Son of Dracula (1943) – Robert Siodmak

A mustachioed Lon Chaney Jr. takes over the role of Dracula in Son of Dracula, and while people insist he sounds like a foreigner he doesn’t sound like the Dracula we’ve been introduced to before, but perhaps he’s just another incarnation of the same creature. The Count, under the assumed name of Alucard (come on!)…

Invisible Agent (1942) – Edwin L. Marin

The next Universal Monsters movie (that I haven’t previously seen) is Invisible Agent, and honestly, it feels like a huge step up from The Invisible Woman, but too often goes for the comedic angle instead of playing itself as a straight thriller, which I think it could have done brilliantly. This time we are introduced…

Stargate SG-1 (1998) – Message in a Bottle, and Family

SG-1 investigates a planet that requires them to wear spacesuits, so it’s cool to know Stargate Command has access to that kind of thing. I mean after the shuttle rescue at the beginning of season two, i guess they have all kinds of access. But that’s only the precursor to Message in a Bottle. Written…

Dark Skies (1997) – Shades of Gray, and Burn, Baby, Burn

Juliet (Jeri Ryan) gets a bit more of a backstory in Shades of Gray. Written by Brad Markowitz this episode first aired on 8 February, 1997. As things get filled in, including a horrifying encounter during her childhood in Russia, we are invited to an even darker journey John Loengard (Eric Close) and Kim Sayers…

Alien: Romulus (2024) – Fede Alvarez

The Alien franchise has had its ups and downs, but the original two films, 1979’s Alien, and 1986’s Aliens, are undeniable classics that have held up and continue to entertain. The universe the films have been set in is seemingly ruled over by the tyrannical Weyland-Yutani corporation that seems to own everything or is in…

Magnum P.I. (2024) – Ashes to Ashes, and The Big Squeeze

This is it, the last two episodes of Magnum P.I. They aired back to back on 3 January, 2024, First up, Ashes to Ashes. It was written by Tera Tolentino, Andrew Blazensky and Barbie Kligman. T.C. (Stephen Hill) and Mahina (Emily Alabi) come to Magnum (Jay Hernandez) and Higgins (Perdita Weeks) for help on an…

Olympus Has Fallen (2013) – Antoine Fuqua

Antoine Fuqua delivered another actioner with Olympus Has Fallen. Taking an obvious page from the Die Hard playbook of the lone hero taking on seemingly insurmountable odds, the story casts Gerard Butler in the role of Mike Banning, a secret service agent no longer on the President’s (Aaron Eckhart) protection detail after a horrific accident…

Magnum P.I. (2022) – The Long Sleep, and Close to Home

Magnum (Jay Hernandez) admits to Rick (Zachary Knighton) that he may have feelings for Higgins (Perdita Weeks) in The Long Sleep. But she may already have plans and ready to move onto her next relationship, did Thomas miss his chance? Written by Mike Diaz, Andre Jackson and David Wolkove, this episode, the penultimate of the…

The Man with the Red Tattoo (2002) – Raymond Benson

Raymond Benson delivers his last original James Bond novel. His last 007 book was the adaptation of Die Another Day. So that means he has to wrap up the villain, Goro Yoshida, that he set up in the previous book, Never Dream of Dying. At the PM’s request, James has been assigned to look out…

Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 2: Earth (2006) – The Secret of the Fire Nation (The Serpent’s Pass, and The Drill), and City of Walls and Secrets

The Serpent’s Pass, and the series’ following episode, The Drill were initially aired back to back as a Nickelodeon Special called The Secret of the Fire Nation. The first episode, The Serpent’s Pass, was written by Joshua Hamilton and one of the series creators’ Michael Dante DiMartino. This and the following episode first aired on…