Companion was a super-enjoyable film with a not-so-subtle commentary about how we, as a society, use and abuse technology, including AI, for our comforts. Which shouldn’t be a surprise considering we do that each other. Often funny, and filled with sharp dialogue, and whip-smart performances from Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, and Harvey Guillen. You know…
Tag: abuse
Little Eve (2018) – Catriona Ward
I loved Ward’s The Last House on Needless Street so when a friend asked me to dive into Little Eve, I was more than willing to. Gothic in the truest sense of the word, Little Eve is filled with gloom, mystery and hints of horror. Set on a tiny Scottish island, the story moves between…
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 2: Earth (2006) – Tales of Ba Sing Se, Appa’s Lost Days, and Lake Laogai
Tales of Ba Sing Se is a fun little episode, especially coming after the reveal of the last episode. It’s a collection of short vignettes that delve into the adventures of our various characters around the city. The episode first aired on 29 September, 2006, and has five segments. The Tale of Toph and Katara…
The World is Not Enough (1999) Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson’s next Bond story was the adaptation of the Pierce Brosnan film, The World is Not Enough. It doesn’t differ too much from what ended up onscreen, but because it’s the written word, it allows one to recast the film, and I happily eject Denise Richards as Christmas Jones from the movie in my…
Spotlight (2015) – Tom McCarthy
I love a good movie about newspapers and journalism, and when that movie is also grounded in an actual investigation, well it just gets that much better. There was a time I imagined that I could be a reporter and perhaps that’s why movies of this nature resonate with me. Spotlight, which took home Best…
The Equalizer (1989) – Lullaby of Darkness, and 17 Zebra
McCall (Edward Woodward) tries to saves the lives of a young girl, Mindy (Ellen Latzen) and her mother, Rebecca (mary-Joan Negro) from her abusive father, Joseph (Stephen Lang!) and her own imagination in Lullaby of Darkness. The episode was written by Coleman Luck and originally aired on 30 March, 1989. McCall is contacted by one…
The Equalizer (1987) – Solo, and A Place to Stay
McCall (Edward Woodward) squares off against a dirty cop, Cole (Kevin Spacey), who is pursuing a woman, Sarah (Lindsay Crouse) for the murder of his partner in Solo, things become increasingly complicated when McCall becomes romantically involved with her. Written by Carleton Eastlake, Solo first debuted on 18 February, 1987. Sarah approaches McCall after he…
Hill Street Blues (1982) – Requiem for a Hairbag, and A Hair of the Dog
While the investigation into Mizell’s murder continues (and is ultimately resolved after a fashion), the precinct has a lot on the go in Requiem for a Haribag. Written by Mark Frost, this episode was first broadcast on 18 November, 1982. Hill (Michael Warren) is finally getting the boil on his backside taken care of, just…
Quantum Leap: The Wall (1994) – Ashley McConnell
Ashley McConnell turns in another Quantum Leap novel, and except for a quick moment when we are given another limbo moment for Sam between leaps it is a really powerful tale about domestic abuse, alcoholism and breaking the cycle. Sam leaps into Missy, a six-year-old girl (something that couldn’t have been pulled off believably in…
The Color Purple (1985) – Steven Spielberg
Was Steven Spielberg the right person to shoot the film adaptation of Alice Walker’s powerful novel? He was an interesting choice for the project, and it definitely wasn’t the dramatic material that he was associated with in the 80s, having delivered a number of blockbusters at that point. And while there were a number of…
The Mind Reels 