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Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 1.11 “Friday Night”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Sunday, I will be reviewing the Canadian series, Degrassi: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

This week, we get glimpse of the future.

Episode 1.11 “Friday Night”

(Dir by Paul Fox, originally aired on June 3rd, 2002)

It’s a wild Friday night in Toronto!

Emma and Sean go on their first date.  It goes like this: Sean asks out Emma.  Emma says yes but isn’t sure whether or not Sean is asking her on a date or just asking her to hang out.  Sean is inarticulate because he’s a guy.  Emma gets mad.  In gym class, a game of dodgeball turns into a game of Emma throwing the ball exclusively at Sean.  Sean thinks that Emma hates him.  Emma says she doesn’t hate him.  Finally, Sean shows up at Emma’s house.  Before they leave on their date, Spike takes a picture.

They step outside of the house and a bird immediately defecates on Emma’s outfit.  Emma changes.  They decide to get something to eat before going to a movie.  Emma says that she ordered Sean a vegetarian burger.  Sean is cool with that because he doesn’t eat meat ever since he spent time on a ranch and saw how the animals are treated.  Emma is like, “Awwww!”  But then Emma realizes she can’t find her wallet and she fears that it’s accidentally been thrown away.  Sean spends the night searching through the dumpster behind the restaurant, until Emma realizes that she had her wallet with her all the time.  Whoops!  Emma runs off in tears.

How sad!  Of course, those of us who have watched this show know that one bad date isn’t going to keep Emma and Sean from having one of the most epic (if ultimately pointless) relationships in Degrassi history, one that will survive Sean going to jail but which won’t survive him joining the Army.  Of course, we also know that Emma is somehow going to end up married to Spinner despite saying barely ten words to him over the course of 8 seasons.

Speaking of Spinner, he and Jimmy spend Friday night tormenting Ms. Kwan.  Spinner has a grudge against Ms. Kwan because Ms. Kwan broke his “discman” while trying take it away from him when she discovered him listening to it in her class.

“My discman!” Spinner exclaimed.

“No, your fault!” Kwan snapped.

Spinner got detention.  Later, Jimmy also got detention for making fun of Shakespeare.  (Kwan also got annoyed with Jimmy for making out with Ashley in the hallway.  “You two may think you’re cute….”  Uhmm, it’s the hallway.  Calm down, Ms. Kwan.)  When Spinner and Jimmy learned that Ms. Kwan would be at the school late, teaching an ESL class, they broke into the principal’s office, broadcast the sound of Spinner chewing gum into her classroom, and then ordered several pizzas for her class.  Spinner then threw an entire carton of eggs at Kwan’s car.  Kwan came outside, saw her car, and broke down into tears while Spinner and Jimmy watched from afar.  Spinner was amused.  Jimmy felt guilty.

The next day, Mr. Raditch announces that Ms. Kwan has taken a leave of absence because her husband’s been sick.  The upcoming class field trip is canceled.  And Mr. Raditch will now be teaching Kwan’s class.  Spinner, you idiot!

That said, I blame Jimmy more.  Everyone knows that Spinner’s impulsive and out-of-control.  Jimmy’s supposed to be the voice of reason.

This episode is one of the better season one episodes, if just because it featured Emma being repeatedly humiliated (that may seem cruel but if you know some of the things that Emma’s going to do in the future, it is kind of satisfying to see) and it also features an early appearance of a recurring Degrassi theme: Spinner accidentally destroying someone’s life.  This episode represents the future of Degrassi.

10 Horror Movies For The Week (10/26/25)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Halloween approaches!  I’ll be posting another list of movies in a few days but here’s ten horror movie recommendations for between now and Wednesday!

Vampire Circus (1972) is a gloriously macabre film that I recommend to everyone.  This British film takes place in a Serbian village that a vampire curses with his dying breath.  Twenty years later, the village is ravaged by the plague and blockaded by other towns.  With the inhabitants basically prisoners in their own home, they are easily tempted by the arrival of a circus.  The circus, of course, is not what it seems.  This is a stylish film, full of quirky characters, disturbing imagery, and a lot of blood.  It’s perfect for Halloween.  You can view it on Prime.

