Hill Street Blues (1983) – Death by Kiki, and Doris in Wonderland

As usual, lots of things seem to be happening at the precinct this week. Death by Kiki was written by David Milch and Mark Frost and had an original airdate of 3 November, 1983. Davenport’s (Veronica Hamel) client, Kiki (Clinton Derricks-Carroll) is doing way too much to help prove his innocence, mishandling evidence, and bringing…

Hill Street Blues (1981) – Jungle Madness, and Hearts and Minds

The two-hour finale to Hill Street Blues inaugural season first aired on 26 May, 1981. It was written by series creators Steven Bochco, Michael Kozell and story editor Anthony Yerkovich. There’s a lot going on, Washington (Taurean Blacque) and LaRue (Kiel Martin) are running up leads and suspects in the shooting by a racist officer,…

Mission: Impossible (1968) – The Bargain, and The Freeze

The IMF team take on organized crime, and a dictator, in The Bargain. Written by Robert E. Thompson, and having an original airdate of 15 December, 1968, Phelps (Peter Graves), Rollin (Martin Landau), Cinnamon (Barbara Bain), Barney (Greg Morris), and Willy (Peter Lupus) go undercover to stop a deal arising between a dictator looking to…

Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon (1983) – L. Neil Smith

Lando Calrissian aboard the Millennium Falcon, with his pilot droid and friend Vuffi Raa at his side finds his way into more trouble this week in L. Neil Smith’s second book in his trio of Star Wars novels that follows the scoundrel and gambler. Lando just can’t seem to make a living as a freighter…

Miami Vice (1986) – The Fix, and Payback

Detectives Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Micheal Thomas) investigate a dirty judge in The Fix. Written by Chuck Adamson, the episode first aired on 7 March, 1986. When the Vice team busts a dealer, in a buy that goes bad, the judge, Ferguson (Bill Russell), overseeing her case sets a paltry bond,…

Quantum Leap (1992/1993) – Promised Land and A Tale of Two Sweeties

Sam (Scott Bakula) finds himself back in Elk Ridge, Indiana, his home town on 22 December, 1971. Directed by Bakula, this episode was penned by Tommy Thompson and Gillian Hovarth, and aired on 15 December,1992. Sam leaps into Willie Walters, jr. who is in the process of robbing the local bank with his brothers Neil…

Casablanca (1942) – Michael Curtiz

  As we move back to the Romance and Melodrama genre in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, we get to revisit one of my favourite films (many people share that opinion, and who can blame them?!) – Casablanca. It came along at just the right time, had just the right cast,…

TIFF 2012: Disconnect – Henry Alex Rubin

  For someone who had directed only documentaries thus far, Henry Alex Rubin has manged to create a very human and genuine first feature that’s both thought-provoking and full of and heart.  Disconnect is an up-close and in-depth look at various forms of social media, and how we use the internet to draw us all…