This week’s episode, The Child Broker, boasts a bevy of recognizable guest stars, Sam Rockwell, Jerry O’Connell, Frank Whaley, Max Casella, Lycia Naff and Anthony LaPaglia. Written by Mick Curran this episode debuted on 20 January, 1988. McCall (Edward Woodward) and Harley (Richard Jordan) are contacted by Irene Winters (Mary-Joan Negro) to help her son,…
Tag: exploitation
Magnum Force (1973) – Ted Post
Clint Eastwood returned as Detective ‘Dirty’ Harry Callahan for a second outing in 1973’s Magnum Force, despite the fact that he seemed to be quitting at the close of the original film. This time out the gritty, and occasional racist and misogynistic film sees Harry hard at work in his beloved San Francisco, when a…
Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory (1961) – Paolo Heusch
It’s time for another hairy werewolf movie as I continue to delve into DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book. This time around, the entry, Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory, is a bit of a letdown, considering it’s rife with exploitation potential. An Italian film that was dubbed for its North American release the story…
Throne of Blood (1957) – Akira Kurosawa
The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Kurosawa’s Ran is another classic film from the legendary director, Throne of Blood. Toshiro Mifune, Akira Kubo and Isuzu Yamada star in this action-fantasy-drama. Mifune stars as Taketoki Washizo, while Kubo stars as his childhood friend, and fellow…
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) – Progress, and If Wishes Were Horses
Station log: stardate 46844.3 Airing on 9 May, 1993 this episode was written by Peter Allan Fields pens this episode that centres on Kira (Nana Visitor). The Bajoran major is assigned a mission that sees her travelling to a Bajor’s fifth moon to oversee its evacuation as it is transformed into a power plant, tapping…
Liv Stein
Combining near cinematic imagery that verges on the iconic and powerhouse performances from its actors, Liv Stein, presented by Canadian Stage at the Bluma Appel Theatre in Toronto is sure to wow and elicit discussion. Director Matthew Jocelyn’s sure hand brings Nino Haratischwili’s original German play to the Canadian stage via a translation by Birgit…
Mad Max (1979) – George Miller
A twenty-one year old Mel Gibson put the pedal to the metal and rocketed to first cult, and then international fame alongside George Miller with the thrilling, verge of the apocalypse (which was to come between films), action-packed Mad Max, which is my next stop with the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Civilisation is crumbling in Australia,…
Quantum Leap (1990) – Miss Deep South and Black on White on Fire
Sam (Scott Bakula) leaps into Darlene Monte on 7 June, 1958 in the first episode up this week. Miss Deep South was written by Tommy Thompson and originally aired on 2 November, 1990. Sam finds himself in a beauty contest, and has to save a fellow contestant, Connie (Heather McAdam) from making a terrible mistake…
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) – J. Lee Thompson
The Sci-Fi Chronicles takes me back to the Planet of the Apes series again, as we take on the third sequel, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Set in the near future, the far distant year of 1991, the plague spoken of in the last film has struck, wiping out household pets, and…
Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) – Jimmy T. Murakami
With the advent of Star Wars in the late 70s, every studio, almost every writer, wanted to get in on the sci-fi band wagon, including Roger Corman. Known for his exploitation films with incredibly low budgets, Battle Beyond the Stars, was his biggest budgeted film, and was my introduction to the story of the…
The Mind Reels 