The next mystery novel, The Sittaford Mystery aka Murder at Hazelmoor, from Agatha Christie didn’t feature any of her familiar characters, in fact it introduces us to a firebrand of a young woman named Emily, though she doesn’t enter the tale until a quarter way through. This time around, murder most foul strikes near Dartmoor,…
Whispers Under Ground (2012) – Ben Aaronovitch
The third book in what has become known as the Rivers of London series takes Peter Grant beneath London in the next volume of the urban fantasy series. Working a murder case, while still hunting down the Faceless Man and his students, Grant, alongside Lesley, who has now joined the Folly (where they work from)…
Millennium (1999) – Collateral Damage, and The Sound of Snow
MIchael R.Perry pens the first episode up this week, Collateral Damage, which first aired on 22 January, 1999. It features two familiar looking guest stars James Marsters, and Brendan Fehr. The story works to tie in the mythology of the Millennium Group by having the FBI called in to investigate the disappearance of a young…
Outland (1981) – Peter Hyams
Peter Hyams writes and directs this galactic update of the classic western, High Noon, that sees Sean Connery stepping into the Gary Cooper role of a lone marshall awaiting the arrival of men who are coming to kill him. With a visual look that seems to marry it with the universe of Alien (aided by…
48 Hrs. (1982) – Walter Hill
It has been a number of decades since I watched 48 Hrs. In fact I remember watching it on videotape after I had put some kid, who I was babysitting, to bed. Watching it now, in 2021, I was stunned at how harsh, homophobic and racist the film comes across as. It also has a…
M*A*S*H (1976) – Margaret’s Engagement, Out of Sight, Out of Mind, and Lt. Radar O’Reilly
Alan Alda directs the second episode of season five, Margaret’s Engagement, which was written by Gary Markowitz and first aired on 28 September, 1976. Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Swit) calls the 4077th while she’s attending a medical conference, and confides in Potter (Harry Morgan) that she has big news to share when she gets back to…
Full Metal Jacket (1987) – Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick’s look at the Vietnam War isn’t only a commentary on the war itself, but the dissolution of the self, and the soul of humanity to be replaced by an animal nature that restrains us a species and diminishes who we are. From the introduction to the Marine Corps on Parris Island, South Carolina,…
A Quiet Place Part II (2020) -4K Review
For those of you who may not have Amazon’s Prime streaming service, or like me, and love physical media, Paramount Pictures has released the much anticipated follow-up to the horror thriller A Quiet Place directed by John Krasinski. The sequel, A Quiet Place Part II, written and directed by Krasinski, is now available on 4K,…
The X-Files (1999) – S.R. 819, and Tithonus
John Shiban pens an episode that brushes up against the mythology episodes as it sees the return of Mulder’s (David Duchovny) ‘ally,’ Senator Matheson (Raymond J. Barry) and the villainous, Krycek (Nicholas Lea). First airing on 17 January, 1999, S.R. 819 sees Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) falling deathly ill after being infected with some strange virus….
Jungle Cruise (2021) – Jaume Collet-Serra
Disney’s latest film, is definitely an E-ticket ride to joy! Owing as much to the 1999 update of The Mummy and 1951’s The African Queen as it does the adventure serials of yesteryear, not to mention the ride that preceded it to the theatre, The Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise is a capital ‘S’…
The Mind Reels 