Fri
25
Oct

Charlie's Angels Go Full Throttle Back to Blu-ray Before Taking Flight in Theaters

Charlies Angels Full Throttle Blu-ray

With CHARLIE'S ANGELS preparing for yet another attempt at theatrical acclaim, it seems almost counter-productive to release CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE on Blu-ray to remind viewers of just how well things went in the past for this franchise's attempts to make it on the big screen.

Let's face it. FULL THROTTLE was purely for self-referential nostalgia, in-jokes, and gratuitous giggle-and-jiggle. The plot was thinner than Twiggy, with the Angels having to track down two metal rings that, together, decrypted into the full list of Federal Witness Protection participants. The full list. Think about that. Yes, it could fit on two rings easily enough with micro engraving and compression coding. But... every time someone new has to enter the program, you have to have both rings brought in and re-engraved. Seems to be a rather clunky way to handle security, unless you need a Macguffin to drive a plot.

Thu
24
Oct

Pep Talk: Riverdale Episode 403, "Dog Day Afternoon"

Riverdale 403, Dog Day Afternoon

Things take a turn for the seriously weird in this episode of RIVERDALE. But there are enough mundane troubles to maintain a balance of sorts. For instance, there's the issue of Archie (KJ APA) wanting to turn the boxing gym into a community center. A crime-ridden town like Riverdale desperately needs something like that to keep any Artful Dodger from conscripting urchins into a becoming a gang of thieves. (This actually happens in the show -- and the guy's name is actually Dodger.) Veronica (CAMILA MENDES) offers to help raise the money, suggesting the buff boys hold a car wash. It makes cash, but not nearly enough to get the building up to code for being what it needs to be.

Thu
24
Oct

Catching Up: The Flash Episode 603, "Dead Man Running"

Dead Man Running

With the Crisis bearing down on them in less than ten weeks, Team Flash has moved from grief to acceptance -- particularly Barry (GRANT GUSTIN) who has yet to tell the team what he knows of the future -- that he has to die in the Crisis.

And the Crisis has taken on its own identity as well, losing the "the" in front of it, and simply being called "Crisis" -- which sounds a bit odd and all proper-nouny when heard spoken about prior to its occurrence by those who are going to experience it.

To prepare the team to work without him, Flash decides he has to train them better, starting with Killer Frost (DANIELLE PANABAKER). But her anger gets in the way as the pair hunt down an angry zombie named Romero (thought we wouldn't notice that naming convenience, didn't you, @FlashTVWriters?), and Flash realizes he's going to have to find a way to cool down the ice queen's hot temper before she can be an effective hero.

Thu
24
Oct

Preview BULLETPROOF: ORIGINS a New YA Adventure Novel

We are officially one week away from the release of Stephen J. Mitchell’s debut novel BULLETPROOF: ORIGINS; the YA Adventure novel about a bullied high school freshman who discovers he’s indestructible. We present to you an exclusive preview of Chapter 1 in its entirety. The stunning comic-book style cover art was provided by up-and-coming artist Matt Flint. It was designed to look like the cover of a graphic novel as most superhero stories are told in the pages of comics, but this isn't an ordinary superhero story. It's a "sub-par" hero story!

Mon
21
Oct

How Can a Serial Killer Be in Two Places at One Time? We Review Night Hunter on Blu-ray

Night Hunter

HENRY CAVILL (MAN OF STEEL) is Marshall, a law officer gone terminally cynical from the job, which makes relating with his daughter particularly difficult. Concerned about protecting his daughter from anything and anyone, he finds himself suddenly embroiled in a case of a serial killer who preys on young girls. He catches a break on the case when a former judge turned vigilante, Cooper (BEN KINGSLEY) loses his literal jailbait partner, Lara (ELIANA JONES), to the killer, thinking him merely another predator for them to take off the board. Fortunately for Lara, she wears a tracking device, leading both Cooper and Marshall to her and Simon (BRENDAN FLETCHER), a mentally handicapped man holding Lara and several other girls hostage and putting them through torture.

