Sphere (1998) – Barry Levinson

Having recently reread the original novel by Micheal Crichton, I was kind of eager to take a look at the film adaptation again. I remember being very disappointed with it at the time, but I also don’t recall if I’d read the novel before or after or not. Going into it this time, I knew…

The Quick and The Dead (1995) – Sam Raimi

Sam Raimi brings his frenetic style of zooming cameras and powerful camera angles to the western genre with a tale of revenge riding across the plains into an unforgiving town. Sharon Stone who looks absolutely stunning in western getup stars as Ellen, a woman bent on vengeance. She rides into a frontier town to take…

Magnum, p.i. (1984) – Mac’s Back and The Legacy of Garwood Huddle

  Thomas (Tom Selleck) is having a rough time of it as Mac’s Back opens. Written by Bellisario, with an airdate of 11 October, 1984, this is an episode that is almost a direct continuation of the events from the previous episode, something that didn’t happen a lot in episodic television during the 80s, but…

Magnum, p.i. (1984) Echoes of the Mind Part 1 & 2

  It’s time for milk, fig newtons and beautiful sunsets as Season 5 (!) gets underway with this two-parter that aired on 27 September and 4 October, 1984. The season opener was penned by Bellisario himself, and sees both Thomas (Tom Selleck) and Higgins (John Hillerman) dealing with love in their own way.  It also uses the New American…

King Solomon’s Mines (1985) – J. Lee Thompson

Cheesy lines, poor pacing, editing and uninspired action sequences that are poorly shot, and some even lifted from Raiders and the serials of the 30s weigh this film down that not even a score by Jerry Goldsmith can save. Shot back to back with its sequel Allan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold, the…

Trailer Tracks: King Solomon’s Mines (1985) – J. Lee Thompson

  In the early 80s, thanks to Raiders of the Lost Ark, the high adventure movie was seeing a huge comeback, and everyone was trying to cash in on it. And they thought it would be a great idea to bring back H. Rider Haggard’s Alllan Quartermain to the screen again. Starring Richard Chamberlain, Sharon…

Total Recall (1990) – Paul Verhoeven

Using the short story, We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick, as a springboard, this entry on the 1010 Sci-Fi Movie list, sees Arnold Schwarzenegger playing a secret agent on Mars, under Paul Verhoeven’s direction, who was last seen on the list for Robocop. Bored with his construction job, and dreaming…