I return to the universe of Alastair Reynold’s space opera this week, with a story that ties directly into Revelation Space, though it also ties into the expanded universe as glimpsed in Chasm City. The Inhibitors are back, they are an ancient mechanical race that prunes back intelligent life, stopping them when they venture too…
Tag: humanity
Star Trek: Doctor’s Orders (1990) – Diane Duane
Doctor McCoy has to take over the center seat in the next Pocket Books Star Trek novel I dug into, Doctor’s Orders. Set during the original five year mission, the Enterprise has come to a remote planet known by the nickname, Flyspeck. There the crew learn of three different sentient species sharing the beautiful and…
Revelation Space (2000) – Alastair Reynolds
Growing up I loved science fiction movies and television (still do) but as far as reading went I stuck to Star Wars and Star Trek novels before finally letting Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001, and Frank Herbert’s Dune open my mind up a little more. Still, I wouldn’t delve much deeper than that for a number…
Murderers Among Us (1946) – Wolfgang Staudte
The Directory of DK Canada’s The Movie Book continues to provide exemplary titles, despite the fact that they didn’t make the cut for the main body of the text. And Murderers Among Us is a moody, brilliant watch that reminds us of the horrors of war, humanity, and the cost of terrible events. A German…
Toronto After Dark 2019 – Werewolf (2018) – Adrian Panek
A unique entry in Toronto After Dark’s film festival has its Canadian premiere at Scotiabank Theater this evening, the Polish film Werewolf. Filled with shades of Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Werewolf shows the horror of war, the deconstruction of our humanity by the most brutal cruelty man has ever known, the Nazis and their…
Infernal Affairs (2002) – Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, and Alan Mak
DK Canada’s The Movie Book rolls out the What Else to Watch list following my screening of Oldboy. Infernal Affairs is up for viewing, and served as the basis for the North American adaptation, The Departed. Yes, The Departed is a solid film, the original is so much better. Tightly edited, fantastically crafted the film…
Star Trek: Voyager (1999) – Dark Frontier
Captain’s log: stardate 52619.2 Brannon Braga and Joe Menosky pen this feature length episode that first aired on 17 February, 1999. The Borg are back, but this time Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) may be ready for them. In fact, she has a plan to help thee Voyager get home that much quicker. She’s developed a…
Cool Hand Luke (1967) – Stuart Rosenberg
Paul Newman is Cool Hand Luke, the next title up for watching as I delve into the What Else to Watch list of DK Canada’s The Movie Book following my screening of The Shawshank Redemption. Featuring an all-star cast including George Kennedy (who took home Best Supporting Oscar), Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper (though I…
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – Frank Darabont
If there is a near perfect drama film for me, it is the next recommendation in DK Canada’s The Movie Book, The Shawshank Redemption directed by Frank Darabont, who wrote the screenplay as well, basing it on the short story by Stephen King. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman headline at the iconic King-universe prison, Shawshank,…
Star Trek: Voyager (1997) – Day of Honor, and Nemesis
Captain’s log: stardate unknown Airing on 17 September, 1997, Day of Honor, written by Jeri Taylor, did a lot to advance the B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) – Tom Paris (Robert Duncan MacNeill) storyline. Never one to celebrate Klingon tradition, Torres is ready to forget the whole thing, Her day gets more complicated when the Voyager’s…
SpaceFlight: The Complete Story, From Sputnik to Curiosity (2019) – Giles Sparrow
Space. The Final Frontier… Ever since I was a child I looked up at the sky in wonder. This is an experience that I think everyone has shared, but only a few of us grow up with that sustained sense of awe through the rest of our lives. After my introduction to Star Wars and…
Wake in Fright (1971) – Ted Kotcheff
The next film, based on the novel by Kenneth Cook, is from the What Else to Watch list in DK Canada’s The Movie Book following its suggested viewing of Picnic at Hanging Rock. It’s a dark, violent tale that strips the civility and education of man away from him as he is plunged into darker…