But while Simon is in custody and being profiled, his captors are targeted for murder and extorted into effecting his escape. Begging the question: Do they have the right man, or does he have an accomplice.

Mon
21
Oct

Female Fury: Batwoman Episode 103, "Down Down Down"

Batwoman 103 Down Down Down CW

The more Kate (RUBY ROSE) operates in the Bat-suit, the more Gotham City wants to see Batman fully reappear -- and that includes those who would like to see the Dark Knight dead.

Among those in that latter category are Tommy Elliott (GABRIEL MANN), who has the added advantage of knowing that Batman is actually Bruce Wayne. Kate catches him in the Wayne executive board room, looking for Bruce, fully believing that Bruce has returned because Batman has returned. Later, when Luke Fox (CAMRUS JOHNSON) informs Kate that there's been a break-in of the Bat-arsenal, we learn that Bruce developed a weapon capable of penetrating the bulletproof Bat-suit -- a contingency plan in case someone ever got their hands on it. And, Bruce being Bruce, he had contingency plans for the contingency plan.

Sat
19
Oct

We Watch Netflix's Veronica Mars Season One Without Prior Exposure to the Series.

Veronica Mars Season 1

I had, of course, heard of the VERONICA MARS television series. And when Rob Thomas made history with his record-setting Kickstarter to make a VERONICA MARS movie, we were all over it, and reviewed the film upon its release. But the movie is, admittedly, my only exposure to the world of VERONICA MARS and her mystery-solving entourage. So we came into what is being touted as the First Season (it's chronologically the fourth) with an unmuddied opinion, free from canon and shipping.

What we got was, we thought, a pretty entertaining mystery series featuring a quick-witted private investigator (played by KRISTEN BELL) and her equally on-the-ball father, Keith Mars (ENRICO COLANTONI). She's in love with Logan Echolls (JASON DOHRING), who returns in this first episode from some top-secret trouble spot on the globe, and in possession of a set of skills that come in handy when Veronica has to crack a case.

Sat
19
Oct

Escape to Margaritaville by Way of St. Louis

Escape to Margaritaville

The national tour of Escape to Margaritaville has arrived at the Fabulous Fox Theatre for an all too brief weekend run, October 18-20, 2019. If you're a true Parrothead, as Jimmy Buffett fans are known, you probably already have tickets. If you don't, or you're on the fence about it, I strongly recommend giving it a try. The show is quite fun and you'll surely know at least one of the songs by heart. 

Sat
19
Oct

Cinderella Story Franchise Gets Christmas Wish Installment

A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish

A CINDERELLA STORY has blossomed into a successful storytelling franchise, with so sign of the stroke of midnight anywhere in sight. A CINDERELLA STORY: CHRISTMAS WISH continues the streak, setting the familiar Cinderella trope against a holiday backdrop.

Fri
18
Oct

Tyson Fury Looking to Enter the Weird and Wonderful World of WWE

Tyson Fury Returns!

The British lineal heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, is embarking on a short-term career in the world of WWE wrestling. Fury, who is currently out of boxing training as he recovers from a bruising victory over Sweden’s Otto Wallin, doesn’t seem to be capable of putting his feet up during his downtime as he seeks to dabble in the whacky world of WWE. It all started at SmackDown a couple of weeks ago, when Fury was spotted ringside and quickly became embroiled in a storyline involving himself and towering inferno, Braun Strowman.

Fury is on the line-up for WWE Crown Jewel

Thu
17
Oct

The Current War Fails to Electrify Audiences

The Current War 2019

The Current War is a film with an interesting subject, great visuals and fine cinematography, and a star-packed cast. Unfortunately it doesn’t provide anything close to an electrifying movie experience. It’s a shame, too, because a more through character study of Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, Nikolai Tesla and Samuel Insull should be a fascinating look at a Mount Rushmore of minds that helped shape the next century-plus of American history. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon manages only to craft a superficial and seemingly sanitized examination of the battle for America’s fledgling electrical grid during the Industrial Revolution from Michael Mitnick’s screenplay.

