Fringe (2009) – Unleashed, and Bad Dreams

Someone has taken one of Walter’s (John Noble) failed ideas, and perfected it, creating a hybrid animal that can deliver its eggs through a horrible sting, if it doesn’t kill you first. Unleashed was written by Zack Whedon and J.R. Orci. It first aired on 14 April, 2009. A group of animal activists make a…

TIFF 2021: The Power of the Dog dir. Jane Campion

Combining intimate drama with dramatic landscapes has been a signature of Jane Campion’s work, and in her latest film, The Power of the Dog, which she also wrote, that mixture still holds true, giving us a different kind of western. Set in Montana, 1925, the film centres around two ranching brothers, the hard-edged, Phil (Benedict…

TIFF 2021: Attica dir. Stanley Nelson

Taking a look at the five day rebellion, and hostage taking in September of 1971 at Attica prison, Nelson’s documentary is a stark, unflinching look at the prison system, the industry of it, the culture and race clash that is inherent in it, and the larger world as a whole. Filled with interviews from those…

TIFF 2021: Dear Evan Hansen dir. Stephen Chbosky

Mental health. Suicide. Depression. Loss. Grief. Loneliness. These issues are usually trapped in the individual, and though a number of us share in these things, it’s never a shared experience. We are held in the prison of our issues, in a society where social media presentation, the illusion of life being better than it is…

Furious 7 (2015) – James Wan

Paul Walker’s final Fast and the Furious franchise due to his untimely death, who died during production, and caused the creative team to decide whether to work a way around that, or scrap the film entirely. Obviously, they worked around it, and the film itself is a huge action film that also gives Walker’s character,…

Cloud Atlas (2012) – Lana & Lilly Wachowski and Tom Tykwer

I remember hearing about Cloud Atlas while it was in production and that Tom Hanks was being associated with it, as well as the directors of The Matrix. Consequently, I made sure to pick up a copy of the novel, by David Mitchell from the local library and worked my way through it, enjoying how…

Star Trek: Enterprise (2003) – North Star, and Similitude

Captain’s log: date unknown Enterprise goes western in this episode, North Star, written by David A. Goodman. Having an original airdate of 12 November, 2003, this story sees Archer (Scott Bakula) and the crew arriving at a planet of  a previously unknown colony of humans that are living in a 19th century setting. But the…

Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – Fusion, and Rogue Planet

Captain’s log: date unknown Rick Berman and Brannon Braga come up with the story that was turned into a teleplay by Mike Sussman and Phyllis Strong. It first debuted on 27 February, 2002. The Enterprise comes into contact with an usual group of Vulcans. It seems they embrace their emotions, a fact that bothers T’Pol…

Star Trek: Spock’s World (1988) – Diane Duane

Space, the final frontier… It’s been a while since I dove into a Star Trek novel, but I felt like it was time, and the next one on the list was this 1988 classic by Diane Duane. It was also the first Star Trek hard cover novel. Set just after the events of The Motion…