R. McCall

Leonard Nimoy directs again, with the dual role of co-star. Nicholas Meyer returns, this time as a co-scriptwriter. The crew plan to leave Vulcan to face court martial. Spock is not the Spock that they knew. Genesis is still causing problems. A probe heads to Earth, causing havoc as it does so whilst transmitting a powerful signal. Uhura uncovers the destination of the probes signal. Spock discovers that the answer lies in Earth' s past. The crew have to find a now extinct species, who can respond to the signal. The premise of the story is similar to that of the first film. The difference is that there is no backstory to the probe. It is nice to see other captains and ships, which highlight that there is a fleet out there. The Bird of Prey is well designed. William Shatner is again on good form. This time he plays Kirk a little looser as he adjusts to a new time period. He makes a better effort to fit in. Nimoy similarly plays Spock a little looser as he adjusts to life after death. DeForest Kelley is on scene stealing form as his banter with Kirk and Spock is constantly funny. Nimoy's off kilter Spock proves to be a good foil as McCoy tries to rationalize what he has been through with him. Uhura, Scotty, Zulu and Chekov get more to do as the crew are split into teams in order to complete their mission. It is nice to see Uhura get to use her skills so that they know what is actually going on. Chekov gets to scream again. Jane Wyatt makes a welcome return as Spock's mother Amanda. A pity that there are no scenes with her and Mark Lenard. The reunion would have been complete. Sarek juggles diplomacy with the crisis. We say goodbye to Robin Curtis as Saavik as the crew leave Vulcan. It is as if she were surplus to requirements. Catherine Hicks provides interest for Kirk as well as sass and vulnerability as Gillian, the scientist.The scientist role was once mooted for Eddie Murphy, a long time fan. Brock Peters, Robert Ellenstein, Majel Barrett and Michael Berryman get good turns in Starfleet HQ. Grace Lee Whitney returns again as Janice Rand. ILM round off the cast with great creations of our two saviors. They imbue them with enough personality without making them schmaltzy. Harve Bennett scripts the begining and end acts. The genius part is to get Nicholas Meyer to script 1980s Earth. He has a knack for dialogue arising out of crazy situations. The fish out of water scenario falls in his lap. He never delves into the time travel aspect, by never creating a real need to. Kirk sums it up to Gillian in a great speech. The solution arrived at is better for everyone. The film is a joy. There are no villains, except ignorance and shortsightedness. The story doesn't lecture at anyone. The crew don't try to change things, but do try to make the future better. What has been done is done. Nimoy's direction is assured and he has great team behind him. The film broke Star Trek out of cultdom. It plays like a family adventure with a message. This isn't a criticism. The title is apt, as everything is ends up where it should be. This and the last two films become a trilogy of sorts. The Voyage Home is where the heart is. The Bravery award goes to Mr. Shatner for performing most of the underwater rescue of George & Grace himself, in a submerged set. Legend.

