As we move back to the Romance and Melodrama genre in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, we get to revisit one of my favourite films (many people share that opinion, and who can blame them?!) – Casablanca. It came along at just the right time, had just the right cast,…
Author: TD Rideout
Fan Expo 2016: The Interviews
Sue and I had a great time at Fan Expo, and thanks to the fine folk at Vistek, who outfitted us (check out their rentals, and their store here in Toronto), we got some great images, and some wonderful interviews from the press day organised by Touchwood PR check them out below. First up we…
Doctor Who (Colin Baker) – The Twin Dilemma
Season 21 comes to a close this week with a new Doctor (Baker) in the TARDIS and a four part story penned by Anthony Steven that ran from 22 to 30 March, 1984. The tale finds the Doctor and Peri (Nicola Bryant) arrive on the planet Jaconda, where they come to the aid of…
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) – George Lucas
Remember, right back before the Phantom Menace came out, when anticipation was reaching a fever pitch? I miss that. Sure we had the wonderful build up to The Force Awakens, but the gap between films was no where near as long as it had been for those of us who had been invested in…
Quantum Leap (1989) – Catch a Falling Star and A Portrait for Troian
Sam (Scott Bakula) leaps into the body of Ray Hutton, the understudy in a musical production of Man of La Mancha in Catch a Falling Star. This episode was written by Paul Brown, aired on 6 December, 1989 and was directed by Bellisario, himself. This one introduced me to the musical of La Mancha, as…
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Part One and Two (2016) – Jack Thorne
******SPOILERS****** Ahh, it’s like coming home. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is now taking the London stage by storm! Based on a story by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, the book, published in script form, is a compilation of both shows, parts one and two are performed on opposite nights, and I…
Batman: The Animated Series (1998) – Torch Song, Love is a Croc, and The Ultimate Thrill
More trouble stalks the streets of Gotham this week in this trio of episodes. Up first is Torch Song, a former pyrotechnician, turns stalker and villain, in the form of Firefly (Mark Rolston). Airing on 13 June, 1998, Batman (Kevin Conroy) and Batgirl (Tara Strong) attempt to hunt down and stop Firefly, before he…
Dead Calm (1989) – Phillip Noyce
Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane take us on a high seas thrill ride filled with suspense in Phillip Noyce’s Dead Calm, the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. Clocking in at a tightly paced 93 minutes, this thriller captivates with a well-scripted story, and strong performances….
Howard the Duck (1986) – Willard Huyck
A long time before Marvel Entertainment got their act together to bring us one superhero extravaganza after another, George Lucas (the next stop on the journey through the Sci-Fi Chronicles book), served as executive producer on Willard Huyck’s terrible adaptation of Howard the Duck from the comic series. There are a couple of upsides…
Doctor Who (Peter Davison) – The Caves of Androzani
Peter Davison’s Doctor leaves the TARDIS this week, as he makes his last regular appearance and we get a regeneration in The Caves of Androzani, one of the most popular Doctor Who stories ever. Written by Robert Holmes and airing from 8 to 16 March, 1984, the Doctor and Peri (Nicola Bryant) arrive on…
