Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 21st, 2022
“A great man doesn’t seek to lead, he’s called to it. But if your answer is no, you’ll still be the only thing I need you to be. My son.”
Given that this was most likely the most anticipated movie of 2020, I must say that I expected much more from it. Especially given the who’s who list of Hollywood stars who were brought together for this production. Names like Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and the list goes on. I suppose another thing that somewhat worked against the film was the long wait, as this was a movie that was slated for a year earlier, and then the pandemic complicated that, so anticipation for this film was high. Not to mention that this is a reboot of a beloved series that has already been adapted and garnered a large cult following. It is also my understanding that previous adaptation had the benefit of having the creator of the franchise on set to help guide it. That sounds like a recipe for success, if you ask me. Here we have the re-imagining of an idea with a very loyal fan base, which is always a dangerous undertaking. However, Denis Villeneuve’s proven resume with thrillers such as Prisoners and Sicario, as well as his work in the science fiction genre with Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 (which also was based on another classic film) suggested that he was uniquely up for the task of taking on a film such as this. While I did enjoy what Villeneuve created visually, my big issue was with the story, specifically, the fact that it was clearly incomplete.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 21st, 2022
Every era has their Hollywood good guys and their Hollywood bad guys. Back in the early days, we had Nazis to pit against our heroes. When they didn't quite fit the bill, we had the Japanese. For much of the Cold War, we had great Russian villains to test the mettle of our heroes. Terrorists fit the bill a lot today, but perhaps the only group hated by large segments of American audiences more are the 1%ers. Anyone who makes an obscene amount of money must have cheated to get there. It doesn't hurt that financial power companies have been immersed in the last couple of economic disasters. Michael Douglas taught us that greed is good, and while every single one of us wants to be at the top, it's not quite the politically correct thing to express ... at least out loud. Billions gives us the kind of power broker who is just too much fun to hate. It's the classic struggle of good guys versus bad guys. Of white hats versus black hats. But nothing is that simple in Billions, and if you haven't yet spent some time with the likes of Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis as Chuck Rhoades and Bobby "Axe" Axelrod, you're missing one of the more compelling dramas on television right now. Get yourself caught up and join us for Billions: The Complete Fifth Season out now on DVD from CBS Home Entertainment.
Meet Chuck Rhoades, played brilliantly by Paul Giamatti. When we first met Chuck, he was the US Attorney for the southern district of New York State. In that position he loved to take down the arrogant, rich power brokers who scoffed at the laws and made their fortunes any way they could. His white whale has been Bobby Axelrod, played by Damien Lewis. He runs one of the most powerful firms in the world and makes deals of hundreds of millions of dollars like he was ordering a Whopper from Burger King. For the first three years of the series we watched this cat-and-mouse game unfold. The obsession of these two men toward hurting each other drove the drama. Stuck in the middle of all of this contempt has been Chuck's wife, Wendy, played by Sons Of Anarchy veteran Maggie Siff. She's a therapist who complicates the whole thing, because she works for Axelrod as his sales team inspirational coach and his own father confessor. She's known Axelrod longer than her husband, and she's being forced into the middle of this brewing confrontation. I have to say, I never liked Siff in Sons Of Anarchy. I always thought she was a weak character. This time I found she provides a crucial voice here that allows the show to move so effortlessly between these two worlds. This is the kind of role I wish I had seen in Sons. It's been rather delightful watching these two powerhouses fight until it nearly destroyed them both. But now things are different.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on January 14th, 2022
In 1996 when Scream first came out, it’s hard to explain to this new generation of teens just how much it changed the genre and the film industry. To say the horror genre was dead is an understatement. Sure, the early 90’s had a handful of good films, but when you look at where the genre was in the 80’s and earlier, you can see the difference. Then when you look at how the genre has evolved since the first film premiered, what Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven did has been emulated but not quite surpassed. Even with the three sequels that followed, they had the same spirit but just not quite as good. Sure, better horror films have come along in the 25 years since, and several have changed the genre for better or worse. We’ve seen horror go with the intense hyper realism and the re-boot which Scream 4 (2011) took its meta take on, but where could the series go next? Honestly, when Wes Craven passed in 2015, I figured the franchise was done unless they rebooted the series from scratch with a new cast and director, but I don’t think that’s what any of the fans wanted. For the intense and loyal fans, this is a franchise that many seemed protective over. I’ll admit to being one of them, so when the talk came of a fifth film going into development, I was just at a loss. After all, how do you replace Wes Craven? The guy is quite literally a master of horror. My first choice would have been the team behind Turbo Kid and Summer of 84 . I like their style and their love for nostalgia, but instead the studio went with the directing team of Radio Silence (Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin) who are responsible for the insanely fun Ready or Not. So how does the new film hold up with these new directors taking a “Stab” at the franchise?