Speaking of vampires, Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) features Robert Quarry as a vampire in 1970s California.  Apparently, the film was originally envisioned as being a soft-core film that would feature a few horror elements but Quarry insisted that the script be rewritten to emphasize the count’s vampirism.  That was probably a good idea as Quarry turned Yorga into one of the most memorable movie vampires not named Dracula.  Serious actor Michael Murphy appears in this film as well.  It’s interesting to note that Murphy went from battling a vampire to working with Robert Altman and Woody Allen and appearing in some of the best films of the 70s.  You can view Yorga here.

In Magic (1978), Anthony Hopkins plays a ventriloquist who is basically at the mercy of his foul-mouthed, foul-tempted, all together foul dummy.  This is one of the best examples of a creepy ventriloquist dummy film.  Hopkins’s neurotic performance is brilliant and actually far more interesting than his best-known work as Hannibal Lecter.  Burgess Meredith and Ann-Margaret offer strong support.  Hopefully, the dummy was used for kindling after this film was shot because seriously ….. agck!  Magic is on Prime.

Prime also has some of Vincent Price’s classic collaborations with Roger Corman.  The Fall of the House of Usher (1961), The Pit and The Pendulum (1961), and The Raven (1963) are available for your Halloween viewing and I recommend them all.  It’s not really Halloween without a generous amount of Vince Price, is it?  The Fall Of the House of Usher, The Pit and The Pendulum, and The Raven can all be found on Prime.

The Witchfinder General (1968) stars Vincent Price and was released as The Conqueror Worm in the United States but it should not be mistaken for one of Corman’s Poe adaptation.  Instead, The Witchfinder General is a visually stunning and intense film that features Price is one of his best villainous roles.  There’s very little camp or intentional humor to be found in this film.  Instead, it’s just Price giving a genuinely frightening performance.  Under its American Title of The Conqueror Worm, The Witchfinder General can be found on Prime.

Earlier, I mentioned that Robert Quarry’s Count Yorga was one of the most interesting not named Dracula.  I should also mention that William Marshall made for an equally interesting vampire in 1972’s Blacula.  The film may have been a bit campy but William Marshall gave a strong and dignified performance as Count Mamuwalde, who is transformed into a vampire by Dracula (who is not just a bloodsucker but a racist as well) and later finds himself in 1970s America.  Blacula was followed by a sequel, 1973’s Scream, Blacula, Scream.  The sequel is a mess but worth watching for the teaming of William Marshall and Pam Grier.  Blacula and Scream, Blacula, Scream are both on Tubi.

Finally, I have to mention that Bruno Mattei’s 1984 masterpiece, Rats: Night of Terror can now be viewed on Tubi.  The film may seem ludicrous but you’ll never get that final shot out of your head!  It can be viewed on Tubi.

Click here for last week’s movie suggestions!

Horror on TV: A Cold Night’s Death (dir by Jerrold Freedman)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

For today’s Horror on the Television, we have a made-for-TV movie from 1973.  As you can tell from the video below, it originally aired as a part of ABC’s Tuesday Night At The Movies.

A Cold Night’s Death tells the story of two scientists (Eli Wallach and Robert Culp) who are sent to a remote research station to investigate the apparent disappearance of another scientist.  They soon come to suspect that they may not be alone and soon, paranoia rears its ugly head.  With its frozen landscape and its ominous atmosphere, this movie feels like a distant cousin to John Carpenter’s The Thing.

The Hong Kong Film Corner – A CHINESE GHOST STORY (1987), starring Leslie Cheung and Joey Wong!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

A CHINESE GHOST STORY (1987) is a landmark film in the golden age of 1980’s Hong Kong cinema. While my primary interest in the cinema of Hong Kong centers around directors like John Woo, Ringo Lam and Johnnie To, as well as the actors Chow Yun-Fat, Lau Ching-Wan and Andy Lau, I’ve been aware of this film from the very beginning. It’s been a couple of decades since I watched it, so I felt I was well past due for a revisit.

