Richard Chizmar takes us back to Castle Rock with Gwendy Peterson in the follow-up to the novella Gwendy’s Button Box. Fellow author Stephen King doesn’t lend a hand this time but gives the story his endorsement and we join Gwendy, now a Congresswoman for Maine as she returns to Castle Rock to see her parents,…
Tag: Christmas
M*A*S*H (1980/1981) – Death Takes a Holiday, A War for All Seasons, and Your Retention Please
Mike Farrell directs this episode that he wrote alongside John Rappaport, and Dennis Koenig from a story by Thad Mumford, Dan Wilcox, and Burt Metcalfe. It aired on 15 December 1980 and was used as that year’s Christmas episode. Farrell knows how to pack his story with emotional impact without being super sappy about it….
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) – Shane Black
Excluding The Predator (what the hell was that?) Shane Black has been one of my favorite Hollywood writers, and I was super-excited when it was announced he was getting into the director’s chair for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Set, like most of Black’s tales, at Christmas, this one is a slice of modern noir. Robert…
M*A*S*H (1978/1979) – An Eye for a Tooth, Dear Sis, and B.J. Papa San
Ronny Graham pens the first episode up this week, An Eye for a Tooth, which first aired on 11 December, 1978. While Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) ruminates on why he’s been passed over for promotion, again, Charles (David Ogden Stiers) pushes the prank war between Houlihan (Loretta Swit) and Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and B.J. (Mike…
Millennium (1998/1999) – Omerta, and Borrowed Time
The series gives us a bit of an odd Christmas episode with Omerta. Written by Michael R. Perry, this episode first debuted on 18 December, 1998. Frank (Lance Henriksen) and Jordan (Brittany Tiplady) decide to get away from the holiday hassle, and the memories of Catherine (Megan Gallagher). They end up in Vermont, and Frank…
The Snoopy Collection – Blu-Ray Review
Snoopy and the entire Peanuts gang have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I can recall reading the paperback compilations of Charles M. Schulze classic strips. The Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the only holiday specials that I must watch every year. I imagined my childhood was…
The Expendables 3 (2014) – Patrick Hughes
Dropping their hard R rating, The Expendables are back for a third go round, and Sylvester Stallone returns with a star studded cast that kind of makes up for the lack of gore, but you still find yourself wishing for it anyway. This time it’s personal when Barney Ross (Stallone) leads his mercenary team on…
Chuck (2008) – Versus the DeLorean, and Versus Santa Claus
Matthew Miller gives us our first Chuck (Zachary Levi) episode this week, Chuck Versus the DeLorean, which originally aired on 8 December, 2008. Sarah’s (Yvonne Strahovski) con artist father, Jack Burton (Gary Cole) – another Big Trouble in Little China reference – rolls into town, in the midst of a long con on a sheik…
Chuck (2007/2008) -Versus the Crown Vic, and Versus the Undercover Lover
Chuck (Zachary Levi) goes undercover this week in Chuck Versus the Crown Vic. Written by Zev Borow, this episode first aired on 3 December, 2007. When Chuck flashes on a counterfeit bill, he, Sarah (Yvone Strahovski) and Casey (Adam Baldwin) go undercover to find out what is going on, but Chuck’s lack of experience causes…
Love Actually (2003) – Richard Curtis
The most painful title to admit to liking on a list I’m working on in Ten Bad Dates With De Niro is the saccharine sweet Love Actually from writer/director Richard Curtis. Telling a plethora of love stories, the film features a stellar cast of top-notch British actors, and that alone makes the film worth a…
The Mind Reels 