Hill Street Blues (1984) – Fowl Play, and Bangladesh Slowly

Fowl Play opens with the reveal that Swan (Tim Robbins) took his own life after what happened at the rookie party in the previous episode, and all eyes are on Buttman (Micheal Biehn). Lucy (Betty Thomas) is determined to bust him, and Washington (Taurean Blacque) and Coffey (Ed Marinaro) are right there with him. The…

Hill Street Blues (1984) – Watt a Way to Go, and Rookie Nookie

Joyce’s (Veronica Hamel) client is about to face the electric chair unless she can find another witness to come forward and Goldblume (Joe Spano) gets violent when his ex-wife is assaulted and raped in her own apartment. Watt a Way to Go was written by David Milch and Robert Director from a story by Steven…

Mission to Mars (2000) – Brian De Palma

Director Brian De Palma delivers what feels like his spin on Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, unfortunately the shoddy and very obvious CGI in a number of the sequences of the film, and especially during the climax when a practical effects would have served better, and leant a stronger reality to the film, which needed…

Bull Durham (1988) – Ron Shelton

I love a good baseball movie, there’s something inherently joyful about them, whether it’s the game, itself, the sound of the crack of the bat, the tightly edited homages of games played, or the characters that step up to the plate, I love them, drama, comedy… is there a baseball musical? I’d probably dig that…

Erik the Viking (1989) – Terry Jones

Monty Python alum Terry Jones writes and directs (as well as making an appearance) in the next film in DK Canada’s highly enjoyable Monsters in the Movies book as I continue to explore the chapter on Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales. Tim Robbins is the titular Erik, a Viking who isn’t sure about the looting…

Mystic River (2003) – Clint Eastwood

The next film from DK Canada’s The Movie Book as I tackle the What Else to Watch list following my screening of The Sweet Hereafter is this exemplary film from Clint Eastwood. The movie stars Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney. The film follows three childhood friends,…

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – Frank Darabont

If there is a near perfect drama film for me, it is the next recommendation in DK Canada’s The Movie Book, The Shawshank Redemption directed by Frank Darabont, who wrote the screenplay as well, basing it on the short story by Stephen King. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman headline at the iconic King-universe prison, Shawshank,…

Howard the Duck (1986) – Willard Huyck

  A long time before Marvel Entertainment got their act together to bring us one superhero extravaganza after another, George Lucas (the next stop on the journey through the Sci-Fi Chronicles book), served as executive producer on Willard Huyck’s terrible adaptation of Howard the Duck from the comic series. There are a couple of upsides…

War of the Worlds (2005) – Steven Spielberg 

  I dive back into more HG Wells cinematic adaptations with the Sci-Fi Chronicles book, settling in to rewatch the Spielberg take on the classic invasion tale, done so well in the previously reviewed 1953 film. Spielberg’s updated take on the story is a modern, post 9/11 version which tries to walk the line, mostly successfully between modern sensibilities…