Star Trek: The Next Generation (1994) – Lower Decks, and Thine Own Self

Captain’s log: stardate 47566.7 Rene Echevarria pens the teleplay for this superior episode from a story by Ron Wilkerson and Jean Louis Matthias. It first debuted on 7 February, 1994. This episode is delightfully unique in that the major characters of the series play supporting roles only. The heart of the tale centres around a…

Saving Private Ryan (1998) – Steven Spielberg

I was stunned when I first saw Saving Private Ryan on opening day, 24 July, 1998. I had never seen war depicted so realistically, so heart-breaking, graphic, and impactful. I held onto the names of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks like a mantra through the film, to guide me through it, to make everything be…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993/1994) – Parallels, and The Pegasus

Captain’s log: stardate 47391.2 Brannon Braga pens this episode that is one of the highlights of the seventh, and final season, and also gives Worf (Michael Dorn) a fantastic story that debuted on 29 November, 1993. Returning to the Enterprise by shuttle after winning a bat’leth competition, the Klingon officer notices subtle differences aboard the…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993) – Interface, and Gambit Part I

Captain’s log: stardate 47215.5 Airing on 4 October, 1993, Interface is a Geordi (LeVar Burton) story written by Joe Menosky. When the Enterprise’s Chief Engineer receives news of the disappearance of his mother’s, Captain Silva La Forge (Madge Sinclair), starship, it affects his current assignment of using a virtual reality probe to explore and rescue…

12 Strong (2018) – Blu-Ray Review

Releasing on blu-ray and DVD today from Warner Brothers is the film adaptation of the true story as retold in the novel Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton. The day after 11 September, 2001, a group of soldiers volunteered to be the first on the ground in Afghanistan. The film tells that story, and of the…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993) – Frame of Mind, and Suspicions

Captain’s log: stardate 46778.1 Frame of Mind is a Brannon Braga scripted tale that first aired on 3 May, 1993, and is a Riker (Jonathan Frakes) centred story. The Enterprise’s First Officer is afraid he is losing his mind, as he seems to be slipping between realities – he is by turns aboard the Federation…