I return to the War section of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, and settle in for Ran, Kurosawa’s epic opus. Taking its inspiration from Shakespeare’s King Lear, the film is a visual masterpiece delving into tragedy, drama and action. It is also one of the top recommendations on the What Else…
Tag: trap
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1992) – The Quality of Life, and Chain of Command Part I
Captain’s log: stardate 46307.2 Airing on 16 November, 1992, The Quality of Life feels pretty familiar to previous episodes. Written by Naren Shankar from material by L.J. Scott, this episode sees the Enterprise arriving at Tyras 71 to help out in a mining project taking place there. Working from an orbital platform the mining facility…
Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) – Time Heist, and The Caretaker
Steven Moffat and Steve Thompson pen this caper episode that first aired on 20 September, 2014. The Doctor (Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) receive a strange phone call and then find themselves in a highly secure bank with their memories wiped. They are recruited to rob a bank that is supposed to be impregnable. Will…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1991) – Unification I & II
Captain’s log: stardate 45233.1 Written by Jeri Taylor from a story by Michael Piller and Rick Berman, the first part of this crossover two-parter first aired on 4 November, 1991. With the final voyage of the original Star Trek crew preparing for release in December (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country), and the death of…
Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – The Curse of the Black Spot, and The Doctor’s Wife
Avast ye maties, it’s The Curse of the Black Spot. This pirate-themed romp let the TARDIS bunch, have a bit of fun after the darker events of the previous pair of episodes. Written by Stephen Thompson this episode first debuted on 7 May, 2011 and featured Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville and model turned actress Lily…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990) – Sins of the Father, and Allegiance
Captain’s log: stardate 43685.2 Sins of the Father marked the beginning of Ronald D. Moore being the go-to guy for Klingon stories, as he pens this one alongside W. Reed Moran, from a story by Drew Deighan. Commander Kurn (Tony Todd) arrives aboard the Enterprise as part of an officer exchange program, similar to the…
Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – The Lodger, and The Pandorica Opens
James Corden shows up this week in the very entertaining episode, The Lodger. Written by Gareth Roberts, this episode first aired on 12 June, 2010. The Doctor (Smith) is separated from Amy (Karen Gillan) and the TARDIS by a mysterious event that seems to be located around a flat that houses Craig Owens (Corden). So,…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – The Bonding, and Booby Trap
Captain’s log: stardate 43198.7 Ronald D. Moore who would later to go on to reimagine Battlestar Galactica, and bring Outlander to the screen wrote this episode when he joined the writers’ room on the show’s third season. With an original airdate of 23 October, 1989, the show worked within the constraints of series creator Roddenberry’s…
Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – Victory of the Daleks, and The Time of Angels
The Doctor (Smith) and Amy (Karen Gillan) find themselves coming to the add of Winston Churchill (Ian McNeice) in Victory of the Daleks. Written by Mark Gatiss, this episode first aired on 17 April, 2010. The Time Lord and his Companion arrive in England during The Blitz in World War II. A scientist, Bracewell (Bill…
Star Trek: The Original Series (1967) – I, Mudd and Metamorphosis
Captain’s log: stardate 4513.3 Harry Mudd (Roger C. Carmel) is back in the fun and playful episode I, Mudd. Written by Stephen Kandel this episode had its premiere on 3 November, 1967. This episode has a lot of delightful banter, and lots of intentional, and well-crafted humour. The U.S.S. Enterprise is seized by an android,…
The Mind Reels 