Following on from Khan sees a funereal tone envelop the ship. Kirk is in crisis . McCoy is acting strangely. A visit from Sarek explains it. McCoy is carrying Spock's katra, his essence. An opportunistic Klingon is after the Genesis specifications. David and Saavik are exploring the Genesis planet and discover some strange goings on. Genesis is off limits to everybody else. Kirk has to get McCoy to Vulcan so that the katra can be preserved Memory repository. The Enterprise is being scrapped, as Harve Bennett saw this in his service days. Khan caused diplomatic issues when he detonated the Genesis torpedo. Kirk decides to go to Genesis, based on a cryptic remark from the Spock part of McCoy. KIrk and comrades head to Genesis in the stolen Enterprise. Couldn't they pinch a smaller ship? David and Saavik discover a familiar presence and encounter a familiar nemesis. A battle ensues and tragedy steers Kirk to make a heartbreaking decision. The problem of stealing such a big ship becomes apparent and the stakes are changed. Kirk once again pulls off a bluff, and the action goes to Genesis. Once the conflict is resolved, story logic raises a problem. The planet was created using unstable elements. Our fallen comrade was infused with these elements and reborn. Getting him off the planet should not stop what is happening to him. One way out would have been to have McCoy meld with him and exert some control over his body. Spock did this when injured in the series. The narrative could have been strengthened with dialogue tweaks and maybe quick scenes. David could have sent Kirk a message about Spock's photon tube, which strengthens the motive for going to Genesis. Shatner, again does fine work. Kirk's career is in jeopardy again, but he has a mission to occupy him. When tragedy unfolds he does something unexpected. Shatner then kicks into gear, and so does Kirk. DeForest Kelley has a bigger part and plays his dual role well. It has some humorous moments as he thinks he can do things like his departed friend. There are dramatic moments that he pulls off brilliantly. Nimoy ensures that the regulars get something to do. Nichelle Nicholls does get sidelined for the most part. The return of Sarek is welcome. Mark Lenard gives gravitas to the story. His stance changes as his inner father surfaces. Cathie Schiriff as Valkris is indicative of the narrative issue. It was inevitable that she would see what she stole. Why dispense with her? Take her along. Christopher Lloyd as Kruge is unexpected casting. He is not a typical Klingon. His aim appears to be expansion. Merritt Buttrick returns as David, and shows that he has his father in him. Robin Curtis replaces Kirsty Alley as Saavik. Her portrayal is more measured. Nimoy is unselfish as the man at the helm. His direction is workman like. He gets the job done, and on a big film you cannot ask for more. Nimoy's team of collaborators do good work. The Genesis planet is well realised. It should be noted that a fire broke out and Mr. Shatner helped put it out before serious damage was caused. ILM do good work. When we get to the tearjerking moment, our reaction is as the crews. What have they done? The story is straightforward. We know where it is heading and how it will end. A thoughtful voyage with a few story niggles.

Cornelius, Zira and Milo land in 1973 using Taylor's ship. Milo is accidently killed and the survivors are courted. Writer Paul Dehn, free from production issues, pulls off a master stroke. The story is a sequel, a role reversal reboot and finally an origin story. The opening is a mindbending twist. The reason is scant but visually effective. Sal Mineo (Milo) hated the makeup and is dispatched. Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter have great chemistry as they obtain fame. He is wary of her opinions, but loves her. Bradford Dillman and Natalie Trundy are good counterparts as Dr's. Lewis and Stevie. The antagonist is Dr. Otto Hasslein, Presidential Science Advisor. He is namechecked in the previous films. Note that Cornelius has developed a knowledge of time, when asked about the war. 'Whoever Lives, Lived, Will Live'. Zira's potty mouth lets the word 'dissect' slip during an enquiry. Hasslein picks up on it and pursues it. This brings a disagreement with William Windom's humane President. The apes presence is bringing the future forward. They do not belong in 1973 and are altering what will be Earth's future by accelerating events. The story goes down a dark path as the truth is obtained. Celebrity can be brittle. Coercion is used on Zira, and Cornelius opens up. Zaius entrusted them in Beneath with the truth, hence their increased knowledge. Tragedy unfolds and the origin story kicks in. Eric Braeden is note perfect as he goes from being sensible, level headed and clinical to a paranoid killer. Hasslein is right in his beliefs, but his methods and actions are wrong. Circus owner Armando (Ricardo Montalban) helps the future on its way. The ending is sad but inevitable. Kim Hunter excels as Zira becomes motherly. Roddy McDowall becomes the front man as Cornelius changes from academic to protector. Zira hinders their escape attempt, but has already sent events down a path. The time travel is deceptively simple. A cycle is being formed. The final twist is slightly hampered by back and forth editing. The film is a uniformly well acted worthy entry, and thought provoking. It moves from a pointed comedy to a dark cautionary tale. The ending offers a sliver of hope. It should have been backed more by Fox. The ship? Milo could have activated a float device and also used parts from Brent's ship. Who knows?

