Wed
24
Aug

TV Classic Variety Show HEE HAW Delivers Boxed Set of Laughs

Hee Haw Collector's Edition on DVD

The Kornfield Kounty citizens and their classic cornpone routines -- not to mention some of the most outstanding country music performances ever recorded -- are now available (at least in part) in this 14-disc collector's edition from Time-Life, proving again that picking and grinning never go out of style. Buck Owens and Roy Clark kick off and wrap up each episode as well as give their own musical performances and comedy contributions, standing alongside some of the legends of country music who guest-starred on the series. And it's always heartening to see the musical guests partake in the comedy aspects -- it humanized some of these towering figures. Seeing Johnny Cash participate in the silly, running gag song "You Were Gone" is one of the highlights of the long-running series, and one of the many skits included in this boxed set.

Wed
24
Aug

Enter to win THE WONDER YEARS Complete Series on DVD

Wonder Years Complete Series on DVD

For six seasons, The Wonder Years captured the angst of growing up in suburban middle-class America in the late '60s, as seen through the life and times of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage). Audiences eagerly followed his evolution as a typical awkward teenager who remembered every moment of his transition from childhood with excruciating detail and remarkable hindsight. From his first kiss with Winnie Cooper (Danica McKellar) to his friendship with Paul Pfeiffer (Josh Saviano) and the ups and downs of the Arnold family, fans shared in laughter, love, and loss, but above all, wonder.

Tue
23
Aug

The Longbox Short-List - Week of August 24, 2016

 

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Comics shipping this week

Tue
23
Aug

Care Bears Return this November in an ALL-NEW Series!

The Care Bears are back! Coming this November, the Care Bears and Care Bears Cousins return in an all new series, from Lionsgate, debuting on DVD (plus Digital) and Digital HD.

In this brand new series, the Care Bears reunite with their cousins to retrieve the Cousins’ stolen ship. Care Bears™ & Cousins: Take Heart – Volume 1 will spread caring and sharing on DVD for the suggested retail price of $14.98.

Tue
23
Aug

The Walking Dead Season 6 Blu-Ray Packed with Nail-Biting Excitement

The Walking Dead Season 6 Blu-ray

"The Last Day on Earth" extended version makes this 5-disc Blu-ray set worth buying all by itself. In listening to the commentary it's discovered the dialog from Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to Rick's group is taken word-for-word from the comics. If you're a fan of TWD comics, you'll enjoy that Morgan's Negan is something the comic book series would be proud of.

Mon
22
Aug

Sugden's A21SE Signature Integrated Amplifier: Simply Stated, Simply Wonderful

Sugden

I am reminded by dialog spoken by King Osric (Max Von Sydow) in the movie “Conan The Barbarian.”

When King Osric needed Conan to rescue his daughter from Thulsa Doom, upon dumping out a bag full of jewels and offering them to take all they wanted, he says,

“ There comes a time, thief, when the jewels cease to sparkle, when the gold loses its luster, when the throne room becomes a prison, and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

So it is with me in my audiophile time of life, where what matters most to me now is not high power, not large heavy pieces of equipment, not stacks of individual components, nor even high and flighty names. While I freely admit all those “jewels and gold” did, at one time, matter to me; I have had Krell, Audio Research, Martin Logan, Duntech, Focal, Oracle, SME, Koetsu, Convergent …the list goes on and on.

Sat
20
Aug

Cheap Pops - Wrestling News & Views - August 21, 2016

Mike Maillaro: Chris was going on vacation this week, but he did add in some SummerSlam Predictions before he headed off.

 


Return of Curt Hawkins!

Mike Maillaro: I had been hearing this rumor for a while, but on Smackdown this week, they had a great promo teasing the WWE return for Curt Hawkins.

Fri
19
Aug

Sarah Porter Is Pure Magic In Andrew Lloyd Webber's TELL ME ON A SUNDAY

Sarah Porter in New Line Theatre's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's TELL ME ON A SUNDAY, Photo Credit: Jill Ritter-Lindberg/New Line Theatre

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber. I don’t typically enjoy sung-through musicals. I thought EVITA had all of the warmth and depth of Eva Perón’s Wikipedia page, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is a grossly overrated love story with no characters to like much less love, and I’m highly allergic to CATS. There is, however, this one short little gem of Webber’s that is equally funny and heart-wrenching, hopeful and melancholy. The show is called TELL ME ON A SUNDAY, and while I can’t predict what day it is that you find yourself reading this, I can predict that you’ll find this one-woman show as heartfelt and surprisingly affecting as I did.