Directed by Ching Siu-tung and produced by the legendary Tsui Hark, A CHINESE GHOST STORY follows Ling Choi San (Leslie Cheung), a naive young scholar who finds himself working as a tax collector. Overly timid and a complete failure at his job, Ling is completely broke, so he seeks shelter in the only place he can afford, a haunted temple on the outskirts of a remote village. That night he encounters Lip Siu Sin (Joey Wong), a ghostly maiden who is being forced to use her feminine wiles to lure unfortunate men to their doom at the hands, or shall I say tongue, of the millennium-old, shape-shifting Tree Demoness Lao Lao (Lau Siu-Ming), who devours the life essence of its victims. Ling’s unusual and genuine kindness towards Siu Sin causes her to have pity on the young man so she decides to protect him from Lao Lao. The two soon share a night of tender romance, where Siu Sin reveals her tragic past and Ling immediately pledges to do anything he can to protect her. As part of this protection, Ling seeks the assistance of the Taoist swordsman Yin Chek Ha (Wu Ma), who initially rejects his request but eventually becomes an unlikely and powerful ally in the young scholar’s quest to keep Siu Sin safe. Ling and Master Yin soon find themselves in the underworld, battling armies of the undead and writhing tongue-tentacles, in an attempt to save Siu Sin from the evil Tree Demoness. Will they free her, or will she spend eternity setting up horny guys to have their essences sucked away and turned into zombies? It’s the age old question that will be answered by the end of the film’s 96 minute runtime. 

Blending elements of horror, romance, comedy, and swordplay, while incorporating innovative special effects, A CHINESE GHOST STORY revitalized the Hong Kong fantasy film and kicked off a trend for folklore ghost films, including its own two sequels. At its core, the film is a timeless, love story, and even with all of the crazy stuff going on, that central theme kept me engaged to the very end. Director Ching Siu-tung is at the top of his game as his film contains a poetic energy that’s extremely rare in any nation’s cinema these days, including Hong Kong. Leslie Cheung, who plays the scholar Ling, had a tendency to overplay the annoying aspects of his characters at this point in his career in the 80’s (I’m looking at you A BETTER TOMORROW). Here, while I don’t love his character for the early sections of the film, I do enjoy it when he decides he’s going to do anything possible to save Siu Sin’s eternal soul and give her a chance to reincarnate. What he lacks in bravery, he makes up in sheer will and his character grows on me by the end. And then there’s Joey Wong as the ghostly seductress Siu Sin. What can I say about her other than this… if you don’t fall in love with Joey Wong in A CHINESE GHOST STORY, there’s probably something wrong with you. It’s a performance that helped propel Wong into her stardom across Asia. Her strong chemistry with Cheung elevates the film’s central love story and gives his character some much needed credibility. Wu Ma plays the cynical and brave Taoist swordsman, Yin, who gives Ling a fighting chance against the tree demoness. It’s a fun character and his mid-film, sword-training “rap” is one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Lau Siu-Ming, a man, plays the tree demoness Lao Lao. It’s an interesting character. Siu Sin continually refers to the tree demon as an “old woman,” but the demon is actually gender fluid and when we see it, it looks more like a man, which seems to enhance its power. We also see the tree demon in its monster form, which is the biggest, longest and slimiest tongue you will ever see. It’s unique and gross at the same time!

I will admit that watching any film starring  Leslie Cheung, at this point in my life, is bittersweet. The man was a Canto-Pop superstar and over time, grew to become one of the best and most interesting actors from Hong Kong. That’s Cheung singing the theme song that plays over the opening credits of A CHINESE GHOST STORY. His work with John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat in the A BETTER TOMORROW film series and ONCE A THIEF are some of the first films I watched when I began my obsession with Hong Kong Cinema in the 90’s. In some ways, my love of Hong Kong movies is inseparable from Leslie Cheung. Suffering from depression, Cheung tragically took his own life on April 1st, 2003 by jumping from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which is located in the central district on Hong Kong Island. It was a horrifically sad end for an extremely talented man. 

