Action Jackson (1988) – Craig R. Baxley

Carl Weathers and iconic 80s producer Joel Silver teamed up for Action Jackson, a big budget, explosion-filled blaxploitation film that is absolutely packed solid with familiar faces. Despite an over-complicated plot, it’s a fun ride, resting on Weather’s charm. He plays a cop on hard times. He’s been busted down to sergeant, isn’t allowed to…

Farscape (2002) – A Prefect Murder, and Coup by Clam

Moya has entered into Tormented Space and they are going to find trouble right away in A Prefect Murder. Written by Mark Saraceni, this episode was first broadcast on 9 August, 2002. They’ve arrived on a rather xenophobic planet divided by clan wars, and Aeryn (Claudia Black) is about to be caught in the middle…

Farscape (2002) – Promises, and Natural Election

Crichton (Ben Browder) make it home to Moya! And who else is aboard her? Aeryn (Claudia Black)! Yay, right? Nope, she’s suffering from heat delirium, kept alive by a cooling suit. And who do we know that knows everything about coolant suits? Scorpius (Wayne Pygram). The bastard is still alive. Written by Richard Manning, this…

Red Planet (2000) – Anthony Hoffman

I remember Mission to Mars and Red Planet seemed to come out around the same time, and I found myself more interested in the De Palma film because it had to do with the ‘face on mars’ and the possibility of life on that distant planet. And who doesn’t love that idea? Red Planet, despite…

Running Scared (1986) – Peter Hyams

Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal are Chicago cops who are toying with the idea of retirement and moving to Key West to run a bar in the buddy-cop film Running Scared. Director Peter Hyams was coming off some success following 2010: The Year We Make Contact and recruited the actors for he film, and other…

K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) – Kathyrn Bigelow

K-19 feels like an underrated Kathryn Bigelow film. She once again dives into the pressures of the armed services and war and she has a fantastic cast including Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, and Peter Sarsgaard. Set at the height of the Cold War in 1961, when Mutually Assured Destruction seemed to be moments away from…

Hill Street Blues (1985) – You’re in Alice’s, and Grin and Bear It

We wrap up season five this week and there’s a lot going on, Goldblume (Joe Spano) doesn’t have time to grieve for Gina’s (Jennifer Tilly) very public murder, because he’s too focused on getting involved in the investigation, and executing her will. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg on the precinct this week….

Star Trek: Discovery – The Enterprise War (2019) – John Jackson Miller

Where was the U.S.S. Enterprise during the Klingon war (2256-2257) as depicted in Season One of Star Trek: Discovery? Miller’s novel, The Enterprise War, available now from Simon & Schuster through their Gallery Books imprint, answers that question. Tying itself in with the events of the television series, as well as the previously released novels,…

The X-Files (2001) – Nothing Important Happened Today II, and Daemonicus

Scully (Gillan Anderson) gets pulled deeper into the super-soldier investigation by Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Reyes (Annabeth Gish) when Shannon McMahon (Lucy Lawless) reveals more about the program in Nothing Important Happened Today II. Written by series creator Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, this episode first debuted on 18 November, 2001. And as the opening…