I was delighted to come home from TIFF and be able to unplug and unwind with a tropical getaway. Okay, I didn’t really get away, but thanks to Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Amy Hill and Tim Kang, I got to spend some time in Hawaii alongside the new take on Magnum…
Tag: blackmail
Mission: Impossible (1973) – Incarnate, and Boomerang
Phelps (Peter Graves) and his IMF team pursue a criminal to the Caribbean in an attempt to discover the location of the gold bullion that she has hidden away somewhere State-side. She’s a little superstitious, so what better way to get her to crack than to have Barney (Greg Morris) and the rest hint at…
Mission: Impossible (1972) – Stone Pillow, and Image
Former private detective, Larry Edison (Bradford Dillman), has found himself on the other side of the law, heading to prison, and blackmailing a mobster – Edison has a film proving Vochek (Robert Ellenstein) committed murder. He’s hidden that film and the IMF wants it. Stone Pillow was penned by Howard Browne and first debuted on…
Mission: Impossible (1970) – The Innocent, and Homecoming
This week, we have a pair of episodes that feature a couple of recognizable guest stars, who went on to become series regulars on M*A*S*H, and The Innocent features a cool new title music arrangement, and it took me a moment to recognize him, but Sam Elliott as IMF agent Doug. Written by Marc Norman…
Inhibitor Phase (2021) – Alastair Reynolds
Orbit Books was kind enough to invite me back to Revelation Space with Alastair Reynolds’ latest novel set in that far flung universe. And once again, he proves himself not only a solid storyteller, but able to constantly meld high space opera with hard-edged sci-fi. The novel, though well able to stand on its own,…
Hudson Hawk (1991) – Michael Lehmann
Bruce Willis stars in Hudson Hawk, which feels overly cartoonish in both its violence and humor, and seems made only to appease Willis’ ego and portray him as a very cool guy. I won’t lie, there are things about this film I do like, but I hadn’t seen it since it’s release, and wow, this…
Fletch’s Fortune (1978) – Gregory McDonald
Fletch is back, in his third novel from Gregory McDonald, this time the sometimes journalist isback in Italy, supposedly working on a book, but more likely enjoying living off all of the money he’s been able to walk away with so far over the course of the previous novels. But a pair of CIA agents…
Against All Odds (1984) – Taylor Hackford
Jeff Bridges, Rachel Ward and James Woods star in this noir-esque film that fumbles visually, as far as I’m concerned. Everyone knows the hit song by Phil Collins that came out of this film, and honestly, when it’s used over the end credits that shows a crying and struggling to smile Ward, it’s got a…
The Fate of the Furious (2017) – F. Gary Gray
The first Fast and the Furious film after the death of Paul Walker changes speed, and I’m not saying the series jumped the shark, but the speed has changed from fast to ludicrous. The cast is huge, with some big hitters in supporting roles, including a wonderful cameo appearance by Helen Mirren. We learn that…
Poirot Investigates (1924) – Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie’s first collection of short stories, first published in 1924, sets forth a number of mysteries before her Belgian creation, Hercule Poirot, his little grey cells and his good friend Captain Hastings. While still capturing some of the humour of her novels, the short form of the stories doesn’t allow for a lot of…
The Mind Reels 