The third novel featuring FBI agent Pendergast is set, once again, in New York. It’s been a number of years since the journey into the sublevels of the Big Apple, but a curious discovery has drawn Pendergast back to the city. A charnel house has been discovered while the foundation of a new building…
Author: TD Rideout
The Rockford Files (1978) – The Jersey Bounce and White On White And Nearly Perfect
Jim’s (James Garner) fifth season finds him in more and more trouble. First up is The Jersey Bounce, which aired 6 October, 1978 which was put together by Cannell, Juanita Bartlett and David Chase. The phone gag features a fun call from Angel (Stuart Margolin). It seems Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.) is having trouble…
The Maltese Falcon (1941) – John Huston
Humphrey Bogart stars in this classic film noir that is the first recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of The Big Sleep. Dashiel Hammett’s book comes to life under the direction of John Huston, who also penned the adapted screenplay, with gumshoe Sam Spade (Bogart) finding…
The Big Sleep (1946) – Howard Hawks
The first title in the Crime and Thriller chapter of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book is this wonderful classic based on Raymond Chandler’s book, adapted by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman, it is directed by Howard Hawks and features Humphrey Bogart as Chandler’s hardboiled detective Phillip Marlowe. The…
Doctor Who (Patrick Troughton) – The Krotons
The next journey of the TARDIS is this four-part story written by Robert Holmes that ran from 28 December, 1968 to 18 January, 1969. The Doctor, Zoe (Wendy Padbury) and Jamie (Frazer Hines), find themselves on a planet inhabited by the Gond, who seem to be in some sort of slavery to machines known…
Kite (2014) – Ralph Ziman
Last week, Anchor Bay entertainment released Kite to DVD, directed by Ralph Ziman and starring India Eisley, Callan McAuliffe and Samuel L. Jackson, this action flick is based loosely on the Japanese anime of the same name. I love an action flick with a strong ass-kicking female in the lead, so I happily signed…
Magnum p.i. (1982) – The Elmo Ziller Story and Three Minus Two
Season two of Magnum p.i. comes to a close with the two episodes this week. First up is The Elmo Ziller Story, which aired 25 March, 1982, and was written by Robert Hamilton. Thomas (Tom Selleck) thinks Higgins (John Hillerman) is him on when he’s asked to protect Elmo Ziller, who looks exactly like…
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) – L. Frank Baum
While I was laid up in hospital a couple of weeks ago for my hernia operation, I decided I would read a children’s book that I had never looked at before. So my Kindle was happy to add the 15 Oz novels by L. Frank Baum to their library, and I had a look…
Frank (2014) – Lenny Abrahamson
Michael Fassbender is the titular Frank in this amusing and entertaining dark comedy that is being released to DVD and Blu-Ray today from Magnolia Home Entertainment. The film follows a young, would-be musician, Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), and how he becomes involved in a rather eccentric pop band that is fronted by Frank, who never…
The Rockford Files (1978) – Heartaches of a Fool and Rosendahl and Gilda Stern are Dead
Private investigator Jim Rockford (James Garner) is back as season five opens. The season premier was 22 September, 1978 and saw Jim’s dad, Rocky (Noah Beery jr.) in a bit of a trouble in this episode written by Cannell. And the first phone message of the year features a phone call from a person…
