Crazy Famous
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on January 17th, 2018
“Believe it or not, anyone can be famous. And you don’t really need God-given abilities to do it. That doesn’t mean you go out and shoot up a crowded theater. That’s wrong. If you’re motivated you can get yourself on a reality TV show or jump cars on a motorcycle, or marry a movie star. Or simply find a wife willing to have 20 kids. As for myself, my best shot at the limelight is to buddy up to the President. I just need the attention of the media first.”
It was artist Any Warhol who said that in the future everyone would be famous for 15 minutes.
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It (2017) (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 17th, 2018
In case you’ve been living beneath a rock and out of contact with any and all social media, this weekend the long-awaited film adaption of Stephen King’s It releases. Some of my friends look at the trailer for the new film and instantly reject what they see; they immediately cling to their memories of how the original mini-series scared them. One thing you’ll hear them all saying is how Tim Curry made such an impact on their lives and to this day gave them reason to fear clowns. While I respect their opinions, when you revisit the film, you can’t help but notice how dated the film is, and really, if you’re over the age of 10, it just isn’t scary.
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The Houses October Built 2 (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 15th, 2018
Most people that survive a near traumatic experience don’t go back for seconds. Most people that is. For the group in The House October Built 2, I guess they were adhering to the logic that lightning doesn’t strike the same way twice. Or does it? Embarking on what I can only describe as a horror tour, five friends attempt to capitalize on potential fame and fortune by documenting their experience traveling city to city to explore various haunted houses or hay rides. They even managed to convince the most traumatized member of their group to join them, reopening old wounds and provoking things that best left in the past.
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The Commuter
Posted in The Reel World by John Delia on January 14th, 2018
The year kicks off with its first major action thriller The Commuter, and it’s a barn burner. Total action after an introduction to the plot, the film takes you on the ride of your life with surprises on every turn. If you like gripping films that work on your mind to try and figure out who the perpetrator is and what they want, then this movie should be on the top of your list. And it’s way better than last year’s Murder on the Orient Express. It’s becoming a monotonous routine for Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson), a former police officer and now a life insurance agent. He gets up early in the morning, spends only minutes with his wife Karen MacCauley (Elizabeth McGovern) and the children.
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The Post
Posted in The Reel World by John Delia on January 12th, 2018
Several movies have been released over the past three decades that defend the press or show the importance of the media to inform the public. This is one of them that for the most part does reveal the inner sanctum of one newspaper as it deals with exposing the government for wrong decisions leading to the death of thousands in the Vietnam War. While the script does reveal the sadness of human life losses that could have been avoided, unfortunately the film uses it to glorify newspapers using old news. A platoon starts taking heavy fire in a wooded area, and the body bags start to fill at a high rate.
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Battle of the Sexes (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on January 11th, 2018
“I’m not saying women are better…I’m saying we deserve some respect.”
Battle of the Sexes chronicles a watershed moment for the women’s liberation movement. And given the very bad behavior by very powerful men in Hollywood and other high-profile industries that has come to light in recent months, the movie suddenly feels particularly timely despite being set 45 years ago. But even if that weren’t the case, this film — which dramatizes the 1973 exhibition match between top-ranked female player Billie Jean King and former male champion Bobby Riggs — would still be a funny, heartfelt winner.
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Brawl In Cell Block 99 (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by John Delia on January 9th, 2018
The crime drama Brawl in Cell Block 99 makes its way onto Blu-ray, DVD and 4K. The film tops the charts as one the most excruciatingly brutal movies to be released this year. If you are not offended by extreme violence and don’t get queasy from the sight of blood and cruelty, then this film may be your cup of java. That said, the crime story does have some vindication behind all the willful chaos. Getting laid off from his job at a towing company, Bradley (Vince Vaughn) cleans out his locker and heads home. When he gets there things start getting worse when he finds out that his wife Lauren (Jennifer Carpenter) has been seeing someone.
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 13: Win A 4-Pack From Film Movement
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 6th, 2018
On The Thirteenth Day Of Christmas Film Movement Gives To You:
That’s right Lucky 13th Day Of Christmas. Ok it turns out our pals over at Film Movement might not know how to count. But that’s good news for you guys. it looks like we have 4-film grab bag from Film Movement. And we have 3 of these to give away. Each winner gets: The War Show ( a group of artists and activists in Syria live the nightmare of that country’s bloody civil war), The Settles(see what life is like for the Jewish settlers who live in the occupied territories of The West Bank), Be Right Back (Meet one of the most controversial artists of all time) and Karl Marx City (a filmmaker visits the what was the German Democratic Republic 25 years after the collapse seeking answers to her father’s suicide). These films represent groundbreaking foreign films and you can win all 4 with just one entry. We’re giving away 3 sets. Enter today before somebody over there finds out these DVD’s are missing.
