The Doctor (Eccleston), Rose (Billie Piper) and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) encounter the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, Margaret (Annette Badland) on what was supposed to be a quick recharge of the TARDIS on the rift in Cardiff. Boom Town was written by Russell T. Davies and originally aired on 4 June,…
Tag: escape
Jurassic Park III (2001) – Joe Johnston
It’s back to the Park again with the Sci-Fi Chronicles. This one, honestly, feels like a rehash, which is way too bad, because it has so many people involved in it that I like. Director Joe Johnston directed one of my favourite superhero movies, The Rocketeer, and following this would go on to direct Captain…
Star Trek: The Original Series (1967) – I, Mudd and Metamorphosis
Captain’s log: stardate 4513.3 Harry Mudd (Roger C. Carmel) is back in the fun and playful episode I, Mudd. Written by Stephen Kandel this episode had its premiere on 3 November, 1967. This episode has a lot of delightful banter, and lots of intentional, and well-crafted humour. The U.S.S. Enterprise is seized by an android,…
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966/1967) – Shore Leave and The Galileo Seven
Captain’s Log: Stardate 3025.3 Shore Leave, written by Theodore Strugeon aired on 29 December, 1966, and was the first episode that showed me that sometimes Trek could take itself less seriously, wait until I discovered The Trouble with Tribbles (!), while also exploring the characters. This is an episode, much like the Naked Time, which…
Where Eagles Dare (1968) – Brian G. Hutton
The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of The Dam Busters features a story and script by Alistair MacLean and stars Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton. Burton is Major Smith, Eastwood is Schaffer an American Ranger working with a British squad that is coming up with…
Ghosts of Mars (2001) – John Carpenter
Natasha Henstridge leads a bit of a cult cast in the next John Carpenter film up for a look-see in the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. In a bit of an iffy film, and one that saw Carpenter at his most burnt out on the Hollywood scene, Henstridge stars as Lt. Melanie Ballard, a Mars police officer…
Deliverance (1972) – John Boorman
The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of The Night of the Hunter is this John Boorman classic that turned Burt Reynolds into a star. Lewis (Reynolds) convinces his friends Ed (Jon Voigt), Bobby (Ned Beatty) and Drew (Ronny Cox) to go on a canoe trip…
Batman: The Animated Series (1992) – Prophecy of Doom, The Forgotten and Mad as a Hatter
It’s back to Gotham for another trio of episodes! First up is Prophecy of Doom, which aired on 6 October, 1992. This one sees Batman (Kevin Conroy) taking on a con-man, Nostromos (Micheal Des Barres) who is robbing the rich of their money by convincing them that he can see their future, and saves…
The A-Team (1983) – Mexican Slayride
It’s time for another Stephen J. Cannell series, he and Frank Lupo paired up to create this series at the behest of the head of NBC… The A-Team ran for five seasons (and I’m sure there are a number of them that I haven’t seen, though when the plots became so formulaic it may…
Toronto Fringe: I Love You, Judy Merril
Jim Smith takes to the stage of the Theatre Passé Muraille Backspace to pay homage and share his memories of science fiction writer Judy Merril. A writer, I’m ashamed to admit I had not heard of, especially when confronted by the list of titles she’d penned. Merril crafted tales during the heyday of pulp science fiction…