Thu
17
Oct

Pep Talk: Riverdale Episode 402, "Fast Times at Riverdale High"

Fast Times at Riverdale High

It's the first day of school -- the first day of the senior year for Archie (KJ APA), Betty (LILI REINHART), Jughead (COLE SPROUSE), Veronica (CARMEN MENDES) and Cheryl (MADELAINE PETSCH), and there's so much to do. The first day is always the most hectic one, what with all the planning about transferring to a totally different school, working with the FBI, avoiding the paparazzi, and convincing your former juvie roommate to join the football team.

What? Isn't that how the first day of school goes in your town? No? Then it must be RIVERDALE.

Wed
16
Oct

Catching Up: The Flash Episode 602, "A Flash of the Lightning"

A Flash of the Lightning

With all the news coming out about who was going to be appearing in this December's CW crossover event, CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, I've been persistently saying that to cram it all into four episodes would require them to start building hard during these leadup chapters. And so far, at least with THE FLASH and ARROW, it appears that is exactly what the CW showrunners are doing.

In "A Flash of the Lightning," Barry (GRANT GUSTIN) finds himself despondent over the knowledge of his impending death. But IRIS (CANDICE PATTON) isn't one to let him give up so easily. The future has been changed before, and she's not going to quit believing it can't change again just because of some ominous message from The Monitor: "For billions to live, The Flash must die."

Wed
16
Oct

John Carpenter's Spotlight on Mental Illness Brings Jarring Insight to Joker

Joker Year of the Villain

John Carpenter is a master of horror. Getting his name on the marquee of a DC Comic book about the brand's most notorious mass murderer and psychopath should have been headline news. Maybe it was and I just read the wrong headlines.

Regardless, it was enough of an impetus to bring me temporarily out of my comic book malaise to purchase this issue, despite the cover art -- which isn't bad, but which depicts the Joker as wearing bad makeup rather than physically looking the way he does. Red Hood? Ace Chemicals? Vat of acid? Any of that ringing any bells, Philip Tan?

Mon
14
Oct

Female Fury: Batwoman Episode 102, "The Rabbit Hole"

Batwoman 102 Rabbit Hole

When the pilot episode completed, Kate Kane (RUBY ROSE) had a strong suspicion that the terrorist Alice (RACHEL SKARSTEN) was actually her long-thought-dead twin sister, Beth, based on the evidence of a dagger Alice left behind that has a gemstone in the handle that matches the one in Kate's necklace -- the twin of the one her sister owned.

Convincing her father, Jacob Kane (DOUGRAY SCOTT) of that proves to be another matter entirely. He is convinced -- or seems to be convinced -- that Beth died, citing the evidence of skull fragments being found that matched Beth's DNA.  But if Kate can get some DNA off that knife, she may just prove herself to be correct.

Alice wants her lost knife. Someone is wanting to get the knife away from Kate.

The two events are not necessarily related, which puts Kate into the suspicion that there's a third side to this game, hidden from view and playing by their own rules.

Sun
13
Oct

Wonder Woman: Bloodlines Resets Origin Told in Previous Animated WW Flick

Wonder Woman Bloodlines

WONDER WOMAN: BLOODLINES is a callback to the DC Universe crossover event of several years back. It has nothing to do with that event however, so don't get excited if you were a fan. Rather, this new release from the DCAU represents the origin of Wonder Woman (ROSARIO DAWSON), with Steve Trevor (JEFFREY DONOVAN) crashing near Themyscira after attempting to shoot down an incursion of Apokoliptian parademons. This serves to tie the story in better to JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR, to cement Diana into the mythos.

