Doctor Who (Colin Baker) – Revelation of the Daleks

Season 22 comes to a close this week with the return of the Doctor’s most hated enemies, the Daleks. Eric Saward wrote this two-parter that ran from 23 to 30 March, 1985. The Doctor and Peri (Nicola Bryant) are about to stumble into a trap! They’re travelling to the planet Necros to visit a medical…

From Here to Eternity (1953) – Fred Zinnemann

  An all star cast brings James Jones sprawling book to the big screen, and is my next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my revisit with Casablanca for the Romance and Melodrama genre. Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Ernest Borgnine, Claude Akins and Jack Warden bring…

The Iron Giant (1999) – Brad Bird

  The Sci-Fi Chronicles now brings me Brad Bird’s now classic animated tale of a young boy, Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal) who meets a robot (Vin Diesel) from outer space, and the government agent, Kent Mansley (Christopher McDonald) who is trying to capture them. Set in the late 50s, the film gives adult viewers an…

Glory (1989) – Edward Zwick

  An all-star cast, including Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes and Andre Braugher bring the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of The Red Badge of Courage. Based on the letters by Robert Gould Shaw, played in the film by Broderick, the film…

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) – Rupert Wyatt

  Ten years after the last film, Fox reinvigorated the Planet of the Apes series as I continue my exploration of it with the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Featuring a stunning performance by mo-cap superstar, Andy Serkis, and emotional performances from both James Franco, and John Lithgow, the film gets the series back on track after…

Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971) – Don Taylor

  Where do you go after the literally explosive ending of the last film? Why back in time of course! My exploration of the Planet of the Apes series continues with the massive Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Using the spacecraft from the first film, somehow recovered and repaired before the climax of Beneath the Planet of…

Padre Padrone (1977) – The Taviani Brothers 

  The next film from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book’s recommendation for my screening of Last Tango in Paris, is this rather somber film, that is based on the true story of its author, Gavino Ledda. Often dark, the film follows Gavino (Saverio Marconi), a young Sardinian, trying to be his…