An Assassin in Utopia (2023) – Susan Wels

I occasionally find a non-fiction historical book that catches my interest, I’ll devour Erik Larson and Stephen B. Ambrose works voraciously, but when I read the blurb for Susan Wels’ An Assassin in Utopia, I had to add it to the list. Following historical events of the mid to late 19th century, Wels’ work centers…

The Color Out of Space (2010) – Huan Vu

H.P. Lovecraft, despite his racist tendencies that pop up in his writings, was a master of unnerving cosmic horror, and in 2010, Huan Vu adapted the classic novella, The Color Out of Space into a moody and ominous thriller. A German made film whose only problem lays in some of its special effects, but more…

The Little Vampire (2000) – Uli Edel

Even family films get into the vampire act as I learn with the next stop in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies, the coffee table tome by legendary director John Landis. That film is The Little Vampire, based on the book by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg. Starring Jonathan Lipnicki, following his endearing turn in Jerry Maguire, the…

Star Trek: Voyager (1995) – Cathexis, and Faces

Captain’s log: stardate 48734.2 Brannon Braga comes up with the teleplay for this story by Braga and Joe Menosky. It first aired on 1 May, 1995. A strange nebula renders Chakotay (Robert Beltran) brain-dead, and also lets something else take over the minds of the crew. And no matter how many times the ship tries…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993) – Descent Part II, and Liaisons

Captain’s log: stardate 47025.4 Rene Echevarria pens the final season’s opener that first aired on 20 September, 1993. Brent Spiner pulls double duty as both Data and Lore, as Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), Geordi (LeVar Burton) and Troi (Marina Sirtis) try to escape from the Brothers Soong who have assumed control of a cadre of…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990) – Brothers, and Suddenly Human

Captain’s log: stardate 44085.7 The theme of family which runs through this entire season of Next Generation is very prevalent here in this episode that was written by Rick Berman. First airing on 8 October, 1990, this is a very Brent Spiner-heavy episode. A medical emergency necessitates a run to a nearby starbase, however, Data…

Coco (2017) – Lee Unkrich, and Adrian Molina

A fiesta for the heart, and the souls. Coco is another proud feather for Pixar, and the House of Mouse. Pixar, since its first full length feature, Toy Story in 1995, has made some of my all time pieces of not only family entertainment, but heart-touching tales filled with humour, amazing art, brilliant stories and…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988) – Datalore, and Angel One

Captain’s log: stardate 41242.4 Ahhh, the melodrama trope of the evil twin. Datalore, written by Robert Lewin and series creator Gene Roddenberry from a story by Lewin and Maurice Hurley first aired on 18 January, 1988. This episode introduced two recurring creations of The Next Generation, while also giving us more of a history on…

Star Wars: Aftermath – Empire’s End (2017) – Chuck Wendig

Chuck Wendig unleashes the final part in his trilogy chronicling the canon events following The Return of the Jedi and culminating with the Empire’s fall at the Battle of Jakku. All the characters we have gotten to know over the past two novels are here, Norra Wexley, her son, Temmin ‘Snap’ Wexley, Sinjir, Bones, Gallius,…