Ultimately, in the world of Hong Kong Cinema, A CHINESE GHOST STORY is an easy recommendation in much the same way that movies like JAWS or STAR WARS are here in America. Its legacy of influence over the Hong Kong film industry has stood the test of time, making it a true classic!

Retro Television Review: Homicide: Life On The Street 4.12 “The Hat”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Sundays, I will be reviewing Homicide: Life On The Street, which aired from 1993 to 1999, on NBC!  It  can be viewed on Peacock.

This week, incompetence reigns.

Episode 4.12 “The Hat”

(Dir by Peter Medak, originally aired on January 19th, 1996)

There’s a running theme in this week’s episode and that theme is incompetence.

With Russert having been demoted all the way back to detective, there is now a captain’s vacancy.  The squad room is convinced that Giardello is going to get promoted.  For that matter, Giardello is also convinced that he’s going to be promoted.  Instead, the promotion goes to Roger Gaffney (Walt MacPherson), the racist martinet former homicide detective who nearly got into a fist fight with Pembleton during the white glove murder investigation.

(Giardello, for all of his strengths, has never played the political game as well as those around him.)

Munch thinks that a lawyer who he arrested for murder is going to be convicted.  However, it turns out that the video that Brodie shot at the crime scene shows that a key piece of evidence was mishandled.  Munch tells Brodie to erase the tape.  Brodie refuses to tamper with evidence.  (“It’s illegal,” he says.)  As a result, the murderer walks free.  And while it’s true that Brodie’s refusal to erase the tape did lead to an guilty man walking, it’s also true that it wouldn’t have been a problem if the cops on the scene hadn’t screwed up in the first place.

Finally, Lewis and Kellerman are sent to Pennsylvania to pick up Rose Halligan (Lily Tomlin), a woman suspected of murdering her husband in Baltimore.  Lewis and Kellerman are supposed to go straight to Pennsylvania and then come right back to Maryland, without making any unnecessary stops.  Instead, they screw up.  Kellerman decides to stop off at a run-down amusement park that he remembers from his childhood.  Later, Lewis and Kellerman stop off at a diner so they can get some dinner.  When Rose excuses herself to go to the restroom, they not only remove her handcuffs but they also allow her to go unaccompanied.  Needless to say, Rose escapes, makes her way back to Baltimore, and stabs her husband’s mistress to death before getting Lewis and Kellerman track her down.

Lily Tomlin was this episode’s big guest star, for better or worse.  Sometimes, when a big name appears on a television show, it becomes obvious that there wasn’t anyone around who was willing to tell them that they were overacting just a bit and that would certainly seem to be the case here.  Rose is a music teacher so this episode really tests one’s tolerance for Lily Tomlin singing opera.  That said, Tomlin was quietly effective at the end of the episode, sitting out on a porch while her former friend lay dead in the house.  Rose says she was returning her friend’s hate and, indeed, the dead woman in wearing the hat that Rose wore throughout almost the entire episode.

All said, I enjoyed this episode.  Lewis and Kellerman may be incompetent but they’re still entertaining to watch.  As for the hated Roger Gaffney getting the job that Giardello deserved …. well, isn’t that always the way?

October True Crime: Sins of the Mother (dir by John Patterson)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In the city of Spokane, Washington, Kevin Coe (Dale Midkiff) is a real estate agent who always tries to come across as being the slickest guy in the room.  With his quick smile and his moderately expensive suits, Kevin certainly seems to fit the stereotype.  It’s only when you start to look a little closer that the surface starts to crack.

For someone who goes out of his way to come across as being confident, Kevin is actually very immature and more than a little whiny.  He’s living with a perfectly nice young woman named Ginny (Heather Fairfield) but it’s obvious that he’s keeping secrets from her.  He comes home one morning with scratches on his face and, when she asks about them, he claims that 1) he got mauled by a dog and 2) he doesn’t need any sort of medical attention.  Kevin is someone who frequently loses his job because he’s just not that good at it.  When one boss fires him, Kevin replies that he’s going to start his own business and someday, maybe he’ll be the one doing the hiring and firing.  It’s classic empty cope.

