TIFF 25: Eagles of the Republic dir. Tarek Salih

Fares Fares plays the Pharaoh of the Screen, George Fahmy. He is Egypt’s most popular actor, but he finds himself maneuvered into making a propaganda film for the country’s government. Soon, he finds himself enmeshed in political intrigue, all conducted under the watchful eye of the secretive and menacing, Dr. Mansour (Amr Waked). Despite disliking…

Stargate SG-1 (2000) – The Curse, and The Serpent’s Venom

When Daniel (Michael Shanks) learns of the death of his archaeology professor, he goes to pay his respects. Soon he begins to suspect that his research and his death may have something to do with the Goa’uld. Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, this episode was first broadcast on 22 September, 2000. Daniel clashes…

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) – Charles Lamont

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello make their final Universal Monster movie with Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. I’m not sure if I think this one is better, worse or equal to Meet the Invisible Man. I do know that Meet Frankenstein is their best. This time out, the pair are a couple of would-be…

Stargate SG-1 (1997) – The Torment of Tantalus, and Bloodlines

How do we know we’re in the SGC in the 40s with the opening of this episode? The bluesy version of the Stargate theme, honestly it’s a solid episode that helps the series continue to build its backstory, and its worldbuilding. Jackson (Michael Shanks) is watching old footage of the Stargate project and both her…

Death on the Nile (2022) – Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh continues his exploration of the Agatha Christie creation, the world’s greatest detective, Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells with Death on the Nile. It follows on the tail of Murder on the Orient Express, which Branagh also directed and starred in. I do like the fact that Branagh seems to have taken…

Map of Bones (2005) – James Rollins

James Rollins second novel in his Sigma Force series continues the highly enjoyable combination of science, mythology, history and high adventure. This time, Sigma Force’s Grey Pierce is assigned with his team to investigate a massacre at a church in Germany, and the subsequent theft of ancient Catholic relics. Relics that have some strange properties,…

Poirot Investigates (1924) – Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie’s first collection of short stories, first published in 1924, sets forth a number of mysteries before her Belgian creation, Hercule Poirot, his little grey cells and his good friend Captain Hastings. While still capturing some of the humour of her novels, the short form of the stories doesn’t allow for a lot of…

Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Sphinx (1999) – Max McCoy

1934. The final Indiana Jones adventure set before the first trio of films is on the book shelf this week. It is also the shortest adventure in the series, not even breaking 200 pages, and the macguffin this time around is one created by the author, the Omega Book, though bases on things hinted at…