Lucy (2014) – Luc Besson

I like Luc Besson’s work. His films tend to be slick, pretty to look at, throw in some fun effects, and usually attract solid actors to the project. Lucy is no different, and lets Scarlett Johansson take the titular role in a science fiction-tinged action movie. Lucy (Johansson) is betrayed into being a drug mule…

Stargate: Atlantis (2004) – Poisoning the Well, and Underground

Ethical questions come up for Weir (Torri Higginson), though Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) doesn’t seem to have any in Poisoning the Well. Written by Damian Kindler from a story by Mary Kaiser this episode was first broadcast on 20 August, 2004. Sheppard’s team have made contact with the Hoffans, a human race that welcomes the team,…

Stargate SG-1 (2001) – Desperate Measures, and Wormhole X-Treme!

Carter (Amanda Tapping) is kidnapped by a medical team that has recovered a Goa’uld from the Russians, and O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), Daniel (Micheal Shanks) and Teal’c (Christopher Judge) are racing against the clock to find her. Desperate Measures was written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie and it first debuted on 7 September, 2001….

Stargate SG-1 (1999) – Deadman Switch, and Demons

SG-1 finds themselves captured by a bounty hunter, Aris Boch (Sam J. Jones!) in Deadman Switch. Written by Robert C. Cooper, this episode was first broadcast on 6 August, 1999. It seems O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), Carter (Amanda Tapping), Teal’c (Christopher Judge) and Daniel (Michael Shanks) have a price on their heads from causing so…

Dark Skies (1997) – Strangers in the Night, and Bloodlines

The penultimate episode of Dark Skies has a couple of weaving narrative threats as John Loengard (Eric Close) and Juliet Stewart (Jeri Ryan) are given a new mission by Bach (J.T. Walsh). They have to head into the Soviet Union to investigate what has happened at Majestic’s Russian counterpart. Written by Brad Markowitz, this episode…

I Come in Peace (1990) – Craig R. Baxley

Is I Come in Peace considered a Christmas movie? It’s set at Christmas. That seems to be the only requisite for some films. I mean John McClane got invited to a Christmas party so that covers off Die Hard, but what about Dolph Lundgren as Detective Jack Caine caught up in a drug war in…

22 Jump Street (2014) – Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

With some sly remarks about sequels, more of the same, but bigger, 22 Jump Street takes Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) to college. Once again, the film walks a fine line between raunchy/silly comedy to delivering a commentary on relationships, bromance, and box-office budgets. When the pair are shipped off to college for…

21 Jump Street (2012) – Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

I tried twice to start watching 21 Jump Street, the first time, I only got about seven minutes in, and couldn’t vibe with it. The second time, I got all the way through, and while I’m not the biggest Jonah Hill fan, and didn’t care for all of the humour, I really enjoyed this one….

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991) – Simon Wincer

I saw Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man the summer it opened in ’91, while I was working in Toronto. Something about it just clicked for me. I like the sense of history to the characters and the world they live in. Set five years down the road in 1996, the world is going to…

Batman (1967) – That Darn Catwoman, and Scat! Darn Catwoman

Robin (Burt Ward) falls to the dark side in That Darn Catwoman the first part of a two-parter that was written by Stanley Ralph Ross. The first part aired on 19 January, 1967. Catwoman (Julie Newmar) is back in Gotham, and this time she seems completely intent on taking down Batman (Adam West) and Robin….