Diana sacrifices her life on Themyscira, defying her mother, Hippolyta (CREE SUMMER), and losing her life on Themyscira for good in choosing to help Trevor and defend Man's World.

Sun
13
Oct

THE WHO'S TOMMY Rocks Hard To Open Stray Dog Theatre's 17th Season

Eileen Engle, Kevin Corpuz and Tristan Davis in Stray Dog Theatre's production of THE WHO'S TOMMY, Oct 10-26, 2019. Photo Credit: Stray Dog Theatre

In 1969, future Rock & Roll Hall of Famer The Who released Tommy, their fourth studio album. Conceived as a rock opera by Pete Townshend, the band’s guitarist, it featured a few tracks that have stood the test of time on classic rock radio, but as concept albums go it wasn’t the tightest story-wise. Nonetheless, the infamous British film director Ken Russell turned the album into a movie in 195 which featured the likes of Ann-Margaret, Oliver Reed, Tina Turner, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jack Nicholson, and of course The Who, with vocalist Roger Daltrey playing the title character. It was weird, trippy, incoherent, and yet reasonably successful. Such was cinema in the 70s. Jump ahead to the 90s and Townshend joins forces with Jersey Boys Broadway director Desmond McAnuff, who wrote the book for the stage musical, The Who’s Tommy.

Sun
13
Oct

Enter to Win The Haunting of Hill House Season One on Blu-ray From Critical Blast and Cosmic Comics Belleville

Haunting of Hill House Blu-ray

Our giveaway this week is too scary for us to handle by ourselves. So we've got our friends at Cosmic Comics Belleville here to keep us company while we keep the lights on.

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE is the critically acclaimed modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson's legendary novel about five siblings who grew up in the most famous haunted house in America. Now adults, they're reunited by the suicide of their youngest sister, which forces them to finally confront the ghosts of their past... some of which lurk in their minds... and some of which may really be lurking in the shadows of the iconic Hill House.

For the first time, experience even more thrills with three extended Director's Cut episodes featuring never-before-seen footage and go deeper inside HILL HOUSE with four exclusive commentaries from Creator and Director MIKE FLANAGAN (DOCTOR SLEEP).

Fri
11
Oct

Krypton: The Complete Second and Final Season Coming to Blu-Ray

Many of us were shocked at SyFy's decision to forgo the third season of KRYPTON but you'll be able to relive all the greatest moments of the second and final season on Blu-Ray this January. Hailed as the best Sci-Fi show on television during it's short, but impressive, run, KRYPTON features Seg-El (Superman's grandfather, played by Cameron Cuffe) as he joins Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos) on a quest to keep history on-course.

Season 2 introduces the space mercenary, Lobo (Emmett J. Scanlon), as our heroes deal with a multitude of threats including Brainiac, General Zod, and DOOMSDAY! If you didn't have the opportunity to watch this epic space drama during it's run, I highly suggest snatching up the Blu-Ray when it's available to dive into a history that's never been told before.

Here is the official press release:

Thu
10
Oct

Clue Club: Nancy Drew Episode 101, "Pilot"

Nancy Drew 101 Pilot

RIVERDALE meets VERONICA MARS in this new cynical take on Carolyn Keene's iconic girl detective, Nancy Drew.

Nancy (KENNEDY McMANN) is an 18-year-old high school graduate. She's been a sleuth since her early teen years, getting hooked on mystery solving when she broke the case of a missing child. But when her mother died, her world fell apart. She tanked her grades, blew her college admissions, and now works as a waitress in her town that's a mixture of idyllic life and pervasive darkness. But when a wealthy patron's wife is found murdered outside the diner, Nancy and her friends are considered suspects in the crime.

Which is ridiculous, and obviously just the police chief displaying his petty jealousy for all the years Nancy was a pain in his ass, solving crimes he couldn't. Right? It certainly seems that way -- after all, we the audience were witnesses to the entire thing, so we know none of the clue crew committed the crime.

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