The Prisoner (1967) – It’s Your Funeral, and A Change of Mind

Number Six (Patrick McGoohan) finds himself ensnared in an assassination plot in It’s Your Funeral. Written by Michael Cramoy this episode was first broadcast on 8 December, 1967. There’s a new up and coming Number Two (Derren Nesbitt), he’s a bit of a heir apparent, and a different type of Number Two than we’ve seen,…

Mission: Impossible (1970) -Butterfly, and Decoy

Phelps (Peter Graves) and his IMF team (with Willy (Peter Lupus) back) head to Japan in Butterfly. Written by Eric Bercovici and Jerrold L. Ludwig from a story by Sheldon Stark, it first aired on 31 October, 1970. There’s some uncomfortable things that go on in this episode as the characters pose as various Japanese…

The Prisoner (1967) – Checkmate, and Hammer Into Anvil

Number Six (Patrick McGoohan) squares off against Number Two (this time played by Peter Wyngarde) in a layered scheme in Checkmate. Written by Gerald Kelsey, this episode first debuted on 24 November, 1967. Inspired by a life-sized chess game, Six begins canvassing his own pieces, fellow prisoners, as he’s reasoned out how to tell the…

The Matrix Resurrections (2021) – 4K Review

Warner Brothers has sent me back to The Matrix with a copy of their 4K version of The Matrix Resurrections, which is available today in wonderful physical media form of blu-ray and 4K disc. Like everything after the first film, released back in 1999, this installment is as divisive as Reloaded and Revolutions, but for…

The Sniper (1952) – Edward Dmytryk

I do enjoy a good film noir, and The Sniper is one I had never heard of, and quite happily dug into, contained as it was in a Film Noir Collection I had been gifted one holiday season. Despite some very sexist trappings, it was the 50s after all, there’s a really fascinating story here….

Hell House LLC (2015) – Stephen Cognetti

The found footage sub-genre of the horror realm can be hit or miss. You not only have to be willing to be swept up into the tale, and the reality it presents, it also has to be engaging enough to keep the viewer involved. Therefore it has to have an interesting story, and at the…

M*A*S*H (1980) – Goodbye, Cruel World, Dreams, and War Co-Respondent

Klinger (Jamie Farr) has enough, and almost makes a disastrous mistake while one of Hawkeye’s (Alan Alda) patients, Michael Yee (Clyde Kusatsu) is having some serious issues, and attempts to take his own life, necessitating a visit from Sidney (Allan Arbus) in Goodbye, Cruel World. Written by Thad Mumford and Dan Wilcox, this episode first…

Mimic (1997) – Guillermo del Toro

del Toro has long been a favorite director, so I thought it was time to go back and visit Mimic. The film has a bit of a sordid past, not the least of which is Weinstein’s involvement, who clashed constantly with del Toro. The director swore off the film, but was finally able to give…

The Prisoner (1967) – Many Happy Returns, and Dance of the Dead

Number Six (Patrick McGoohan) gets quite the birthday present in this episode written by Anthony Skene and directed by McGoohan (who apparently also had his hand in the script for this episode). It first aired on 12 November, 1967. When Six wakes up, the Village is deserted, there’s no power, no water, and no people….

Mission: Impossible (1970) – Flight, and My Friend, My Enemy

Hey look! Sam Elliott is in the title credits, Willy (Peter Lupus) is nowhere to be seen, and John Colicos is back as a guest star in Flight. Written by Harold Livingston from a story by Leigh Vance, this episode first premiered on 17 October, 1970. A coup is going to be attempted on a…