Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh make a great pairing in this action buddy-comedy throwback that shows the 80s had that formula down pat. Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein Mayday is vastly entertaining. Reynolds, when he wants, can do a lot more than the one-note sarcastic charming guy, but that seems to work,…
Tag: kgb
Firefox (1977) – Craig Thomas
I remember seeing Clint Eastwood’s Firefox when it hit the theaters back in 1982. It was one of the first films I was able to go see on my own. I also remember seeing the novel, with the movie cover in the local book stores. Some forty odd years later, I decided that it’s time…
Gotcha! (1985) – Jeff Kanew
I remember greatly enjoying Gotcha! when I rented it on video back in the day. And though it’s always been floating round in the back of my mind, I haven’t watched it since… until now. And let me tell you, this one stands up. There’s a couple of things that don’t stand the test of…
Northern Exposure (1992) – Do the Right Thing, and Crime and Punishment
David Hemmings guest stars as Viktor Bobrov, a former Russian agent who arrives in Cicely, looking for a bargain on countless items, including the KGB file on Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin). Do the Right Thing was written by Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, this episode was first broadcast on 30 November, 1992. The file seems…
Gorky Park (1983) – Michael Apted
I remember seeing the book cover for Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith everywhere in the early 80s. I suppose had I wanted to I could have read it then. My parents were pretty liberal with letting me read whatever I wanted, and I had just started delving into mysteries, I read a couple of…
Northern Exposure (1990) – Russian Flu, and Sex, Lies and Ed’s Tapes
Joel (Rob Morrow) is super-excited that his fiancée, Elaine (Jessica Lundy) is coming up to Cicely for a visit. Unfortunately, the pilot he hired, not Maggie (Janine Turner) has come down with a virus and it seems to be spreading around the town quickly. Russian Flu was written by David Assael and debuted on 9…
Atomic Blonde (2017) – David Leitch
Charlize Theron is here to kick ass in Atomic Blonde and she does, and does it well. Based on the graphic novel The Coldest City, Atomic Blonde is a spy-thriller that features some solid stunt and fight work, the majority of which Theron, much like Keanu Reeves for John Wick did as much of as…
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015) – Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie’s adaptation of the classic 60s series The Man From U.N.C.L.E., which serves as a bit of an origin story for the series characters is uneven at best. What could have launched a fun franchise, that wouldn’t equal Mission: Impossible, but could have been a delightful theatrical tentpole fumbles as it proves unable to…
The Equalizer (1987) – Mission: McCall: Part 2, and Shadow Play
Edward Woodward’s recovery from his heart attack between seasons necessitated the creation of a story that would cover his absence while he recovered. Mission: McCall: Part 2, is the second half of the storyline to explain his absence. Written by Ed Waters, Scott Shepherd and Robert Eisele from a story by Waters and Coleman Luck,…
The Equalizer (1987) – Encounter in a Closed Room, and Mission: McCall: Part 1
Encounter in a Closed Room feels a little uneven, the editing and narrative a little choppy, but it’s still an enjoyable episode, and features some solid guest stars in the form of Michael Moriarty, Maureen Mueller and Jamey Sheridan. Written by Ann Lewis Hamilton from a story by Hamilton and Schott Shepherd, this episode first…
