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Mon
06
Nov

Cars 3 Overhauls the Franchise for the Better

Cars 3 Blu-ray

The original CARS hit theaters in 2006, eleven years prior to this latest entry to the franchise. I suppose eleven years is old for a car. I'm still driving my 2004 Chevy Malibu, and I know I wouldn't want to push it too fast.

Tue
24
Oct

Richard Simmons Celebrates 30 Years of Sweatin'

Sweatin' 30th

In 1987, Richard Simmons was a phenomenon. The health guru made a splash by going from fat to thin, then turning his exuberant personality loose on America to inspire millions of others to join him. And it worked! Everyone found a way to follow Richard's advice.

One of the more famous methods Simmons employed to get people up and moving was his video excercise course, SWEATIN' TO THE OLDIES, which was a group excercise method of dancing to classic rock songs. With Richard at the lead, and a group representative of a variety of body types (unlike so many excercise videos where it's you and the perfectly scuplted instructors), fans across the country were getting up off the couch and onto their feet, getting their heart rates up and their weights down.

It was so successful that it expanded four more times, so that there were ultimately five collections of excercise dance routines.

Mon
23
Oct

Good Grief, Charlie Brown! The Holidays are Here!

Peanuts Holiday 4K

When the weather starts to turn crisp and the leaves start to fall, you know you're in for three months in a row of...Charlie Brown?

If you had the right kind of upbringing, then that's how you think. There's a whole generation of us out there who had their childhood holidays shaped by the television specials that came with them. (This is back in the day when they only came on once a year, did not repeat, were not recorded on any medium, and could not be purchased. Prehistoric, I know.) Chief amont those specials were the jazz-filled comforting animated cartoons of Charle's M. Schulz's PEANUTS characters.

Starting with October, it was IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN. A month later, it was popcorn and jellybeans for A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING, all leading up to the big kahuna of the trilogy, A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS.

Mon
23
Oct

LEGO Ninjago Battle The Hands of Time in Season 7

LEGO Ninjago Season 7

Jump up, kick back, whip around and spin in another exciting season of LEGO NINJAGO. Yes, it's a LEGO animated series, and, yes, that means it comes with all the requisite silliness inherent in the LEGO universe of stories. And yet, the NINJAGO episodes somehow also carry a certain soap opera element to them that draws you in. Kids and adults alike will get sucked into the plot, actually caring about the characters and being surprised at plot twists.

The story begins 40 years in the past, when a younger Master Wu (Paul Dobson) and his elemental ninja friends batted two of their own: twin brothers Krux (MICHAEL DAINGERFIELD) and Acronix (IAN HANLIN), who were the masters of the element of time and felt they should control everything. The nina defeated the twins -- or so they thought. Krux disappeared, and Acronix was sucked into a time portal.

Tue
17
Oct

Mickey Mouse: Merry & Scary an Old School Treat

Mickey Mouse: Merry and Scary

Everything old is new again at the House of Mouse. Gone are the 3D-CGI renderings of Mickey and the gang, and in their place we get 2D animation that looks like lost animation cels were found under some Oswald the Lucky Rabbit notes.

This particular collection, MICKEY MOUSE: MERRY & SCARY -- aside from five wonderful short cartoons -- give us some new Disney holiday traditionals that should get some repeat airtime.

Mon
16
Oct

Justice League Action Delivers on Title's Premise in Fun-Sized Shorts

Justice League Action Season 1 Part 1

JUSTICE LEAGUE ACTION lives up to its name! When I first heard the concept, I was more than a bit skeptical. After all, the bar was set pretty high by the JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED series, and I didn't see how this new idea was going to top it.

And, to be honest, it doesn't. But it also doesn't have to. Yes, it has its heavy dose of comedic moments: Cyborg's obsession with video gaming distracting him from monitor duty; Booster Gold's daily attempts to last longer in the ring with Batman; Superman missing out on a kiss with Wonder Woman because of garlic risotto; and Plastic Man's...well, his very existence.

Mon
16
Oct

Vampirina Utilizes Extremes to Explore Issues of Immigration and Cultures

Vampirina

She was a ghoul in her village, doing all right. Then she became American overnight.

The latest little lady to take over the Disney Junior programming  is new to American culture. In fact, she's new to human culture. She's Vampirina Hauntley (ISABELLA CROVETTI), and she's just immigrated from Transylvania to Pennsylvania, along with her father Boris (JAMES VAN DER BEEK, DAWSON'S CREEK) and mother Oxana (LAUREN GRAHAM, GILMORE GIRLS), and a few household friends like the ghostly Demi (MITCHELL WHITFIELD, TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE) and stony gargoyle Gregoria (WANDA SYKES).

