Writer/director Neil Marshall pays homage to Snake Plissken and Mad Max with his actioner, Doomsday, which, as I rewatched it, had an opening that seems incredibly relevant as a pandemic sweeps the UK, and as the virus spreads there are lockdowns, quarantines, and curfews – until the infected are all locked away in Scotland, a…
Tag: scotland
Licence Renewed (1981)- John Gardner
In the early 80s, the estate of Ian Fleming reached out to author John Gardner to continue telling stories about James Bond, 007, and to perchance, bring him into the 80s. This involved a bit of a retcon moving the events of the previous novels from the 50s/60s to the 60s/70s. Gardner’s first effort, Licence…
Dog Soldiers (2002) – Neil Marshall
Cult favorite director Neil Marshall takes on werewolves with his engaging take on them, in the action horror, Dog Soldiers, the next stop on the Monsters in the Movies book from DK Canada. The cast features Liam Cunningham, Kevin McKidd and Sean Pertwee as the film takes us to the highlands of Scotland, and into…
The Little Vampire (2000) – Uli Edel
Even family films get into the vampire act as I learn with the next stop in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies, the coffee table tome by legendary director John Landis. That film is The Little Vampire, based on the book by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg. Starring Jonathan Lipnicki, following his endearing turn in Jerry Maguire, the…
Space: 1999 (1976) – Journey to Where, and One Moment of Humanity
Moonbase Alpha continues to hurtle among the stars drawing us with them as Koenig (Martin Landau), Russell (Barbara Bain), Alan (Nick Tate), Maya (Catherine Schell), Tony (Tony Arnholt) and the rest of the crew try to survive. Trouble rears its head this week in Journey to Where, penned by Donald James this episode first debuted…
Indiana Jones and the Dance of the Giants (1991) – Rob MacGregor
Scotland 1925 I jump back into adventure with the man with the hat, as my travels with Indiana Jones continue in the officially licensed (and therefore canon until films prove them otherwise) series of novels that fill in the time between Hollywood Follies (The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones) to The Temple of Doom. Tying…
Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) – The Eaters of Light, World Enough and Time, and The Doctor Falls
This week is my final entry in the Doctor Who category until Series 11, and the 2017 Christmas special come to blu-ray. I began this journey on 25 January, 2014 – a story a week (sometimes two with the revitalised series) and now, I’ve come to its (temporary) conclusion. Rona Munro, who wrote the classic…
Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) – The Witch’s Familiar, and Under the Lake
The Doctor (Capaldi) finds himself confronting a terrible choice when the cliffhanger caused by last week’s episode comes to its resolution in The Witch’s Familiar. Written by Steven Moffat, this episode first premiered on 26 September, 2015. Davros (Julian Bleach) has apparently let the Daleks destroy Clara (Jenna Coleman), Missy (Michelle Gomez) and the TARDIS….
Doctor Who (David Tennant) – New Earth and Tooth and Claw
The Doctor (Tennant) and Rose (Billie Piper) begin their adventures together, as they travel to New Earth. Written by Russell T. Davies, Rose started her travels with Ten on 15 April, 2006. Tennant owns the role right from the off. He’s fun, excitable, and clever. To show that the Doctor was still the same character,…
Braveheart (1995) – Mel Gibson
The next war movie to take a look at thanks to the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book is this epic stunner from 1995, helmed and starring Mel Gibson, illustrating that yes, the man may have his problems, but can tell an amazing story. The tale of William Wallace (Gibson) gets the…
The Mind Reels 