Raymond Benson’s next Bond story was the adaptation of the Pierce Brosnan film, The World is Not Enough. It doesn’t differ too much from what ended up onscreen, but because it’s the written word, it allows one to recast the film, and I happily eject Denise Richards as Christmas Jones from the movie in my…
Tag: plan
Star Trek: Picard (2020) – Stardust City Rag, and The Impossible Box
Jonathan Frakes directs Stardust City Rag, which starts off brutally, and takes us to some dark places with the characters even as Picard (Patrick Stewart) gets to pose as a villain. Written by Kirsten Beyer, this episode first aired on 20 February 2020 and opens with a Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) flashback as we…
Shin Godzilla (2016) – Hideaki Anno, and Shinji Higuchi
Crunchyroll, the streaming service, doesn’t just have anime series for every taste and genre, it also contains a number of films, among them is Shin Godzilla. I love a good Godzilla film so I was very eager to dive into this one, and was very happy to see that it had more in common with…
Blade Runner: Black Out 2022
So I’ve been diving into the streaming service, Crunchyroll, which is a fan’s paradise of anime series and films. If you’ve only brushed up against the occasional series the sheer size of the streaming platform’s library can seem a little daunting. Don’t be too put off, the site will make recommendations for you based on…
Batman (1967) – Penguin Is a Girl’s Best Friend, Penguin Sets a Trend, and Penguin’s Disastrous End
We find ourselves with another three-part episode. This one features the return of both The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) and Marsha, Queen of Diamonds (Carolyn Jones). Written by Stanford Sherman this story really puts Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) through it. The first episode aired on 26 January, 1967. This time around the Dynamic…
Odds On (1966) – Michael Crichton
While Michael Crichton was in med school he wrote a series of novels under the pseudonym John Lange, and that seemed like a good place to start if I was going to explore Crichton’s writing, revisit some I knew (like Sphere the other week) and discover some new favorites. Odds On is a crime thriller…
Batman (1966) – The Puzzles Are Coming, and The Duo Is Slumming
With Frank Gorshin held up in contract negotiations over his performance of The Riddler, the series had to create a new villain for this two-part story. Enter The Puzzler. Played by Maurice Evans, the character has a knack for aviation and Shakespeare (and puzzles) and he seems to be in Gotham City to stir up…
Escape Plan (2013) – Mikael Hafstrom
Escape Plan feels like a bit of an action throwback and leans into the escapist (pun intended) entertainment of the 80s and early 90s. And what better way to do that than with two of the biggest stars of the 80s Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger? Stallone plays Ray Breslin, a professional escape artist. He…
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – Wes Anderson
The framing, the quirky characters, the details, the whipsmart dialogue and its delivery. Every time I watch a Wes Anderson film that one becomes my new favourite until I watch another one. I love how he tells his stories, how his characters interact, and all the little moments, styles, and touches that make a Wes…
Batman (1966) – The Devil’s Fingers, and The Dead Ringers
Liberace?! Yup, Liberace. The renowned pianist and entertainer shows up as this story’s villain, Harry, as well as the villain’s entertainer twin brother, Chandell, who is being blackmailed by Harry. A series of musical crimes are striking Gotham City in this two-part story which was written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. The first part, The Devil’s…
The Mind Reels 