When an innocent bystander, flower shop owner Barry (James Murtaugh) gets involved in a smuggling operation that is using mailed packages as a dead drop, he’s targeted for a quick end. But McCall (Edward Woodward) may be up to the task of helping him in Dead Drop. Written by Maurice Hurley and Joel Surnow, this…
Tag: smart
The Mote in God’s Eye (1974) – Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
I’ve been getting more and more into some classic science fiction books, layering out a lot of the modern science fiction I’ve been finding myself reading, and I recall a friend of mine proclaiming that The Mote in God’s Eye is one of the best first contact books they’d ever read. I trust his opinion…
Diablo Mesa (2022) – Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Grand Central Publishing was kind enough to send me the latest Preston & Child thriller, Diablo Mesa, which came out in February. It had been a long time since I dug into a Preston & Child book, but back in 2014, I was plowing through their Pendergast series until my pile of To Be Read…
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) – Planet of the Slave Girls
It’s been forever since I watched this short-lived series, but alongside Star Wars, Star Trek, and Galactica, Buck Rogers was an integral part of my youth. I had previously written about the pilot episode, released theatrically, before airing on network television on 20 September, 1979, so I moved right on to the next episode in…
Mission: Impossible (1969) – The Exchange, and The Mind of Stefan Miklos
The first mission for the IMF team this week is a bit of a different one, and three seasons in, it’s a bit of a surprise that the idea hadn’t been explored before. The Exchange was penned by Laurence Heath, and had an original airdate of 5 January, 1969. Unlike other episodes, we join the…
The Legend of Korra – The Complete Series Blu-Ray Review
The follow-up series to the brilliant, arguably revolutionary cartoon series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, got itself a beautiful release from Paramount Pictures with a steelbook collection, containing the entire series and featuring art work by Caleb Thomas. Much like its predecessor, The Legend of Korra (which garnered itself countless awards, including…
The X-Files (1997) – Max, and Synchrony
The two-parter that began last week concludes with the episode, Max, written by series creator Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, this story first debuted on 23 March, 1997. While the lovelorn Agent Pendrell (Brendan Beiser) loses his life to a bullet meant for Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her witness, Mulder (David Duchovny) begins to suspect…
Roman Holiday (1953) – Blu-Ray Review
For the first time ever, the Audrey Hepburn/Gregory Peck classic, Roman Holiday, from 1953, is being released to blu-ray by Paramount Pictures. It feels look overdue, but this absolutely delightful film proves that good things come to those who wait. Filmed completely on location in Rome, the film, Hepburn’s first made her a star, and…
Jack Ryan: Season 2 – Blu-Ray Review
John Krasinski returns as the Tom Clancy created CIA analyst turned action hero, Jack Ryan in the second season of the addictive and smart series from Paramount Pictures. The blu-ray which arrives today is a two disc set that contains all eight episodes of the Amazon Prime aired show. Sleek, beautifully shot (stunning transferred to…
The Sheik (1921) – George Melford
Clips from The Sheik can be found anywhere, it is an iconic Hollywood film from the silent movie era, and it just happens to be the next title I’m watching in Philip Kemp’s Movies book. I can remember the first time I saw clips of this film, alongside Laurel & Hardy shorts, and the occasional…
The Mind Reels 