Wed
11
Oct

ARROW Season 5 on Blu-Ray Hits the Mark

As season six of Arrow quickly approaches I think it is always good to recap the previous season and what better way than with the Blu-Ray that collects the entire 5th season, and more!

With so much that goes on between spring and when our show restarts, in the fall, it is easy to forget some of the story lines and plots that follow our favorite vigilante.

Tue
10
Oct

Justice League: The New Frontier Blu-ray Commemorative Edition

New Frontier Commemorative Edition

There were several comics titles out there that showcased the unique retro style of Darwyn Cooke, but JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER was definitely his crowning achievement. His signature look was tailor-made for the late-50s, early-60s era of comics, and worked perfectly for his graphic novel. The DC Animated Universe has had some misses in its history, but adapting the graphic novel to the animated movie, while absolutely nailing Cooke's style, was a Grade-A bonafide hit!

The setting for JL:TNF is just after the disbanding of the Justice Society due to McCarthy era paranoia over masked men. The government simply did not trust them, and not without good reason. The only ones left operating openly are Superman (KYLE MCLACHLAN) and Wonder Woman (LUCY LAWLESS), while Batman (JEREMY SISTO) is more of an outcast than ever.

Mon
09
Oct

Jeff Beck Live at the Hollywood Bowl: You've Gotta See and Hear It to Believe It!

During the Summer of ’16, something monumental happened…

Jeff Beck, one of the greatest guitar players rock has ever known, celebrated his 50th anniversary in the business by having a concert at the celebrated Hollywood Bowl amphitheater, along with some very special guests he’s worked with over the years.

At 72 years of age at the time of the concert, you would think it more of just a tribute concert. Not so at all. This was no going-through-the-motions event. Jeff was in perfect form, and played as astonishingly as he ever had. Think about what I just said: one of the greatest (in anyone’s list of greatest guitar players ever) played as good as I have ever heard and seen him--at 72 years old!

Now, if (like me) you didn’t know about this, or couldn’t even go if you did, the music lovers at Eagle Rock Entertainment wove their magic and were smart enough to capture it for all of us to see and hear.

Thu
05
Oct

Sticky Fingers Grabs You And Doesn't Let Go

Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers Fonda Theatre 2015

This Blu-ray/DVD/CD set from Eagle Rock Entertainment covers the Stones in an intimate setting at the Fonda Theater in LA in 2015, at the start of the North American Zip Code tour, and captures the first time the band had ever (and, so far, has ever) played the entire STICKY FINGERS album in concert (along with some other great Stones' songs).

Tue
03
Oct

Franchise Runs Aground with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Blu-ray

The Jerry Bruckheimer franchise seems to have finally capsized. The motion picture, budgeted at $230 million ($20 million less than it's predecessor, ON STRANGER TIDES), grossed $172 million at the box office, compared to the $241 million grossed by the previous film. Those are numbers that don't bode well for there being a fifth film in the franchise--unless it's a rebooting, and honestly who could see Captain Jack Sparrow as anybody but JOHNNY DEPP?

The first thing that's a bit off about the film is the title: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES. Given that the entire run has been filled with ghosts who relate stories of curses, and that the plot of this movie hinges on one Captain Salazar (JAVIER BARDEM) who perished in the Devil's Triangle pursuing a young Jack Sparrow, it would seem that dead men tell quite a few tales at sea.

Thu
28
Sep

Lethal Weapon or Rubber Bullets? Season One on DVD

Lethal Weapon Season One on Blu-ray

When LETHAL WEAPON hit the big screen starring DANNY GLOVER and MEL GIBSON, the SHANE BLACK screenplay was a hit with audiences. Roger Murtaugh was an aging cop looking forward to keeping a low profile in the last few years of his career before collecting his pension. He gets saddled with a new partner, Martin Riggs, who is suicidal after the loss of his wife, and takes death-risk chances that endanger not just himself but Murtaugh. It worked.