And then there’s Kevin’s mother.  Ruth Coe (Elizabeth Montgomery) is someone who likes to present herself as being a grand diva, in the manner of a Golden Screen star.  She’s extremely close to her son, at times overprotective and at times overly critical.  Kevin often goes from yelling at his mom to dancing with her within minutes.  Ruth makes it clear that she doesn’t like Ginny and Ginny eventually grows to dread seeing Ruth wandering around their house, uninvited.  And yet, despite all of the time that Kevin spends talking about how wants to get away from his mother and to live his own life, Kevin doesn’t really make much of an effort to do that.

Meanwhile, Detective Liz Trent (Talia Balsam) is investigating a series of rapes that have been committed in Spokane.  When she comes to suspect that Kevin is the rapist, Kevin claims that it’s not true and it’s just another case of the world treating him unfairly.  Ruth stands by her son and eventually shocks everyone with just how far she’s willing to go to try to keep him out of prison.

Sins of the Mother is based on a true story.  Kevin Coe may have only been convicted of four rapes but he is suspected of having committed at least 41.  In prison, he insisted he was innocent and refused to attend any counseling programs.  He also refused to apply for parole, even after he became eligible.  After his criminal sentence was completed in 2008, he was sent to the Special Commitment Center on Washington’s McNeil Island, which is a institution that houses sexual predators who are likely to reoffend.  I’m writing this review on September 15th.  Coe, as of this writing, is scheduled to be released from McNeil on October 3rd so, by the time you’re reading this, he could already be out.  Coe is 78 and is reported to be in fragile health.

As for the movie, it’s mostly memorable for Elizabeth Montgomery’s over the top performance as Ruth Coe.  Sweeping into every scene and delivering her lines in what appears to be a deliberately fake-sounding Southern accent, Montgomery chews the scenery with gusto.  While the rest of the cast often seems to be going through the motions, Montgomery grabs hold of this movie and refuses to surrender it.

Horror Song of the Day: Main Theme From Cannibal Holocaust by Riz Ortolani

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

One of the great oddities of the horror genre and the world of grindhouse films is that 1980’s Cannibal Holocaust has got one of the most beautiful soundtracks ever recorded.  Composed by Riz Ortolani, here is the amazing Main Theme From Cannibal Holocaust.

Horror On The Lens: Summer of Fear (dir by Wes Craven)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror on the lens is a 1978 made-for-TV movie that was directed by Wes Craven.  Originally entitled Stranger In Our House, it was retitled Summer of Fear when it was released into theaters in Europe.  Personally, I think Summer of Fear is a better title.  It has a fun R.L. Stine feel to it.

As for the film itself, it tells the story of what happens when the recently orphaned Julia (Lee Purcell) moves in with her distant relations in California.  At first, Julia fits right in with her new family but, slowly and surely, her cousin Rachel (Linda Blair) comes to suspect that Julia might be a witch.  And hey, who can’t relate to that?  Seriously, everyone has that one cousin…

 

October Positivity: Forgiving God (dir by Jason Campbell and Aaron Dunbar)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

2022’s Forgiving God opens with a seance.

Jon Moore (Matthew Utley) and his foster sister are fooling around with a Ouija board.  Jon wants to contact the spirit of his little brother, Tommy (Jacob Pitoniak).  Jon blames himself for his brother’s death and many of his subsequent problems can be linked back to the day that Tommy was killed in a mass shooting.  The Ouija board seems to have a mind of its own, with the little pointer tool moving even when Jon takes his fingers off of it.  Tommy’s face appear in a candle’s flame, blain Jon for his death and encouraging Jon to take his own life.  Jon freaks out.  Jon’s foster sister asks him if he’s stoned but otherwise, doesn’t seem to be too concerned about Jon’s suicidal tendences.

