Back in the early 90s, I would occasionally babysit the kids next door to get some extra cash (or any for that matter, as I was trying to find a work/life balance between schooling, job hunting, and friction at home). Amongst their collection of VHS tapes there was a copy of Warlock, and I don’t…
Tag: humour
Fletch (1974) – Gregory McDonald
I first read Fletch back in the 80s when the Chevy Chase movie was coming along, and for some reason I had problems keeping the story threads straight, as most of the text in the novel is dialogue, not action, so I would lose who said what and would have to go back, and back…
Moon Over Soho (2011) – Ben Aaronovitch
Constable Peter Grant returns to investigate the supernatural in the second novel in the Rivers of London series written by Ben Aaronovitch. Picking up about six months after the first book, the novel sees Grant still dealing with the fallout from the events of the first novel, particularly the attack that left his friend, and…
The Murder at the Vicarage (1930) – Agatha Christie
It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to check in on the writings of Agatha Christie, so I settled in to play a bit of the armchair (or lawnchair) detective as I enjoyed the first novel to introduce the other famous detective Christie was responsible for introducing to the world, Ms. Jane Marple,…
M*A*S*H (1975) – It Happened One Night, The Late Captain Pierce, and Hey, Doc
The camp has their hands full in It Happened One Night. Written by series developer Larry Gelbart and Simon Munter from a story by Gene Reynolds, this episode first aired on 26 September, 1975. It’s incredibly cold at the 4077th, and on top of that, Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Margaret (Loretta Swit) are working the…
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) – Tom McLoughlin
Jason (C.J. Graham) is back for another go around, as he gets resurrected and is now a truly unstoppable killer. Tommy Jarvis (Thom Matthews – the third actor to play the role, another problem that causes a lack of empathy and continuity with the character) is no longer in a mental institution, but he’s still…
M*A*S*H (1975) – Welcome to Korea Part 1, Part 2, and Change of Command
Season four opened with a two-part premiere that aired on 12 September, 1975. Written by series developer Larry Gelbart as well as James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. To deal with Trapper’s (Wayne Rogers) abrupt departure from the series, as well as Blake’s (McLean Stevenson) leaving for home, the episode had to reintroduce the series (again)…
M*A*S*H (1975) – Payday, White Gold, and Abyssinia, Henry
We’re closing in on the end of season three, and with Payday, Hawkeye (Alan Alda), serving as the payroll officer of the month has an unexpected windfall. Written by John W. Regier and Gary Markowitz, this episode first hit the airwaves on 4 March, 1975. As everyone finds ways to spend their pay, card games,…
Millennium (1997) – Jose Chung’s ‘Doomsday Defense,’ and Midnight of the Century
Darin Morgan brings his creation Jose Chung (Charles Nelson Reilly) into Frank Black’s (Lance Henriksen) orbit with Jose Chung’s ‘Doomsday Defense’ which Morgan wrote and first aired on 12 November, 1997. Like the classic X-Files episode that features the character, this story is funny, satiric, and of course, because it’s Millennium, has a bit of…
The Dead Pool (1988) – Buddy Van Horn
Dirty Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is back for one more go around in 1988’s The Dead Pool. And of all the sequels following Magnum Force, this is probably my favourite of the bunch. It’s a little sleeker, has the best cast since Magnum Force, and Harry isn’t quite as much a racist ass as he…
M*A*S*H (1975) – Bulletin Board, The Consultant, and House Arrest
Alan Alda steps behind the camera to direct Bulletin Board, a bit of a vignette episode written by Simon Muntner and series developer Larry Gelbart. It debuted on 14 January, 1975. Trapper (Wayne Rogers) is writing a letter home to his kids (and occasionally smooching a nurse or two), Frank (Larry Linville) and Margaret (Loretta…
The Hard Way (1991) – John Badham
Micheal J. Fox has always been one of my favourite actors, I grew up watching him on Family Ties, wanted to be hi in Back to the Future, and followed him to Spin City and beyond, so when his buddy-cop movie was coming out in 1991, you know I was there for it. Fox plays…
