The Saturday Night Ghost Club (2018) – Craig Davidson

A too-short novel that handles the delicacy of memory, nostalgia, growing up in the 80s, and ghost stories. Craig Davidson’s poignant and engaging The Saturday Night Ghost Club is an emotional and compelling read. Jake, the story’s narrator relates to the reader a coming-of-age summer as he, his new best friend, the friend’s sister, and…

M*A*S*H (1982) – Who Knew?, Bombshells, and Settling Debts

Hawkeye (Alan Alda) has a troubling moment when a nurse he was involved with is killed by a landmine, and he realizes as he prepares her eulogy, that he didn’t know anything about her. Written by Elias Davis and David Pollock Who Knew? first aired on 22 November, 1982. While Klinger (Jamie Farr) pesters Charles…

M*A*S*H (1981) – Oh, How We Danced, Bottoms Up, and The Red/White Blues

Oh, How We Danced written by John Rappaport, and with an original airdate of 23 February, 1981, has a fantastic A-story, that really touches the heart (even as it messes with series continuity), and a completely forgettable B-story. The B-story first then. Charles (David Ogden Stiers) delivers a substandard sanitation rating to a nearby American…

TIFF 2021: Where is Anne Frank? dir. Ari Folman

Waltz with Bashir directot Ar Folman delivers a poignant animated feature, that touches on some important concepts, and ideas. Kitty is the imaginary friend that Anne Frank wrote to in her diary, pouring her thoughts and feelings, while documenting the events of her life, including two years of living in hiding from the Nazis during…

TIFF 2021: The Mad Women’s Ball dir. Melanie Laurent

Poignant and emotionally satisfying, Laurent’s film, The Mad Women’s Ball is a lush period piece that resonates with impactful themes and understated performances. Based on the novel of the same name by Victoria Mas, the film’s narrative follows Eugenie (Lou de Laage), a woman who suffers from visions that may be spiritual visitations. Very much…

M*A*S*H (1977) – End Run, Hanky Panky, and Hepatitis

Harry Morgan directs the first episode this week, End Run, which was written by John D. Hess and debuted on 25 January, 1977. Morgan keeps his story threads separate, giving us some comedy with Klinger (Jamie Farr), Frank (Larry Linville) and Zale (Johnny Haymer) when Frank decides to pit the two against one another in…