Contest is now closed Winners are Bill Norris, Jim Gardner & Carol
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 12: Win The Red Skelton Hour In Color: Deluxe Edition From Time-Life
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 5th, 2018
On The Twelfth Day Of Christmas Time-Life Gives To You:
The Red Skelton Hour In Color: Deluxe Edition on DVD. Time-Life started this whole 12-day celebration with a mega-set of Bob Hope. Now they’re closing it out with another super collection. This one will have you seeing Red — Red Skelton, that is. Fans of this classic show will be wanting to get their hands on this mega-set. This is a 22-disc set that includes the rare color episodes and tons of bonus material. Everything fans want? This set’s got it. And we’ve got one to give away thanks to our best buddies at Time-Life.
Contest is now closed Winner is Ronald Oliver
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
Insidious: The Last Key
Posted in The Reel World by J C on January 5th, 2018
“You can’t get rid of me that easy.”
Elise Rainier was the only casualty in 2010’s Insidious, but the character has proven to be impossible to kill. In fact, Lin Shaye’s sympathetic psychic quickly evolved into the main character of this low-budget, high-box office horror franchise. Chapter 2 brought her back in spectral form, while Chapter 3 went back in time to show us an earlier run-in with a restless demon. The Last Key goes even further back in time while simultaneously inching closer to the first film. While the series has pretty much run out of interesting ways to scare audiences, this film does explore the connection between real-life monsters and malevolent spirits.
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The Simpsons Season 18
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on January 4th, 2018
The longest running show in prime time doesn’t feature cops, doctors, or lawyers. It’s hard to believe that The Simpsons have existed as long as the Fox network. While the series didn’t really begin until Fox’s second year, the characters were part of The Tracey Ullman Show, which did start the first year of Fox. Who could have guessed that an animated short from an otherwise horrible and doomed variety show would explode into such a phenomenon? The Simpsons have not only dominated the pop culture; they have placed everything else into context with their show. Like Doonesbury, it could be said that the only thing worse than being made fun of on The Simpsons is not being made fun of on The Simpsons. With that said, you’ll understand my warm feelings and appreciation for this show.
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 11: Win The Boss Baby From Universal
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 4th, 2018
On The Eleventh Day Of Christmas Universal Gives To You:
The Boss Baby on Blu-ray. Universal didn’t want to get left out of our giveaways so they sent over The Boss. No, it’s not Bruce, it’s Alex Baldwin voicing that lovable Boss Baby. Remember that cookies are for closers, and I’ve had more than enough cookies in the last month. So put down that extra cookie and enter to win The Boss Baby on Blu-ray.
Contest is now closed Winner is Pauline Milner
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
American Made (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Dan Holland on January 3rd, 2018
“Backslidin’, how do you do? These slippery people gonna see you through.”
It has been a long while since I have witnessed a pop song’s lyrics fit so poetically into a feature film. “Slippery People” is a track off the groundbreaking Talking Heads album, Speaking in Tongues, released in 1983. Not only does this song fit the plot of American Made within its lyrics (hints of backsliding with a lot of slippery people), but it also represents a specific aesthetic for one of the many years shown throughout the film. Which, by and large, is what American Made does very well: appreciates the nostalgia of the 70’s and 80’s without exaggerating to extremes. More often than not, the “nostalgia aesthetic” very quickly becomes a parody of itself.
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Time to Die (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on January 3rd, 2018
The classic American Westerns of the 1940s and ’50s directed by the likes of John Ford and Howard Hawks famously inspired filmmakers like Sergio Leone to put their own stylish and revisionist spin on the genre. But while Spaghetti Westerns — genre films produced and written by Italians — are the most famous foreign example, plenty of other countries started making their own horse operas in the 1960s. That includes Mexico and filmmaker Arturo Ripstein, who made an outstanding feature film debut with 1966’s Time to Die/Tiempo de Morir.
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 10: Gun Runners & Angry Inuk From Film Movement
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 3rd, 2018
On The Tenth Day Of Christmas Film Movement Gives To You:
Gun Runners and Angry Inuk on DVD. Lucky for you we have a guy on the inside over at Film Movement. Agent MK has loaded us up on some of the best in independent film from 2017. We start things off with a bit of a Canada theme. If the thought of all of that Canadian Winter air doesn’t keep you in the Holiday mood I’m afraid there’s just no hope. Maybe this will help. We have 3 copies of both of these films. Each of three winners will get a copy of both films on DVD. Don’t thank us. It’s Agent MK at Film Movement who is playing Santa this year. Let’s just keep this between us or we might blow his cover.
Contest is now closed Winners are Tom Wellerson & Gary Smith
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (UHD Blu-ray) (4K)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 3rd, 2018
When it comes to ranking the top 10 cool movies of the past five years, Kingsman:The Secret Service would easily make the list. From the opening sequence to the final credits, the movie was simply a fun ride with so many kick-ass moments. I mean, the fight in the church alone is worth the price of admission. The moment I heard Matthew Vaughn was returning to helm the sequel, I instantly got giddy with excitement. Heck, ever since his first film Layer Cake, the guy has managed to produce a stream of cool films that I’ve enjoyed. It’s when the trailer for the sequel first dropped that something didn’t feel right; it still looked like a fun movie, but it just didn’t suck me in like the previous film’s trailer did.
