Frank Oz directs this uproariously funny film that puts the ‘fun’ in funeral, and amps up the hilarity by setting it in England. There’s just something horrendously funny about things going wrong around Brits, as they try to maintain some manner of decorum, dignity and civility. Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) is mourning the loss of his…
Author: TD Rideout
Stargate: Atlantis (2006) – Inferno, and Allies
The penultimate episode of season two finds Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and his team discovering that some new possible allies not only have ancient tech, they may have an ancient warship. Inferno was written by Carl Binder and debuted on 3 March, 2006. While McKay (David Hewlett) helps Norina (Brandy Ledford) with the planetary defense shield,…
Get Smart (1965) – Our Man in Leotards, Too Many Chiefs, and My Nephew the Spy
Dick Donner directs another episode of Get Smart – Our Man in Leotards. With an original airdate of 20 November, 1965 the story was written by Mel Brooks and Gary Belkin. It seems a new drug is being held by CONTROL, one that paralyzes its victim. There is a plan to use it against the…
Double or Die (2007) – Charlie Higson
Charlie Higson delivers another exciting Young James Bond story. But I have to say, his youth seemed pretty adventure-filled. So much so that you have to wonder if he was bored being 007. This one is a bit different, with more clues and intellect involved. The past two adventures saw young Bond going after baddies,…
Stargate SG-1 (2006) – Crusade, and Camelot
Vala (Claudia Black) is back. Kind of. As we dive into the penultimate episode of season nine. Crusade was written by Robert C. Cooper (he also directed it) and it first aired on 3 March, 2006. Remember the stones that allowed Daniel (Michael Shanks) and Vala to inhabit bodies in the galaxy that the Ori…
The Naked Gun 2 1/2 – The Smell of Fear (1991) – David Zucker
Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) and the members of his Police Squad! are working in Washington and soon finds himself embroiled in another case. And encountering Jane (Priscilla Presley), who backed out of their relationship after the end of the first movie. Once again, Jane is involved with the baddies. This time around, it’s Quentin Hapsburg…
Jaws 50th Anniversary
What a great way to begin and end my TIFF experience this year. Even as TIFF celebrates its 50th year, so does my favourite movie of all time, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. I’ve told the story countless times of how it was my first ever film experience. I’ve seen this movie more times than any others…
The House of Fear (1945) – Roy William Neill
Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back for their tenth outing together in The House of Fear. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Five Orange Pips, this one leans into using the Universal Monsters sets and, consequently has a very gothic feel to it. When a gathering of gentlemen, known as the…
Smallville (2001) – Pilot, and Metamorphosis
The Superman mythos got the teen drama remix with Smallville. Perfectly cast and solidly scripted, the series ran for ten seasons, and while I did enjoy it, I never got past season five originally. We’re going to fix that this time out. The show launched with its Pilot on 16 October, 2001. Written by Alfred…
Star Trek: The Planet of No Return (1967)
I always love my Trek, but there are times when I just cannot get enough of it. I’ve been listening to the scores, whistling Fred Steiner, watching Strange New Worlds, revisiting The Original Series, digging back into the novels, and it struck me… I haven’t really done much on the blog with the comics. So…
The Mind Reels 