The Venom Business (1969) – Michael Crichton

I dove into Michael Crichton’s next book, The Venom Business, as I work through his bibliography. This one took me a while to actually get into. There’s a bit of a convoluted plot for the first half of the book inundated with the parties and happenings of a swinging London where everyone, apparently, is over-sexed,…

Man on Fire (2004) – Tony Scott

I love Tony Scott films; the saturated colours, the moving cameras, the tight pacing, the visual shorthand he used in his storytelling style. I don’t think I ever met a Tony Scott film I didn’t like. Sure I like some more than others, but all of them have his indelible print on them. Man on…

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021) – Patrick Hughes

Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek return to cause problems, violence and dole out colourful language in the sequel to The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Director Patrick Hughes remains in the big chair and delivers a fast-paced sleek tale, that feels a little tighter in its storytelling, and its runtime. Michael Bryce…

The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017) – Patrick Hughes

Ryan Reynolds leads a pretty solidly packed cast in a fairly paint-by-numbers action film that despite its predictability is a lot of fun, largely in part because of the casting. Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Gary Oldman, Richard E. Grant, and Joaquim de Almeida. That’s some pretty top-drawer talent, and they all look…

Johnny Mnemonic (1995) – Robert Longo

William Gibson wrote the screenplay for Johnny Mnemonic based on one of his short stories, but you get the impression it changed a lot from what he had written to what ended up on the screen. A lot of the tech seems to be glossed over, and with an hour-and-a-half runtime, this film feels like…

Chuck (2010) – Versus the Anniversary, and Versus the Suitcase

Season four of Chuck (Zachary Levi) got underway on 20 September, 2010, with Chuck Versus the Anniversary written by one of the series creator’s Chris Fedak, and was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill (who worked with one of the guest stars in Masters of the Universe) Chuck attempts to keep his promise to Ellie (Sarah…