Smallville (2001) – Hothead, and X-Ray

Hothead takes onto the Smallville Crows, the highschool football team overseen by the arrogant Coach Arnold (Dan Lauria). And Arnold is going to be our freak of the week. Written by Greg Walker this episode, which is helping to continue setting the pace and style for the series, first aired on 30 October, 2001. Arnold…

The Final Girls (2015) – Todd Strauss-Schulson

The Final Girls is a delightfully meta-horror comedy with an emotional heart thanks to the performances of Taissa Farmiga and Malin Akerman. Farmiga is Max Cartwright, the daughter of Alexandra (Akerman) who has always wanted to be a movie star, but keeps getting recalled for her one big role, in an 80s cult classic slasher…

Quantum Leap: Prelude (1994) – Ashley McConnell

Ashley McConnell’s fourth Quantum Leap novel, Prelude, reworks some of the events seen at the beginning of the pilot, ties directly in with her second novel, Too Close For Comfort, and takes us back to when Doctor Sam Beckett and a newly retired Admiral Al Calavicci reconnected following the shutdown of Project Starbright to focus…

Quantum Leap: The Novel (1992) – Ashley McConnell

I’ve always been a Trek fan, but as much as I love it, Quantum Leap is my all-time favourite television show. I strongly identify with Scott Bakula’s portrayal of the time-travelling Sam Beckett, who is accompanied through his mission to make things right that once went wrong by the holographic appearance of his friend Al…

Mission: Impossible (1967) – The Traitor, and The Psychic

We’re coming up on the end of the first season of Paramount Picture’s Mission: Impossible, and the wonderful Eartha Kitt guest stars in the penultimate episode, The Traitor. Written by Edward J. Lasko this IMF assignment first aired on 15 April, 1967. When an American agent turns traitor and hides out in a foreign embassy,…

Quantum Leap (1991) – Shock Theater, and The Leap Back

Season 3 of Quantum Leap comes to an end this week with the stellar episode, Shock Theater. Written by Deborah Pratt (surprise, surprise, seeing how good it is), the season finale aired 22 May, 1991. And oh, boy… is it good. It’s 3 October, 1954 and Sam (Scott Bakula) finds himself in the body of…

Do the Right Thing (1989) – Spike Lee

  Writer/director Spike Lee’s powerful drama is the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of American Beauty. A powerhouse cast brings a multi-cultural street in Brooklyn to life on the hottest day of the year, as the heat builds so does the tension as hate, racism…