I had a look at the Korean action thriller The Witch: Part 1 – The Subversion this week, and while this style of story has been done a number of times before this one was done in a solid and entertaining way that kept the plot, the twists, and action beats coming. That being said,…
Tag: past
About Time (2013) – Richard Curtis
Writer/director Richard Curtis brings together an all-star cast to deliver a time-travel tale that is frequently funny, emotionally poignant and a reminder that life is pretty beautiful and amazing if we remember to take the time to appreciate it, and all the little things it shows us. Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy star…
The Equalizer (1988) – The Mystery of Manon: Part 2, and No Place Like Home
McCall (Edward Woodward) deals with the now-public reveal that Yvette (Melissa Sue Anderson) is his daughter and that whoever abducted and abused Manon (Anne Heywood) is going to use her to destroy McCall, his son Scott (William Zabka) and Control (Robert Lansing). The second part of The Mystery of Manon was written by Coleman Luck…
Fringe (2011) – The Last Sam Weiss, and The Day We Died
While Peter (Joshua Jackson) remains in a coma, watched over by Walter (John Noble) and Astrid (Jasika Nicole), the strange destructive events continue and Olivia (Anna Torv) teams up with Sam Weiss (Kevin Corrigan) to find a way to outsmart the Device and allow Peter to stop it. Written by Monica Owusu-Breen and Alison Schapker…
Gerald’s Game (2017) – Mike Flanagan
Mike Flanagan delivered his first Stephen King adaptation with Gerald’s Game, and it’s a fantastic nerve-shredding examination of self, secrets, and survival. Jessie (Carla Gugino) and Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) head to their remote lake house to work on their relationship, after years of marriage things have gotten a little tired and stale, and they plan…
Fringe (2009) – Unleashed, and Bad Dreams
Someone has taken one of Walter’s (John Noble) failed ideas, and perfected it, creating a hybrid animal that can deliver its eggs through a horrible sting, if it doesn’t kill you first. Unleashed was written by Zack Whedon and J.R. Orci. It first aired on 14 April, 2009. A group of animal activists make a…
Inhibitor Phase (2021) – Alastair Reynolds
Orbit Books was kind enough to invite me back to Revelation Space with Alastair Reynolds’ latest novel set in that far flung universe. And once again, he proves himself not only a solid storyteller, but able to constantly meld high space opera with hard-edged sci-fi. The novel, though well able to stand on its own,…
TAD 2021: The Free Fall dir. Adam Stilwell
Toronto After Dark delivers a gaslighting character thriller with The Free Fall, enjoying its Canadian premiere, and comes in as one of my favorite films of the festival. That being said, I saw the truth of what was going on before everything was revealed, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable ride. Sara (Andrea…
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2009) – Niels Arden Oplev
Back in 2009 it seemed everyone was reading and talking about the late Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy. I read each one voraciously, absorbing each and every detail and loving the dark, thrilling world he created, and the fantastic character of Lisbeth Salander, a brave and powerful heroine with a sense of justice and her own…
Project: Hail Mary (2021) – Andy Weir
I loved Andy Weir’s The Martian, and happily dug into Project: Hail Mary (I still need to read Artemis), and was completely wowed by it. I haven’t had this sense of wonder and sense of discovery and exploration since I read Clarke’s Odyssey and Rama series. Ryland Grace, former biologist turned teacher wakes up and…
The Mind Reels 