The Equalizer (1989) – Starfire, and Time Present, Time Past

Michael Moriarty returns in a guest role in Starfire, though not as the same character as last time. This time, his character is called Seti, and he claims he’s an alien from another planet. He’s befriended a young girl, Amber (Angela Goethals), who he entrusts with a strange device and tells her if something happens…

TIFF ’22: Empire of Light

Writer/director Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light is a beautiful and emotional achievement, celebrating the beauty of cinema while allowing its star, Olivia Colman to deliver a powerful, layered and nuanced performance as Hillary. She’s a woman of a certain age who suffers from a mental illness, which she has to contend with in her day-to-day…

Star Trek: Ice Trap (1992) – L.A. Graf

There are times. Not often, but every now and then, that despite my love for the subject matter, I can’t get into a book. This is what happened with my latest foray in to the Star Trek novels. I loved the sound of it, I’m enjoying my time with Kirk and company as I go…

A Beautiful Mind (2001) – Ron Howard

The four time Oscar winning film, A Beautiful Mind, is the next film mentioned on the Ten Films It’s Painful To Like in Ten Bad Dates With De Niro. Now, with five Oscars under its belt, it can’t be that painful to like, yes it rather simplifies mental illness, but conveys it wonderfully on screen. It…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990) – Sarek, and Menage a Troi

Captain’s log: stardate 43917.4 Airing on 14 May, 1990, Star Trek: The Next Generation began formal relations with the Original Series when it debuted the episode Sarek. Written by Peter S. Beagle based on an unpublished story by Marc Cushman and Jake Jacobs. Sarek (Mark Lenard returning to the role) at the age of 202,…

Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – Cold Blood, and Vincent and the Doctor

Rory (Arthur Darvill), Amy (Karen Gillan) and the Doctor (Smith) have their hands full this week as we dive into the second part of the Silurian story that started last week with The Hungry Earth. Cold Blood was written by Chris Chibnall and first aired on 29 May, 2010. The Time Lord is going underground…

Magnum, p.i. (1987) – Tigers Fan and Forever in Time

  Loss hits private investigator, Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck), pretty hard this week, as we continue our travels in Hawaii in the show’s final season. Tigers Fan was written by Bruce Cervi, and originally aired on 4 November, 1987. When his friend, and fellow Detroit Tigers fan, Lt. Yoshi Tanaka (Kwan Hi Lim) is murdered,…

Hot Docs 2016: Beware the Slenderman – Irene Taylor Brodsky

  Having its international premiere last night at the Lightbox,  Irene Taylor Brodsky’s film is a slick looking, unnerving and surprisingly emotional look at the blurring of fiction and reality in the modern age, as two young girls, Anissa and Morgan succumb to the terrors and stories of the internet created character of the Slenderman,…

Fringe Toronto: Hanger

I was lucky enough to catch the second-last staging of Hilary McCormack’s Hanger on Saturday July 11th as this year’s Fringe Festival came to a close on Sunday. Directed by Joshua Stodart, this little play about two sisters and the mental illness which appears to run in their family took over the St. Vladimir Theatre…