About Last Night” to tackle the subject. The film is one of a whopping *three* remakes of 1980s […]
Posted in No Huddle by Jeremy Butler on December 30th, 2013
It’s always difficult to watch a stand-up from a guy you know nothing about. No matter how hard you try, you will always have preconceived notions about the guy based solely on what he chooses to title his stand-up. I’ve said it once and I will say it again, titles play a big part in […]
Posted in Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 29th, 2013
Star Vista and Time Life get our vote for some of the coolest gift sets for the holiday season. It’s no surprise that they’ve delivered some quality television. What is a such a great surprise this year is that they’ve dug deep into the television archives and brought three particular shows that are long over-due […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on October 30th, 2013
“I’m often asked, ‘What do I do for a living?’ And I answer: ‘I do what I want.” For the better part of the last 20 years, CeeLo Green has ferociously defied musical expectations by zigging when you expect him to zag. (If you thought the former frontman of hip-hop collective Goodie Mob would eventually […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on October 12th, 2013
A New York city homicide detective is haunted by the night where her mother was murdered by two gunmen, who themselves were killed by a mysterious being. A decade after that night she finds out that the mysterious being is still around. As this “Beauty” and her “Beast” finally meet, they start investigating the truth […]
Posted in News and Opinions by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2013
If you live in the Tampa Bay area you should already know about Tampa Theatre. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world to catch a film. It doesn’t matter if you’re into classic cinema or the latest art film. This is the place to go. The wonderful spires and classic trimmings make […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 5th, 2013
“I believe man will fly. And I base this assumption on the fact that God has blessed us with minds that are capable of imagining it. Anything that can be dreamt of will eventually be built. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool.” The term “Renaissance man” is often used to describe a person who […]
Posted in No Huddle by J C on August 29th, 2013
“We have to understand as a whole entire world that marriage will have its ups and downs, but we have to have faith in God that he will help us through those tough times to stay faithful and committed, no matter what happens.” These words are attributed to writer/director/producer/actor Christopher Nolen. (Not to be confused […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 8th, 2013
“With a name like Banshee how can you not be drawn in?” Alan Ball got my attention in 2001 with HBO’s black comedy Six Feet Under. It was one of the most original shows I had ever seen, and to this day I find it hard to characterize the series when asked to do so. […]
Posted in No Huddle by J C on August 5th, 2013
The fact that Kumail Nanjiani decided to call his first Comedy Central special Beta Male immediately gives you a sense of his self-deprecating style. Fortunately, the ability to laugh at himself is merely one of many comedic gifts this on-the-rise comic possesses. This consistently funny, frequently hilarious hour-long set — filmed in Austin’s Moody Theater […]
Posted in Super Round Up by Archive Authors on July 30th, 2013
Summer blockbusters of bloat and bombast always rule because their budgets blast anything and everything out of their way. This summer was very messy and bloody as many big films limped, staggered and crashed. White House Down, The Lone Ranger, Pacific Rim, The Hangover 3, R.I.P.D., and Turbo are just some of the expensive films […]
Posted in Random Fun by J C on June 4th, 2013
The tight-knit cast and crew of Attorney at Low weren’t about to let a little rain — ok, it was a lot of rain — dampen their spirits during the movie’s June 1 world premiere. So nobody objected when the red carpet was transported from the sidewalk to the inside of the historic Zephyrhills Home Theatre, […]
Posted in No Huddle by Archive Authors on April 22nd, 2013
You need to imagine you are back in 1969. Many of you will have no idea what a different world it was back then. So many things did not exist, like computers and the internet and cable television. So much is available now that people could only fantasize about then. Now any unsupervised 10-year-old can […]
