Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 5th, 2021
If you were a child in the 1960's or 1970's, you were around at the golden age of the Christmas television special. We just celebrated the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas, and there were a ton of holiday charms that came and went each year. But there were a handful that became classics and found their way to the airwaves every year in December. Of course, A Charlie Brown Christmas became one of these, and it is indeed among the best. It was not the only special to become beloved by generations of viewers. Now Dreamworks has brought together seven of the most memorable of these classics. This was a wonderful trip down memory lane for me, as it will be for millions of children of all ages who looked forward to these event broadcasts each and every year. Now you can watch them whenever you want. And they might not be just for Christmas anymore.
Now these beloved classics are together again in a Steelbook release.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 1st, 2021
Superman: The Animated Series was partly made in the same fashion as the massively popular Batman: The Animated Series. The tone was a little more serious, and the stakes were raised in order to create a sense that Superman might just have met his match. It was first produced in 1996 and made 54 episodes through the year 2000. The show received high praise for raising the bar but at the same time keeping what was important to the mythos of Superman. In fact, it even received a nomination for an Emmy. Besides Smallville, this probably stands out as the best television adaption of the one known as Superman, the Last Son of Krypton and hero to the planet Earth (and beyond).
(Summaries taken from previous DVD review; the rest applies to the new Blu-ray version)
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on October 30th, 2021
"Can anyone give me an example of a myth or a story They're afraid of?"
Look at every element of Searchlight's new horror film Antlers and you see nothing but the promise of an extraordinary horror film. Guillermo del Toro is one of the producers and he's got a reputation for building some of the best horror atmosphere you'll ever see. He's one of those visual geniuses that has been inspired by the black & white classics of the genre and his imagination is truly amazing. The film is based on Nick Antosca's short story The Quiet Boy which itself has some pretty incredible imagery. The film also sports a pretty sweet cast starting with Keri Russell known for the Cold War series The Americans. There's Jesse Plemons who blew me away on Friday Night Lights and hasn't disappointed yet. Young Jeremy T. Thomas has a pretty good career if his performance here is any indication of what he can do. The kid does one of the best deadpans I've seen since Christina Ricci's wonderful Wednesday Addams. The British Columbia locations are truly stunning. This looks like a truly great film. And it's certainly not a bad film. But it's far from great. It's an okay film and often that would be fine with me. I enjoy an average horror film as much as the next guy. The trouble is this should have been great and that's a huge disappointment.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 29th, 2021
It doesn’t seem all that long ago that Disney/ Marvel decided to fire James Gunn over a couple of tweets and Warner Brothers decided to scoop up the talented director to helm a reboot of The Suicide Squad. Personally, I feel this was the best move WB has done with their DC film projects since the Christopher Nolan Batman films. I’ll come out and say it; I haven’t been a fan of the DC cinematic universe. Wonder Woman and Shazam were decent, but they simply don’t hold up to what Marvel has been able to produce. While I’m fine with attempting to tell more mature storylines and appeal to an older audience, my biggest problem with the DC films is that they just weren’t fun. (Shazam is perhaps the only exception to this.) I’m not part of the “Release the Snyder cut” crowd; instead I just want to see a comic book film that can be entertaining and not take itself too seriously, and that brings me back to James Gunn. I’m a fan of Gunn. I absolutely adore what he’s done with The Guardians of the Galaxy. Those are both in my top five of the Marvel films, because I love how he handles the group of misfit heroes. I even like Gunn’s earlier work, like Super and especially Slither; his cinematic story of coming out of Troma I view as one of the best underdog stories in Hollywood and how he’s become an A-list director. The moment he signed on for The Suicide Squad, I was excited; in my mind I felt this was what WB/DC and movie fans in general needed. Giving Gunn the freedom to make the film he wanted to make could seem like a risk, but I think Gunn had something to prove after being released by Disney, and the result is cinematic bliss that is the injection of gory comic book mayhem that fans have been waiting for.
