TIFF 25: Orwell – 2+2=5 dir. Raoul Peck

Damian Lewis narrates text by George Orwell, as director Raoul Peck profoundly demonstrates that we as a society, and a planet, are living smack dab in the middle of Orwell’s 1984. Intercutting with the various adaptations of 1984 and Animal Farm, Peck includes documentary and news footage charting the new rise of fascism, authoritarianism, and…

Get Smart (1965) – Mr. Big, Diplomat’s Daughter, and School Days

In the 1960s, spies were everywhere! They were in novels, comics, on the big screen, and had spread to television. Created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, Get Smart debuted on 18 September, 1965 and introduced us to CONTROL’s agent 86, Maxwell Smart (Don Adams). Filled with goofy gadgets, like the shoe phone, Smart is…

Farscape (2002) – Unrealized Reality, and Kansas

Unrealized Reality was written by David Kemper and first aired on 23 August, 2002. Crichton (Ben Browder) is about to get an education! When he tumbles into a wormhole, and he encounters an alien, Einstein (John Bach), who wants to learn why Crichton was given this information. And to show him how much things can…

Star Trek: Section 31 (2025) – Olatunde Osunsanmi

Debuting on Paramount+ today is Star Trek: Section 31, a made-for-streaming film that brings back Michelle Yeoh as Georgiou. And the real question some of the fans will be asking is ‘but is it Star Trek?’ I fall into the group that feels that all Trek is Star Trek, and while this iteration may not…

Starman (1986) – Society’s Pet, and Fever

Janet Leigh guest stars in Society’s Pet. Written by Ross Hirshom, this episode was first broadcast on 28 November, 1986. Paul (Robert Hays) and Scott (Christopher Daniel Barnes) are contacted by a private investigator who has been looking for him. It seems Scott’s foster-aunt, Antonia Weyburn (Leigh) has offered Scott a $10,000 inheritance, so the…

Star Trek: Picard (2023) – Dominion, and Surrender

Things are getting intense as we race towards the series finale. Dominion ups the stakes again. Written by Jane Maggs, it debuted on 30 March, 2023. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Crusher (Gates McFadden) learn some shocking truths about these new Changelings (augmented and developed by Starfleet under Project Proteus), especially Vadic (Amanda Plummer) as they…