Northern Exposure (1993/1994) – First Snow, and Baby Blues

Cicely has its own way of winterizing, including citizens fattening up and planning on how many graves to dig before the ground freezes over. And Joel (Rob Morrow) is not only troubled by the reveal, but is bothered by the fact that one of his patients has told him that she’s just winding down. First…

Star Wars: Champions of the Force (1994) – Kevin J. Anderson

This week, I finish off Anderson’s Jedi Academy Trilogy, which I haven’t read since it came out, thirty years ago!! WOW! And yet I remember picking it up on the day of release, I remember throwing on some John Williams, and diving into the story to see how the author wrapped up his tale. Luke…

TIFF ’23: The Holdovers

Director Alexander Payne reunites with his Sideways star, Paul Giamatti in this earnest and laugh-out-loud dramedy that takes us back to the winter of 1970 and Barton, a boy’s prep school where Paul Hunham (Giamatti) teaches Ancient Civilizations and often finds himself clashing with not only his fellow teachers but his students as well, particularly…

Night Shift (1978) – Stephen King

I was craving some Stephen King, but couldn’t decide which of his novels to tackle next, so instead, I figured I fill that need with some short stories, and fug into his first published collection, which gathered a variety of different tales under the title of Night Shift. I remember seeing the paperback cover as…

The Sittaford Mystery (1931) – Agatha Christie

The next mystery novel, The Sittaford Mystery aka Murder at Hazelmoor, from Agatha Christie didn’t feature any of her familiar characters, in fact it introduces us to a firebrand of a young woman named Emily, though she doesn’t enter the tale until a quarter way through. This time around, murder most foul strikes near Dartmoor,…

M*A*S*H (1974) – The Chosen People, As You Were, and Crisis

Radar (Gary Burghoff) has some problems in The Chosen People. Written by Laurence Marks, Sheldon Keller and series developer Larry Gelbart from a story by Gerry Renert and Jeff Wilhem, this episode premiered on 26 January, 1974. When a Korean family moves on to the 4077th, it throws the unit into upheaval, and unfortunately doesn’t…

Legend (1985) – Ridley Scott

Monsters in the Movies, the fantastic book by director John Landis from DK Canada moves on to the next chapter. Leaving mummies behind, I know turn my attention to Myths, Legends, and Fairy Tales, a widely populated region and I couldn’t think of a better place to start with it than Ridley Scott’s dreamlike take…

Fargo (1996) – Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

The next big title in DK Canada’s very enjoyable The Movie Book is the Coen Brothers’ classic, Fargo. Supposedly based on a true story, it’s not, the film follows the inept kidnapping and subsequent murder all organized by a car salesman, Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy). It seems Lundegaard is in a bit of financial…

Smile of the Wolf (2018) -Tim Leach

Getting its Canadian release this month from Anansi Press, Smile of the Wolf by Tim Leach is a powerful Icelandic tale set against a backdrop of ice and revenge, where honor is the only law. Kjaran is a poet, and spends winters in the homes of those who would take him and hear his songs…