Following a prologue that prefigures the main scam, this little gem begins with a small scale assault on a jewellers. Joe (Hackman), Bobby (Lindo) , Pinkus (Jay) and Fran (Pidgeon) are the instigators. The heist is largely successful except that Joe is burnt.The irony is that the security of the store is rubbish, whilst the security of the CCTV is grade A, with clever cunning. The film shifts to the gang having gone to ground. They are drawn by backer Bergman (Danny DeVito) to pull off Joe's seemingly abandoned masterpiece. The have to take hothead nephew Jimmy (Sam Rockwell) with them. What follows is cross after cross, as Jimmy nearly blows the scam. The Dialogue is typical Mamet. Sharp and pointed, the script breathes life into an old genre. The casting is perfect, as everybody plays off each other. Joe takes in what is said. He knows he has a trophy wife, and is not shocked at the epilogue. His expression is worth its weight. Hackman, in one of his last films, is still top drawer. This week we learnt of the death of Hackman, his wife and dog. Heist has been getting repeat viewings in the past few years. Hopefully it will get the attention it deserves, albeit as a result of tragedy. RIP.

Astronaut Brent is charged with finding Taylor, and goes on a whistle stop tour of the first film. He finds Nova, who has become separated from Taylor. They seek Cornelius and Zira and have to escape from Ape City into the Forbidden Zone .Gorilla General Ursus is leading troops to the Forbidden Zone, to expand their shrinking agricultural grounds and avoid famine. The ruins are inhabitated by the descendants of the nuclear exchange, who have mental powers. The apes have a physical advantage, but the descendants have the ultimate deterrent. The reason for the mission is that Taylor's flight was to test Hasslein's time dilation theory. The crew were expected to make a reverse journey. Director Ted Post and actor James Fransiscus beefed up Brent's role. The Taylor lite tag is unfair. Fransiscus conveys Brent's reaction to multiple shocks well. His confrontation with the city dwellers fill in the narrative gaps caused by Taylor's disappearance. Post encouraged Linda Harrison to put nuances into her part as Nova. She rises above the fashion cavegirl tag, as she demonstrates Nova's growing intellect. Cornelius and Zira are relegated to support roles. Whether this was down to Roddy McDowall being unavailable is not clear. Their relationship with Dr. Zaius has altered as he entrusts them with preserving their society. Maurice Evans is dependable as Zaius, but his standing has fallen. James Gregory, as Ursus, is the antagonist. His performance has gusto, tempered with moments of reflection. Don Pedro Colley fairs best as one of the city dwelling leaders. Their society is shown rather than explained. Their beliefs are perverted by what befell them. The encounter is laced with casual sadism as Brent is forced mentally to harm Nova. Is it because they are normal? Post chose the look for the descendants. A good choice. The focus is on the well realised underground city, as the expensive, familiar apes would eat finaces. The cathedral set is the standout. The reason for the deterrent being here is clear. It is the last place an enemy would look for it. Crowd scenes are full of pull over masks. The appearance of the descendants gives rise to the films major shock. It would have been better for Brent and Nova to go straight to the Forbidden Zone , as retreading the first film takes up half the movie. The gorillas are heading there anyway. Religion plays a part as both sides see their actions as part of a holy crusade. Their masses give them justification to proceed as they see fit. Brent finally meets Taylor. Colley forces them into a brutal fight, which further illustrates their methods. Dialogue reveals that Taylor's encounter with the city dwellers was different. Taylor's return does not save the day. He has lost the impetus to act. Heston is professional, but is fulfilling an obligation to Fox. The apes arrive and once everyone is underground, the film can only go one way. Characters are dispatched. The folly of modern war is shown. Ursus sets up the final chain of events. Zaius, as the last hope for sanity, cannot stop bloodlust. Taylor cannot convince him to act. Whilst not a total success, Post did a credible job of getting it made. It could have been a classic companion piece to the first film. The nihilistic ending robs the film of hope, but there is always a way forward...

