The V/H/S/ series is a fairly reliable found-footage anthology franchise that has its hits and misses, and this time out is no different. A wrap-around narrative loosely connects four other stories that show up on video throughout the main plot line. The wrap-around story I found really interesting (tracking issues and all) until its final…
Hill Street Blues (1982) – Domestic Beef, and Heat Rash
Frank Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti) has his hands full this week in Domestic Beef. Written by Anthony Yerkovich, Jeffrey Lewis and Michael Wagner, it first debuted on 7 October, 1982. Furillo is involved in a review board for Captain Lou Hogan (Robert Hogan), whose precinct has been accused of a number of dirty cops. Furillo…
Taken 2 (2012) – Olivier Megaton
Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, a man with a specific set of skills, in Taken 2. Picking up shortly after the events of the first film which saw him rescue his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace) from traffickers, Mills, his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), and Kim find themselves targeted by the deceased’s father, Murad (Rade…
The Equalizer (1985) – Desperately, and Reign of Terror
Robert McCall (Edward Woodward) is feeling a little under the weather, but there’s always someone who needs help, desperately. Written by Charles Grant Craig, this episode first debuted on 4 December, 1985. A bored and neglected housewife, Alison Webster (Blanche Baker) heads into the city one day to spend it with her friend, Samantha (Tovah…
The Expanse (2017) – The Seventh Man, and Pyre
While Mars and Earth teeter on the brink of war, Anderson Dawes (Jared Harris) reminds the OPA that it’s the best place for the Belters to keep them. At the same time, Draper (Frankie Adams) begins to recall what really happened during the attack on Ganymede, remembering that the UN forces weren’t firing on her…
Star Trek: Picard – Second Self (2022) – Una McCormack
Simon & Schuster tapped author Una McCormack to deliver a second Star Trek Picard tale and this time she lets the reader join Raffi Musiker on a diplomatic mission with a secret agenda to bring a war criminal to justice. Set after the events of Picard: Season One and following on the heels of the…
The Equalizer (1985) – Mama’s Boy, and Bump and Run
Christine Baranski is denied a chance to shine in Mama’s Boy when the narrative shifts to include her ex-husband, Gilbert (Jim Dale) as Victoria (Baranski) turns to Robert McCall (Edward Woodward) for help when her son is on the verge of becoming a drug dealer. And hey look! There’s Alex Winter in a bit part…
Star Trek: Discovery – Season Four (2022) Blu-Ray Review
Paramount Pictures invites back out to the final frontier with their Blu-ray release of Star Trek: Discovery – Season Four. The series and the characters have really found their groove, and the season arc this time around feels like classic Trek; there is fear of the unknown, there is the desire to strike out at…
Empire Records (1995) – Allan Moyle
Empire Records was one of those films that gained cult status in the video store I worked in when the film was released to, yup, VHS. My staff loved it, and it would go into high rotation as something played in the store. Set in a music store, the film is set over the course…
V/H/S: Viral (2014) – Marcel Sarmiento, Gregg Bishop, Nacho Vigalondo, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, and Todd Lincoln
The anthology horror series, V/H/S is a bit hit and miss, but the great thing about anthology films is if you don’t like one story, just hold on and see what comes along next. The third entry in the series is no different, there are some that could have been executed a little better, some…
The Mind Reels 