The Hands of Orlac (1924) – Robert Wiene

The next film The Movie Book from Dk Books recommends is Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. This is a film I had previously reviewed so I checked out the Key Movies of his career as endorsed by this collection, and found, The Hands of Orlac. A silent film from 1924, this is an…

Broken Blossoms (1919) – D.W. Griffith

I continue to explore some of the key works of D.W. Griffith with DK Book’s The Movie Book, and this time I dive into a fascinating tale that is perhaps best told through the silent format that marked Griffith’s time. Be warned there is a lot of racism in this film. It’s in the title….

Hugo (2011) – Martin Scorsese

I know I raved about Martin Scorsese’s passion project Silence when I watched it a few weeks ago, but every time I watch this magnificent adaptation of Brian Selznick’s novel; a tale of youth, discovery and the love of cinema, I end up citing it as my favourite of his films. Set in Paris, this…

Doctor Who (Christoper Eccleston) – The Unquiet Dead and Aliens of London

The Doctor (Eccleston) and Rose (Billie Piper) travel back to Cardiff (an in-joke because that is where the series shoots), 1869. There they quickly find themselves embroiled in alien mystery, and chatting with Charles Dickens (Simon Callow) in The Unquiet Dead. Written by Mark Gatiss, with an original airdate of 9 April, 2005, this episode…

Quantum Leap (1992) – The Last Gunfighter and A Song for the Soul

Sam finds himself in the form of aged gunfighter, Tyler Means, in The Last Gunfighter. Written by Sam Rolfe and Chris Ruppenthal and airing on 5 February, 1992, Sam find himself on 28 November, 1957. Tyler Means is 82 years old. He likes his whiskey, and he likes his tall tales, especially the ones centring…

Red River (1948) – Howard Hawks

John Wayne gets paired with Montgomery Clift as Howard Hawks directs in the next western recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. Wayne is Thomas Dunson, a cattle driver, and a fast gun who is a bit of a tyrant as he seizes land for his cattle ranch, and heads to…

Odd and the Frost Giants (2008) – Neil Gaiman

It’s always a delight to explore a Neil Gaiman book, and though this novella was far too short, it was everything I’d come to expect from this master storyteller. Incorporating Norse Mythology, which is also the subject of his latest book, the story follows a young boy, named Odd, who has an unexpected encounter with…

Star Trek: The Vulcan Academy Murders (1984) – Jean Lorrah

It’s been a while since I checked in with the non-canon universe of Star Trek, so I dived into the world of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in this would-be murder mystery. Spock is preparing for some leave on his home planet of Vulcan. When an attack from a Klingon ship wounds one of the Enterprise’s…

Tron: Legacy (2010) -Joseph Kosinski

Tron was a big part of my childhood. I remember seeing it in the theatre, and I remember my father falling asleep next to my sister while I was enraptured by the film. The use of computer technology, and the blossoming game world that seemed to fascinate every 80s kid was up there on the…