Thu
21
Sep

LEGO Nexo Knights: Storm Over Knighton Sees Monstrox Return

Nexo Knights Season 3 on DVD

The Book of Monsters, aka Monstrox (MARK OLIVER) has been defeated. Jestro (VINCENT TONG) has been freed from his influence and is back to doing poor jokes for the kingdom of Knighton. And the Nexo Knights have earned their well-deserved rest, with Lance Richmond (IAN HANLIN) co-starring as a morning talk show host and Macy Halbert (ERIN MATHEWS) taking on more duties as a Princess.

Wed
20
Sep

Designated Survivor Season One on DVD

Designated Survivor Season One

Are there truly individuals in politics that care more about service to country than themselves? Is it ever possible to take ambition, greed, hypocrisy, broken promises, and distrust out of Washington? Probably not, right? But what if you destroy every member of Congress, the entire Presidential Cabinet, Supreme Court, and their staff in one fatal blow? Who is left standing?

The Designated Survivor! The Lone Ranger--truth justice and the American way, but with a tie.

Wed
20
Sep

Chuck Blu-ray Review

Boxing, the Sweet Science if you will, was a frequent distraction in my formative years in the ‘80s. There were so many brilliant fighters and they were constantly battling each other for supremacy. They were legends like Hagler, Duran, Hearns, Holmes, Tyson, Holyfield, Foreman, and Leonard. Giants of their profession no matter the weight class. Perhaps even greater was the generation from the ‘60s and ‘70s known by many as Kings. Men like Frazier, Arguello, Monzon, Ali, not to mention Duran & Foreman who spanned both groups. Having been born in 1973, I just missed being a first hand witness of that glorious age for boxing. My window into that time was replays, interviews, and highlights. Honestly, it made the men and their actions slightly more mythical in my mind.

Tue
19
Sep

Tra-La-Laaa! Fruit of Dav Pilkey Looms Large in Epic Kid Flick

Captain Underpants on Blu-ray

If you have children...

No. Scratch that. Trigger warning, I'm about to go sexist for a half a second.

Ahem.

If you have young boys in your home, you are likely no stranger to that dynamic figure in the tighty-whiteys, Captain Underpants. (If you're not, just check under their mattress, so long as they're still under 13.) That jaunty gentleman of justice who makes brief work of supervillains has starred in countless books (okay, they could actually be counted, but I'm kinda lazy) has now leaped off the page and onto your screens in an epic movie flush with adventure and clogged with laughter! (Okay, maybe I should leave that to Mr. Pilkey.)

Sat
16
Sep

Wonder Woman Sets High Bar for Future DC Superhero Films

Wonder Woman on Blu-ray

Wonder Woman, the Amazing Amazon might not be the first superhero you name when asked to list off some of DC's pantheon of superheroes. But thanks to Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot, that's definitely changed. Coming off the heels of BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, which had mixed reviews, expectations for WONDER WOMAN had to be shaky.

But Patty Jenkins has delivered what is likely the best DC comics-to-screen film in the company's history -- and I'm including Richard Donner's SUPERMAN and both Tim Burton's and Christopher Nolan's BATMAN and BATMAN BEGINS / THE DARK KNIGHT.

Wed
06
Sep

Lucifer Heats Things Up with Second Season on Blu-ray and DVD

Lucifer Season 2

Mom's back, and there's going to be Hell to pay.

The second season of LUCIFER kicks off with the news that the nameless Goddess of Creation has escaped Hell where God cast her, and is making her way to Earth as soon as she can find a freshly dead body to reanimate and occupy. She finds it in the form of high-profile defense attorney Charlotte Richards (TRICIA HELFER, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), and quickly sets about to finding her children, Lucifer (TOM ELLIS) and Amenadiel (DB WOODSIDE) so that she can bring them into her plan of everyone going back home to Heaven.

Tue
05
Sep

"Welcome to My Nightmare" A Dream Come True for Alice Cooper Fans

Alice Cooper Nightmare DVD

Okay kids, here it is! For you fans of Vincent Furnier who remember the pre-MTV days, Eagle Rock Entertainment has brought back not just the1975 “Welcome To My Nightmare” Concert Video but also the 1975 TV special, “The Nightmare” complete with special guest star, the indomitable Vincent Price, all in a single DVD video offering.

Eagle Rock has been releasing many great videos and CDs of important rock music from the second generation of rock, many of which feature the members performing recently or in the past 10 to 15 years. With this DVD, they are releasing in one of the most important concerts and specials from what I would call the “Golden Age of Alice.” It’s important for a couple of reasons: one, because it was his first solo tour and two, because it was ground-breaking. Remember, this was before MTV and it was the first time a concert special was filmed to support an entire album in long form.

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