Author: tederick
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Blogging the Next Generation: “Conspiracy”
“Tonight’s a quiet night.” We close out the year with two of the most renowned episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, starting with “Conspiracy,” which goes beyond renowned to being outright legendary. It certainly reads silly on paper: a bunch of pink cockroaches take over Starfleet Command. But the execution, largely due to the…
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Blogging the Next Generation: “We’ll Always Have Paris”
“I can’t compete with a ghost from his past.” I was twelve years old, and I had seen Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and, perhaps, a couple of episodes of The Original Series with my mom, who would not have suggested Star Trek to me at all if she’d had any notion of what…
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Blogging the Next Generation: “Skin of Evil”
“Au revoir, Natasha.” I never saw “Skin of Evil” in its original run, which I guess is just as well, although it did result in me tuning in for the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation and wondering, “Where’s Tasha?” like a dumb kid whose parents were lying to him about the disappearance…
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Blogging the Next Generation: “Symbiosis”
“Wesley, I hope you never do.” “Symbiosis” is inevitably a poignant episode of the series for reasons having nothing to do with its content; this is the last Star Trek appearance by Merritt Butrick, who played David in Star Trek II and III, before dying of AIDS in 1989. He’s quite good here, too; as…
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From A To Bond (Appendix B): The Other Casino Royale
Which one is this? The spoof. Who’s who in this one? Niven (Bond); Huston (M); Bayldon (Q); Bouchet (Moneypenny). Where did you first encounter this one? Never seen it before. Who’s the bad guy, and what does he want? Orson! Fucking! Welles!! as the villainous Le Chiffre! AND! Woody Allen as the über-bad, Dr. Noah!…
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From A To Bond (Appendix A): Never Say Never Again
Which one is this? The renegade. Who’s who in this one? Connery (Bond); Fox (M); McCowen (Q); Salem (Moneypenny); Casey (Leiter). Where did you first encounter this one? On TV when I was growing up, probably aged 10 or 11. Who’s the bad guy, and what does he want? Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximilian Largo,…
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Review: Skyfall
Indulge me for a moment, if you will; these habits are hard to break: Which one is this? The new one! Who’s who in this one? Craig (Bond); Dench (M); Whishaw (Q). Where did you first encounter this one? About three hours ago on the splendid IMAX screen at the Scotiabank Theatre. Who’s the bad…
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From A To Bond: You Only Live Twice
Which one is this? I think I’m turning Japanese. Who’s who in this one? Connery (Bond); Lee (M); Llewelyn (Q); Maxwell (Moneypenny). Where did you first encounter this one? On DVD, in 2000 or 2001. Who’s the bad guy, and what does he want? Blofeld reveals himself at last! In his first appearance as more…
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From A To Bond: The World Is Not Enough
Which one is this? Sophie Marceau with a gun. Who’s who in this one? Brosnan (Bond); Dench (M); Llewelyn and Cleese (Q and R); Bond (Moneypenny). Where did you first encounter this one? In theatres on opening day in 1999. Who’s the bad guy, and what does he want? You’d think it would be Robert…
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Blogging the Next Generation: “The Arsenal of Freedom”
“The name of my ship is the Lollipop. It’s just been commissioned; it’s a good ship.” Here’s an episode that set my 12-year-old heart thundering: “The Arsenal of Freedom,” a proper run-and-jump-and-rayguns show that also pressed the eternal near-romance of Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher into a confined space beneath a planet ruled by a…