Captain’s log: date unknown Rick Berman and Brannon Braga pen this Archer (Scott Bakula)/Phlox (John Billingsley) story that first aired on 16 October, 2002. When Archer’s beagle, Porthos, picks up a virus on an alien planet, the poor pup, and his captain, spend the night in sickbay, tended to by Phlox. Archer worries over his…
Never Give A Sucker An Even Break (1941) – Edward F. Cline
DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies continues to make a monkey out of me with their chapter on monstrous apes as it doles out another comedic entry. That being said, I’m not a W.C. Fields fan. His character is always the same, and is extremely unlikable as far as I’m concerned. He’s an alcoholic, and…
A Beautiful Mind (2001) – Ron Howard
The four time Oscar winning film, A Beautiful Mind, is the next film mentioned on the Ten Films It’s Painful To Like in Ten Bad Dates With De Niro. Now, with five Oscars under its belt, it can’t be that painful to like, yes it rather simplifies mental illness, but conveys it wonderfully on screen. It…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2012) – A War On Two Fronts, Front Runners, and The Soft War
“Fear is a malleable weapon.” Season Five of The Clone Wars got underway with Revival, which actually comes later in the chronology, so first up for us is A War on Two Fronts. Written by Chris Collins, this episode launched on 6 October, 2012. Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter), Ahsoka Tano…
Hannibal (2001) – Ridley Scott
Anthony Hopkins returns to his iconic role of the cannibalistic doctor, Hannibal Lector in the sequel to the brilliant The Silence of the Lambs. This film shows up in Ten Bad Dates with De Niro on a list of films that it is painful to like. Jodie Foster and director Jonathan Demme elected not to…
Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – Minefield, and Dead Stop
Captain’s log: date unknown John Shiban pens this episode that first debuted on 2 October, 2002. The Enterprise triggers a cloaked mine, planted by Romulans, and it’s up to Reed (Dominic Keating) to work another one free of the hull plating. The explosion causes a number of injuries, and it all seems a bit of…
Shogun (1980) – Disc 1
Ah the late 70s and early 80s, the age of the television mini-series, an almost forgotten television event, though slowly being rediscovered by the advent of the limited series. It’s slightly different of course, because back then, there were only a few channels available, making a mini-series an event over consecutive nights. Shogun was based…
Star Trek: Rules of Engagement (1990) – Peter Morwood
It’s been a while since I haven’t been entertained by one of the Pocket Book Trek novels. But Peter Morwood’s effort, Rules of Engagement left me a little cold. I remember buying this one when I was younger. I even remember when, I had bought it to read during my transit across the country back…
Strange Weather (2017) – Joe Hill
Joe Hill delivers another great read with this collection of four short novels, all of whom, in some form or another tie in with strange weather. Each of the stories are about one hundred pages each, and completely captivate with Hill’s addictive narratives, and engaging characters, details, and horrifying moments. Snapshot delves into a bit…
Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – Shockwave Part II, and Carbon Creek
Captain’s log: February, 2152 Rick Berman and Brannon Braga pen the season two opener of Enterprise, which resolves the Shockwave cliffhanger. The season debuted on 18 September, 2002. While Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) is seemingly marooned in the 31st century with Daniels (Matt Winston), the crew of the Enterprise is taken prisoner by the Suliban….
The Mind Reels 