Category: !Reviews
Gloria (1980) (Blu-Ray) Review
Some of my fondest memories growing up were those of my Polish grandmother and visiting her in New York for a week or two during the summer. It was so different than when I was with my parents in North Carolina. From the living arrangements to actually having a real basement to the subway itself, it was almost surreal in a very urban type way. Then everyone seemingly moved to Texas including our family and all of the innocence was lost. Today’s movie is Gloria, a movie set in New York where a 6 year old Puerto Rican kid looses his innocence as his family is gunned down by the mob. The only thing he has to cling to is a friend of the family named Gloria who has a few special skills of her own. Let’s check it out.
The original version of this review can be found at:
Garbage Island by Fred Koehler (Book) Review
Full disclaimer, I do read kids’ books from time to time. Yes, I can read novels with fancy words no problems but especially since my son was born, I find myself diving back into books primarily of the middle school (8-12) age. I try to be a good parent and before I hand over to him a book (especially one that’s longer than a full description of Batman and his lineup of famous villains), I want to know what’s in it. But it’s way more than appropriate content, I want him to appreciate writing by finding great adventure. Today’s review, Garbage Island by Fred Koehler is one of those such books.
The original copy of this review can be found at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5726095841
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Police Story 3: Supercop 4k (88 Films) – Disc Review
The last couple of reviews I did strict summaries and commentaries. Even though I was viewing the Criterion Collection when it came to these Police Story films, I knew it wasn’t the definitive edition (Eureka 4k Trilogy) so there was literally nothing to be gained by “Disc Reviewing” those versions. Also, almost everyone who has an interest in the Police Story films has at least seen the first couple of films. Police Story III: Supercop is a different bird though. For one, I had the 88 Films 4k copy which came out this year and two, despite it’s popularity, this film is still not known by many people. Unlike the first two, I remember parts and pieces of the film. Furthermore, I’m about 95% certain, I watched only the US version and not the original Hong Kong version. So much like the reading audience, this is probably an almost brand new experience. Let’s dive in and give this one a whirl.
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Film Review
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse opened on December 12th, 2018. At the time, there were a bunch of popular films that crowded the landscape including The Grinch (Illumination), Ralph Breaks the Internet and Creed II. At that point, I don’t think anyone really expected an off-shoot Spider-Man animated movie to make the buzz that it did. But it succeeded and then some. It went on to make ~$385 million at the global box office and eventually a sequel came out five years later. However, not all sequels impress and this one boasted a near two hours and almost twenty minutes of run time. Is it any good? In short, it’s freaking amazing. Let’s take a look.
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Let Love Rule by Lenny Kravitz with David Ritz (Book) Review
I remember first seeing this book on the shelves over at Target back in the fall of 2020. I kept thinking to myself I should buy that immediately. After all, Lenny is one of my favorite artists and I’ve always been interested in how he creates his music. Days turned into months, and it wasn’t until actually over two years later, I saw the book again. It was a bit lower in price (let’s face it, it’s hard to stomach thirty dollars for a hardcover) and I decided to take a chance to read about the life and times of one Lenny Kravitz. Let’s take a look.
The original copy of this review (minus this introduction) can be found at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5563606238
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The King of Laughter (DVD) Review
I think all of us want to be on stage at least in theory. For me, it started with some plays in high school. But from there, those aspirations were cut short due to my father telling me that I needed a real job (which was his favorite thing to tell me in high school and college). I don’t think the decade I spent in karaoke bars (and actually singing) really counts for anything either. So I’ve always been fascinated with theater, particularly when it comes to comedy. When I saw The King of Laughter as a possible review title, I took a peak at the trailer and decided to give it a shot. After all, what’s not to like about a story featuring the famous actor/playwright Eduardo Scarpetta in a battle with the courts over the concept of parody? Let’s take a look.
The original copy of this review can be found at: https://upcomingdiscs.com/2023/05/24/the-king-of-laughter/
Everything But the Girl – Fuse CD+Blu-Ray Audio Review
Rating – 3 1/2 stars out of 5
Everything But the Girl gained an incredible amount of fame with their song “Missing” in 1994 on their Amplified Heart album. Much like their earlier music, it was an acoustic driven set and not until the Todd Terry club mix changed everything did anyone really take notice of the band except for the diehards. Their last album, Temperamental met with some success in the dance market and was released in 1999. Fast forward 24 years and the band has made a comeback with the 2023 record, Fuse. Let’s take a listen and see what we think.
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Hinterland (DVD) Review
One of my favorite movies of all time is Se7en. Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, and Kevin Spacey star in this amazing film about a senior and rookie pair of cops on the hunt for a serial killer who is murdering victims depicting the seven deadly sins. It’s so breathtaking and so long overdue for a 4k release, it’s ridiculous. It has also led me to when I receive packages to blurt out, “What’s in the box?” in the deadpan tone that Brad Pitt uses in the movie. So naturally, whenever I hear of a film that draws comparisons to this fine film, my head certainly does a double take. Enter Hinterland. In this film, Peter Perg who just came home after World War I is searching for a serial killer who is taking out former soldiers in a very ritualistic pattern. Let’s check it out.
The original copy of this review can be found at: https://upcomingdiscs.com/2023/05/10/hinterland/
Chess Story (DVD) Review
Films about World War II and Nazism are hard for me to watch. No matter how well-intentioned they maybe, I can barely make it through Schindler’s List or Dunkirk or even something like Inglorious Bastards(I do however find The Producers to be hilarious). Most of the time, it hits a little too close to home. For you see, my Polish grandfather (may he rest in peace), his parents were taken away to a concentration camp. So anytime I watch a film set in that time period, I think, well what if he had been taken away. It’s not like those horrible people showed any sort of restraint on children and then where would my grandfather be? Or my mother? Or myself? Anyway, I got lured into Chess Story by the promise of a thriller with the game of Chess as the backdrop. Unfortunately, by the end I was reminded of the horror, but also that there is still great modern moviemaking even with Nazis. Let’s take a look.
The original copy of this review can be found at: https://upcomingdiscs.com/2023/05/08/chess-story/
Justice League X RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsman Part One (4k UHD) Review
Most people who know me know that I adore Scooby Doo. Some of my favorite episodes of Scooby Doo are those where they have famous guest-stars solving mysteries. Addams Family, Harlem Globetrotters, Batman, etc. Classic Scooby goodness with characters that I enjoy and always wondered how they would work in another universe. Today, I have the benefit of seeing how Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other Justice League members will look and react in the RWBY world of Remnant. Let’s take a look.
The original copy of this review can be found at
https://upcomingdiscs.com/2023/05/01/justice-league-x-rwby-super-heroes-huntsman-part-one-4k-uhd-review/
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