M*A*S*H (1978) – Mail Call Three, Temporary Duty, and Potter’s Retirement

Everett Greenbaum and James Fritzell delivered Mail Call Three, which aired on 6 February, 1978. After a long delayed delivery of mail, a number of problems arrive with the envelopes. Hawkeye (Alan Alda) has been receiving love letters meant for another Benjamin Pierce, which he reads with lustful joy. B.J. (Mike Farrell) learns that a…

The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) – Agatha Christie

Before Hercule Poirot took the Orient Express, he found himself on the Blue Train, sans Hastings, in a mystery that has a murder, missing jewels, stagecraft, thieves, divorces, a love story, rich Americans, and devious criminals. While not quite the romp of Poirot’s previous tales, this story was fun, and while most of the clues…

The X-Files (1996) – Jose Chung’s From Outer Space, and Avatar

Darin Morgan delivers what is definitely my favourite episode of the series. This one always ends up on ‘best of’ lists. First airing on 12 April, 1996, Jose Chung’s From Outer Space takes on the alien abduction phenomena, as well as playing with the tropes and stereotypes that spring up around them, as well as…

Chuck (2009) – Versus the Third Dimension, and Versus the Suburbs

Chuck (Zachary Levi) is having problems connecting his feelings for Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and the fact that she killed a Fulcrum agent. Filmed as a special 3-D episode, this episode was written by one of the series creator’s Chris Fedak and first aired on 2 February, 2009. Dominic Monaghan guest stars as rock star Tyler…

The Family Plot (2016) – Cherie Priest

Haunted house stories take a fine hand to craft and make them entertaining, believable, and scary. Cherie Priest accomplishes all of that with her superior horror novel, The Family Plot. Music City Salvage is barely staying afloat, and Charles Dutton the owner, risks everything to keep it afloat when he buys the Withrow house for…

Life of the Party (2018) – Blu-Ray Review

With a recycled plot that is straight out of an 80s film, the Melissa McCarthy vehicle, Life of the Party hits blu-ray and DVD this week from Warner Brothers. Despite using all of the university and college tropes that have been in play since National Lampoon’s Animal House, the film arguably takes the story and…

Miami Vice (1984) – Calderone’s Return Part I & II

This two parter sees the threat of the pilot episode come back to wreak revenge on Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Micheal Thomas). The first episode, originally aired as The Hit List was written by Joel Surnow, and first broadcast on 19 October, 1984. Sonny is due in court for a divorce…