Thu
18
Aug

Open Mike Night - Superwoman #1


Superwoman #1

Written And Pencilled by: Phil Jimenez
Inked by: Matt Santorelli
Colored by: Jeromy Cox
Lettered by: Rob Leigh

Published by: DC
Cover Price: $2.99

Thu
18
Aug

Front Lines - Mini-Reviews (Week of August 10) - DC Rebirth and Civil War II

Agents of SHIELD #8 by Marc Guggenheim and German Peralta

Summary: Last issue, Coulson was removed from his position on SHIELD.  This issue, he’s breaking into top secret government facilities to try and figure out if there is a third option between Stark and Danvers’ ideas on what to do with Ulysses gift to see the future.  He sees a file suggesting that the Wrecking Crew will be responsible for Daredevil’s death, so he heads to Hell’s Kitchen.  May is waiting for him.  Danvers arrives soon after, pissed that Coulson has been breaking into her files.  Danvers says that the Wrecking Crew are already in custody, so Daredevil is safe.  

Tue
16
Aug

Tesla, "Psychotic Supper" -- Big Hair, Big Sound, Big Reissue

Tesla Psychotic Supper 2LP set on vinyl

Tesla’s now classic 1991 release PSYCHOTIC SUPPER was the band’s 3rd studio album. It is thought by many, including myself and the band members, to be their best. Now it is being reissued in a 2LP set, which, I believe (but I could be wrong; it happens), is the first time this album will have been released on vinyl. The album contains the hits “What You Give”, “Call It What You Want”, and “Song & Emotion” (my favorite along with “Toke About it”), and it is not one that I had on vinyl.

Tue
16
Aug

Ratchet & Clank on Blu-ray / DVD / Digital HD

Ratchet and Clank on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD

Based on the popular video game franchise, RATCHET & CLANK follows two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy "Lombax" who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family of his own. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn. When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called the Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way, they will learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one's own identity in this thrilling and funny adventure featuring the voices of Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Rosario Dawson and Sylvester Stallone.

Tue
16
Aug

The Longbox Short-List - Week of August 17, 2016

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Comics shipping this week

Sun
14
Aug

Cheap Pops - Wrestling News & Views - August 14, 2016

This week: 

  • Huge WrestlePro News
  • NXT Takeover Brooklyn II
  • Cruiserweight Classic
  • GLORIOUS BOMB!

WrestlePro on the road

Mike Maillaro: Some huge news for WrestlePro.  

Sun
14
Aug

God's Not Dead 2 Not Quite as Alive as its Prequel

God's Not Dead 2 on DVD

With the first GOD'S NOT DEAD movie, the setting was the college campus, a forum of relatively free discourse even when pitting student against teacher. In GOD'S NOT DEAD 2, the stage shifts to the high school, where an A.P. history teacher known for her optimism is asked a question comparing the non-violent teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi to Jesus. When the teacher, Grace Wesley (Melissa Joan Hart, MELISSA & JOEY), answers the question, quoting the teaching that would align with the philosophy, it gets recorded and sent to the world.

Fri
12
Aug

Batman, Two-Face Take Road Trip from Hell in ALL-STAR BATMAN

All-Star Batman #1

Scott Snyder (Best Comics Writer, 2016) pens the newest Bat-title to join the DC library -- ALL-STAR BATMAN, and the inaugural chapter is a real nail-biter.

Thu
11
Aug

The Best Superman for the Job is a Superwoman

Superwoman #1 art by Terry Dodson

It seems only yesterday that I was talking about the trend of recasting male roles with female ones (oops, timecheck that: it was today) and here I am introducing one of DC's latest remakes of REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN with this release of SUPERWOMAN #1.

Thu
11
Aug

Sisters Doing It For Themselves, or Sloppy Seconds? The Coming Trend of Gender-Swap Remakes

Battle of the sexes in film

I'll admit it. I thought the remake of GHOSTBUSTERS, going out of it's way to gender-swap the characters, was a film with an idea shoehorned into it (quod vide: gimmick). I wasn't vehement about it, I didn't feel the need to pan it heavily before it even hit the screens. I was just overwhelmingly nonplussed by the concept. Then the reviews came out, and it turned out to be a good movie after all.

Tue
09
Aug

Supergirl Season 1 on Blu-Ray Isn't Just For the Girl Who Has Everything

***Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-Ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.***

I know what you're thinking: Oh, look at that disclaimer in bold lettering, he's totally going to suck up to WB; this reviewer is in their back pocket!

Tue
09
Aug

The Longbox Short-List - Week of August 10, 2016

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Comics shipping this week

Pages

Subscribe to Critical Blast RSS