The final recommendation from this visit to the Family genre in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book is Kelly’s cult film Donnie Darko. While not necessarily suitable for younger viewers, it does involve family and a young troubled boy. This one was one of those films that while I was in the…
Doctor Who (Sylvester McCoy) – The Happiness Patrol
The second story of season 25, is a little odd, but a lot of fun. That is thanks to the continually layered performance of the Doctor (McCoy). The Happiness Patrol was penned by Graeme Curry and ran from 2 to 16 November, 1988. The TARDIS, carrying Ace (Sophie Aldred) and the Doctor arrive on Terra…
Alien 3 (1992) – David Fincher
Sure the special edition taken from Fincher’s workprint wasn’t unveiled until 2003, but it’s the only way I’ll watch the movie now, and makes the film a little stronger than its original theatrical cut. This corner of the Alien universe is my next stop on my journey with the Sci-Fi Chronicles, as it seems I’ve…
Quantum Leap (1991) – Heart of a Champion, and Nuclear Family
Sam is one part of a wrestling team, when he leaps into Terry Sammis in Heart of a Champion. With an airdate of 8 May, 1991, Sam finds himself in all manner of trouble in this script by Tommy Thompson. It’s 23 July, 1955 and Terry and his brother Ronny (Jerry Bossard) are professional wrestlers,…
Star Trek: The Original Series (1967) – A Taste of Armageddon, and This Side of Paradise
Captain’s log: stardate 3192.1 A Taste of Armageddon, which aired 23 February, 1967, shows Kirk (William Shatner) violating the Prime Directive again, for the betterment of a society. Written by Gene L. Coon and Robert Hamner, who came up with the story, the Enterprise arrives at Eminiar 7 on a diplomatic mission. The planet’s inhabitants…
Gemina: The Illuminae Files 02 (2016) – Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
The second volume in the Illuminae Files, Gemina, is not only an excellent follow-up instalment in this vibrant and exciting Young Adult series, it is also highly entertaining science fiction and space opera. The first book, told through IM and audio transcripts, descriptions of video surveillance, was brilliant, fun, and probably a game-changer in the…
Star Wars: Rogue One – The Ultimate Visual Guide (2016) – Pablo Hidalgo
Can you believe that we get a Star Wars movie every year now for the next foreseeable future? That time between Star Wars and Empire, and then Jedi, seemed interminable growing up. The wait between Jedi and Menace was even longer, and soured many a viewer, and while Awakens was a fun ride, not everyone…
Superman: The Animated Series (1997/1998) – Warrior Queen, and Apokolips… Now! Parts I & II
Superman (Tim Daly) has problems of a different sort in the first episode up this week. Warrior Queen aired on 22 November, 1997 and has the arrival of Maxima (Sharon Lawrence) to the fair planet Earth in hopes of marrying the one man she believes worthy of her… The Man of Steel. Behind the scenes…
Maximum Ride (2016) -Jay Martin
James Patterson’s young adult novel series, Maximum Ride, takes flight cimematically this week from Paramount Pictures. I read the first book when it came out in 2005. It was fun, engaging. Patterson is a very entertaining and imaginative writer, and Max seemed perfectly suited for exploration in other media. The downside to this big screen…
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) -George Miller & George Ogilvie
Five years after Mad Max first burst onto the scene, and almost four years after the release of its follow-up, the superior, and iconic, Road Warrior, Max (Mel Gibson) returned for the third film in the original trilogy of Mad Max films, and my most recent stop in the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. With two wicked…
The Mind Reels 