The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979) – Douglas Adams

After re-watching the movie earlier this week, I thought it would be nice to go back and read the original novel (based on the BBC radio play penned by Adams) and go travelling with Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect again. This book first came into my hands decades ago, in the early 80s when I…

Where Eagles Dare (1968) – Brian G. Hutton

The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of The Dam Busters features a story and script by Alistair MacLean and stars Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton. Burton is Major Smith, Eastwood is Schaffer an American Ranger working with a British squad that is coming up with…

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005) -Garth Jennings

Grab your towel and Don’t Panic! Douglas Adam’s classic tale gets a big screen adaptation, of his book/screenplay, which had previously been so well used by the BBC as a miniseries, and before that a radio programme. There are things that work in this version, and things that don’t, but the effort is there to…

Doctor Who (Sylvester McCoy) – Time and the Rani

It’s time to meet the next regeneration of the Doctor. Sylvester McCoy takes over as the Time Lord as Season 24 gets underway. This four part story ran from & to 29 September, 1987 and was written by Pip and Jane Baker. Conflict behind the scenes meant that we would never see Colin Baker’s Doctor…

633 Squadron (1964) -Walter Grauman

Cliff Robertson leads the lucky 633 Squadron in this World War II melodrama that is the next recommendation from my screening of The Dam Busters for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. The actual aerial photography of the film is stunning, above and around England, while the rotoscope work behind the cast…

Quantum Leap (1990/1991) – A Little Miracle and Runaway

Sam (Scott Bakula) is Reginald Pierson, the valet of one Michael Blake (Charles Rocket), a Scrooge-like character in Quantum Leap’s take on A Christmas Carol. A Little Miracle aired 21 December, 1990 and was penned by Sandy Fries and Robert Wolterstorff. It’s Christmas Eve, 1962, and Sam is feeling a little flustered serving Blake, who…