January 1975 got underway with a new adventure of the U.S.S. Enterprise courtesy of Gold Key Comics. Issue 28 featured a story by George Kashdan, and the continued art of Alberto Giolitti and a cover painting by George Wilson. The issue’s splash page shows McCoy and Spock under fire from Captain Kirk and Lt. Calder…
Author: TD Rideout
Get Smart (1967) – The Man From Yents, The Mummy, and The Girl From KAOS
Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) is given bodyguard duty when he’s assigned to protect an Arabian Prince (Walker Edmiston). He and 99 (Barbara Feldon), who goes undercover in the harem, pair up with Agent 498 (Alan Oppenheimer), from the YENTA agency (a little jab at the Man From UNCLE, which aired on a competing network.) Of…
The God of the Woods (2024) – Liz Moore
Damn this book is good. It had popped up into my feed as a recommendation, and after reading the blurb I was in. I’m not going to say much storywise beyond the blurb because it’s wonderful to see how the narrative plays out. I am going to say, I loved the way Moore crafted her…
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) – James Cameron
Fire and Ash is an experiential popcorn movie. It needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible, and while 3D has some detractors, it is used beautifully in this film. This is a movie-going experience. Having said that, I miss James Cameron’s early work, Aliens, The Abyss, The Terminator, and T2, even True Lies….
Stargate: Atlantis (2007) – Missing, and The Seer
Carl Binder pens Missing which first aired on 9 November, 2007. Keller (Jewel Staite) and Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) head out on a mission together to see the Teyla’s people, the Athosians, in their new home. Unfortunately, when they arrive they discover the colony is missing. The primary suspects are a warrior tribe known as the…
Star Trek: Ice Journey (1974)
The Enterprise traveled into more adventure in November, 1974 with issue 27 of Gold Key’s Star Trek comic. Ice Journey was written by John Warner and featured art by Alberto Giolitti, and featured another cover painting by George Wilson. The comic’s opening splash page shows Kirk and Spock in strange environmental suits on an ice…
Dial M for Murder (1954) – Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock pairs with writer Frederick Knott to bring his stage play, Dial M for Murder to the big screen in this captivating and thrilling adaptation. The film features a top-tier cast, the luminous Grace Kelly, Ray Milland, Robert Cummings and John Williams. Everyone has secrets in this engaging film. Kelly is Margot Wendice, a wealthy…
Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995) – Stephen Herek
I forgot how much I loved this film. This was one of my go-tos in the mid-90s. It was a film I recommended constantly, one I played in the store, and loved Richard Dreyfuss’ performance as the titular Mr. Holland. An ode to teachers, the film follows Mr, Holland, as he takes a teaching position…
Smallville (2002) – Redux, and Lineage
Redux first aired on 29 October, 2002 and was written by Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner. There’s lots going on in this episode! It seems a number of Smallville High students are aging rapidly. What’s causing that? And if Clark (Tom Welling) didn’t have his hands full with that, there’s more trouble at the school….
Presence (2024) – Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh is a director that likes to take chances and experiment with his craft, and Presence may be his best example of that to date. It surely won’t appeal to everyone, but there is a masterful hand at work here as the film tells its own style of ghost story. From it’s opening title…
