Deep Impact (1998) – Mimi Leder

Releasing the same year as Michael Bay’s big budget, small story, extravaganza, Armageddon, Deep Impact got a little lost in the rubble. But with Steven Spielberg’s name attached to it as executive producer, it’s my next stop on the Sci-Fi Chronicles. Eschewing the flash-bang, style over substance, popcorn nature of Bay’s film, Deep Impact, ably…

*batteries not included (1987) – Matthew Robbins

  The Sci-Fi Chronicles book brings me to the next stop on my continued exploration of the genre, and this time around I’m checking in with Steven Spielberg. I’ve covered some of his other films prior to this, and it also gives a few he served as executive producer on, including this film from ’87…

Star Trek (2009) – J.J. Abrams

  It’s time to boldly go with the latest incarnation of Star Trek, as I continue my journey with the cinematic version of the U.S.S. Enterprise for the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. I won’t lie, I enjoyed this one, and while it may not be Star Trek as it was intended or created by Gene Roddenberry,…

Doctor Who (Peter Davison) – Mawdryn Undead

  The beginning of the Black Guardian trilogy gets underway with this four-parter written by Peter Grimwade which aired from the 1 to 9 February 1983. The celebration of the Doctor’s (Davison) 20th year sees the return of the Black Guardian (Valentine Dyall), last seen in the Key to Time season arc, and Nicholas Courtney’s…

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) – Jonathan Frakes

  The strongest of the Next Generation films is the next stop for the Sci-Fi Chronicles book as I continue the exploration of the Star Trek cinematic universe. This one combines the best elements of the Next Generation universe, with drama, action and comedy as it combines a time travel tale with a war story and…

Doctor Who (Peter Davison) – Arc of Infinity

  Season 20 (!) gets underway for the Doctor (Davison) this week, and each story this season has a nod back to the stories before it, as they celebrate the show’s anniversary. This four episode story ran from 3 to 12 January, 1983, and was written by Johnny Byrne, who brought back the ancient, villainous…

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) – Robert Wise

  The Sci-Fi Chronicles lets me settle in to enjoy another one of my favorites… featuring one of my favorite film scores, this one by Jerry Goldmsith, the U.S.S. Enterprise leaps from the small screen to the the theatrical one with this first film which isn’t for everyone, but the older I get, the more…

Doctor Who (Peter Davison) – Earthshock

  Airing from 8 to 16 of March, 1982, one of the Doctor’s (Davison) greatest enemies, the Cybermen, return in this four part story that was penned by Eric Saward. It also saw the Companion, Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) sacrificing himself at the end of the story. The Doctor, Adric, Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) and Teagan (Janet…

Doctor Who (Peter Davison) – Black Orchid

  This week’s journey in the TARDIS is interesting for a couple of reasons, first, it’s the shortest story in a long time, only two episodes. They were written by Terence Dudley and aired on the first and second of March, 1982. The second is, that outside of our time travelers, it’s not really a…