The Prisoner (1967) – Checkmate, and Hammer Into Anvil

Number Six (Patrick McGoohan) squares off against Number Two (this time played by Peter Wyngarde) in a layered scheme in Checkmate. Written by Gerald Kelsey, this episode first debuted on 24 November, 1967. Inspired by a life-sized chess game, Six begins canvassing his own pieces, fellow prisoners, as he’s reasoned out how to tell the…

Chuck (2010) – Versus the Tic Tac, and Versus the Final Exam

Casey (Adam Baldwin) lands himself in some trouble this week, in Chuck (Zachary Levi) Versus the Tic Tac. Written by Rafe Judkins and Lauren LeFranc, this story first aired on 15 March, 2010. When Casey helps our a former commander, Col. James Keller (Robert Patrick) Casey finds himself jailed for treason. While on a mission…

Shadows of the Dark Crystal (2016) – J.M. Lee

I remember being delighted the first time I saw The Dark Crystal in 1982, I even had a movie calendar from Burger King (for 1983) that had one of its months dedicated to the Jim Henson creation. The world (I didn’t know at the time that it was called Thra) appealed to me, and despite…

V – The Series (1984) – The Overlord, and The Dissident

While Julie (Faye Grant) confronts allegations of treason, Donovan (Marc Singer), Elias (Micheal Wright) and Tyler (Micheal Ironside) could be walking into a trap when they agree to help a small mining town take on some Visitor backed villains. The Overlord was written by David Abramowitz, and first aired on 30 November, 1984. The town…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1991) – The Drumhead, and Half a Life

Captain’s log: stardate 44769.2 Jonathan Frakes directs his third episode of the series, from a script by Jeri Taylor. This episode, a bottle show, first aired on 29 April, 1991. Trouble comes aboard the Enterprise when a Klingon exo-biologist, J’Ddan (Henry Woronicz) is being investigated by Riker (Frakes) and Troi (Marina Sirtis) for sabotage, and…

Star Trek: Black Fire (1983) – Sonni Cooper

  It’s time for more non-canon journeys with the stalwart crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise this week as I dove into the next Star Trek novel in the Pocket Books collection. Set after, or towards the end of, the original five year mission, but before the events of the first film, this one literally starts…

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008) – Edward Neumeier

  Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) returns to the franchise in this second direct to DVD sequel that sees the fight with the bugs continue. After the second one, I don’t know if things would get better or worse, but with the Sci-Fi Chronicles book as my guide, I dove into the worlds, based loosely…

El Cid (1961) – Anthony Mann

  The recommendations for my viewing of Henry V for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book gets underway with this towering film from Anthony Mann. Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren headline in this three-hour epic that chronicles the life and times of El Cid, known in Spain as Rodrigo Diaz (Heston), a…