I discovered ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic with Eat It, and the first album of his I purchased was Dare To Be Stupid, which got played a lot. In fact, I know his song Yoda, better than the original on which it is based, Lola. In 1989, Yankovic wrote and starred in his only feature film to…
Tag: kevin mccarthy
Mission: Impossible (1971) – Underwater, and Invasion
I’m not sure I cared for Underwater. Written by Arthur Weiss it first aired on 6 November, 1971 and features the IMF going after some crooks, their cash, and some stolen diamonds. Unfortunately, a thief has made off with them, and they have to get him to admit where they are and scoop them out…
Innerspace (1987) – Joe Dante
Joe Dante gives us a spin on Fantastic Voyage, with an underlying theme of believing in yourself with Innerspace, a sci-fi action comedy starring Martin Short, Dennis Quaid, and Meg Ryan. Featuring a score by Jerry Goldsmith, this film, when I first saw it, and now, remains a fun and entertaining film with its Academy…
Piranha (1978) – Joe Dante
The next title from the What Else to Watch list as featured in DK Canada’s The Movie Book following the recommendation of Jaws is one of the first films to cash in on the dangerous aquatic animals films. Roger Corman produces a script by John Sayles and cult favorite Joe Dante directs this b-movie schlock…
The Twilight Zone (1960) – The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, A World of Difference and Long Live Walter Jameson
This week’s journey into the dark reaches of the psyche as I continue my travels with Paramount Pictures through the Twilight Zone starts with one of the series iconic episodes – The Monsters are Due on Maple Street. Rod Serling penned this episode that had an original airdate of 4 March, 1960. Disaster is about…
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) – John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller
Four great directors give their own interpretations of four classic stories from Rod Serling’s fantastic television series in this big screen adaptation that is the next stop on the Sci-Fi Chronicles. Sure there is that shadow cast over the film with the death of Vic Morrow and two child actors in a helicopter crash,…
Batman: The Animated Series (1992) – Nothing to Fear, Be a Clown, Appointment in Crime Alley
Time for more Bat-goodness with these three episodes that originally aired on 15, 16 & 17 of September, 1992. First up is Nothing to Fear, which sees the Scarecrow (Henry Polic II) being introduced to the Batman’s (Kevin Conroy) rogues gallery. When Bats is exposed to the villain’s scare-gas, he begins to fear that…
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) – Philip Kaufman
The Sci-Fi Chronicles book has brought me lots of enjoyment to date, and I got very excited when it was time to revisit the series of films based on the novel by Jack Finney. I’d previously reviewed the original film here but was looking forward to re-watching this version, I’d only seen it a few…
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
“You’re next! You’re NEXT!!” That immortal line screamed by Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) as he runs through traffic is still chilling 56 years on. The 101 Sci-Fi movies brought me to the utlimate tale of conformity versus indiviualism today with the 1956 classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Directed by Don Siegel, who…
The Howling (1981)
Joe Dante appears on the 101 Horror Movies, not with Gremlins, not with Piranha, but with his werewolf tale, The Howling. This is just a fun film, as most of Dante’s films tend to be. It’s also filled with inside jokes and cameos. If you watch the background, and book titles, and pictures on the…
The Mind Reels 