Ian Fleming’s second James Bond book finds its way to my book shelf this week as I delve into the character’s literary history as well as all the 007 films I haven’t covered for the blog. It’s an enjoyable novel, although it is steeped in way too much racist language and descriptions as Bond goes…
Tag: gold
The Hidden Fortress (1958) – Akira Kurosawa
Influencing films like Star Wars, Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress is the next film from the What Else to Watch from DK Books The Movie Book following my screening of Rashomon. A fun, action-filled adventure with dramatic moments, and fantastic performances, the story follows a pair of greedy peasants, Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Mastashichi (Kamatari…
The Twilight Zone (1961) – Long Distance Call, A Hundred Yards Over the Rim, and The Rip Van Winkle Caper
Paramount Pictures dares me to go deeper into The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series on blu-ray, and I took them up on it. First up this week is Long Distance Call. Written by Charles Beaumont and William Idelson, this episode had its premiere on 31 March, 1961. Young Bill Mumy (making his first of three…
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966) -Where No Man Has Gone Before and The Naked Time
Captain’s Log: Stardate 1312.4 The famed second pilot for the proposed series, Where No Man Has Gone Before was written by Samuel Peeples from Gene Roddenberry’s creation and found its way to the television sets everywhere on 22 September, 1966. This was an episode that I loved, and continue to love. It fostered the sense…
Singin’ in the Rain (1952) -Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
For me, screen musicals don’t get any better than Singin’ in the Rain. It’s my favourite. It combines great music, with a fun look at Hollywood on the cusp of transitioning to talkies, and features some wonderful sequences and a completely charming cast in the form of Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds….
Red Rising (2014) – Pierce Brown
With hints of the Hunger Games, Battle Royale, Ender’s Game and the guise of an educational setting, Pierce Brown’s science fiction novel, Red Rising, the first of a trilogy, is strongly written and completely engrossing. I’ll admit it took me about the first third of the book to get really hooked on the story,…
Black Sails: Season 2
Last year, Anchor Bay sent me the first season of Starz pirate adventure-drama, Black Sails, and I chain-watched the entire season over two sittings. I was aghast that this show had somehow slipped under my radar, it’s beautifully shot with gorgeous locations, practical sets (with some fantastic computer generated extensions) and has a fantastic…
Doctor Who (Tom Baker) – Revenge of the Cybermen
Tom Baker’s first season as the Doctor comes to a close this week with this four-part tale written by Gerry Davis that aired from 19 April to 10 May, 1975. It sees the return of the Doctor’s other most famous enemy, the Cybermen (and also marks their last appearance in the series (barring flashbacks) until 1982!)….
Black Sails: Season 1
The Rockford Files get a brief respite this week, as I take a look at three different television series being released to DVD and Blu-Ray today. The first is the pirate series, Black Sails, available now from Anchor Bay. This lushly produced, and cinematically shot eight episode first season is simply stunning in high-definition,…
Magnum, P.I. (1980) – Don’t Eat the Snow in Hawaii (Parts I & II)
I’m jumping ahead to the next Bellisario title, Magnum, P.I., while I fight with my computer and try to get more Airwolf to watch. That’s not a bad thing though, because this is my second favorite Bellisario show ever, and I am so looking forward to revisiting this one! I can’t even begin to…
The Mind Reels 