Simon & Schuster takes me back to 17th century London this week with The Blackthorn Key written by Kevin Sands. The first book in a young adult collection that spans six novels, the first book is a fast-paced tale filled with mystery and puzzles that delivers an engaging read. Christopher Rowe is the apprentice of…
Tag: 17th century
Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) – Piers Haggard
The next film in the chapter on Devil’s Works in DK Canada’s highly enjoyable Monsters in the Movies is a small UK film that very much falls into the under-explored sub genre of folk horror. Set in the 17th century, things start to go badly for a tiny English village when a young farmer working…
Shogun (1980) – Disc 2
The epic mini-series adaptation of James Clavell’s novel (he also served as one of the show’s producers), Shogun continues this week, as I dive into disc two, which includes episode two and parts of episode three which originally aired on the 16th and 17th September, 1980, following the airing of the three hour premiere on…
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…
Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) – The Woman Who Lived, and The Zygon Invasion
The story that centred on Ashildr (Maisie Williams) last week continues this week with The Woman Who Lived. Written by Catherine Tregenna this episode debuted on 24 October, 2015. Travelling on his own for a while The Doctor (Capaldi) arrives in 17th century London when he encounters the repercussions of his compassionate actions in the…
Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – The Curse of the Black Spot, and The Doctor’s Wife
Avast ye maties, it’s The Curse of the Black Spot. This pirate-themed romp let the TARDIS bunch, have a bit of fun after the darker events of the previous pair of episodes. Written by Stephen Thompson this episode first debuted on 7 May, 2011 and featured Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville and model turned actress Lily…
The Day of Wrath (1943) – Carl Theodor Dreyer
DK Books’ The Movie Book continues to let me explore the works of Carl Theodor Dreyer, as I dive into the 1943 film, The Day of Wrath. This one is on the What Else to Watch list following my screening of The Passion of Joan of Arc. Just like Arc, there is a lot of…
Silence (2016) – Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese’s beautifully shot passion project, Silence, is unveiled on blu-ray from Paramount Pictures today. Based on the novel by Shusako Endo the film is vibrant and gorgeous, while it plays with some tough questions about religion, faith, cultures and beliefs. Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver and Liam Neeson share top billing in this film, but…
Doctor Who (Peter Davison) – The Visitation
The Doctor (Davison) tries to return Teagan (Janet Fielding) to the 20th century, so that she can take up her position as flight attendant, unfortunately they land in the 17th century, and encounter a threat to humanity. This four part tale was penned by Eric Saward and ran from 15 to 23 January, 1982,…
Queen Christina (1933) – Rouben Mamoulian
My time with Greta Garbo continues as I continue to explore the recommended titles from my viewing of Anna Karenina for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. This time, it’s 1933’s Queen Christina. High melodrama to be sure! Garbo plays the titular Christina, a 17th century Swedish Monarch, who is put…
The Mind Reels 