The Last Laugh (1924) – F.W. Murnau

I return to DK Books’ The Movie Book to explore the What Else to Watch list following their recommendation of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The silent film follows the story of a Hotel Doorman (Emil Jannings). He is a man who takes pride in his work, looks good in his uniform, and feels good…

Home Alone (1990 ) – Chris Columbus

I return to the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book and venture back into the family genre. And despite the fact that it’s May, it’s apparently time for a Christmas movie. I’m a little bit divided on this one. It has so much working for it. It’s written and produced by John Hughes,…

Doctor Who (David Tennant) – Smith and Jones, and The Shakespeare Code

A new companion, Martha Jones (Freema Agyemam), a medical student working in a hospital finds herself joining the Doctor (Tennant) in the TARDIS this week. Smith and Jones was written by Russell T. Davies and originally aired on 31 March, 2007. Martha and the Doctor discover that the hospital they are in has been transported…

The Hands of Orlac (1924) – Robert Wiene

The next film The Movie Book from Dk Books recommends is Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. This is a film I had previously reviewed so I checked out the Key Movies of his career as endorsed by this collection, and found, The Hands of Orlac. A silent film from 1924, this is an…

Quantum Leap (1993) – Memphis Melody and Mirror Image

Here we go, the last instalment of Quantum Leap. Sam’s last two leaps… that we know about. In Memphis Melody, set on 3 July, 1954, Sam (Scott Bakula) finds himself as The King himself, Elvis Presley. Written by Robin Bernheim, this episode allows us to see Sam sing one last time, with a couple of…

Star Trek: The Original Series (1968) – The Empath and Elaan of Troyius

Captain’s log: stardate 5121.5 The Empath is an interesting episode, written by Joyce Muskat and with an original airdate of 6 December, 1968, this one uses a bit of minimalist set design to give it an almost surreal feel. Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) find themselves trapped in…

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) – David Lean

Another recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of The Great Escape is this David Lean classic starring William Holden, Alec Guinness,  and Jack Hawkins. The film walked away with seven Academy Awards, taking home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Guinness), Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography,…

Broken Blossoms (1919) – D.W. Griffith

I continue to explore some of the key works of D.W. Griffith with DK Book’s The Movie Book, and this time I dive into a fascinating tale that is perhaps best told through the silent format that marked Griffith’s time. Be warned there is a lot of racism in this film. It’s in the title….

Alien: Covenant (2017) – Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott returns to the science fiction genre again and retreads things that have gone before in Alien: Covenant. The latest film in the seemingly indefatigable series connects the previous film, the divisive Prometheus with the first film in the series, 1979 Alien, both directed by Scott. And while I didn’t hate it, the film…