Batman (1966) – A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away, and When the Rat’s Away the Mice Will Play

Frank Gorshin returns for another brilliant turn as The Riddler in A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away. Written by Fred De Gorter this episode was first broadcast on 16 February, 1966. When King Boris (Reginald Denny) arrives in Gotham City accompanying a priceless Queen of Liberty statue, the Riddler concocts a plan to…

George Pal Double Feature – 4K/Blu-Ray Review

If you missed the gorgeous War of the Worlds Criterion Edition blu-ray, then Paramount Pictures has you covered with their 4K version which is upgraded from the same elements giving fans a whole new look at the classic science fiction film. Sure that means you can see some of the wires moving the alien ships…

The Day She Died (2021)- S.M. Freedman

Dundurn Press delivers S.M. Freedman’s thriller, The Day She Died, to my summer reading pile, and it is a gut punch of a book, exploring dark secrets, while exploring the concept of forgiveness of oneself. It’s a captivating read that pulls you in, and drags you along at full-throttle on a white knuckle ride that…

The Mysterious Mr. Quin (1930) – Agatha Christie

Long before DC introduced us to Harley Quinn, a variation of the traditional harlequin character, Agatha Christie created her own Harley Quin, and introduced him to the world in a collection of short stories first published in 1930. This Harley Quinn is a tall mysterious man who appears at prime opportunities in the story, and…

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – Wes Anderson

The final title in The Directory, marking the end of my time with DK Canada’s exceptional The Movie Book is this fun, quirky film from writer/director Wes Anderson and starring Ralph Fiennes. Anderson packs the film with his favourite actors as he has done throughout his films. Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody,…

Moonlighting (1985) – Portrait of Maddie, and Altas Belched

It’s a different kind of case for Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) and David (Bruce Willis) this week as Kerry Ehrin and Ali Marie Matheson pen this episode that aired on 26 November, 1985. For the first time ever, the Blue Moon Detective Agency is in the black, but the funds are soon gone when Maddie buys…

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…

Doctor Who (Sylvester McCoy ) – Silver Nemesis

This three part tale, returned the monstrous threat of the Cybermen to the world of the Doctor (McCoy). Running from 23 November to 8 December, 1988 this story was penned by Kevin Clarke. The Doctor and Ace (Sophie Aldred – who wears a fez for a moment or two in the story, because they’re cool)…

F for Fake (1973) – Orson Welles

  The final Orson Welles recommended title following my screening of Citizen Kane for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, is this entertaining, quick-cutting, documentary about frauds, forgery, and fakery. Wandering delightfully from subject to subject, Welles regales the viewer with a number of stories, most based in fact, about lies and…