Lego, Star Wars, much like chocolate and peanut butter, some things just belong together. Lego has become inextricably tied to everyone’s childhood, and some of us leave it behind when we step towards that thing called adulthood, others will always have a love for it, and sometimes a massive collection to go with it. When…
The Breadwinner (2000) – Deborah Ellis
House of Anansi press has released an updated version of Deborah Ellis’ poignant and beautifully written tale, The Breadwinner. Aimed at younger readers, the book puts a face to stories that help the reader empathise and understand some of the issues that are taking place in Afghanistan. Canadian born Ellis has crafted a whole series, with…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990) – Deja Q, and A Matter of Perspective
Captain’s log: stardate 43539.1 It’s time for the seemingly annual season visit with that omnipotent rogue, Q (John de Lancie). Written by Richard Danus, the episode debuted on 5 February, 1990. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the Enterprise are trying to save the people of Brial IV. It seems their moon has become…
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) – John Hughes
Paramount Pictures, in time for both Canadian and American Thanksgivings, released the 30th Anniversary edition of the John Hughes classic, Planes, Trains & Automobiles. John Candy and Steve Martin portray Del Griffith and Neal Page respectively; two travellers thrown together as they try to find their way home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. Watching circumstance after…
The Godfather (1972) – Francis Ford Coppola
A cinematic classic. A masterpiece. A gold standard in film. All of these descriptions suit Coppola’s adaptation of Mario Puzo’s epic novel, The Godfather, perfectly, and it is my next stop in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book as I return to the Thriller genre. Having said all of the above it…
Fantasia (1940) – James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe jr., Norman Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, and Ben Sharpsteen
After Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney’s Fantasia, from 1940, was quite possibly the studio’s riskiest and definitely their most experimental film. Before 1938, the idea of animated feature was unheard of. The thought that a story could be created, and cartoon characters could be involving enough to carry an entire full length film…
Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – The Big Bang and, A Christmas Carol
The fifth series of the relaunched Doctor Who comes to a close this week with The Big Bang. Penned by Steven Moffat, this episode is the conclusion of the season long arc featuring the cracks in space-time as well the resolution of the Pandorica cliffhanger from last week. The episode first aired on 26 June,…
Gods and Monsters (1998) – Bill Condon
The bio-pic, Gods and Monsters, is the next film on the What Else to Watch list, for Bride of Frankenstein, from DK Canada’s The Movie Book. The film chronicles the last days, as well as life and career of director James Whale, played brilliantly by Ian McKellen. The legendary film maker, perhaps best known for…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990) – The Hunted, and The High Ground
Captain’s log: stardate 43489.2 Airing on 8 January, 1990, this episode featured the first appearance of James Cromwell in the Trek universe. Here he plays Prime Minister Nayrok in an episode written by Robin Bernheim. An escaped prisoner, Danar (Jeff McCarthy) gives Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Enterprise a run for its money after he…
The Twilight Zone (1963) – Passage on the Lady Anne, and The Bard
Season four of The Twilight Zone comes to a conclusion this week with these two episodes as I continue exploring The Complete Series on blu-ray, currently available from Paramount Pictures. First up this week is Passage on the Lady Anne. Written by Charles Beaumont this story first found its way to television screens on 9…
The Mind Reels 