Captain’s log: stardate 3468.1 Who Mourns for Adonais? had an original airdate of 22 September, 1967 and was penned by Gilbert Ralston. This was one of the first episodes that I realised at a young age that was about more than what it seemed. On the surface, the story follows the Enterprise as it encounters…
Star Trek: The Vulcan Academy Murders (1984) – Jean Lorrah
It’s been a while since I checked in with the non-canon universe of Star Trek, so I dived into the world of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in this would-be murder mystery. Spock is preparing for some leave on his home planet of Vulcan. When an attack from a Klingon ship wounds one of the Enterprise’s…
The Twilight Zone (1959) -The Lonely, Time Enough at Last, and Perchance to Dream
Paramount Pictures takes me deeper into the Twilight Zone this week as I continue my exploration of the dark reaches of the mind and psyche with The Complete Series blu-ray set. The first episode this week was The Lonely. Penned by Rod Serling, and having an original airdate of 13 November, 1959, this story definitely…
Dogma (1999) – Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith’s hilarious take on religion as two exiled (to Wisconsin) angels, Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck) find a loop hole in religious dogma that will allow them to return to Heaven. This is the final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of La Belle…
The Devil’s Advocate (1997) – Taylor Hackford
The final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of La Belle et La Bete is this 1997 legal thriller with supernatural overtones that lets Keanu Reeves take on a scene-chewing Al Pacino. Charlize Theron co-stars as Reeves’ wife Mary Ann, while Keanu plays Kevin Lomax, a not…
Doctor Who (Sylvester McCoy) – Battlefield
The 26th and final season of regular Doctor Who got under way with this four part story written by Ben Aaronovitch which aired from 6 to 27 September, 1989. The Doctor (McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) are joined in this adventure by a familiar face, the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney) and UNIT. I love that there is…
Tron: Legacy (2010) -Joseph Kosinski
Tron was a big part of my childhood. I remember seeing it in the theatre, and I remember my father falling asleep next to my sister while I was enraptured by the film. The use of computer technology, and the blossoming game world that seemed to fascinate every 80s kid was up there on the…
Quantum Leap (1991) – Justice and Permanent Wave
Sam (Scott Bakula) is less than happy to find where he has leaped to in Justice. Penned by Toni Graphia and with an original airdate of 9 October, 1991, Sam is Clyde, and he’s just been inducted into the Klu Klux Klan – people who stand for everything Sam’s family taught him to fight. It’s…
Star Trek: The Original Series (1967) – Operation – Annihilate! and Amok Time
Captain’s log: stardate 3287.2 Operation – Annihilate! closes out the first season of Trek. It was written by Steven W. Carabatsos and aired on 13 April, 1967. Playing as almost straight-up horror, this episode is a lot of fun, and introduces Kirk’s (William Shatner) family, his brother, Sam (also Shatner, with mustache) his wife, Aurelan…
The Couturier of Milan (2017) – Ian Hamilton
Next Monday, the adventures of Ava Lee continue in Ian Hamilton’s latest instalment in the addictive, page-turning series that began with The Water Rat of Wanchai and continues now with book nine(!) and one novella – The Couturier of Milan. Over the course of these books, I have grown to consider Ava Lee a friend,…
The Mind Reels 