After Star Trek, but before Star Wars, Gerry Anderson, who was responsible for such series as UFO, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Fireball XL5 took viewers around the world on an exploration of space, all on our planet’s own moon – which was jolted out of orbit by a nuclear explosion! Playing a little more cerebral…
Tag: space
Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) – The Zygon Inversion, and Sleep No More
Peter Harness and Steven Moffat pen the conclusion to the story begun last week in The Zygon Invasion, airing on 7 November, 2015, the episode left the Doctor (Capaldi) in a precarious predicament, the Zygon replacement of Clara (Jenna Coleman) had just launched a rocket at the President of Earth’s (the Doctor) plane – with…
Fan Expo 2017
Dichotomy. Juxtaposition. Privilege. Hope. One wouldn’t necessarily associate all of these words with a gathering of groups of people who are coming together to celebrate their fandoms. But as Toronto’s Fan Expo 2017 came to its conclusion, these are the words that leapt to mind unbidden. Privilege springs to mind, because my co-host and I…
First Men in the Moon (1964) – Nathan Juran
My time with DK Books’ The Movie Book pays off big time with the What Else to Watch list associated with Melies’ A Trip to the Moon – it brought me this 1964 oddity, which is based on H.G. Wells’ story. A multi-national crew is making the first manned landing on the moon. Imagine the…
The Impossible Voyage (1904) – Georges Melies
Also known as Whirling the Worlds, Melies next masterpiece is my port of call as I continue exploring the trailblazing work of the French showman, thanks to DK Books’ The Movie Book. Running about twenty minutes, the short uses Jules Verne’s Journey Through the Impossible as its basis. A group of explorers and an inventor…
The Devout (2015) – Connor Gaston
Opening at the Carlton Cinema here in Toronto is this lovingly crafted, intimate drama that is bound to move viewers even as it raises questions of belief, faith and hope. The debut effort of writer/director Connor Gaston was shot in Victoria, British Columbia. It is a beautiful film that features perfectly on point, and gently…
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…
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Complete Series
Just over 24 years ago, Paramount expanded the Star Trek universe again, and for the first time ever, as the sixth season of The Next Generation continued, there were two Star Trek series running on television concurrently. And what a different manner of series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was. Instead of exploring the galaxy,…
Star Trek: The Original Series (1967) -The Doomsday Machine and Catspaw
Captain’s log: stardate unknow The Doomsday Machine sent me on many adventures when I was a child. Written by Norman Spinrad, this episode had an original airdate of 20 October, 1967. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the stalwart crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise encounter terror in space. They arrive in a destroyed planetary system, and discover…
TIFF Bell Lightbox: Trek Talks with Dr. Mae Jemison
TIFF Bell Lightbox’s fantastic series of Trek Talks came to a close last night with a passionate and humorous talk by doctor, and former astronaut, Mae Jemison. Her talk drew a lot of attention, and her love of both the science and arts was on full display as she entertained and informed, igniting and rousing…
The Mind Reels 