Jon’s subsequent attempt at suicide fails but it does lead to a both a huge fire and Jon getting sent to yet another foster family.  Feeling lost and alienated and struggling to fit in with his religious community, Jon soon starts spending all of his time in the woods.  Eventually, he meets a Native American girl named Isaka (Alexandra Sertik).  At first, Jon fears that Isaka might be another demon sent to destroy him.  Pastor Mark (Dean Cain) puts his mind at ease.

Jon is soon convinced that he’s in love with Isaka.  He tells everyone about his new girlfriend and no one believes him.  (That said, they’re rather tolerant of someone who claims to be spending all of his time with someone who they say doesn’t exist.)  Jon starts to wonder why he never sees Isaka outside of the woods.  Why has he never met Isaka’s parents?  Why is Isaka always wearing the same clothes?  Why does every picture that he takes of Isaka fail to develop?  You can probably guess why.  Isaka has a tragic story of her own and a lesson to teach Jon.

Forgiving God is a faith-based film that has a lot in common with the horror genre, from the Ouija-dominated opening to Jon’s fear that Isaka might be an otherworldly being sent to lead him astray.  It’s actually a fairly intriguing story and, compared to most faith-based films, it’s actually told pretty well.  Yes, there’s a few moments of awkward humor (faith-based films always seem to have at least one scene of awkward adult-teen dialogue) and some of the performance feel more professional than others.  (Dean Cain, it must be said, classes up the joint in his small role.)  There’s a sequence set at “bible camp,” which really made me happy that, when I was growing up, my family never stayed long enough in one place for anyone to suggest that my sisters and I should go to camp.  That said, the cinematography is impressive, Matthew Utley gives a good performance as Jon, and there’s a fairly effective scene involving a grizzly bear.  As far as indie religious films go, Forgiving God isn’t that bad at all.  If anything, it continues Pennsylvania’s tradition of giving us independent cinema.  George Romero gave us zombies.  This film gives us bears and mysterious forest girls.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Saved By The Bell 1.2 “The Lisa Card”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Saturdays, I will be reviewing Saved By The Bell, which ran on NBC from 1989 to 1993.  The entire show is currently streaming on Prime and Tubi!

This week, an important lesson is learned about credit cards.

Episode 1.2 “The Lisa Card”

(Dir by Don Barnhart, originally aired on August 28th, 1989)

Lisa’s father (Henry Brown) has given her his credit card and Lisa has charged way too much money on it!  Now, she has to figure out how to raise the money to pay it off before he finds out.

I could relate to this episode.  When I got my first credit card, I went crazy charging stuff to it.  I’m still probably a little bit too quick to reach for it.  To be honest, it wouldn’t be until I was 25 that I really came to understand that someone actually has to pay all that money back.  I knew what Lisa was going through but I was still surprised at how all of her friends immediately came to her aid.  What selfless friends!  I can honestly say that, if a friend of mine needed that much money, I would probably not give it to them.  Lisa got a job at the Max but Slater, Zach, Kelly, Jessie, and Screech ended up doing most of the work and they all did it for free.  Maybe if they had all gotten a job at the Max (as opposed to just volunteering to help) they could have combined their paychecks and paid off that credit card.  Zach also sells all of Lisa’s clothing, holding a sale in the middle of the school hallways.  (“Closing them!” Zach shouts whenever Belding is nearby.)  “Who wants this lingerie?” Zach asks.  Screech pledges his life savings.  Ummm, Lisa is like fourteen and Screech appears to be considerably younger.  That’s kind of icky….

This episode was …. well, I was going to say it was dumb but every episode of Saved By The Bell is dumb.  That said, it was dumb in a fun way.  Lark Voorhees was always underused on Good Morning Miss Bliss but she really goes all out with this episode.  Her nervous twitching when she learned all of her clothes had been given to charity (for free!) was something else to which I could relate.

In the end, Lisa’s father forgives her and Lisa gets upset because he’s not angrier.  What?  Lisa, you got away with it!  Be happy!