The first time I watched del Toro’s gothic tale I didn’t pay attention as much as I should and consequently, I grew bored with it. The advertising had made it look more akin to a horror film which is what I thought I wanted. I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of lurid colors, and what…
Tag: madness
The Prisoner (1967) – Checkmate, and Hammer Into Anvil
Number Six (Patrick McGoohan) squares off against Number Two (this time played by Peter Wyngarde) in a layered scheme in Checkmate. Written by Gerald Kelsey, this episode first debuted on 24 November, 1967. Inspired by a life-sized chess game, Six begins canvassing his own pieces, fellow prisoners, as he’s reasoned out how to tell the…
M*A*S*H (1977) – The Grim Reaper, Comrades In Arms: Part One, and Part Two
Burt Prelutsky pens The Grim Reaper which sees Hawkeye (Alan Alda) running afoul of a goal focussed colonel, Bloodworth (Charles Aidman) in this episode that first aired on 29 November, 1977. Bloodworth is a frequent visitor to the 4077th warning of the number of casualties he expects from his assaults, and maneuvers against the enemy….
The Color Out of Space (2019) – Richard Stanley
Last week I watched a 2010 German adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s famouns short story, this week, I take a look at the 2019 version starring Nicolas Cage. Directed by Richard Stanley, who delivered the infamous The Island of Dr. Moreau with Brando and Kilmer, this version differs from the German version, but its essence is…
The Twonky (1953) – Arch Oboler
I venture into a new section of DK Books’ Monsters in the Movies, one dealing with monstrous machines, and the first one I encounter is a sentient television set in The Twonky. This kind of sci-fi comedy is probably more relevant today, when seen through the lens of mobile phones and modern technology, instead of…
Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – Singularity, and Vanishing Point
Captain’s log: 14 August, 2152 Singularity was written by Chris Black, and first debuted on 20 November, 2002. As the Enterprise approaches a black hole, the crew appears to descend into a form of madness as each of them becomes obsessed with seemingly trivial matters. T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) who remains largely unaffected, must find a…
Wisconsin Death Trip (1999) – James Marsh
James Marsh proves yet again that he is the modern master of the documentary as he weaves fascinating stories, grisly, humorous, and undeniably human in this doc version of the book of the same name by Micheal Lesy. It’s also my next film as i dig into the What Else to Watch list of DK…
Moonlighting (1986) – The Man Who Cried Wife, and Symphony in Knocked Flat
Kerry Ehrin pens this week’s first episode, The Man Who Cried Wife, which aired on 30 September, 1986. When James Bower (Stephen Godwin) kills his cheating wife, Melissa (Patricia Duff) in a moment of rage, he buries her in the forest, in an unmarked grave. But when he starts receiving phone calls from her he…
Star Trek: Voyager (1999) – The Fight, and Think Tank
Captain’s log: stardate unknown Joe Menosky penned this Chakotay (Robert Beltran) episode from a story by Micheal Taylor. It first aired on 24 March, 1999. As the Voyager travels through a region of ‘chaotic space’ wherein the usual laws of physics don’t always apply, Chakotay begins to have visions, which may be an attempt by…
Raise the Red Lantern (1991) – Yimou Zhang
The next film in DK Canada’s informative and entertaining The Movie Book is this beautifully shot Chinese film starring Li Gong. Set in the 1920s, Songlian (Li) elects to become the fourth mistress of a wealthy lord, Chen Zuoqian (Jingwu Ma). She soon finds herself enmeshed in the rules of the household, and the scheming…
The Mind Reels 