Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) – James Cameron

Fire and Ash is an experiential popcorn movie. It needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible, and while 3D has some detractors, it is used beautifully in this film. This is a movie-going experience. Having said that, I miss James Cameron’s early work, Aliens, The Abyss, The Terminator, and T2, even True Lies….

Never Cry Wolf (1983) – Carroll Ballard

Charles Martin Smith plays Farley Mowat, in Carroll Ballard’s adaptation of Mowat’s classic novel, Never Cry Wolf. A book that actually changed the way we viewed wolves. Mowat is a government researcher, and he’s got his assignment. Head north, like way north, and dig into the ahem menace that wolves pose to the environment, particularly…

Chuck (2007/2008) -Versus the Crown Vic, and Versus the Undercover Lover

Chuck (Zachary Levi) goes undercover this week in Chuck Versus the Crown Vic. Written by Zev Borow, this episode first aired on 3 December, 2007. When Chuck flashes on a counterfeit bill, he, Sarah (Yvone Strahovski) and Casey (Adam Baldwin) go undercover to find out what is going on, but Chuck’s lack of experience causes…

Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – Singularity, and Vanishing Point

Captain’s log: 14 August, 2152 Singularity was written by Chris Black, and first debuted on 20 November, 2002. As the Enterprise approaches a black hole, the crew appears to descend into a form of madness as each of them becomes obsessed with seemingly trivial matters. T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) who remains largely unaffected, must find a…

The Running Man (1982) – Stephen King as Richard Bachman

Despite being a fan of the 87 Schwarzenegger flick, I’d never read the original source material, so being long past due, I dug into it and was delighted to find that the novel was a completely different experience, and worthy of a cinematic adaptation in its own right. Ben Richards lives in the slums, a…

Rings (2017) – F. Javier Guitierrez

Paramount Pictures lets Samara (Bonnie Morgan), that creepy ghost girl, crawl out of your television this week on blu-ray and DVD, with their 21st century update on the spooky tale first introduced to most North American audiences with 2002’s The Ring. Based on the Japanese film, Ringu, from director Hideo Nakata, the story introduced horror…

Arrival (2016) – Denis Villeneuve Blu-Ray Review

Anyone who follows this blog knows I am passionate about my science fiction cinema, but that doesn’t mean it’s always good. Therefore when a smart piece of sci-fi film making comes along, I feel I have to champion it, to cheer it on, revel in it, and share it with all who will listen. Villeneuve’s…

A Monster Calls (2011) – Patrick Ness

It’s been a long time since a book has reduced me to tears, but Ness’ powerful, and beautiful young adult books, A Monster Calls has done just that. Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd who passed before she could tell it herself, the story is a singular experience that is heartbreaking in its truth…