Alex (Micheal J. Fox) is under a lot of stress with exams and scholarship applications and turns to amphetamines in Speed Trap. Written by Micheal J. Weithorn, this episode was first broadcast on 9 November, 1983. Alex approaches Mallory (Justine Bateman) about reaching out to one of her friends who has a prescription for them…
The Twisted Ones (2019) – T. Kingfisher
I absolutely loved Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places and immediately sought out her other horror novel, The Twisted Ones, and much like Places, this one didn’t disappoint. Filled with a sense of humor that is increasingly mixed with dread, this tale dives into folk horror, and leaves enough questions unanswered that the solutions your imagination creates,…
Batman (1967) – That Darn Catwoman, and Scat! Darn Catwoman
Robin (Burt Ward) falls to the dark side in That Darn Catwoman the first part of a two-parter that was written by Stanley Ralph Ross. The first part aired on 19 January, 1967. Catwoman (Julie Newmar) is back in Gotham, and this time she seems completely intent on taking down Batman (Adam West) and Robin….
World War Z (2013) – Marc Forster
I was reticent to watch World War Z when it was first released. Not because it was Brad Pitt, but because I knew there was no way to faithfully adapt and honor Max Brooks novel on which the film is based. So now, ten years later, I was finally ready for it. And while it…
Ed Wood (1994) – Tim Burton
I don’t think there’s another director that could have done a biopic on the eccentric, imaginative, and terrible director that was Ed Wood than Tim Burton. Burton’s love and use of miniatures, dark themes and humour, and his eye for casting. Leading the story on screen is Johnny Depp as Ed Wood. Depp has a…
Hill Street Blues (1985) – What Are Friends For?, and The Virgin and the Turkey
Norman Buntz (Dennis Franz) has a tough day on the hill, one that will shake him to his core, whether he admits it or not in What Are Friends For? With an original airdate of 5 December, 1985, this episode was written by Dick Wolf. Buntz and Rodriguez (Del Zamora) are running down a lead…
Dead Again (1991) – Kenneth Branagh
It’s been a couple of decades since I watched Branagh’s Hitchcockian romantic thriller, Dead Again. In fact, it had been so long that I completely forgot about the uncredited appearance by Robin Williams! But from its opening shots, and it’s driving and powerful score by Patrick Doyle, I was taken into the sweeping narrative. In…
Countdown to Fan Expo 2023
Fan Expo is right around the corner, and it’s something I haven’t attended since COVID hit, but this year, I’m going back. And I am excited. There are so many people I want to see and meet, and while the SAG-AFTRA strikes may prevent some discussions I still expect to have a damn good time…
Batman (1967) – The Zodiac Crimes, The Joker’s Hard Times, and The Penguin Declines
Stephen Kandel and Stanford Sherman deliver the teleplay from a story by Kandel for the series’ first three parter. Star Adam West says the three partners that were made were intended to be released theatrically overseas though this never happened. The first episode, The Zodiac Crimes, first aired on 11 January, 1967. The Joker (Cesar…
Family Ties (1983) – The Harder They Fall, This Year’s Model, and Not an Affair to Remember
Steven (Micheal Gross) and Elyse (Meredith Baxter) have a tough go of it with parent-teacher conferences when Elyse has a run-in with an incredibly rude teacher, Mr. Tedesco (Edward Edwards). Written by Rich Reinhart, The Harder They Fall, debuted on 19 October, 1983. Elyse has an interaction with Tedesco that leaves her less than thrilled….
The Mind Reels 