Michael J. Weithorn wrote Summer of ’82 which first debuted on 27 October, 1982. Alex (Micheal J. Fox) is working his job at the local grocery store, Adler’s Grocery, and doing deliveries with Jennifer (Tina Yothers) when he meets Stephanie (Amy Steel) and loses his heart. But it’s not only his heart he loses when…
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Ultimate Visual History (2017) – Michael Klastorin
I remember the first time I watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It was 1984, it was my 13th birthday, I had read the fotonovel from the school library, was fascinated by the subject matter (I still am), and though I had seen the rubber toys in grocery stores when the film came out,…
Hidden Pictures (2022) – Jason Rekulak
Jason Rekulak delivers a wonderfully creepy ghost story with Hidden Pictures. Filled with familiar ideas and tropes, Rekulak keeps it fresh with his engaging story, delightfully layered characters and the drawings that fill the novel. Mallory is fresh from rehab, she’s trying to get her life together, and with some help she lands a summer…
Batman (1966) – The Spell of Tut, and Tut’s Case is Shut
King Tut (Victor Buono) is back, it seems that the academic recovery restored in his previous appearance didn’t take, and he’s back with a dangerous new plan. Written by Robert C. Dennis and Earl Barret, this first part of the two-part story first aired on 28 September, 1966. He’s focused on stealing some amber jewels…
M3GAN (2022) – Gerard Johnstone
So I finally took a look at the Blumhouse horror M3GAN, and was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed a couple of the themes at work in it, the actual need for physical interaction, to get away from apps, screens and interact with those around you. Sure, the climax, and scenes leading up to it, go a…
The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) – Frank Oz
Growing up, and even now, my love for the Muppets has never faltered, and while I treasure my memories of The Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie, and The Great Muppet Caper, I have no real recall of The Muppets Take Manhattan. I saw it only once, when it came to home video, and I don’t…
Hill Street Blues (1985) – Washington Deceased, and Passage to Libya
It’s Belker’s (Bruce Weitz) thirty-seventh birthday (and gets a nice surprise by episode’s end), the police bowling league is playing, and some new directives from headquarters about officers being responsible for reimbursing phonecalls and vehicle conditions stir up a hornets’ nest in Washington Deceased. Written by Frank South, this episode was first broadcast on 7…
Ghost Rider (2007) – Mark Steven Johnson
Ghost Rider has always been a cool character to me. Someone stuck in a horrific world filled with supernatural beings and violence, demons and angels, not to mention your common criminal, all coming from one man making a choice based on keeping those he loved safe. As a kid, I thought the character just looked…
Batman (1966) – The Minstrel’s Shakedown, and Barbecued Batman?
Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) encounter an all-new villain when The Minstrel (Van Johnson) arrives in town. A talented singer and an electronic genius, he leans his talents toward villainy! This two-parter was written by Francis M. Cockrell and Marian B. Cockrell, with the first instalment, The Minitrel’s Shakedown, first airing on 21…
Family Ties (1982) – Pilot, Not with My Sister You Don’t, and I Know Jennifer’s Boyfriend
Family Ties premiered on 22 September, 1982. The pilot was written by series creator Gary David Goldberg and introduced us to the Keaton family. There’s patriarch, a former hippie, who manages a public television station Steven (Michael Gross), fellow hippie, and architect, Elyse (Meredith Baxter), son, and young Republican, Alex (Micheal J. Fox), popular but…
The Mind Reels 