Alex Garland wrote and directed this stunning film, his first feature, that explores the concepts of Artificial Intelligence and the desire to live and survive. When a young programmer, Caleb (Domhall Gleeson) wins a contest to spend a week at his boss, Nathan’s (Oscar Isaac), remote estate, he loves the idea, when Nathan reveals that…
Tag: genius
A Beautiful Mind (2001) – Ron Howard
The four time Oscar winning film, A Beautiful Mind, is the next film mentioned on the Ten Films It’s Painful To Like in Ten Bad Dates With De Niro. Now, with five Oscars under its belt, it can’t be that painful to like, yes it rather simplifies mental illness, but conveys it wonderfully on screen. It…
The Institute (2019) – Stephen King
It doesn’t say it directly, but The Institute, the latest King book I’ve read, could exist in the same world as The Shop from Firestarter, and one wonders if perhaps there’s a connection to the Dark Tower and the breakers or The Dead Zone. The tale follows young Luke Ellis, a bit of a boy…
Doctor Who (David Tennant) – The Planet of the Dead, and The Waters of Mars
The Planet of the Dead plunges David Tennant’s Doctor into his ante-penultimate adventure, Planet of the Dead. He’s joined on his adventure by Michelle Ryan as cat-burglar Lady Christina de Souza. Written by Russell T. Davies and Gareth Roberts this special, the second of five, first aired on 11 April, 2009. The Doctor finds himself…
Doctor Who (David Tennant) – Planet of the Ood, and The Sontaran Stratagem
The mysterious Ood return this week in Planet of the Ood. Written by Keith Temple, this episode had an airdate of 19 April 2008, and updated the Ood mythology a bit, as the Doctor (Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) find themselves on an ice planet that serves as a factory for the Ood. It seems…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) – Encounter at Farpoint
Captain’s log: stardate 41153.7 Set decades (78 years altogether) after the events of Kirk and company, Star Trek: The Next Generation first aired on 28 September, 1987. Launching us into the 24th century, a script by series creator Gene Roddenberry and D.C. Fontana introduced us to an all new U.S.S. Enterprise, a Galaxy-class starship, and…
The Book of the Dead (2007) – Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Pendergast is back! Picking up where the previous novel Dance of Death ended, Preston and Child plunge us back into the world of Aloysius, D’Agosta, Smithback, Kelly, Hayward, Constance and Pendergast’s villainous and genius brother, Diogenes. This novel serves as a climax of the previous two books, wrapping up the storyline of the two brothers,…
Star Wars: Catalyst – A Rogue One Novel (2016) – James Luceno
This weekend, new names will be added to the Star Wars cinematic universe, those of Orson Krennic, Galen, Lyra and Jyn Orso. But Star Wars readers get to know these characters already, through James Luceno’s new canon novel Catalyst. Set during the closing years of the Clone Wars and those following it, as the Rebellion…
Doctor Who (Tom Baker) – Genesis of the Daleks
The Doctor (Tom Baker) encounters the Daleks, once again, but in a completely new way, in this landmark, six-part story written by Terry Nation that aired from 8 March to 12 April, 1975. When the transmat beam from Earth back to the Ark is intercepted, the Doctor, Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry (Ian Marter)…
Da Vinci’s Demons: Season 2
It’s been a year since I sat down, and mainlined the first season of Da Vinci’s Demons thanks to the good people at Anchor Bay, so I was very excited to have a look at season two when it arrived, and it is available today! Series creator David S. Goyer continues to put the…
The Mind Reels 