Alex (Micheal J. Fox) is under a lot of stress with exams and scholarship applications and turns to amphetamines in Speed Trap. Written by Micheal J. Weithorn, this episode was first broadcast on 9 November, 1983. Alex approaches Mallory (Justine Bateman) about reaching out to one of her friends who has a prescription for them…
Tag: drugs
Hill Street Blues (1985) – What Are Friends For?, and The Virgin and the Turkey
Norman Buntz (Dennis Franz) has a tough day on the hill, one that will shake him to his core, whether he admits it or not in What Are Friends For? With an original airdate of 5 December, 1985, this episode was written by Dick Wolf. Buntz and Rodriguez (Del Zamora) are running down a lead…
Hill Street Blues (1985) – Blues in the Night, and Hacked to Pieces
Season six of Hill Street Blues starts completely differently. In fact, viewers may think they are in the wrong place, Jablonski (Robert Prosky) isn’t running roll call, it’s Jenkins (Lawrence Tierney) and we don’t recognize anyone around the precinct, though someone is looking for Belker (Bruce Weitz). Where are we? We’re on the hill, but…
End of Watch (2016) – Stephen King
The final novel in the Bill Hodges trilogy, End of Watch, adds a bit of the supernatural flavour that King is known for as Brady Hartsfield, the Mercedes Killer from Mr. Mercedes returns for a final confrontation with retired police detective Hodges, his partner Holly Gibney, and their friend Jerome. The thread of material woven…
The Equalizer (1986) – A Community of Civilized Men, and Joyride
McCall (Edward Woodward) loses a potential romantic partner after resolving her issues at the beginning of A Community of Civilized Men when she’s murdered and McCall has to help her daughter, Valerie (Jennifer Grey) survive and elude a professional agent, and killer. Written by Daniel Pyne and Scott Shepherd this episode was first broadcast on…
Tropic Thunder (2008) – Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller directed the ultimate Hollywood satire with Tropic Thunder. He developed the story with Justin Theroux, and the pair wrote a script with Ethan Cohen. It’s sharp, pointed, and under its endlessly quotable dialogue and performances is a skewering look at Tinsel Town. Everything seems to be a lie, from promotions to images to…
The Equalizer (1985) – Mama’s Boy, and Bump and Run
Christine Baranski is denied a chance to shine in Mama’s Boy when the narrative shifts to include her ex-husband, Gilbert (Jim Dale) as Victoria (Baranski) turns to Robert McCall (Edward Woodward) for help when her son is on the verge of becoming a drug dealer. And hey look! There’s Alex Winter in a bit part…
Mission: Impossible (1973) – The Fighter, and Speed
It’s my penultimate instalment of Mission: Impossible – The Complete Series. Five episodes to go. First up this week is The Fighter. Written by Stephen Kandel and Nicholas E. Baehr from a story by Orville H. Hapmton, this episode first debuted on 9 February, 1973. It starts out with a fun guest star, Herbert Jefferson…
Rambo: Last Blood (2019) – Adrian Grunberg
Sylvester Stallone is back for one last go-round as John Rambo. It has to be, it’s right there in the title! Once again Stallone involves himself in the film’s script, crafting a story that shows that Rambo, no matter the age, is still the same man he has always been, but he’s just better at…
Mission: Impossible (1970) – The Killer, and Flip Side
Season Five of Paramount’s Mission: Impossible gets underway on the blog this week, and there are a few changes to the series right from the start. We now get a teaser opening showing us both the villain of the piece, and Phelps (Peter Graves) receiving his assignment. We also have a new female lead, after…
The Mind Reels 