George Lucas’ nostalgic American Graffiti is the next stop on the list of recommendations from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Jailhouse Rock. While not a musical in the technical sense of breaking into song and dance, the music and the voice of deejay Wolfman Jack play an…
Tag: smart
Star Trek: The Original Series (1968) – Plato’s Stepchildren and Wink of an Eye
Captain’s log: stardate 5784.2 Plato’s Stepchildren first screened on 22 November, 1968 and was written by Meyer Dolinsky. The episode is of historical note because of the first American broadcast interracial kiss when Captain Kirk (William Shatner) kisses Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). Beyond that, the story is rather basic. The Enterprise is summoned to a…
Doctor Who (Christopher Eccleston David Tennant) – The Parting of the Ways and The Christmas Invasion
The first series of the relaunched BBC series, Doctor Who , comes to a close this week with The Parting of the Ways. Written by Russell T. Davies and with an original airdate of 18 June, 2005 the episode saw the Doctor (Eccleston) confronting the Dalek fleet with Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) at his…
Arrival (2016) – Denis Villeneuve Blu-Ray Review
Anyone who follows this blog knows I am passionate about my science fiction cinema, but that doesn’t mean it’s always good. Therefore when a smart piece of sci-fi film making comes along, I feel I have to champion it, to cheer it on, revel in it, and share it with all who will listen. Villeneuve’s…
The Twilight Zone (1959) – Judgement Night, And When the Sky Was Opened and What You Need
Paramount Pictures continues my guided tour of the Twilight Zone this week as I explore The Complete Series on Blu-Ray. Rod Serling is back in fine form with the first episode up for review, Judgement Night. With an original airdate of 4 December, 1959, this episode is smart, well-penned, as revelations are made about Carl…
Doctor Who (Sylvester McCoy) – Ghost Light
A spooky house, strange wait staff, secrets, monsters, aliens… Ghost Light is a lot of fun, and the Doctor (McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) have a heck of a time, as the Companion confronts a bit of her past. Written by Marc Platt, and encapsulated in a tightly paced and enjoyable three parts, Ghost Light…
Dogma (1999) – Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith’s hilarious take on religion as two exiled (to Wisconsin) angels, Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck) find a loop hole in religious dogma that will allow them to return to Heaven. This is the final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of La Belle…
20 Years of Tomb Raider (2016) – Meagan Marie
Lara Croft has been around for twenty years. And, I have to say, she looks better than ever. Since her first appearance in the game-changing, well, game, Tomb Raider in 1996, Lara Croft has made a name for herself in the action adventure series that centred around, an admittedly cartoon-like interpretation of a beautiful woman,…
The Stepford Wives (1975) – Bryan Forbes
Katharine Ross headlines in William Goldman’s adaptation of Ira Levin’s novel, which is the next stop on the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Ross is Joanna Eberhart, a smart, beautiful woman, who is much put-upon by her husband, Walter (Peter Masterson), who wants his wife to be more ‘ahem’ traditional. Packing up the family, they leave…
The Mind Reels chats with Brad Wright and Eric McCormack
This fall, specifically, October 17, sees the premiere of this highly anticipated science fiction drama from Brad Wright, the creator of the Stargate television franchise, and producer, star, Eric McCormack (Will & Grace, Perception) – Travelers. The most basic of story explanations, which does not do the stunning opening episode justice, is this: a group…
