The second film in the Conjuring series once again focuses on a case investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren (portrayed in the film by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) and unlike the Annabelle stories, these films lean towards the smarter, filled with a well-crafted story, and some legitimate jump scares and actual terror. The film…
Tag: trope
The X-Files (1993) – Pilot, and Deep Throat
10 September, 1993. Man, that feels like a long time ago, despite the fact that my mind tells me that the 80s were only a couple of years ago. Weird. Sounds like an x-file. Much like my watching of Star Trek, tons has been written by other fans and critics about Chris Carter’s creation, so…
Lovecraft Country (2016) -Matt Ruff
This week I dove into Matt Ruff’s brilliantly entertaining Lovecraft Country, which takes all the things you love about a good Lovecraft story; otherworldly horror, science fiction mixed with horror, and some other familiar horror tropes, the creepy doll, the haunted house, and deliver it without Lovecraft’s far too prominent racism. As much as I…
Police Squad! (1982) – Blu-Ray Review
In case you missed it last week, and are in need of a laugh, or more, Paramount Pictures released the classic, and far too short-lived Police Squad! (In Color) to blu-ray. Serving as the basis for the Naked Gun films, the makers of Airplane! turned their attention to television, and the police drama and piled…
Le Notti Del Terrore (1981) – Andrea Bianchi
Somehow, we’re still in the so bad, we’re not quite sure they’ve come around to good again section of the zombie oeuvre in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies. I’m definitely getting a fresh perspective on this sub-genre as it seems I’ve been very fortunate in my selection of zombie movies up to this time….
Star Trek: How Much For Just the Planet? (1987) – John M. Ford
Set phasers to absurd! I dug into the next Trek Pocket Book in the series before I dive into the next Dark Tower instalment, and this one left me a little dubious. The book is basically a musical comedy, and it doesn’t always work, but it is steeped in nods to other Trek writers, classic…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993) – Rightful Heir, and Second Chances
Captain’s log: stardate 46852.2 Ronald D. Moore pens this Worf (Michael Dorn) episode from a story by James E. Brooks that first aired on 17 May, 1993. Worf, after a dereliction of duty, takes some leave to put his affairs in order. He is still dealing with the repercussions of the events in the Birthright…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1991) – First Contact, and Galaxy’s Child
Captain’s log: stardate unknown Marc Scott Zircee came up with the episode’s story that was adapted to teleplay by Dennis Bailey, David Bischoff, Joe Menosky, Ronald D. Moore and Michael Piller. Airing on 18 February, 1991, this Riker (Jonathan Frakes)-centric story puts the strange new worlds shoe on the other foot. Riker is undercover on…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988) – Datalore, and Angel One
Captain’s log: stardate 41242.4 Ahhh, the melodrama trope of the evil twin. Datalore, written by Robert Lewin and series creator Gene Roddenberry from a story by Lewin and Maurice Hurley first aired on 18 January, 1988. This episode introduced two recurring creations of The Next Generation, while also giving us more of a history on…
Toronto Fringe: I Love You, Judy Merril
Jim Smith takes to the stage of the Theatre Passé Muraille Backspace to pay homage and share his memories of science fiction writer Judy Merril. A writer, I’m ashamed to admit I had not heard of, especially when confronted by the list of titles she’d penned. Merril crafted tales during the heyday of pulp science fiction…
The Mind Reels 