William B. Davis, the Cigarette Smoking Man himself, pens En Ami, which pairs CSM with Scully (Gillian Anderson) in this episode that first debuted on 19 March, 2000. CSM approaches Scully after she and Mulder (David Duchovny) both recieve information about a supposed miraculous healing of a young boy who was suffering from cancer, but…
Author: TD Rideout
Mission: Impossible (1969) – The Test Case, and The System
Rollin (Martin Landau) puts his life on the line, when the IMF accepts a mission in an Eastern Bloc country, in order to stop a scientist from weaponising a deadly virus. The Test Case was written by Laurence Heath, and first debuted on 19 January, 1969. Phelps (Peter Graves), Barney (Greg Morris), Cinnamon (Barbara Bain)…
Black Order (2006) – James Rollins
Sigma Force is back in their bext adventure from author James Rollins, who once again combines high adventure, with science, technology, and little known corners of history to deliver another rollicking adventure. This time out, both Painter and Gray find themselves out in the field and caught up in the action in a tale that…
Battlestar Galactica 9: Experiment in Terra (1984) – Ron Goulart and Glen A. Larson
This week, I dive into another Galactica adaptation. Not coming out until 1984, years after the show was cancelled, this novel adapts a pair of episodes, Baltar’s Escape and Experiment in Terra (which on retrospect feels like a trial run for the Bellasario created Quantum Leap). This time out there are no Adama’s Journals or…
The X-Files (2000) – First Person Shooter, and Theef
William Gibson and Tom Maddox pen First Person Shooter, an episode which first aired on 27 February, 2000.There are some elements of sexism and toxic masculinity throughout this story, because it has permeated the game culture that is at the episode’s heart. When a young man dies while playing an immersive First Person Shooter, evidence…
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) – Mike Newell
The fourth entry in the Harry Potter franchise is the first to get itself a PG-13 rating, reflecting the fact tht the stories themselves are getting darker, and dealing with heavier subjects. It also sees a new director behind the camera, Mike Newell, who continues the world-building of the series, embracing the visual aesthetic that…
Stakeout (1987) – John Badham
Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez star in this buddy cop action comedy, that sees the mustachioed pair drawing a stakeout assignment, which is going to get a lot more personal than one of them had planned. Slightly goofy, but with a sense of fun, Stakeout directed by John Badham sees Chris (Dreyfuss) and Bill (Estevez)…
M*A*S*H (1977) – The Winchester Tapes, The Light That Failed, and In Love and War
James Fritzell and Evertt Greenbaum give us another slice of life episode with The Winchester Tapes, which first debuted on 18 October, 1977. Winchester (David Ogden Stiers) is still having trouble settling into things at the 4077th, and is recording tapes to send home to his parents that not only illustrate his life in the…
The Color Out of Space (2019) – Richard Stanley
Last week I watched a 2010 German adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s famouns short story, this week, I take a look at the 2019 version starring Nicolas Cage. Directed by Richard Stanley, who delivered the infamous The Island of Dr. Moreau with Brando and Kilmer, this version differs from the German version, but its essence is…
The X-Files (2000) – Closure, and X-Cops
This episode tells us, in its opening credits to “believe to understand” instead of the usual “the truth is out there” as we dive into the conclusion of a two-parter which finally gives some resolution to Mulder (David Duchovny) in regards to his sister’s abduction. Written by series creator Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, this…
The Mind Reels 