This week, I have a look at the second book in the Discovery series from Simon & Schuster through their Gallery imprint, Drastic Measures by Dayton Ward. Ward has written a number of Trek novels, across a number of series though this is the first one I’ve read. That being said, I’m willing to give…
The Lone Gunmen (2001) – Diagnosis: Jimmy, and Tango de los Pistoleros
John Shiban puts Jimmy (Stephen Snedden) front and center with Diagnosis: Jimmy, which first aired on 20 April, 2001. When Jimmy ends up in the hospital following a skiing accident while he’s helping the boys, he finds himself immersed in a hunt for a killer, all from his hospital bed, in a riff on Hitchcock….
Malignant (2021) – Blu-Ray Review
Warner Brothers sent me a copy of James Wan’s new film to take a look at. I’ll be honest, I like Wan’s work. I like that he takes chances with his craft, while also paying homage, and nodding to the influences that helped shape him. In his new feature, Malignant, which is now available on…
Godzilla Raids Again (1955) – Motoyoshi Oda
Even before Godzilla came ashore in North America with the recut 1954 feature Godzilla (Gojira)/Godzilla: King of the Monsters!, a sequel was unleashed on Japan with Godzilla Raids Again. Gone are the more serious overtones of the first film, the commentary and subtext; the exploration of radiation and its effects on the Japanese, the still…
Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) – John Hough
I have this image of Eddie Albert driving every where in a Winnebago, and I guess it must have come from this film, and somehow got meshed with the image of the older man driving around in a similar RV in the Shazam/Isis hour. And despite the fact that Eddie Albert’s Jason does a lot…
M*A*S*H (1978) – They Call the Wind Korea, Major Ego, and Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Ken Levine and David Isaacs pen They Call the Wind Korea, which first aired on 30 October, 1978, and sees Charles (David Ogden Stiers) getting ready to leave the 4077 on his first vacation (in Tokyo no less) since he arrived. Unfortunately there’s a major storm coming in, and he can’t get a chopper out….
Sixteen Candles (1984) – John Hughes
There are lots of things that still work with John Hughes teen comedy, Sixteen Candles, but there are so many problematic things that have really begun to overshadow the story’s heart. There’s some racism, there’s some things that walk the line up to and over harassment and assault, and that really takes the shine off…
TIFF: Musicals! The Movies That Moved Us – Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
When the musical made the leap from stage to screen, it opened everything up, not just in terms of accessibility for the viewing audience, but the scope of the storytelling canvas – things were no longer confined to a stage, the settings, the choreography, the characters could live in a whole new way. Cameras could…
The X-Files (2001) – Empedocles, and Vienen
While Scully (Gillian Anderson) ends up in the hospital with a complication surrounding her pregnancy, Agent Reyes (Annabeth Gish) approaches Mulder (David Duchovny) with a case that may tie back to Doggett (Robert Patrick). Empedocles was written by Greg Walker, and first aired on 22 April, 2001. When an office worker, Jeb (Jay Underwood) is…
Mission: Impossible (1969) – Fool’s Gold, and The Commandante
Ken Pettus pens Fool’s Gold which first aired on 26 October, 1969, and sees the IMF team, led by Phelps (Peter Graves) to stop a counterfeiter, Igor Stravos (Nehemiah Persoff) who has enough printed cash to purchase the entire gold reserve of a country, which would allow him to topple the government. Paris (Leonard Nimoy)…
