The mysterious Ood return this week in Planet of the Ood. Written by Keith Temple, this episode had an airdate of 19 April 2008, and updated the Ood mythology a bit, as the Doctor (Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) find themselves on an ice planet that serves as a factory for the Ood. It seems…
Point Blank (1967) – John Boorman
Lee Marvin and Angie Dickinson headline the next stop in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book as we return to the Thriller & Crime genre. Marvin is Walker, a criminal left for dead when he is double-crossed by his partners, Reese (John Vernon) and his own wife, Lynne (Sharon Acker). He sets…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) – The Naked Now and Code of Honor
Captain’s log: stardate 41209.2 The Naked Now was written by D.C. Fontana and John D.F. Black. It originally aired on 5 October, 1987. I’m divided on this episode, and since its early days for the series, I’m willing to give it a lot of leeway. But I honestly think they should have waited until a…
The Twilight Zone (1962) – Showdown with Rance McGrew, Kick the Can, and A Piano in the House
Paramount Pictures has handed me the map, and I continue to explore the depths of The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series on blu-ray this week with another trio of episodes. First up is Showdown with Rance McGrew. Written by series creator Rod Serling from an idea by Frederick Louis Fox, this episode aired on 2…
Tik-Tok of Oz (1914) – Frank L. Baum
A quick trip to Oz has been overdue, so I figured it was time to dig into book eight in the series, and check in with all those old friends, and new ones, to see what was happening in that faraway land. Following in the quest stories which have been the hallmark of the series…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) – Encounter at Farpoint
Captain’s log: stardate 41153.7 Set decades (78 years altogether) after the events of Kirk and company, Star Trek: The Next Generation first aired on 28 September, 1987. Launching us into the 24th century, a script by series creator Gene Roddenberry and D.C. Fontana introduced us to an all new U.S.S. Enterprise, a Galaxy-class starship, and…
JFK (1991) – Oliver Stone
The final film in the What Else to Watch list of DK Canada’s The Movie Book, following my viewing of Battleship Potemkin is Oliver Stone’s three hour historical, and dramatic exploration of the Kennedy assassination in 1963. The film follows Jim Garrison’s (Kevin Costner) real-life investigation into the case, perhaps compiling the most comprehensive look…
Mamma Mia! (2008) – Phylida Lloyd
The final recommendation for my screening of Jailhouse Rock for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film is the beloved stage musical, Mamma Mia! Using the catchy tunes penned by cherished pop group, ABBA, the tale is a but of a post-modern Philadelphia Story as a young woman, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is on the…
Doctor Who (David Tennant) – Partners in Crime, and The Fires of Pompeii
Series Four of the relaunched Doctor Who got underway on 5 April, 2008 in a story written by Russell T. Davies, and while it is not my favourite story, it is definitely a lot of fun. And as a plus, it did bring Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) back into the life of the Doctor (Tennant)….
American Graffiti (1973) – George Lucas
George Lucas’ nostalgic American Graffiti is the next stop on the list of recommendations from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Jailhouse Rock. While not a musical in the technical sense of breaking into song and dance, the music and the voice of deejay Wolfman Jack play an…
Star Trek: 1974 to 1987 – The Wait
I boldly waited for more Star Trek. Having discovered the series in the early 70s as a child, it became a large part of my life. I loved my weekly forays with the Enterprise. Every week they were there. Sometimes more than once a week. But then there were no new episodes. I needed more…
Reelies 2016 – Winners!
Here it is, folks! The long-awaited announcement of the 2016 Reelie award winners! As you may have noticed during the voting rounds, we did things a little bit differently this year. For one thing, we focused only on Canadian television, rather than television and film. As well, there was only one round of voting…
