Star Trek: The Original Series (1968) – Spectre of the Gun and Day of the Dove

Captain’s log: stardate 4385.3 Spectre of the Gun is a bit of an interesting episode. Written by Gene Coon, under a pseudonym the episode premiered on 25 October, 1968.  When the Enterprise trespasses into Melkot space, the alien race punishes some of the crew including Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), McCoy (DeForest Kelley),…

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…

Quantum Leap (1991) – Heart of a Champion, and Nuclear Family

Sam is one part of a wrestling team, when he leaps into Terry Sammis in Heart of a Champion. With an airdate of 8 May, 1991, Sam finds himself in all manner of trouble in this script by Tommy Thompson. It’s 23 July, 1955 and Terry and his brother Ronny (Jerry Bossard) are professional wrestlers,…

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) – Bryan Spicer

I never quite got into the Power Rangers, nor understood the appeal, but they are my next stop in the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. I never really saw much of the television show, and anything I did see, seemed fairly low-end, but the film tries to embrace a big budget theatrical look with a Point Break…

The Killing (1956) – Stanley Kubrick

  The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my viewing of Rififi is this classic Kubrick film, which before today, I’d only heard of and never seen. That being said, I can now say I’ve seen and enjoyed it, and love the way the film shuffles back and…