The opening takes us into some familiar territory, as we have Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) as the teen who is home alone and is tormented by a suspicious caller who of course turns out to be the Ghost Face killer. This sequence sets the tone nicely and definitely is wanting to remind viewers of the first film but shows us there are going to be some modern twists along the way. No, I don’t think this scene holds up to the amazing opening of the first film, but it is definitely one of the best starts of the sequels, and the film only continues to impress going forward.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 11th, 2022
This appears to be the time of Resident Evil, it would seem. Fresh on the heels of a live-action reboot to the franchise (Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City) comes the home media release of this CGI miniseries based on the popular Capcom video game. If you want to be technical, the miniseries preceded the reboot, as it was originally released on Netflix back in July of 2021. Set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, the miniseries follows Leon S. Kennedy as he attempts to uncover a conspiracy that reaches all the way up to the White House. Now, in reference to that time period, I should mention that it is the video game continuity, not the film’s, that is an important distinction, as Milla Jovovich was only loosely based on the source material. While the story does take some time to develop, by the final episode, I was fully vested in its outcome.
True to the game’s format, the story is twofold, as it follows two protagonists: Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield. As previously mentioned, Kennedy finds himself entangled in a conspiracy after he is called to the White House to investigate a mysterious hacking incident, which quickly erupts into a targeted zombie attack on the institution. Recruited to investigate it, he is partnered with the enigmatic Shen May and an elite commando, Jason, who is hailed as a war hero following a mission in Penamstan. With hints pointing towards China being responsible for the attack, the team is dispatched for a covert mission. Before leaving, Leon runs into Claire, who attempts to impart a discovery to him but does not get the chance.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 11th, 2022
This film was a new experience for me. As you all know, movies like this afford me the opportunity to share my passion for film with my daughter. However, as I put the movie on, she turns to me and says, “Daddy, you know what’s funny? I’ve already seen this.” I found that to be a confusing statement, as I was operating under the impression that this was a newly released title. However, as it turns out, though it is a new release for home media, the film was actually released on Netflix back in April 2021. At this point, I expected that she would attempt to excuse herself and occupy herself with one of her many new Christmas acquisitions. But no, she didn’t do that. Instead, she sat back and prepared herself to watch it again. That’s when I knew it had to be good, because my daughter doesn’t usually do repeats. Lo and behold, it was far better than good. I dare say that The Mitchells vs. The Machines was the best animated film that I saw all year.
The film follows a family of outcasts (that would be the Mitchells), which is comprised of father, Rick (Danny McBride), who is a bit of a survivalist albeit an accident prone one. Then there is the mother, Linda (Maya Randolph), a first-grade teacher who radiates positivity and acts as the family’s moral compass. Younger brother, Aaron (Mike Rianda) is socially awkward and obsessed with dinosaurs. Which leads us to Katie (Abbi Jacobson), the film’s focal point and the self-proclaimed outcast in this family of outcasts. All her life, she felt as though she didn’t fit in anywhere. Choosing to express herself through art, namely filmmaking, she feels misunderstood, particularly by her father, who never seems to have time for her.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on December 24th, 2021
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. Paramount Presents:
by Ellen Sassani
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on December 24th, 2021
I wanted to believe that it was possible. I really did. I wanted to believe that it was possible to make a quality addition to the iconic franchise despite nearly twenty years having gone by since the third film. But alas, here we are and it clearly wasn’t possible to make a quality addition to the franchise. I should have trusted my instincts. While the The Matrix: Resurrections may provide us with answer regarding the ultimate fate of Neo and Trinity, those answers come at the cost of entertainment. I am a firm believer in letting sleeping dogs lie, and I can honestly say that this franchise would have been better off without this latest installment, which in my opinion adds nothing to it. I’m honestly shocked at the fact of how disappointed I was with the film given that two-thirds of the main cast came back for the film. Trust me, we are also going to discuss the one-third that didn’t and the dishonorable way that they chose to continue the character.
