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…
Tag: abuse
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…
Rambo: Last Blood (2019) – Adrian Grunberg
Sylvester Stallone is back for one last go-round as John Rambo. It has to be, it’s right there in the title! Once again Stallone involves himself in the film’s script, crafting a story that shows that Rambo, no matter the age, is still the same man he has always been, but he’s just better at…
Insidious: The Last Key (2018) – Adam Robitel
The final (?) installment of the Insidious films brings us full circle. It takes place shortly after the events of the third film and ends leading us into the events of the first. Elise (Lin Shaye), Specs (Leigh Whannell), and Tucker (Angus Sampson) are all back delving into an investigation into Elise’s own past. Whannell…
Millennium (1997) – Sense and Antisense, and Monster
Sense and Antisense, written by Chip Johannessen, sends Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) and the Millennium Group in a slightly different direction, when he gets drawn into the search for a missing man, known on the street as Zero (Clarence Williams III), who seems insane, spouting conspiracy theories, and seems to be infected with some sort…
Star Trek: Discovery (2017/2018) – Into the Forest I Go, and Despite Yourself
Captain’s log: 2257 The Discovery is still in orbit around Pavho when Into the Forest I Go begins. Written by Bo Yoen Kim and Erika Lippoldt this episode first aired on 12 November, 2017. Captain Lorca (Jason Isaacs) disobeys orders from Starfleet Command and uses the spore drive in an attempt to discover the secret…
Ju Dou (1990) – Yimou Zhang and Fengliang Yang
The beautiful, romantic and tragic Ju Dou is the next title on the What Else to Watch list as I continue to work my way through the immensely enjoyable The Movie Book from DK Canada. Following my screening of Raise the Red Lantern, this was one of the book’s recommendations. Starring Li Gong as the…
Natural Born Killers (1994) – Oliver Stone
When you combine a story by Quentin Tarantino and the directorial style of Oliver Stone, you know you are going to get something unique to filmmaking, and Natural Born Killers is very much that. It is also the title on the What Else to Watch list from DK Books’ The Movie Book following their recommendation…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990) – Brothers, and Suddenly Human
Captain’s log: stardate 44085.7 The theme of family which runs through this entire season of Next Generation is very prevalent here in this episode that was written by Rick Berman. First airing on 8 October, 1990, this is a very Brent Spiner-heavy episode. A medical emergency necessitates a run to a nearby starbase, however, Data…
Saturday Night Fever: The Director’s Cut (1977) – John Badham
Paramount Pictures takes you back to the dance floor with the blu-ray and DVD release of the Director’s Cut of the now iconic Saturday Night Fever, which helped to catapult John Travolta, a Sweathog from Welcome Back, Kotter, to super-stardom. It’s easy now to think of the film as a time capsule of the 70s…
The Mind Reels 