I have loved Star Trek: The Motion Picture since the first time I saw it in 1979. I remember the theatre I was in, I remember being swept up by the music and imagery, it blew my young little mind, and just made me love the characters, especially the Enterprise all the more. My fascination…
Star Trek: Picard (2023) – The Next Generation, and Disengage
Terry Matalas takes over as showrunner for season three of Picard and his season opener is a gorgeous blend of easter eggs, characters, stories, familiar music cues, and a bold new adventure. The first episode of the final season, The Next Generation, first aired on 16 February, 2023. Picard (Patrick Stewart) receives a coded message…
The Creator (2023) – Gareth Edwards
There’s a lot to like about The Creator, though it could be argued it’s a little too slow. There seems to be an intentional parallel between the battle between Artificial Intelligence and the Vietnam War, as the film sees America involved in a war with New Asia, not the people, but those they are harbouring,…
Talk to Me (2022) – Danny and Micheal Philippou
The Philippou brothers deliver a fantastic Australian horror film with Talk to Me, creepy, smart, layered, and relatable characters make this one to watch, and get freaked out over. Something is sweeping the social media of the kids in a town in Australia, parties built around a ritual involving an embalmed hand, candles, and ninety…
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 1: Water (2005) – The Warriors of Kyoshi, The King of Omashu, and Imprisoned
As Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), Katara (Mae Whitman) and Sokka (Jack De Sena) continue their journey towards the North Pole, Aang schedules another stop, at Kyoshi, so he can ride some elephant koi, but lingering causes problems for everyone. Written by Nick Mallis, this episode was first broadcast on 4 March, 2005. It seems the…
Confess, Fletch (2022) – Greg Mottola
I loved the 1985 Fletch adaptation starring Chevy Chase, and I’ve read a few of Gregory McDonald’s novels, and have been eager to see the iconic and laconic investigative reporter return to the screen. That journey has been long and arduous and has seen many creative people involved in trying to resurrect the character. Greg…
Family Ties (1985/1986) – How Do You Sleep?, You’ve Got a Friend, and Nothing But a Man
How Do You Sleep? gives us a cold opening, which is unusual for the show, and gives us Alex (Micheal J. Fox) suffering his sixth night of insomnia. Written by Marc Lawrence, this episode debuted on 12 December, 1985. Alex finds himself struggling, he’s exhausted but is also troubled and worried about all the things…
Star Trek: The Next Generation – Survivors (1989) – Jean Lorrah
The fourth novel in The Next Generation series from Pocket Books is set between the events Arsenal of Freedom and Skin of Evil and gives Tasha Yar more story time than she received in her only season on the show. It also fills out some of her backstory, and while nothing contradicts the established canon,…
Star Trek: Picard (2022) – Monsters, and Mercy
Monsters is probably my least favourite episode of Star Trek: Picard Season Two, and perhaps the whole series in general. It changes several things about Picard’s (Patrick Stewart) established past, though they can be argued the other way, the age of his mother, Yvette (Madeline Wise) when she died, there’s next to no mention of…
The Mind Reels 