Mick Belker (Bruce Weitz) has a rough go of it in The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall and deals out some police brutality in vengeance which may or may not haunt the character, but definitely haunted me the viewer. Written by Jacob Epstein from a story by Michael I. Wagner, this episode was…
Author: TD Rideout
Shadow in the Cloud (2020) – Roseanne Liang
Shadow in the Cloud starring Chloe Grace Moretz is a wonderfully over-the-top nod to female pilots in World War II as well as nods to The Twilight Zone (specifically ‘Nightmare at 20,000 Feet’), John Carpenter (the film’s score feels like Carpenter through and through) and allows Moretz to get her Ripley on. Boarding a B-17…
Batman (1966) – The Curse of Tut, and Pharaoh’s in a Rut
Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) tangle with the villainous King Tut (Victor Buono) in The Curse of Tut. Written by Robert C. Dennis and Earl Barret, this episode first aired on 13 April, 1966. This villain was the first created for the series, and he’s a fun addition to the Rogues’ Gallery. Tut…
Wonderfalls (2004) – Barrel Bear, and Lovesick Ass
Jaye (Caroline Dhavernas) and Mahandra (Tracie Thoms) find themselves on opposite sides of an argument over Niagara legend and history in Barrel Bear. Written by Tim Minear and Bryan Fuller this episode was never aired which is too bad, because it’s damned funny, and features two fantastic guest stars, Louise Fletcher and Rue McClanahan. Jaye…
The Kaiju Preservation Society (2022) – John Scalzi
John Scalzi knows how to tell a great story, and he proves it with The Kaiju Preservation Society, which is a thunderously enjoyable tale that gives us a fun and unique look at the horror/science fiction subgenre that is populated with stories of kaiju. Throwing nods to classic kaiju like Godzilla and newer ones like…
Batman (1966) – The Joker Trumps an Ace, and Batman Sets the Pace
The Joker (Cesar Romero) in The Joker Trumps an Ace. Written by Francis M. Cockrell and Marian B. Cockrell this episode was first broadcast on 6 April, 1966. The Joker is on a strange crime wave, and he’s doing a lot of it with mirrors, enough so to even baffle Batman (Adam West) and Robin…
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) – 4K Review
I was delightfully surprised by Paramount Pictures Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Things, but if I had known that John Francis Daley was involved, I wouldn’t have been. Daley has been a delight since I came across him in Freaks and Geeks, and whether in front of or behind the camera, he’s always fantastic (check…
Kung Fu Hustle (2004) – Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow not only directed Kung Fu Hustle, but he starred in it and had a hand in the script. And what he delivers is a wild action-comedy seasoned with some pop culture references as well as seeming to exist in a Warner Brothers cartoon. Set in 1940s China, the story follows a troubled man,…
Broadcast News (1987) – James L. Brooks
Holly Hunter is a treasure and she sparked in Broadcast News. She shines so wholly that she almost eclipses her co-stars Albert Brooks and William Hurt. James L. Brooks wrote and directed this Oscar-nominated film (seven of them, including best picture, actress, actor, supporting actor and didn’t take home one) that lets a love triangle…
Hill Street Blues (1984) – Fuched Again, and Low Blow
There’s trouble at the precinct and in Vegas with Fuched Again. Written by Jeffrey Lewis, David Milch, Mark Frost and Jacob Epstein from a story by Milch, Lewis and Steven Bochco this episode first aired on 22 November, 1984. While Belker (Brice Weitz) and a number of the guys are in Vegas, Furillo (Danel J….
The Mind Reels 