M*A*S*H (1976) – The Nurses, The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan, and Dear Sigmund

Loretta Swit has a pair of episodes this week that allow her to shine as her character Margaret Houlihan. First up is The Nurses. Written by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, it was first broadcast on 19 October, 1976, and lets the main cast step back a bit to let a supporting cast of nurses have a little…

Star Trek: Voyager (1995) – Caretaker

Captain’s log: stardate 48315.6 Micheal Piller and Jeri Taylor penned the series opener from a story they came up with alongside Rick Berman, and the Trek universe was introduced to its newest captain, Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and her Intrepid-class starship, Voyager, NCC-74656. She and her crew, including a helmsman recruited out of a Federation…

The Pianist (2002) – Roman Polanski

The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Schindler’s List is this film, based on the autobiography of Wladyslaw Spillman. The film sees Adrien Brody taking on the role, and going home with the Oscar for Best Actor because of it. Too right too, considering his…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993) – Frame of Mind, and Suspicions

Captain’s log: stardate 46778.1 Frame of Mind is a Brannon Braga scripted tale that first aired on 3 May, 1993, and is a Riker (Jonathan Frakes) centred story. The Enterprise’s First Officer is afraid he is losing his mind, as he seems to be slipping between realities – he is by turns aboard the Federation…

The Sound of Music (1965) – Robert Wise

My return to the Musical chapter of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book sees me settling into Robert Wise’s multi-Oscar winning (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Editing and Best Music) adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music. Starring Julie Andrews (in an Oscar nominated performance) and…