This week’s journey where no one has gone before is an epic novel that combines adventures with the crew of James T. Kirk’s Enterprise, with those of Jean-Luc Picard’s tying it in with the life of Zefram Cochrane, and the efforts of one of Colonel Green’s cadre, Colonel Thorsen. With a wrap-around story that takes…
Author: TD Rideout
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) – Agatha Christie
This week’s Agatha Christie isn’t quite the romp of the previous entry, but like all her tales, is wonderfully engaging and entertaining as she weaves a tale of murder, secret marriages, servants, doctors, drugs, wayward sons, and hidden secrets and truths. And in the middle of it all, Hercule Poirot. This one is a bit…
Millennium (1996) – 5-2-2-6-6-6, and Kingdom Come
Writers James Wong and Glen Morgan pit Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) and the Millennium Group against a serial bomber in 5-2-2-6-6-6 (which entered into a phone pad spells K-A-B-O-O-M), which first aired on 22 November, 1996. Raymond Dees (Joe Chrest) is a bomber, there is sexual transference involved, as well as the desire to be…
A Good Day To Die Hard (2013) – John Moore
Bruce Willis returns for a fifth time as New York cop John McClane in an instalment which I desperately hope isn’t the final one in the series because it’s so abysmally bad and you don’t want a series like this to go out on a bad note. Directed by John Moore (who’s past films didn’t…
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) – Renny Harlin
The Long Kiss Goodnight should be better than it is. It’s got quite the pedigree. Director Renny Harlin had given us Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, and a solid entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street series with The Dream Master. There’s a score by Alan Silvestri, a script by Shane Black (who is damned reliable…
M*A*S*H (1973) – Divided We Stand, 5 O’Clock Charlie, and Radar’s Report
Season two of M*A*S*H launched on 15 September, 1973 with Divided We Stand. Written by Larry Gelbart, who developed the series for television, the episode serves as a bit of a second pilot to introduce new viewers to the characters and bring every one up to speed. In Seoul, General Clayton (Herb Voland) is worried…
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) – Len Wiseman
Except for one blatantly over the top moment that completely destroys credulity, the fourth entry in the Die Hard series is pretty damned solid entertainment. Bruce Willis returns (without his hair) for a fourth time as NYPD John McClane who gets swept up in what appears to be a techo-terrorism plot to bring down as…
The X-Files (1996) – Sanguinarium, and Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man
Valerie Mayhew and Vivian Mayhew pen Sanguinarium,an episode that combines witchcraft and dark magics against the backdrop of a cosmetic surgery clinic. First airing on 10 November, 1996, this episode sees agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) called in to investigate a violent death during a run of the mill plastic surgery operation,…
Chuck (2012) – Versus the Kept Man, Versus Bo
Gertrude Verbanski (Carrie-Anne Moss) returns to court Casey (Adam Baldwin) in this episode while Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) worries she’s pregnant, Chuck (Zachary Levi) worries about Carmicheal Industries, and Lester (Vik Sahay) and Jeff (Scott Krinsky) begin their own investigation into the strange happenings in the BuyMore. Chuck Versus the Kept Man was written by Craig…
Star Wars: Prophets of the Dark Side (1993) – Paul Davids and Hollace Davids
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… The young adult/tween series christened The Jedi Prince comes to a conclusion with its sixth book this week, that sees the culmination of the Alliance’s conflict with Kadaan the Dark Side Prophet who has installed himself as the new Emperor after doing away with the…
