Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 28th, 2006
There was a time when no major groundbreaking events were captured on film. The thing is, it's sometimes hard to know when something of historical significance is going to occur. Major events such as World War II and the fall of the Berlin wall were planned in advance (so to speak), so it was easy to set-up a camera and capture the event. Spontaneous events, however, were mostly passed over. As technology has progressed, however, it has become easier to capture important and notable moments on the fly. September 11, ...001 has taught us that fact in graphic and horrible detail.
That's part of what makes this disc so very unique. At the time, who would know how popular Otis Redding would become, or that he would die an untimely death in the weeks following his performance? What's more, who could have predicted the unbelievable phenomenon that was Jimi Hendrix? Obviously these men were talented musicians, but the kind of lasting fame they eventually garnered, especially Hendrix, could never have been predicted.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 28th, 2006
I never saw the appeal of Charlie's Angels, but in all truthfulness, I never gave it a shot. While I still can't include myself in the loyal throng of followers, I now respect the kind of show it actually was. The series centers on the unseen Charlie, and his three beautiful lady detectives, who can hold their own both physically and mentally. There is a serious danger with a series such as this to cross over into exploitation, or extreme campiness. From what can be seen in this complete third season DVD relea...e, the series mostly stays on the tasteful side of the line. With titles such as "Pom Pom Angels" and "Angels in the Stretch," the uninitiated may be rolling their eyes at what awaits. However, the series can sometimes surprise you, even if you would rather skip past it in the channel surfing shuffle. Of course, there are some throwaways included... most notably, the season finale, which is that most hated of all episodes, the dreaded "clip show." It's especially unwanted in this DVD package, which gives you all the moments from season three you could ever want, without resorting to the cheapness of a highlight reel. But alas, here it is, taking up valuable disc space.
But to make up for this inclusion, you get my pick for best episode in the set: "Rosemary, For Remembrance." It's a sentimental mystery that recalls the rough-and-tumble days of Prohibition, as an ex-mobster gets out of prison and becomes the target of an unseen killer. In the process, he meets Kris (Cheryl Ladd), who reminds him of his beloved wife, who died on a night so long ago, and has haunted his dreams ever since. Did the mobster kill his wife? Is it guilt? Or did he truly love her? And is someone else responsible? It's a situation the writers have a lot of fun with, and you will, too. And as for Cheryl Ladd, she does a fine job of filling Farrah Fawcett's shoes; in fact, I found her more attractive, a better actress, and possessing of a "girl next door" sensibility that Fawcett never came close to capturing in her run on the show. Still, if you prefer Farrah to Ladd, you won't be disappointed by this set either, as she makes frequent guest spots, along with familiar faces such as Dean Martin, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Scatman Crothers. Twenty four episodes - over 1000 minutes - of Charlie's Angels action is included.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 28th, 2006
I’m a lucky guy. I was able to witness the game of baseball before we all became so jaded. While I wasn’t born early enough to have enjoyed Mantle, The Babe, or Joltin’ Joe, I was fortunate enough to watch the likes of Mike Schmidt. Mike stayed 18 years with one team. He never held out and was always responsible in his public persona. Oh, and he ended up being considered the best 3rd baseman of all time in nearly every millennium poll conducted. It is this experience growing up with Schmitty and his like that make these stories feel much closer to home than younger kids are likely to feel. Now we live in the days of juiced hitters, felony convictions, contract holdouts, and almost no player continuity with any team. These films bring hope. After the Black Sox scandal that nearly ruined America’s Pastime, it took players like these to return the game to the glory and most of all the honor from which it had fallen so far. These films make me long for the next generation of greatness. I can tell you they aren’t playing on any field today, but I grew up rooting for the Phillies. In the 1970’s there was a team blitz of the slogan “I believe”. If I learned anything at all it was how to hold on to hope. “Maybe next year.”
First up to the plate is Mickey Mantle. “Mantle: The Definitive Story Of Mickey Mantle” is no fluff piece. The story is candid and at times even harsh on the man. Mantle’s success is so much more amazing when you consider the number and severity of the injuries he suffered in his career. I believe his most impressive stat to be hitting over .300 for ten years. Few players today can string two years together now. A long parade of celebrities both in and out of sports give their insights into “The Mick”. These testimonials are a stunning example of the number of people’s lives he touched. Mantle was considered quite the party animal, but believe me when I say he couldn’t hold a candle to the kids of today in that department. Still, his actions on the field haven’t been approached by more than a few players since his time. He was certainly one of the most vulnerable of these Yankee legends. His career took quite a shaky start as unrealistic expectations dogged him from his first day with the team. The Yankee fans reacted quite harshly to his less than stellar beginnings, earning Mantle a crushing demotion to the minors where he considered quitting baseball. Lucky for the game he didn’t quit. Instead he found the heart to rise above his early setbacks and become truly one of the greats. His retirement years were plagued by alcoholism and finally a failed liver. Suspicions arose when Mantle appeared to be unfairly ushered to the top of the transplant list, a charge other celebrities like David Crosby have had to contend with. Whatever the truth, Mantle used his final days to champion organ donation and to speak out on alcohol abuse. Even in death, he set an example to follow and a challenge to all he left behind.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 27th, 2006
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is, it seems, the poor cousin to the likes of the FBI and the Secret Service. It doesn't have all the toys of these other organizations, and appears to have a staff of four (five by the end of the first episode). Mark Harmon heads up the investigative team that delves into mysteries that invariably have a military tone (and thus the stories frequently deal with terrorism and the like).
