The second film in the Pink Panther series could be argued to be the best, it puts all the familiar players on the screen with Peter Sellers, returning as Inspector Jacques Closeau. Herbert Lom is his long-suffering boss, Dreyfus, Burt Kwok is Kato, Closeau’s manservant and sparring partner, and Hercule as played by Graham Stark….
Tag: murder
TIFF ’23: Reptile
I love a good film noir, and Reptile, having its World Premiere at TIFF, definitely falls into that category. Being released by Netflix (which means if you can’t see it on the silver screen you;ll be able to see it on your big screen at home in October) the film is a tightly wound spring…
Hill Street Blues (1985) – What Are Friends For?, and The Virgin and the Turkey
Norman Buntz (Dennis Franz) has a tough day on the hill, one that will shake him to his core, whether he admits it or not in What Are Friends For? With an original airdate of 5 December, 1985, this episode was written by Dick Wolf. Buntz and Rodriguez (Del Zamora) are running down a lead…
Dead Again (1991) – Kenneth Branagh
It’s been a couple of decades since I watched Branagh’s Hitchcockian romantic thriller, Dead Again. In fact, it had been so long that I completely forgot about the uncredited appearance by Robin Williams! But from its opening shots, and it’s driving and powerful score by Patrick Doyle, I was taken into the sweeping narrative. In…
Hill Street Blues (1985) – You’re in Alice’s, and Grin and Bear It
We wrap up season five this week and there’s a lot going on, Goldblume (Joe Spano) doesn’t have time to grieve for Gina’s (Jennifer Tilly) very public murder, because he’s too focused on getting involved in the investigation, and executing her will. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg on the precinct this week….
Hidden Pictures (2022) – Jason Rekulak
Jason Rekulak delivers a wonderfully creepy ghost story with Hidden Pictures. Filled with familiar ideas and tropes, Rekulak keeps it fresh with his engaging story, delightfully layered characters and the drawings that fill the novel. Mallory is fresh from rehab, she’s trying to get her life together, and with some help she lands a summer…
The Punisher (1989) – Mark Goldblatt
The same year that Micheal Keaton donned the cowl and became the iconic Batman for a generation, Dolph Lundgren brought Marvel’s dark antihero, Frank Castle, to life in the low-budget adaptation of The Punisher. If I say ugh will that be enough? Lundgren has never been known for his thespian abilities, and in a role…
Hill Street Blues (1984) – The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall, and Last Chance Salon
Mick Belker (Bruce Weitz) has a rough go of it in The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall and deals out some police brutality in vengeance which may or may not haunt the character, but definitely haunted me the viewer. Written by Jacob Epstein from a story by Michael I. Wagner, this episode was…
Hill Street Blues (1984) – Ewe and Me, Babe, and Blues for Mr. Green
David Stenn pens Ewe and Me, Babe from a story by Floyd Byars, and it was first aired on 8 November, 1984. There are a couple of familiar faces in the guest cast this week, Hector Elizondo and Miguel Ferrer. Oh! and watch for a brief glimpse of Tim Russ in an uncredited role as…
Star Trek: Invasion! First Strike (1996) – Diane Carey
Diane Carey launched a cross-generational story that swept through all four of the then-existing series, The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. Each novel featured a standalone story that connected with the other tales, and the first featured Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise. Set a very short…
The Mind Reels 