Here we go, the last instalment of Quantum Leap. Sam’s last two leaps… that we know about. In Memphis Melody, set on 3 July, 1954, Sam (Scott Bakula) finds himself as The King himself, Elvis Presley. Written by Robin Bernheim, this episode allows us to see Sam sing one last time, with a couple of…
Author: TD Rideout
Star Trek: The Original Series (1968) – The Empath and Elaan of Troyius
Captain’s log: stardate 5121.5 The Empath is an interesting episode, written by Joyce Muskat and with an original airdate of 6 December, 1968, this one uses a bit of minimalist set design to give it an almost surreal feel. Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) find themselves trapped in…
Star Trek: Dwellers in the Crucible (1985) – Margaret Wander Bonanno
Before Star Trek V: The Final Frontier came along four years later with the concept of the Planet of Galactic Peace, Margaret Wander Bonanno presented a similar idea in her non-canon Star Trek novel, Dwellers in the Crucible, which finds its way onto the Book Shelf this week. Set before the events of Star Trek…
The Twilight Zone (1961) – The Silence, Shadow Play, and The Mind and the Matter
It’s time to delve into the dark corners of The Zone, as I continue my exploration of Paramount Picture’s The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series on blu-ray. First up this week is The Silence. Written by series creator, Rod Serling, this episode had its premiere on 28 April, 1961. Jamie Tennyson (Liam Sullivan) is a…
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) – David Lean
Another recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of The Great Escape is this David Lean classic starring William Holden, Alec Guinness, and Jack Hawkins. The film walked away with seven Academy Awards, taking home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Guinness), Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography,…
Broken Blossoms (1919) – D.W. Griffith
I continue to explore some of the key works of D.W. Griffith with DK Book’s The Movie Book, and this time I dive into a fascinating tale that is perhaps best told through the silent format that marked Griffith’s time. Be warned there is a lot of racism in this film. It’s in the title….
Injustice 2
I’m a part-time gamer, I can go for months without using my PS4 as anything but a blu-ray player or for Neflix. And then, when the mood strikes, I will play games solidly for a couple of months. That being said, I’ve never been a fan of fighting games, they seem unnecessarily brutal and mindless….
Alien: Covenant (2017) – Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott returns to the science fiction genre again and retreads things that have gone before in Alien: Covenant. The latest film in the seemingly indefatigable series connects the previous film, the divisive Prometheus with the first film in the series, 1979 Alien, both directed by Scott. And while I didn’t hate it, the film…
Doctor Who (David Tennant) – Doomsday and The Runaway Bride
It’s time. The second series of the reinvigorated Doctor Who comes to a close this week, as things pick up exactly where the previous episode ended. Doomsday aired on 8 July, 2006 and was penned by showrunner Russell T. Davies. The Doctor (Tennant) and Rose (Billie Piper) find themselves in what will become known as…
Stalag 17 (1953) – Billy Wilder
This is a film I had been eager to see, and was glad to see it come up under the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book as a recommendation following my viewing of The Great Escape. My eagerness to see it was twofold, I like Billy Wilder’s work, and Stalag 17 is the…
