Magnificent. The descriptor still applies to this now iconic Disney masterpiece, and one I got to revisit when I returned to the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. Coming back to the family genre, this was the next stop. Containing themes of, well the circle of life, ranging from that of the ecological…
Tag: death
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) – Carl Theodor Dreyer
No makeup, close-ups and harsh lighting put Maria Falconetti on the screen as Joan of Arc in a way that hasn’t been seen since. Carl Dreyer’s retelling of the story of the French heroine is the next big title in DK Book’s The Movie Book. We are invited to take a front row seat for…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988) – Skin of Evil, and We’ll Always Have Paris
Captain’s log: stardate 41601.3 Skin of Evil. Written by Joseph Stefano and Hannah Louise Shearer, from a story by Stefano. This episode which aired on 25 April, 1988 was Tasha Yar’s (Denise Crosby) swan song. The series to this point despite being touted as an ensemble had yet to deliver any real meat in terms…
The Twilight Zone (1962) – I Sing the Body Electric, Cavender is Coming, and The Changing of the Guard
This week we finish up Season 3 of The Twilight Zone as I continue my exploration of The Complete Series on Blu-Ray available now from Paramount Pictures. First up is a story by science fiction legend, Ray Bradbury. I Sing the Body Electric aired on 18 May, 1962. George Rogers (David White) is a widower…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988) – When the Bough Breaks and Home Soil
Captain’s log: stardate 41509.1 This duo of episodes is a tough one, it’s like they decided to put the worst two episodes together to make it that much harder to get through. When the Bough Breaks was written by Hannah Louise Shearer this episode first screened for audiences on 15 February, 1988. On the upside…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) – Lonely Among Us, and Justice
Captain’s log: stardate 41249.3 Lonely Among Us is another mixed bag episode that shows the series is still trying to find its feet. Written by D.C. Fontana from a story by Michael Halperin, this episode first aired on 2 November, 1987. The Enterprise is ferrying delegations (necessitating the introduction of the new dress uniform) to…
The Twilight Zone (1961/1962) – Five Characters in Search of an Exit, A Quality of Mercy, and Nothing in the Dark
It’s time to dive back into The Twilight Zone with The Complete Series collection from Paramount Pictures. First up this week is Five Characters in Search of an Exit. Series creator Rod Serling writes the teleplay using Marvin Petal’s short story as his source material. Airing on 22 December, 1961 the tale finds an army…
Silence (2016) – Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese’s beautifully shot passion project, Silence, is unveiled on blu-ray from Paramount Pictures today. Based on the novel by Shusako Endo the film is vibrant and gorgeous, while it plays with some tough questions about religion, faith, cultures and beliefs. Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver and Liam Neeson share top billing in this film, but…
The Transformers: The Movie (1986) – Nelson Shin
In the mid-80s there were two sets of toys that seemed to be everywhere, G.I. Joe (who would get his animated movie the following year) and the Transformers – a collection of robots whose civil war had spread to Earth. There are two sides, the brave and loyal Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen)…
The Twilight Zone (1960) – The Hitch-Hiker, The Fever and The Last Flight
Paramount Pictures takes me deeper into The Twilight Zone this week as I continue my exploration of The Complete Series on Blu-Ray. First up this week is the ominously named, The Hitch-Hiker. This episode had an original airdate of 22 January, 1960, and was written by Rod Serling, based on a radio play by Lucille…
The Mind Reels 