While this take on The Suicide Squad does have characters and actors returning in the same roles from the previous attempt at Suicide Squad by director David Ayer, do yourself a favor and just pretend that film doesn’t exist. Heck, I even reviewed the film just about five years ago to the day, and while the film does have some fun moments, it just doesn’t hold up after further viewings, though I’d still love to see a Joker and Harley Quinn date night movie, but that’s a whole other discussion.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 29th, 2021
I really liked the film, but I don’t expect that it will be the savior that revitalizes the franchise. Without question it is the best of the three films that were adapted from the popular toy line, but even so I just didn’t find it compelling enough to serve as the launch point for a franchise reboot. I just don’t think it’s in the cards for G.I. Joe to become a movie powerhouse. Snake Eyes is without question one of the most popular characters from the television incarnation, and he was also the biggest draw for the film adaptation as well. Anticipation for a live-action telling of his origins has been in the works for years, with many hoping to see Ray Park, who played the character in the first two films (though we never see his face), reprise the role. However, much time passed between G.I. Joe Retaliation and this film, making that an impossibility. Stepping in to take over the role is Henry Golding, who you most likely recognize from Crazy Rich Asians, but who I recognize from The Gentlemen. The film is his first foray into the action film world, which was quite a risk for the film, but good thing for them, they got him some backup in the form of Andrew Koji, who we all should recognize from Cinemax’s (now to be reborn on HBO Max) Warrior.
When I heard about Henry Golding’s casting, I had some reservation. In my opinion, he had the look unquestionably, but discovering his lack of a fighting or action resume prior to this outing made me somewhat skeptical of his ability to give a convincing performance. However, after watching him, I give his performance a B plus; he was convincing, but there was room for improvement. Ironically, it wasn’t his fighting where the improvement was needed, as I found his skill on par with what you would expect. As previously stated, he is also surrounded by actors whose fighting resumes speak for themselves. Take Andrew Koji. Firstly, if you haven’t watched this man technical skill in the first two seasons of Warrior, you have no idea what you are missing, and I recommend that you correct this error immediately. Koji brings that same technical skill to this film, making his fight sequences without question my favorite, particularly in the fish market, where he takes on essentially an entire army all by himself, and is more than convincing doing so, especially when he gets his hands on two swords.
Posted in: Super Round-Up by Jeremy Butler on October 29th, 2021
Here at Upcomingdiscs we have worked to bring you a large variety of reviews. Of course, we cover the big blockbuster films that hit the box office and get us out to the multiplexes. We're known for our television series coverage and have brought you the best in both television and streaming material. We also like to think that we introduce the world to some of the films out there that don't have big budgets or advertising campaigns. Tucked within these smaller releases you can find diamonds in the rough that showcase the kind of talent and storytelling you might get from a big studio but from artists who have visions that might not attract that kind of attention. The true fan of film is always on the lookout for these kinds of films, and this monthly roundup is our way of bringing some of what we find to your attention. So do a little mining here, and you might just find a diamond of your own..
Rating: 3
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 28th, 2021
"Look. See a world that holds more wonders than any since the Earth was born. And of all who reigned o'er, none had more renown like the boy who pulled the sword from the stone. But this is not that king, nor is this his song. Let me tell you instead a new tale. I'll lay it down as I've heard it told. Its letters set, its history pressed, of an adventure brave and bold. Forever set in heart, in stone like all great myths of old ..."
Mythology is filled with stories of knights. The Black Knights of villainy can be found in thousands of stories, perhaps far more. What young girl doesn't dream of her White Knight coming to rescue her from a mundane life? And there are countless stories of King Arthur and his entourage of famous names like Guinevere, Galahad, and Merlin the wizard. But you won't find too many stories of a Green Knight. Nor has there been much set to paper on Sir Gawain, one of Arthur's lesser known family members. Turns out the young lad was his nephew of Gwen's side of the family. So it's no surprise that I had never heard of either character even though I spent a considerable time in my youth devouring Arthur legends and myths. So I considered myself somewhat learned on the subject, enough to complain constantly when films depict the sword in the stone as Excalibur. It wasn't. The iconic sword was given to Arthur much later by The Lady Of The Lake. But I digress. As the above quote informs us, this is not THAT story. This one comes mostly from an anonymous poem called Sir Gawain And The Green Knight as retold here by writer/director David Lowery.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 28th, 2021
“How many people? Husbands, wives, and children, will you kill for peace, Clark?”