This is a series that wears its pop-culture influences on its sleeve. Too much so. Everyone watching this will compare it to CSI, and so, naturally, we get a jokey reference to that acronym. But the bigger problem is that though the shows wants to appear as it is Ripped From Today's Headlines, it is instead Ripped Off From Works Ripped From Today's Headlines. Thus, in the pilot episode, we are expected to believe not only in an al-Qaida that is presented in such an insultingly simplistic and fairy-tale that its leader is less Osama bin Laden, more Professor Moriarty, but an al-Qaida that shapes its plans by basing them on Harrison Ford movies. Pretty cheesy stuff, then, though entertaining enough.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 27th, 2006
Synopsis
Private Kang (Jan Dong-kun) is a coast guard – i.e. a soldier tasked with watching the South Korean coast for spies from North Korea. He is obsessed with shooting one, even though it is extremely unlikely that he will encounter any. One night, he sees movement and opens fire, killing not a spy, but a teenager having a tryst with his girlfriend. The boy isn’t just shot – he’s riddled with bullets and then blown to pieces with a grenade. No surprise, then, that the girl is traumatized to the p...int of insanity. When Kang realizes what he has done, his mental state disintegrates rapidly as well.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 27th, 2006
So now we come to the fourth year of NYPD Blue. In the show’s ever-changing look this year was no exception. Most notable is the fact that a new camera operation crew toned down the jumpy camera moves a bit. Style was not sacrificed, but the series is now easier to watch. Smits and Franz are really starting to click now, and we begin to see the special relationship we know will evolve between their characters. This buildup is absolutely necessary for the coming payoff with Simone’s death in later years. Again, several characters came and went, most notably a couple of female detectives. I’ve heard the show described as testosterone heavy, but I can’t believe that could be said of year four.
Greg Metavoy gets a lot more to do starting this year, and I think you’ll find the results entertaining. This is the only character other than Sipowitz to survive the show’s entire run. He’s placed in some awkward moments in year 4. The Simone and Russell romance heats up, and while I tend to think these things cheapen a series, I found this one to be tolerable. It was also quite necessary for the eventual payoff mentioned earlier. As always, NYPD Blue is about Andy, and you won’t be disappointed. The character continues his wonderful growth in this season, mostly aided by the influence of Simone. There’s plenty for every Blue fan out there in this set.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 27th, 2006
Coach is one of those shows that never seemed to make a lot of noise. I can’t remember any year it was on that it burned up the ratings or scored many awards. Still, it was the little show that could. It ran for nine seasons, always holding on to a loyal core audience. I’m sure most of the success belongs to the underrated talents of Craig T. Nelson. I’ll admit that this guy just never showed up on my talent radar until his unexpected turn at drama during The District. It was then I learned to appreciate his self-effacing subtle abilities. Now I watch Coach with a somewhat renewed interest. Dick Van Dyke’s lesser known brother in comedy, Jerry is also a huge reason for the show’s stamina, if not outright success. The bumbling Luther was my favorite part of the show. The first season of Coach is a short one. I also appreciate the way it begins. It assumes you already know these guys and doesn’t feel the need to explain why everyone is here. The Coach is already in his position with his staff that we’ll soon get to know better. It’s a quirky show, and not at all one of my favorites, but certainly worth a second look on DVD.
Video
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 26th, 2006
Let’s face it. Movies released in January usually aren’t very good. Yes, some of these movies are Oscar hopefuls that are released nation-wide, but only after being released in selected cities to quality for those Oscars. No, we’re talking about stinking piles of crap like Uwe Boll’s Bloodrayne here. Being that January is Hollywood’s cinematic dumping ground, it comes as no surprise that Tristan & Isolde was released during this very same month in 2006.
Delayed for nearly a year, Tristan & ...solde follows a slew of disappointing historical epics, so common sense would tell you that the studio heads looked at this film and dubbed it a risk, with no bankable stars attached. What the studio heads seemed to forget (or miss, because let’s face it -- they’re more concerned with target audiences and opening weekends than quality) Tristan & Isolde is not half bad. In fact, it’s rather good.
Posted in: Highly Defined, News and Opinions by Archive Authors on June 26th, 2006
The world of High-Definition is upon us, whether or not the public is ready or aware of it. High-Definition is available in almost every media format now from Televisions to Video Game Consoles and now actual movies. But the true question that lies ahead for the public is, which format do we support? Which format will eventually become BetaMax 2.0? In this new weekly column exclusive to UpcomingDiscs, we’re going to take a further look into every High-Definition as if we were fans cheering from the sideline of a foot...all game.
In the middle of April of this year, Toshiba released the HD-A1 or HD-XA1 players for a retail of either $499.99 or $799.99. Companies like Universal Home Studios, and Warner Brothers swarmed retail outlets with new movies in this new format. Titles like The Last Samurai, Doom, The Fugitive, The Perfect Storm, The Rundown, and Million Dollar Baby can be found at many retailers across the country. Now let’s find out what HD-DVD exactly is all about.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 26th, 2006
Let’s face it. Movies released in January usually aren’t very good. Yes, some of these movies are Oscar hopefuls that are released nation-wide, but only after being released in selected cities to quality for those Oscars. No, we’re talking about stinking piles of crap like Uwe Boll’s Bloodrayne here. Being that January is Hollywood’s cinematic dumping ground, it comes as no surprise that Tristan & Isolde was released during this very same month in 2006.
Delayed for nearly a year, Tristan & ...solde follows a slew of disappointing historical epics, so common sense would tell you that the studio heads looked at this film and dubbed it a risk, with no bankable stars attached. What the studio heads seemed to forget (or miss, because let’s face it -- they’re more concerned with target audiences and opening weekends than quality) Tristan & Isolde is not half bad. In fact, it’s rather good.
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