The Final Girls (2015) – Todd Strauss-Schulson

The Final Girls is a delightfully meta-horror comedy with an emotional heart thanks to the performances of Taissa Farmiga and Malin Akerman. Farmiga is Max Cartwright, the daughter of Alexandra (Akerman) who has always wanted to be a movie star, but keeps getting recalled for her one big role, in an 80s cult classic slasher…

Hill Street Blues (1986) – Larry of Arabia, and Iced Coffey

Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti) is convalescing at home but is eager to get back to the precinct in Larry of Arabia. Written by Jeffrey Lewis, David Milch, Jacob Epstein, and John William See from a story by Lewis, Milch and Jerry Patrick Brown. It first aired on 27 February, 1986. Bobby Hill (Michael Warren) has…

The Equalizer (1988) Target of Choice, and Always a Lady

McCall (Edward Woodward) and Mickey (Keith Szarabajka) have their work cut out for them in the penultimate episode of season three of The Equalizer. Target of Choice, written by Kevin Droney, first aired on 6 April, 1988. A killer, Hawkins (Kevin Geer), is out of prison, and he’s got his murderous eye on the man…

The Equalizer (1986) – A Community of Civilized Men, and Joyride

McCall (Edward Woodward) loses a potential romantic partner after resolving her issues at the beginning of A Community of Civilized Men when she’s murdered and McCall has to help her daughter, Valerie (Jennifer Grey) survive and elude a professional agent, and killer. Written by Daniel Pyne and Scott Shepherd this episode was first broadcast on…

Lady in White (1988) – Frank LaLoggia

Frank LaLoggia scarred a number of my generation with his film Lady in White, which he wrote and directed. I remember countless friends, and others telling me how much it freaked me out. I had seen it once in the late 80s, just as I was getting into horror movies as a late teenager, and…

Fringe (2011) – Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, and 6:02 AM EST

It’s time for Bell’s (Leonard Nimoy) soul to leave Olivia’s (Anna Torv) body but there seems to be no way to oust him from her body, and with him as the dominant consciousness, Olivia’s time to recover is running out. So Walter (John Noble) comes up with a shocking plan in Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. Written…

The Gift (2000) – Sam Raimi

The Gift is definitely an underrated entry in Sam Raimi’s filmography. It lacks the frenetic energy in a number of his films but is completely engrossing in the way it unfolds. With a ceaselessly moving camera, Raimi tells a captivating ghost story that was written in part by Billy Bob Thornton, which was based in…

Alligator (1980) – Lewis Teague

I remember seeing the poster for Alligator when I was a kid, and while I liked the shadowy look of the art, with a giant alligator peering out of an arched sewer, I never really had much of a desire to see it. Even as I grew older and heard some semi-decent things about it,…

Mission: Impossible (1970) -Butterfly, and Decoy

Phelps (Peter Graves) and his IMF team (with Willy (Peter Lupus) back) head to Japan in Butterfly. Written by Eric Bercovici and Jerrold L. Ludwig from a story by Sheldon Stark, it first aired on 31 October, 1970. There’s some uncomfortable things that go on in this episode as the characters pose as various Japanese…