Kirk, Scotty and Chekov attend the maiden voyage of the Enterprise B. They become involved in the rescue of two ships caught in a Temporal Nexus. They are part successful, but Kirk becomes a casualty. A survivor, Dr Soran wants to go back. The Enterprise D later investigates Soran's attempts to alter the trajectory of the Nexus. The prologue is a baton passing exercise. William Shatner reunites with James Doohan and Walter Koenig, two of his critics. He made peace with them. Leonard Nimoy passed on directing and acting in it. DeForest Kelley and George Takei passed. It is unclear about Nichelle Nichols being approached. Sulu's daughter Demora took his place. It is strange that the ship, a modified Exelsior, launches unfinished minus a full crew. There is nice banter between the retired crewmates. It is nice to see them in action again. Kirk shows a maturity as his disdain for the green Captain Harriman (Alan Ruck) turns to encouragement and an acceptance that his time is over. A cheeky smile radiates as he goes to save the ship. It is not clear what time has passed, but Kirk is familiar with the newer technology. It is good to see him in action again, and his demise brings closure to his story. We have seen the Enterprise C, so we move on to Picard and crew. He encounters Soran (Malcolm McDowall) who is conducting astronomical experiments. The problem withthis story is the poor rationale behind the Nexus. Why doesn't Soran just sit in a ship and let it envelop him?. He nearly suceeded before. He deals with Romulans and the Klingon sisters Lursa and Betor to obtain technology for his mission. It's just going around the houses. You can see why Nimoy passed on this. He wanted a rewrite and stated that his part could be anyones. Spock would have discovered what happened to Kirk. Doohan takes his role and Koenig takes the McCoy part. They do them well. Picard fails to stop Soran and the Enterprise is destroyed after a Klingon battle. The Captain enters the Nexus and goes through the best bits of his life. He doesn't buy it. After meeting Guinan, he encounters Kirk. We get Kirk chopping wood, Cooking with Kirk and horseplay. There is no explanation as to how the Nexus works. The two Captains work out that they can summon an event and go to stop Soran. This means that they can resurrect themselves as they are both dead. The Nexus aside, the film is entertaining. McDowall makes a good villain. There is no sympathy for his plight as he doesn't care who gets hurt. Kirk gets killed again with a shot in the back.. Shatner did not think that his death was heroic at a script meeting. A screening for fans confirmed this and a Paramount executive ordered a reshoot. The reshoot gave rise to Shatner's'Bridge on the Captain' quip. Writer Ronald D. Moore praised the actors smarts. The film is good in parts but uneven. It would hsve been nice to see the race that the two Captains had saved. It would have been great Star Trek if the Veridians turned out to be inches tall, but still considered important enough tp preserve.

This film examines the occult from different characters. There are cults and their leaders, disciples and believers, mediums and finally scientists and sceptics. Dana Andrews plays Dr. John Holden, who has come to attend an expose of Dr. Julian Karswell(Niall McGuinness) who is a cult leader. The exposer, Professor Harrington (Maurice Denham) is found dead. His niece, Joanna (Peggy Cummins), convinces Holden to pursue this. He is sceptical, and ends up being passed a runic spell. He has three days in which to pass on the spell or face the same fate. This is a tour de force of atmospheric horror. It covers many aspects of belief, culminating in Holden changing his viewpoint in order to avoid his fate. The level of thesping elevates it above what could have been seen as hokey horror. Andrews and Cummins overcome their initial tetchiness to become allies. In reality he had a booze problem, but could turn on a performance. When he arrived in England he fell down the stairs of the plane. In later life he campaigned for better care. Niall Mcguinness plays Karswell as a civilised, genial party magician who holds a sinister talent. The characters encountered are first rate. Much has been made over the years as to whether the Demon was in the film from the start, or whether it was added later. Production designer Ken Adam (James Bond) stated that he designed the Demon from the beginning. Two versions of the film were made. The Curse of the Demon was an edited version for the USA, that cut the Demon out and left it to the imagination. Over the years, viewers wanted the full version. The Demon is a great creation that holds up now. There is only one duff shot, but it does not derail the film. The appearance is heralded by a great effect and a noise like birds. Close Encounters has a similar shot that reveals the Mothership. I saw this film 52 years ago, age 8, and fell in love with it. Over the years it became scarce, and I awaited its arrival on retail mediums. Pan and scan video, widescreen DVD with both versions gave rise to Blu ray, where it can been seen in crisp black and white as it should be. As a postscript, that 8 year old boy stood in his garden. It was a dusky Autumn evening, and birds began to fly, chirruping. My imagination ran wild and I ran back to the house. The power of imagination and this film. Watch it.