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Detroit (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 2nd, 2018
Detroit is a period crime drama focusing primarily on the Algiers Motel incident during the 12th Street riots in obviously, the city of Detroit. The night of July 25, law enforcement, including the local department, Michigan State Police, and Michigan Army National Guard responded to the hotel to investigate reports of a sniper. During the confrontation, three men were killed and another nine, including two white females, were allegedly beaten and humiliated by the first responders. A trial was held for three of the officers involved and a private security guard, with the deaths being declared justifiable homicide.
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 9: Spartacus: The Complete Series On Blu-ray
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 2nd, 2018
On The Ninth Day Of Christmas Anchor Bay gives to you:
Spartacus: The Complete Series on Blu-ray. This set contains all of the show’s 39 episodes on 12 discs. There is a 13th disc with limited extra features that were not found on the original individual season releases. This is a huge release and one heck of a prize for a lucky Upcomingdiscs winner.
To enter just follow these instructions:
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us- What, if any New Year’s resolutions have you made this year?
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Tommy Gaines
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 9: Miracle on 34th Street 70th Anniversary From Fox
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 2nd, 2018
On The Ninth Day Of Christmas Fox Gives To You:
Miracle On 34th Street on Blu-ray. Our friends at Fox are getting ready to ship their classic film library to Disney. They didn’t forget us at Upcomingdiscs. They sent a copy of the Christmas classic Miracle On 34th Street for us to give away. It’s the 70th Anniversary Edition.
Contest is now closed Winner is Christina Wharmund
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 8: Win Richard Simmons: Sweatin’ to the Oldies The Complete Collection 30th Anniversary From Time-Life
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 1st, 2018
On The Eight Day Of Christmas Time-Life Gives To You:
Richard Simmons: Sweatin’ To The Oldies The Complete Collection on DVD. New Year’s Day is upon us and we’ve been eating a lot of stuff that isn’t quite so good for us. Many of you are making a resolution to take off some weight. Our heroes over at Time-Life have come to the rescue with exorcise, old school. They’ve given us 6 copies of this collection. That means 6 winners! It brings you all 5 volumes of Sweatin’ To The Oldies plus a 20-page photo album. This is the 30th Anniversary Edition so you might call it Sweatin’ To The Ancients. This is our first contest of 2018. Maybe this is the start of your lucky year.
Contest is now closed Winners are Jessica Rose, Nancy, John H, Jennifer H, Angela Smith
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 7: Win The Secret Life of Pets From Universal Studios
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on December 31st, 2017
On The Seventh Day Of Christmas Universal Gives To You:
The Secret Lives Of Pets on Blu-ray. Ever wonder what your pets are doing when you’re not watching? Find out in The Secret Lives Of Pets. Our Secret Santas over at Universal have a copy for a lucky Upcomingdiscs follower.
Contest is now closed Winner is Ty
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 6: Win Houston Astros 2017 World Series From Shout Factory
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on December 30th, 2017
On The Sixth Day Of Christmas Shout Factory Gives To You:
World Series Collector’s Edition: 2017 Houston Astros on Blu-ray. It might be the dead of Winter but you can relive the glory of the 2017 Major League Baseball 2017 World Series. You get all 7 games with plenty of options and extras. You can listen to the Astros or the Dodger’s radio broadcasts. Also game 7 of the ACLS. Here’s a bonus prize. Guess Gino’s favorite baseball team. From the correct answers we will give away the single-disc version of this collection that features highlights and clinching moments on 1 disc. Shout Factory is bringing back Summer. So enter to win today.
Contest is now closed Winner is Scott Flere. Jim Gardner was first to guess Phillies and wins the single disc version.
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
The Lego Ninjago Movie (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on December 29th, 2017
“Have you ever heard the legend behind the legend of Ninjago?”
Even though I loved the first two Lego movies, I was completely unfamiliar with the toy company’s Ninjago line before I sat down to watch this latest entry in the madcap cartoon franchise. (I wasn’t even sure how to pronounce “Ninjago”…and the answer isn’t as simple as it seems.) But my unfamiliarity with the source material isn’t the reason why I feel The Lego Ninjago movie is the weakest entry in the series so far.
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 5: Win Atomic Blonde From Universal
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on December 29th, 2017
On The Fifth Day Of Christmas Universal Gives To You:
Atomic Blonde on Blu-ray. Charlize Theron kicks some serious behind in this action/thriller Atomic Blonde, and our pals over at Universal have invited you for the ride. Get your pulse racing for the New Year and enter to win.
Contest is now closed Winner is Alexandria Stewart
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
Victoria & Abdul (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on December 28th, 2017
“Based on real events…mostly.”
Queen Victoria sure knew how to create a frenzy in court. The monarch’s close relationship with Scottish servant John Brown following her husband’s death caused an uproar in the royal household and inspired the 1997 film Mrs. Brown, starring Judi Dench. Turns out, Victoria and Dench were just getting warmed up! Twenty years later, the actress reprises her regal role in Victoria & Abdul, which chronicles another unique, unconventional, and even more scandalous relationship between royal and commoner.
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