All Articles by Nico

DOCTOR WHO: The Complete Specials Blu-Ray Review

Posted: March 6th, 2010 at 8:13 am

It seems like every writer I idolize has the same history with Doctor Who as I do.  As a young child growing up in Western New York, I stumbled across the show on PBS and the brief glimpse I saw gave me horrible, HORRIBLE nightmares.  I didn’t fully return to the series until its recent revival at the BBC.  Let me tell you, I’m glad I did.  More after the jump.

SMOKIN’ ACES / SMOKIN’ ACES 2: ASSASSIN’S BALL Blu-ray Reviews

Posted: February 20th, 2010 at 10:40 am

What do you get when you put various sets of professional killers against Federal Agents?  For starters, you get Smokin’ Aces and its prequel Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball.  In at least one, they blow up a clown.  That has to count for something, right?  My full reviews after the jump:

THE BOURNE IDENTITY/THE BOURNE SUPREMACY Blu-Ray/DVD Flipper Disc Reviews

Posted: February 16th, 2010 at 6:22 am

Jason Bourne, a man born of the 1980s, undergoes a spot-on big screen update.  Matt Damon supplies the body and Doug Liman (Swingers, Go) and Paul Greenglass (United 93, Bloody Sunday) put it to work.  You should know, if someone offers you twenty thousand dollars to drive them somewhere, only do it if you want to fall in love with that irascible spy.  More after the jump:

CHUCK The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Review

Posted: February 3rd, 2010 at 10:40 am

Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up and be a secret agent overnight?  As the titular lead of the television show Chuck, Chuck Bartowski would probably say it’s not so nice, but he’s had his fair share of adventure and lady love.

For those who need a download of information on the series, brace yourselves.  Chuck works for the Nerd Herd department of a Burbank Buy More store, an ode to Best Buy’s Geek Squad (which, by the way, does have a Burbank location).  Chuck had a simple life until he opens an email sent from his former college roommate and the whole of the United States’ secret information gets downloaded directly into his brain.   More after the jump.

SUPERMAN: The Complete Animated Series DVD Review

Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 7:01 am

There’s a simple formula for taking material and translating it to a different medium – involve people who not only know the work, but also love it.  I’m not sure how this very simple dictum escapes Hollywood, but all too often it seems to.  Thankfully, we have shining examples like Superman: The Animated Series to show us how it works.  More after the jump.

FAMILY GUY: Something Something Something Dark Side Blu-ray Review

Posted: January 7th, 2010 at 8:15 am

As long as I keep in mind that Episodes I-III don’t really exist, I’m quite the Star Wars fan.  I was on the Family Guy wagon starting with its launch.  I stayed with the show through a cancellation or two, only falling off my following of late.  The minds behind Family Guy thought of the brilliant idea of combining the two Fox legacies with their parody of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope entitled Blue Harvest and Something Something Something Dark Side is their follow-up parody of Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.  More after the jump.

DJ HERO/BAND HERO Nintendo Wii Reviews

Posted: November 28th, 2009 at 9:00 am

There’s a little record shop on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, California that advertises DJ lessons in their store front.  Every time I pass it, I pause and think about how cool it would be to learn the art of the wikka-wikka.  Just as Guitar Hero gives players the opportunity to get in touch with their inner rock star, DJ Hero connects you to your record spinning alter ego.  More after the jump.

BLACK ADDER REMASTERED: The Ultimate Edition DVD Review

Posted: November 11th, 2009 at 1:45 pm

I am an anglophile.  I will own up to that straight out of the gate.  I grew up watching every BBC program offered by my local PBS station.  That’s how I came to start my lifelong relationship with Monty Python.  That’s where my fascination with Red Dwarf began.  That’s how I came across Rowan Atkinson’s gem of a series Black Adder.  Brit humor fans click to find more after the jump.

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES Season Two Blu-Ray Review

Posted: October 8th, 2009 at 8:57 am

As a science fiction nerd, I was onboard Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles at the word “Terminator”.  The show focuses on the bond between Sarah and her son John as they work together with the first cute Terminator, Cameron, to stave off Armageddon.  Were they successful?  Was it entertaining?  More after the jump.

FRINGE Season One Blu-Ray Review

Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 4:42 pm

A dashing eccentric man with swagger and charm.  A buttoned-down female agent.  Sound familiar?  Let’s face it, it’s a formula that works in science fiction television and Fringe employs it wonderfully.  But can this series fill the void left in our hearts from our long-departed X-Files?  In a word: yes.  More after the jump.

SMALLVILLE Eighth Season Blu-Ray Review

Posted: August 27th, 2009 at 9:57 pm

I am a comic book nerd.  That’s no news.  I see all the movies and buy far too many comic books for the limited space I have to keep them in.  I joined Smallville in its infancy and stuck through a couple seasons.  I liked the friendship between Clark Kent and Lex Luthor that the series started off with and the slow unraveling of that bond, but ultimately the meteorite powered villain of the week got tired.  The series had the whole DC Universe as a sandbox to play in and didn’t.  That oversight is rectified this season… in spades. My review after the jump:

QUEEN SingStar PS3 Video Game Review

Posted: August 7th, 2009 at 9:51 pm

I have a confession to make.  Every time I have to vacuum, I sing I Want to Break Free.  Every time.  People don’t often get it.  Me?  I grew up on MTV and think in terms of music videos.  For me, this is part of the game experience that has sadly been lacking.  Enter SingStar. My review is after the jump:

New G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA Featurette – Larry Hama

Posted: July 28th, 2009 at 11:01 am

Larry Hama, the man behind the GI JOE comic book I grew up reading, lets us in on the transition from toyline to one hundred fifty issues of awesome.  Brian Goldner (Producer), Stuart Beattie (Writer) and Stephen Sommers (Director) join him in the two-minute look.

I’ve been anxiously awaiting this film since childhood.  I got excited reading Frosty’s review because it sounded exactly like what I wanted from the film.  In a word: fun.  Of course, like you, I have a week-plus wait ahead of me, but this clip is a good way to whet your appetite. Take a look after the jump. Go Joe!

V (ABC) Comic-Con Interview – Executive Producers Jeffrey Bell, Scott Peters and Jace Hall

Posted: July 26th, 2009 at 8:11 pm

Let me hip you to something about roundtables: you rarely get the chance to ask the questions you want and hear the answers you need.  Thankfully, that was not the case when I got the chance to sit down with Executive Producers Jeffrey Bell and then Scott Peters and Jace Hall and learn their thoughts on the upcoming series.  While I didn’t walk into the room as skeptical as some others, after speaking with the trio, I felt like V is in very capable hands. More after the jump -

Neil Gaiman Comic-Con Interview – CORALINE, DEATH: High Cost of Living, Reviews, What Might Be Next

Posted: July 25th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

I was lucky enough to sit down with one of my idols Neil Gaiman and talk about the making of Coraline, reviews, what might be next, and to hear the status on the long-gestating Death: The High Cost of Living film. If you’re a fan of Neil’s work, you’ll love the interview. Take a look after the jump:

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