Its action sequences are flawed, and don’t look anywhere as near as cool, and sharp as they could, but 1996’s The Substitute (which spawned three increasingly bad direct-to-video sequels) is packed with familiar faces. The cast is led by Tom Berenger, and includes Raymond Cruz, Luis Guzman, William Forsythe, Rodney, A. Grant, Ernie Hudson, Marc…
Tag: school
Family Ties (1984) – Keaton and Son, Fabric Smarts, and Hotline Fever
Alex (Michael J. Fox) is looking for a job, hopefully at a bank to be close to the money, but he may have to take whatever comes along, which may mean working with his dad, Steven (Michael Gross) down at the station. Keaton and Son was written by Lissa Levin and was first broadcast on…
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) – Guillermo del Toro, and Mark Gustafson
One of my favourite directors, Guillermo del Toro takes on the classic tale of Pinocchio. Teaming up with director Mark Gustafson and an incredibly talented bunch of animators and voice talent, del Toro moves the story forward in time to the 1920s, setting it in Italy during the rise of Mussolini, paired with some dark…
Lady in White (1988) – Frank LaLoggia
Frank LaLoggia scarred a number of my generation with his film Lady in White, which he wrote and directed. I remember countless friends, and others telling me how much it freaked me out. I had seen it once in the late 80s, just as I was getting into horror movies as a late teenager, and…
Star Trek: Discovery – The Way to the Stars (2019) – Una McCormack
When I read her Picard novel, Last Best Hope, I was completely taken in by McCormack’s writing, with her Discovery novel, The Way to the Stars, she has cemented herself as my favorite Trek author working today. Available through the Gallery Books imprint of Simon & Schuster, Star Trek doles out literary adventures, with both…
The Fury (1978) – Brian De Palma
Kirk Douglas and Amy Irving star in De Palma’s first film after his success with Carrie, and this one is another supernatural tinged thriller, but this one boasts a score by John Williams, and viewers should watch for brief appearances by Daryl Hannah and Dennis Franz. John Farris pens the screenplay from his own novel,…
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) – Chris Columbus
The magic of Harry Potter continues in Warner Brothers’ second instalment of what would go on to be an insanely profitable franchise. Director Chris Columbus returned for a second outing, with this adaption of the second book in the series (which was still being written at the time – can you remember the time when…
The Snoopy Collection – Blu-Ray Review
Snoopy and the entire Peanuts gang have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I can recall reading the paperback compilations of Charles M. Schulze classic strips. The Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the only holiday specials that I must watch every year. I imagined my childhood was…
Star Wars: Mission From Mount Yoda (1993) – Paul Davids and Hollace Davids
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… The original Expanded Universe ventured into the realm of young reader stories with a six volume series following Ken, known as a jedi prince, though to date, he hasn’t shown any real knowledge of the Force. In this tale, another environmentally themed story, Han Solo,…
Better Off Dead (1985) – Savage Steve Holland
John Cusack and Savage Steve Holland did two movies together, Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer, and both of them came along at just the right point in my life, I was a teenager at the time, and could totally relate to all things Cusack’s characters were going through. In Better Off Dead Cusack…
The Mind Reels 