While its been around twenty years for us since we’ve seen Neo or Trinity, the Matrix universe, it’s actually been around 60 years. When we last saw the couple, Trinity had been fatally wounding invading the machine city and Neo had sacrificed himself in order to destroy Smith and all his clones. Neo is last seen being carried away by the machines. So what happen? Apparently, Neo was reintegrated into the Matrix; his memories stripped and transformed into a video game in order to add a grain of truth to the lie that the machines are selling. Despite this, something about his reality still doesn’t sit completely well for him.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 24th, 2021
In 1999 when The Sopranos first premiered on HBO, I don’t think anyone was expecting just how much it would change the television landscape. In its run it made cable TV a main contender for the Emmys, but it also changed the way we see TV, as it took the gangster movie dynamic and stretched it out into a series that ran successfully for 86 episodes. Then there was the way the series came to a close that has had fans and critics talking nearly 15 years after it last aired. It’s the show that raised the bar for what television can be and has been the standard since which only a handful of shows have been able to match in quality. Personally (and I know this is a controversial take), I’m only a fan of the first three seasons, but even a bad episode of The Sopranos is better than most television shows out there. There was talk for a while about spin-off shows and possible movies. This kind of talk would of course get fans excited, but the question always was, where can you go with the story? Then in 2013 when James Gandolfini died, it seemed like any possible revival was squashed.
Whenever I hear about a show or film wanting to do a prequel, I immediately think of what happened with the prequel trilogy with Star Wars. We all got excited; it was Lucas in full control, and he’d be telling us the story of how Vader became the big bad Sith in the galaxy far, far away. How did that work out for us fans? Now, granted, a film talking about how Tony Soprano became the gangster he would evolve to be is a very tempting idea. Then when you see how much his son Michael Gandolfini looks like his dad, man, it seems like a sure thing. Sometimes things should be left alone. Heck, we all expected the spin-off film El Comino following Jesse from Breaking Bad would be good, and how did that turn out? How about that Entourage film? I mean, there are so many examples that should have prepared us for this, but we all just wanted to believe that David Chase could surprise us all and deliver us just one more serving of the crime family we all love. The problem is he teased us all with the promise of one story, and instead he threw in so much more that no one wanted or cared about that he practically pissed all over a sure hit in the process.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on December 23rd, 2021
This is an origin story. That is the best way I can sum this movie up. I will repeat it again, so it is clear. This is an origin story. It was hinted at in the first film (Kingsman) how the Kingman intelligence agency was started; however, while it was excellently explained by Colin Firth, how the agency truly came to be was just sort of glossed over. With The King’s Man we get to experience the tale of the organization’s founder and his motivation for creating the organization. The story is informative and at times entertaining, but I must confess that it was missing the wit that the original film had. I would have to characterize this as a case of the original film being the best. In this instance, it is because of the wit and the manner in which the story flowed. I know what you are thinking, I’m disregarding the second film, and you are right; I am. In the case of Kingsman 2, I found it to be an unjustifiable and unnecessary sequel. Plus, the film pretty much lost me the moment that they came up with convoluted explanation for how Firth’s Harry Hart/Galahad managed to survive a bullet to the head at point-blank range. No offense intended to Mr. Firth, as I loved him as that character, but that was just bad storytelling. Then there is what they did with Mark Strong’s Merlin, but I’m getting off track.
In The King’s Man, we meet the man who started it all, played by Ralph Fiennes. Fiennes is an established English actor of the highest order; you need only look at his resume to see that. I mean, he’s been a part of several franchises to include Harry Potter and more recently the Daniel Craig-led James Bond films. Now he has a chance to be part of another franchise. Unfortunately, I don’t imagine there will be much potential in a continuation of his character. Not through any fault of Fiennes, but merely because this film was clearly intended as a prequel and additionally, the story wasn’t strong enough to warrant a return in my opinion. To its credit, the film accomplishes the goal it set out to accomplish: it establishes the agency’s origins. Outside of that, I just don’t see a reason for a continuation. To my mind, this actually argues for a conclusion of the franchise. I just can’t imagine a scenario where this series needs to continue.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 23rd, 2021
"80 billion light years of hive knowledge across universes would explode your tiny little brain."
Sony released two films from their corner of the Marvel universe in 2021. On October 1st we got Venom: Let There Be Carnage. October was a good spot for the film that taps into the horror film vein as much as it does the comic book superhero world. The first film did pretty well, and Sony really wants to expand their little corner of Marvel. The film did quite well in this post-COVID reality and pulled in $500 million in 11 weeks. That was impressive, to be sure. Spider-Man No Way Home was the other Sony/Marvel film. It had the unfortunate timing of releasing just as the Omicron variant of the virus hit, and as some states are going back to various restrictions there was some question if audiences would venture out into the cinemas in enough numbers to give the film any kind of return at all. After all, we've seen big-budget films fall to the wayside enough to understand this is risky business. That question has been answered. Yes, Let There Be Carnage pulled in a great haul in these uncertain times, but Spider-Man just pulled in more in three days than Carnage pulled in over 11 weeks. People are coming back to the cinemas, and is it any wonder at all that Sony is trying to position themselves to cash in on that trend with more than their cooperative films featuring everyone's Friendly Neighborhood webslinger? As far as live-action films go, the Venom series appears their best chance to do just that.
On The Web
Sponsors
