Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – The Impossible Astronaut, and Day of the Moon

Astronauts, the Silence, the Doctor’s (Smith) death, and some tons of temporal shenanigans launch the sixth series of Doctor Who with The Impossible Astronaut. The episode was written by Steven Moffat and first aired on 23 April, 2011. The Doctor after showing off in history to attract the attention of The Ponds, invites Amy (Karen…

Thor: Ragnarok (2017) – Taika Waititi

Marvel and Disney unveil their latest foray into the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) with a new instalment in the Thor series. It’s loud, it’s fun, but lacking a bit of an emotional punch in its final act. This time out Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been out travelling the cosmos, leaving both Earth and Asgard behind….

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) – John Hughes

Paramount Pictures, in time for both Canadian and American Thanksgivings, released the 30th Anniversary edition of the John Hughes classic, Planes, Trains & Automobiles. John Candy and Steve Martin portray Del Griffith and Neal Page respectively; two travellers thrown together as they try to find their way home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. Watching circumstance after…

The Godfather (1972) – Francis Ford Coppola

A cinematic classic. A masterpiece. A gold standard in film. All of these descriptions suit Coppola’s adaptation of Mario Puzo’s epic novel, The Godfather, perfectly, and it is my next stop in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book as I return to the Thriller genre. Having said all of the above it…

Fantasia (1940) – James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe jr., Norman Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, and Ben Sharpsteen

After Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney’s Fantasia, from 1940, was quite possibly the studio’s riskiest and definitely their most experimental film. Before 1938, the idea of animated feature was unheard of. The thought that a story could be created, and cartoon characters could be involving enough to carry an entire full length film…

Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – The Big Bang and, A Christmas Carol

The fifth series of the relaunched Doctor Who comes to a close this week with The Big Bang. Penned by Steven Moffat, this episode is the conclusion of the season long arc featuring the cracks in space-time as well the resolution of the Pandorica cliffhanger from last week. The episode first aired on 26 June,…