Needless to say, when Superman goes bad, it’s a bloodbath. And not just civilians, but heroes as well, as the Justice League is divided, and several are killed in what becomes a civil war between Superman and Batman. When the Joker tricks him into murdering the love of his life, Superman breaks his most solemn vow in pursuit of what he believes to be justice, and this act sends shockwaves throughout the world. Batman, Superman’s most trusted ally, finds himself in the impossible position of having to stand oppose the hero, as Superman proceeds to impose his will on mankind in order to keep them safe. All in the name of justice, or is it Injustice? This 43rd installment in the DC Animated Universe is based on the popular video the popular 2013 video game of the same name, which takes place in a separate continuity from the main DC Universe. Justin Hartley takes quite a step up in his return to the world of DC movies, going from portraying Green Arrow in television series Smallville to voicing Superman for this animated film. He is in good company, as he is joined by Anson Mount, voicing Batman, as well as Edwin Hodge, Oliver Hudson, Gillian Jacobs, and Anika Noni Rose.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 28th, 2021
"My most vivid memories are of the days when my life changed. I remember coming to this Earth, feeling the sun on my face for the first time. Hearing the voices of my parents. My mother called me their greatest surprise. And boy, there sure were lots of them. I remember loving Smallville; the people, the community, how the small things were the big things. And I thought I'd live there forever. But my father's death set me on a different path. Eventually, I moved to Metropolis to become who I was meant to be. But my most vivid memory of all was the day I met her."
The her, of course is Lois Lane. Together they are Superman & Lois, and they've joined the ever-expanding Arrowverse for their first season now out on Blu-ray from Warner Home Entertainment. While this is their first season, the characters and these actors portraying them are not new to the Arrowverse. Tyler Hoechlin as Superman and Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane have been here for a few years. Both have shown up on Supergirl, and both appeared in a couple of the crossover events that have pulled together the various Arrowverse shows in the past. Now the focus is on them. They have their own show, and it's quite a different approach to the characters and their story.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 28th, 2021
No, this isn’t a remake of the 1994 Ice-T Surviving the Game. Unfortunately, this is yet another low-budget action film starring Bruce Willis that has this reviewer wondering if we’ll ever get a great film out of Willis ever again. For the past few years it seems Bruce Willis has given up doing A-list films and has instead gone the route of straight-to-disc releases, and the films have ranged from tolerable to garbage. This is frustrating, because I think we can all agree he’s better than this, but he seems to be fine cashing the paychecks and going onto set and looking miserable from one scene to the next. I miss seeing Bruce Willis being the average-Joe badass. The Last Boy Scout? Heck, at this point I’d rather see him in a Hudson Hawk revival, but alas, this seems to be what we’re stuck with.
The plot is relatively simple. David (Willis) gets injured and is taken hostage after a drug bust goes wrong. Cal (Swen Temmel) follows members from the failed drug bust to a farm, and their confrontation draws the attention of the property owner, Eric (Chad Michael Murray), an soldier who’s been awarded the Purple Heart but is grieving the recent loss of his wife and child. The setup isn’t all that bad, but it’s the initial drug dealers we see Cal having to confront that are just a taste of the cringe-worthy performances and dialog that’s to follow. This could have worked if the two criminals were just a pair of dumb, love-struck criminals. They’d still be annoying, but it’s at least believable that all they were good at is knocking over gas stations and stealing cars, but instead they are connected to a major drug cartel that David and Cal have been pursuing for years. Where this takes a turn for the worse is when more of the gang arrive, and they are comprised of a ragtag group of idiots who belong on an episode of The World’s Dumbest Criminals. Trying to take control of this crew is Frank (Michael Sirow), who seems to be the only professional who has any brains and menace, but in contrast to the rest of the crew, it just makes everything all the more absurd.
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