Captain’s log: 12 September, 2152 David A. Goodman pens the teleplay for this episode from a story by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired on 11 December, 2002. Trip (Connor Trinneer) is at the centre of the story when the Enterprise comes to the aid of a pair of aliens and their mysterious…
Author: TD Rideout
Shogun (1980) – Disc 3
I dive into disc three of the DVD release of Shogun this week which marries the conclusion of the third episode, originally broadcast on 17 September, 1980, and the fourth episode, which aired on 18 September, 1980. James Clavell’s novel, adapted by Eric Bercovici continues to explore feudal Japan through the transplanted Blackthorne (Richard Chamberlain)…
Redemption Ark (2002) -Alastair Reynolds
I return to the universe of Alastair Reynold’s space opera this week, with a story that ties directly into Revelation Space, though it also ties into the expanded universe as glimpsed in Chasm City. The Inhibitors are back, they are an ancient mechanical race that prunes back intelligent life, stopping them when they venture too…
Star Trek: Doctor’s Orders (1990) – Diane Duane
Doctor McCoy has to take over the center seat in the next Pocket Books Star Trek novel I dug into, Doctor’s Orders. Set during the original five year mission, the Enterprise has come to a remote planet known by the nickname, Flyspeck. There the crew learn of three different sentient species sharing the beautiful and…
Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – Singularity, and Vanishing Point
Captain’s log: 14 August, 2152 Singularity was written by Chris Black, and first debuted on 20 November, 2002. As the Enterprise approaches a black hole, the crew appears to descend into a form of madness as each of them becomes obsessed with seemingly trivial matters. T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) who remains largely unaffected, must find a…
Dizzy Detectives (1943) – Jules White
I have always enjoyed the Three Stooges shorts. There’s not a time in my memory when they didn’t make me laugh out loud. I can remember Sunday mornings spent watching the marathon on television, or going to the base theatre in Borden to watch collections growing up. So when I saw that they were the…
Love Actually (2003) – Richard Curtis
The most painful title to admit to liking on a list I’m working on in Ten Bad Dates With De Niro is the saccharine sweet Love Actually from writer/director Richard Curtis. Telling a plethora of love stories, the film features a stellar cast of top-notch British actors, and that alone makes the film worth a…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2012) – Tipping Points, The Gathering, and A Test of Strength
“Disobedience is a demand for change.” The Onderon arc which opened the storyline for the fifth season of The Clone Wars comes to its conclusion this week in an episode written by Chris Collins. It first debuted on 27 October, 2012. A full scale battle erupts on Onderon as the people elect to fight back…
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) – Guy Hamilton
Roger Moore’s sophomore effort as Ian Fleming’s British Secret Service agent, James Bond, 007 is a a bit of a mixed bag. Moore’s iteration of the character is still trying to find it’s groove, and its style, sometimes descending into camp, while still celebrating what makes a Bond film work – action sequences, dazzling locations,…
Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – The Seventh, and The Communicator
Captain’s log: date unknown Brannon Braga and Rick Berman pen the first episode up this week. Debuting on 6 November, 2002, this Arher (Scott Bakula)/T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) story that ends up being a bit of a thriller. The pair engage in the pursuit of a Vulcan fugitive, Menos (Bruce Davidson), who one eluded capture by…
Shogun (1980) – Disc 2
The epic mini-series adaptation of James Clavell’s novel (he also served as one of the show’s producers), Shogun continues this week, as I dive into disc two, which includes episode two and parts of episode three which originally aired on the 16th and 17th September, 1980, following the airing of the three hour premiere on…
Star Trek: The Pandora Principle (1990) – Carolyn Clowes
This week’s Star Trek book from Pocket Books was a story that I didn’t realize I needed. It’s set between the events of The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan during the second five year mission. We learn the backstory for Spock’s protégé Saavik, and how she was saved from a planet known as…
