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…
Tag: humour
Star Wars: Complete Locations (2016) – Hans Jenssen, Richard Chasemore, and Kemp Remillard
Jaw-dropping and stunning. These were the only two words that came to mind as I dug into DK Canada’s Star Wars: Complete Locations book (updated for The Force Awakens). Incredibly detailed, this book takes us through the planets visited in the seven films to date, and the places we have visited there in the company…
Rear Window (1954) – Alfred Hitchcock
James Stewart and the stunning Grace Kelly star in the next recommended title from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book as I continue my time with Hitchcock’s thrillers. Voyeurism leads to problems as laid up photographer (is there a more voyeuristic career) L.B. Jefferies (Stewart) believes one of his neighbours, he can…
Quantum Leap (1990) – Freedom and Good Night, Dear Heart
Sam (Scott Bakula) engages in more time travelling adventure this week as he leaps into a young Native American, George Washaki in Freedom. This episode was penned by Chris Ruppenthal and aired 14 February, 1990. It’s 22 November, 1970, and Sam finds himself on the run with George’s grandfather, Joseph (Frank Salsedo), with an…
Brief Encounter (1945) – David Lean
I dive into the recommendations for the Romance and Melodrama genre following my screening of Casablanca for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book and first up is the David Lean film, based on the play by Noel Coward, Brief Encounter. Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard star as Laura Jesson and Dr….
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,…
Howard the Duck (1986) – Willard Huyck
A long time before Marvel Entertainment got their act together to bring us one superhero extravaganza after another, George Lucas (the next stop on the journey through the Sci-Fi Chronicles book), served as executive producer on Willard Huyck’s terrible adaptation of Howard the Duck from the comic series. There are a couple of upsides…
Fringe Toronto: The McComedy Show
I knew I’d made a good choice in seeing Shannon McDonough’s The McComedy Show when I sat down and the pre-show music was composed entirely of old TV theme songs! Ahhh, they just don’t make ’em like that anymore! I had no idea what to expect from the show itself, as I’d done no prior…
Hot Docs 2015: Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead – The Story of National Lampoon – Douglas Tirola
National Lampoon started as a small, rather unprofessional looking magazine at its birth, but its humour, wit and brilliance was there from the get-go. Co-founded by Douglas Kenney and Henry Beard, the magazine, on finding its feet, became ground zero for some of the biggest names in comedy both on-screen and off. The documentary…
Hot Docs 2015: Monty Python – The Meaning of Live – Roger Graf & James Rogan
I came to the Monty Python phenomena in the late 80s, early 90s during my uni days, which is sad as they’d been around since 69, and had basically not done anything together in a long time at that point. But immediately afterwards I was a devout fan, my favorite member of the troupe…
The Mind Reels 