A couple of years before Top Gun put us in the pilot seat of the F-14 Tomcat, The Final Countdown had the full cooperation of the U.S. Navy and delivered some stunning aerial photography in this classic time travel film. Boasting performances by Martin Sheen, Kirk Douglas, James Farentino, Katharine Ross and Charles Durning, I…
Batman (1967) – The Joker’s Last Laugh, and The Joker’s Epitaph
The Joker (Cesar Romero) is back, and he’s ready to cause more problems for Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) in this two-part episode. The first one, The Joker’s Last Laugh, first aired on 15 February, 1967 and was written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. from a story by Peter Rabe. It seems the wealthy…
Family Ties (1983/1984) – A Keaton Christmas Carol, To Snatch a Keith, and Birthday Boy
Alex (Micheal J. Fox) gets the whole Scrooge treatment in A Keaton Christmas Carol. Written by Rich Reinhart from a story by Robert Caplain, it first aired on 14 Decemeber, 1983. Alex is less than thrilled with the arrival of the holiday season while the rest of the Keaton family engages in festive traditions. He…
Star Trek: Prodigy – Escape Route (2023) – Cassandra Rose Clarke
The Protostar is gone, and its young crew, Dal, Gwyn, Rok, Murf, Jankom and Zero are in a lone shuttlecraft making its way slowly to Earth in the new young readers adventure from Cassandra Rose Clarke and released by Simon & Schuster. Set during the season one finale, Supernova, the crew are travelling to Earth…
High Time to Kill (1999) – Raymond Benson
007 is back. It’s been awhile since I’ve delved into a James Bond story, and it was definitely becoming an itch that needed to be scratched, so I happily dove into the next novel in the series, Raymond Benson’s High Time to Kill from 1999. The story finds Bond pursuing a relationship with his personal…
Batman (1967) – Batman’s Anniversary, and A Riddling Controversy
The Riddler is back, but with Frank Gorshin still in contract negotiations, they recast him… with John Astin. And as much as I love Astin and his style, his look and his delivery, he simply can’t compare to Gorshin’s manic delivery. I’m all for Astin making a guest appearance in the series, but maybe they…
Fan Expo – Day 4
And just like that it’s somehow the final day of Fan Expo 2023 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. I have to say, I loved diving into the convention this year, connecting with so many fans and having great conversations about the things we love and the things that unite us in that love. I…
Timecop (1994) – Peter Hyams
Director Peter Hyams pairs up with Jean-Claude Van Damme in this big-screen adaptation of the Dark Horse comic. Co-starring Ron Silver, Mia Sara, Gloria Reuben and one of my favourite character actors, Bruce McGill, this is probably the Van Damme film I enjoy the most. Max Walker (Van Damme) is a street cop who’s just…
Deep Blue Sea (1999) – Renny Harlin
This one is for my friend Lindsay, who insists this is a better shark movie than Jaws, and yet it can’t help but make a number of references to it, not the least of which is a familiar-looking licence plate. Director Renny Harlin does, for the most part, deliver a fairly solid thriller though even…
Fan Expo 2023 – Day 3
Saturdays at Fan Expo at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre are always packed, busy, and filled to the brim with a variety of fandoms, a number of people come for the one day only, and it is an experience. Since, Covid, I’ve been a little anxious with large crowds, but was willing to see if…
The Mind Reels 