Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on October 1st, 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.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 30th, 2021
"I must admit I didn't think much of Andy first time I laid eyes on him; looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over. That was my first impression of the man."
Our first, middle, and last impression of writer Stephen King has always been one thing. He's considered the King of the Modern Horror Novel. Pretty much everything he has ever written has found its way to the small or large screen and often with various versions over the years. The problem is that King is such a visceral writer, and his novels tend to be so long that it's very difficult and damn near impossible to translate a good King story for television or the box office. No matter how hard some of the best filmmakers have tried, an alarming number of King's written masterpieces have fallen flat at the box office.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 24th, 2021
" Okay, listen up! I want 50 of the best men! I want guns! I want wheels, freaking X-wing fighters -- I don't care! The Millennium Falcon, Chewbacca if you can get ahold of him. Money's no object. Go."
The year 2020 and nearly half of 2021 make up a time in our lives we'd all like to try to forget. And while the remnants of a pandemic that is not quite over still intrude on our realities, many aspects of our lives are starting to return. We're spending time with our family and friends again. Those simple parts of our lives we once took for granted are starting to return, and I suspect we're all apt to savor them just a little bit more from now on.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 24th, 2021
"Our baby's going to college."
Warner Brothers is very familiar with superheroes. That goes double for the character of Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons, on The Big Bang Theory. A common thread in the superhero business, of course, is the origin story. With the popularity of The Big Bang Theory, and the Sheldon character particularly, it isn't all that surprising that we would eventually be treated to Sheldon's origin story. But instead of flashbacks on the series, the decision was made that Sheldon's childhood was territory that could be mined for years. Thus was born Young Sheldon. And it's now lasted for years and counting. For fans of the original show and character, it couldn't have come at a better time. Parsons had just turned down an offer of $50 million for two more years of Big Bang. I can't imagine how it must feel to be able to turn down that kind of money.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on September 21st, 2021
Michelle Danner has been one of Hollywood's most renowned acting teacher/coaches. She's worked with the likes of Michael Pena, Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, James Franco and Henry Cavill. She's also put together a growing list of films from the director's seat. I recently was invited to watch both The Runner and Bad Impulse. Then I had the chance to chat with Michelle Danner about her films and career. She has a rather unique perspective on the actor/director relationship and she shared these insights with me. Now you can eavesdrop on our conversation. Just bang it here to listen to my interview with Michelle Danner
You can check out Bad Impulse at some of these locations:
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on September 19th, 2021
"That was a long time ago, wasn't it?"
Everyone has one. There is that shirt in your closet. Or maybe it's a pair of pants, socks, or even shoes. Whatever it is, it should have been thrown out decades ago. There could be holes, and it's certainly so threadbare that you could do the New York Times crossword through the fabric. It's not practical, if it ever even was. If it were any other piece of clothing you'd be embarrassed to be wearing it. But the dang thing is so comfortable. It's soft against your skin, or maybe it brings back one of your favorite memories. Whatever the reason, you love that thing, and you wish you could wear it all the time. That's exactly how some of us feel about Clint Eastwood. I was a teen in high school when he asked us if we felt lucky and begged us to make his day. A lot of years and a lot of movies have come and gone since then. Clint doesn't have the abilities to run around shooting up the joint anymore.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 18th, 2021
When Justice League hit the box office in 2017 it was met by relatively good box office numbers but not warmly received overall. It was a troubled shoot. During production Zack Snyder had to leave the director's chair when his daughter Autumn passed away. When you consider how hard the folks at DC have been chasing the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was no surprise that they brought in Joss Whedon to pick up the pieces and finish the film. Whedon, of course, directed the first Avengers film for Marvel, which turned into the perfect example of how to bring a diverse group of heroes together for a film. Whedon was also the king of the ensemble cast from his early days on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and later Firefly. The first problem was that Whedon and Snyder have very polar opposite styles. Snyder rules with tons of angst, darkness and brooding characters.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on September 17th, 2021
For a movie with a main character who has professed such a love for the man upstairs, this may very well be the most blasphemous movie I’ve ever seen. I mean, talk about being led astray. That said, Habit is not without its entertainment, as long as you are able to not take what you are observing too seriously. I don’t imagine that the film is going to sit well with the devout, but those able to see this film just as it was intended (as a film) may find something to enjoy. Bella Thorne leads a cast that includes Gavin Rossdale, Paris Jackson, and even the co-writer of the film, Libby Mintz has a starring role. As a bit of a disclaimer, I should mentioned that the film is very sexually charged, though I wouldn’t call it explicit. The film relies more on the innuendo of sex and other depravities more than anything else. However, even then I wouldn’t recommend it for family movie night.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 16th, 2021
"Space...The Final Frontier. These are the continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before!"
From the moment of the first UHD releases, I have had a wish list of films I wanted to see in 4K. Most of them have finally reached my home theater video shelf, but there remain a few elusive titles that I am still waiting for. Paramount is doing a great job, but two of my most wished for UHD franchises happen to be The Godfather films and the original Star Trek films. I'm still waiting for The Godfather, but the Star Trek wait is somewhat over. I say somewhat because this new release from Paramount contains those first four films. Star Trek: The Motion Picture is eventually going to be released with upgraded f/x and a few other upgrades. But the original version of the film is included with the trilogy of The Wrath Of Kahn, The Search For Spock, and The Voyage Home.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 16th, 2021
"Put your game face on."
When you have the highest-rated drama on television, there is a temptation to milk it for all that you can. We've seen it happen with both the Law & Order and CSI franchises. The results tend to be mixed, with some capturing and even exceeding the popularity of the original. Others never quite seem to connect and are gone while their mother ship is still on the air. NCIS: New Orleans became the first to fall after seven seasons. Dwayne Pride (Bakula) is a native of New Orleans. His family has history here. His father (Keach) is in prison for various fraud activities. His daughter Laurel (Caswell) is in college studying music, a passion she and her father share, although this season we discover she's not quite so passionate as her father. He's now divorced and starting to settle in for himself. He goes way back in his defense of the city and considers protecting it as his own private responsibility.
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