Magnum P.I. (2022) – Dead Man Walking, and Evil Walks Softly

While everyone is practicing for an island tug of war contest to raise money for their favourite charities, Magnum (Jay Hernandez) finds himself hired by a crime boss, Shima (Eijiro Ozaki) to find his kidnapped son. Magnum refuses, but when he discovers he’s been poisoned and has eight hours to find Shima’s son and the…

Magnum P.I. (2021/2022) – Better Watch Out, and Dream Lover

It’s a holiday episode and it opens with Magnum (Jay Hernandez) is on a case watching for a bail jumper, Barry (Christopher Rodriguez Marquette) to show at a pawn shop disguised as a mall Santa while Higgins (Perdita Weeks) is an elf taking photographs of Santa and the kids. But that’s just the beginning of…

Magnum P.I. (2018) – The Ties That Bind, and Bad Day to Be a Hero

Thomas (Jay Hernandez) takes a case involving a kidnapped girl, she’s been returned, but she’s not the same person anymore, and her parents want the person who took her captured. At the same time, we learn a little more about what happened when Magnum and his friends were held by the Taliban when they were…

Hill Street Blues (1987) – City of Refuse, and Der Roachenkavalier

City of Refuse may be my favourite episode of the season so far. Written by Peter Silverman, it first debuted on 20 January, 1987. Hunter (James Sikking) gets to put on his tactical uniform for the first time since his demotion when he joins Goldblume (Joe Spano) in dealing with a hostage situation. Why was…

TIFF ’23: Smugglers

With Smugglers, which is having its North American premiere at TIFF, Director Ryoo Seung-wan gives his audience a smart, playful, 70s-drenched crime thriller set in a quiet seaside South Korean fishing town. Jin-sook (Yum Jung-ah) and Choon-ja (Kim Hye-soo) work as haenyeo, free divers who collect shellfish and other seafood, alongside a crew of other…

Mission: Impossible (1972) – Committed, and Bag Woman

The IMF are taking on the criminal underworld (again) in Committed. Written by Arthur Weiss from a story by Laurence Heath this episode first aired on 22 January, 1972. It seems Nora Dawson (Susan Howard) is the only one brave enough to testify against crime boss Chandler (Bert Freed). Unfortunately for her, it seems Chandler…

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 (1971) – Mindbend, and Shape-Up

Barney (Greg Morris) gets a fair dose of the spotlight in this episode, and that’s a good thing. Where he may not have been used enough in earlier seasons it’s very nice to see him doing more and more as the series progresses. In Mindbend, an episode written by James D. Buchanan and Ronald Austin…

Infernal Affairs (2002) – Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, and Alan Mak

DK Canada’s The Movie Book rolls out the What Else to Watch list following my screening of Oldboy. Infernal Affairs is up for viewing, and served as the basis for the North American adaptation, The Departed. Yes, The Departed is a solid film, the original is so much better. Tightly edited, fantastically crafted the film…