The OAS , having failed to kill General DeGaulle, hire a contract killer. A cat and mouse chase follows as the French Police hunt him down. A first class political crime thriller. Edward Fox is superbly cast as The Jackal. An enigma and mysterious, the assassin sets up his plan and goes on to improvise as he nears his target. Once his services are acquired, he plots and plans alone due to security issues. This is like Mission Impossible whereby you see snippets of his plan forming and how it plays out. Cat and mouse thrillers need good adversaries, and these come in the form of Michel Lonsdale and Tony Britton as Commissioner Lebell and Superintendent Thomas. The cat and mouse originates due to the clumsiness of the OAS. The Jackal sums this up accurately when he meets their leaders. He knows exactly what he is getting into. Along the way he adapts to the changing situation. His method changes at each stage of his journey. The downtrodden Lebell gets a good handle on how the Jackal operates. Thanks to the diligence of New Scotland Yard detective Thomas, Lebell gets names to search for, from a non starting position. Edward Fox, unlikely casting, displays the charm and ruthlessness required to pull of this mission. One could not see anyone else playing the part.

The story is a straightforward one whereby Weyland Yutani workers want to escape a slave labor existence and and go to a better world. The Romulus Remus spacestation lies derelict in the orbit of the world being terraformed and they plan to steal some cryogenic units so that they can make the long journey to their new world. The mission is not going to be simple.. Director Fede Alvarez has made a worthy addition to what has been considered a dead franchise. It is set after Alien, but contains elements leading to Aliens. The characters are young, but have adult concerns which is a good element. All play their parts well. Due to the setting, some familiar elements are missing, but the ones that appear have a different spin on them. Alvarez goes back to using physical elements which is reredhing after seeing so much CGI. Where CGI is used is in keeping with the look of the film. There are good shots of the xenomorphs, which are used sparingly and effectively. Familiar tropes are expanded upon to show things that we haven't seen before. One aspect of the story has been criticized in some quarters, but Alvarez obtained consent and did it justice. It stems back to Crispin Glovers issue with Back to the Future 2. It has been approached properly with Brandon Lee, Peter Cushing and Harold Ramis. Alvarez gave a good account of his actions. The parties involved were kept involved from inception to premiere. It will come down to personal taste and belief. I did not know of it until I saw the film. Knowing what I now know, I understand the reasons, and believe that it was done with sincerity. The execution was done with a lot of effort. There will be comments that the film is not radical enough, but the main thing is that it is done well. Alvarez clearly is passionate and he has made the film look big on a lower budget. Even though there are references to stories set earlier, I viewed as a standalone side story. Alvarez is one to watch. Well done.

Four astronauts going to the nearest star and testing a ship that travels near to light speed crash land on a planet whereby evolution is in reverse. Stewart, the female astronaut, dies due to a crack in her cryogenic sleep chamber. The desert landscape gives off an eeriness as the trio try to find food and water. They eventually find a lush paradise populated by mute human savages. The eeriness gives way to shock as the humans become the hunted. Gorillas on horseback stage a hunt in a lush field of crops. The film becomes a verbal sparring match with the ape hierarchy as Taylor fights for the one thing that he despises: Man. Then it becomes a high adventure mystery as Taylor and his new chimpanzee friends search for the truth behind the planet. Producer Arthur Jacobs convinced Charlton Heston to sign up and push the idea of the film. $5000 dollars was awarded to make a test reel. The ape makeup was primitive, but Fox were convinced that it would not be laughed at. Director Franklin Schaffner argued for the half hour set in the desert. It establishes the characters ,gives an eeriness to the planet, and builds up the tension of what is to come. Taylor ( Charlton Heston) is at times an arrogant idiot, Landon (Robert Gunner) is an egotist. and Dodge (Jeff Burton) is the true seeker. The hunt introduces the apes brilliantly. For the savages it is normal, for the astronauts it is a nightmare. Their opinion of their standing on this world comes crashing down. With Dodge killed, Taylor and Landon are split up after being wounded. Heston plays a mute well, as he comes to the attention of Zira (Kim Hunter) . He also comes into the orbit of female human Nova (Linda Harrison). Unfortunately he raises the ire of Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans) the science and cultural lead. Taylor butts heads with Ziras fiancee. Cornelius (Roddy McDowall) and at this point he begins to fight for that which he despises:Man. He also fights for his identity. Maurice Evans is well cast as the antagonist. Taylor's escape coincides with his speech returning. Once recaptured he comes into conflict with the chief Minister. There is method to Zaiuss madness in keeping Taylor alive.