For Special Services (1982) – John Gardner

John Gardner’s second 007 novel, updating Ian Fleming’s James Bond for the 1980s, is on the book shelf this week, and delivers the crisp, solid, sex and violence filled thrill ride we’ve come to expect from England’s top spy. This story, set largely in America, sees the return of Bond’s old nemesis, SPECTRE, with the…

The X-Files (1994) – Firewalker, and Red Museum

Leland Orser, Shawnee Smith, Hiro Kanagawa and Bradley Whitford guest star in the first episode of The X-Files up this week. Firewalker was written by Howard Gordon and first aired on 18 November, 1994. Agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) have their office back! The X-Files are re-opened, and they are off to…

Magic (1978) – Richard Attenborough

Somehow this title has slipped through the cracks of my viewing, and I had never seen it before I threw it on for the next misadventure with Killer Dolls as featured in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book. Its directed by Richard Attenborough, written by William Goldman, based on his own novel, stars Anthony…

Big Trouble in Little China (1986) – John Carpenter

I love rolling out with Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) and the Pork Chop Express. From the moment I saw this Carpenter film on the big screen, I knew I would love this movie for the rest of my life. And I’ve yet to be proven wrong on that count. There was a time when I…

The Great Gabbo (1929) – James Cruze

Despite his landing in the Killer Dolls section of DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies, Otto, the ventriloquist dummy featured in The Great Gabbo doesn’t really take anyone’s life, but he does aid in the descent into ruin for his partner, Gabbo (Erich von Stroheim). Gabbo is an angry man, with the voice of his…

The X-Files (1994) – 3, and One Breath

Scully (Gillian Anderson) is still missing, and Mulder (David Duchovny) heads off to L.A. to investigate possible vampires, or at least blood fetishists in the first real clunker of season two, 3. Written by Chris Ruppenthal as well as Glen Morgan and James Wong, this disappointing episode first aired on 4 November, 1994. As Mulder…

Chuck (2010) – Versus the First Fight, and Versus the Fear of Death

Chuck (Zachary Levi) and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) are having some problems in Chuck Versus the First Fight. Written by Rafe Judkins and Lauren LeFranc this episode first debuted on 1 November, 2010. Chuck is upset with Sarah, understandably, because she grabbed his mother, and possible enemy spy, code name Frost (Linda Hamilton) before she could…

Star Trek: Shadows on the Sun (1993) – Michael Jan Friedman

Set shortly after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Shadows on the Sun explores some of the backstory of Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, a character that has become one of my favourites over the years. It’s interesting, as a child, and teen, Kirk was always the character for me. But as I…

Mindhunter (1995) – John Douglas and Mark Olshaker

John Douglas is the man who became the lead FBI profiler just when the word was beginning to come into practice in the late 70s, through the 80s, and with author Mark Olshaker he takes us inside some of his cases, and the work he has done over the decades. There are some truly horrifying…