Friday, June 26, 2026

Anna Lucasta (1958)

Anna Lucasta (1958)

starring Eartha Kitt, Frederick O'Neal, Henry Scott
written by Philip Yordan
directed by Arnold Laven

Anna Lucasta (Eartha Kitt) returns home from San Diego and tries to put the pieces of her life back together after getting by as a prostitute. Randolph Slocum (Henry Scott) takes an interest in her as almost everyone in her family hoped he would but Joe (Anna's overbearing, alcoholic father) can't stand to let things be. On her wedding day he sabotages her life. Unable to deal with her father's behavior she runs off with Danny a cabbie she first met while she was living in San Diego.

Thoughts

There's more to this movie than my description entails. It is unclear how much time has passed since Joe ejected Anna from the Lucasta family home. 

Crash Landing on You 1.12

Episode 12

Se-ri and Jeong-hyuk avoid getting killed by Cho Cheol-gang thanks to Se-ri's quick thinking. She meets with some Korean and Chinese gangsters and puts them to work looking for Cheol-gang. Jeong-hyuk does some searching online in the hopes of discovering something about who is helping Cheol-gang.

Man-bok shares with the other about how he listened to Se-ri's employees gossip. Chi-su share with the others about how he worked as a delivery driver for a chicken restaurant. Ju-meok and Eun-dong went to an internet cafe. Ju-meok watched dramas while Eun-dong played video games. He almost met Jeong-hyuk but Se-ri came home in time to prevent Jeong-hyuk from going out to meet him.

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Star Trek: The Next Generation 4.22

Half a Life

Lwaxana Troi, Counselor Deanna Troi's mother, is aboard the Enterprise when Timicin, a scientist from Kaelon II boards the starship. She immediately attaches herself to him and a bond develops between them. Timicin conducts tests while aboard the Enterprise in the hope that they will result in a viable way to save the star around which Kaelon II orbits. The tests prove unsuccessful.

Timicin is approaching 60 years of age. He is duty bound to return home and experience Resolution, ritual death. All people on Kaelon II regardless of their condition at age 60 are compelled to experience Resolution. Timicin accepts the practice but Lwaxana does not. She argues valiantly against his intent to return home to experience Resolution.

Something Lwaxana says finally says gets through to Timicin and he briefly decides to request asylum aboard the Enterprise. His people apply different kinds of pressure and eventually Timicin decides that he will return home for Resolution.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Goodyear Theatre 1.15

The Giant Step

starring Robert Ryan, Michael Landon
written by Leonard Freeman, Floyd Beaver
directed by Robert Florey

Two sailors from a submarine are sent (during the midst of World War 2) to find a deadly snake on an island held by the Japanese. Gunner Smith (Robert Ryan) would rather be on the mission with anyone but Karl Wallace (Michael Landon). Wallace was tried but found innocent of actions that might have resulted in the death of Barney Callan, Smith's best friend. Smith doesn't care that Wallace was found innocent. He still blames Wallace for Callan's death.

Bleach 43 / 3.02

The Despicable Shinigami

Ishida and Orihime encounter a drunken Shinigami, Makizō Aramaki. He demands to know what squad they are from. He tries to stop them when he doesn't like their answer but then four other Shinigami round the corner. They, unlike Aramaki who is with 11th division, are from 12th division. It turns out to be a trap set by Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the captain of 12th division. They are carrying explosives. He blows up his men in an attempt to get his hands on Orihime, He has no interest in Ishida.

Ishida tells Aramaki to get out of there and take Orihime with him. She doesn't want to leave but Aramaki doesn't give her a choice. He crabs her and starts running. Ishida is left to face off against the captain of 12th division. Kurotsuchi is not impressed when Ishida reveals himself to be a Quincy. The two men fight. Kurotsuchi immobilizes Ishida with a blow from his Zanpakutō. Nemu Kurotsuchi, his lieutenant also gets struck with the sword and is similarly immobilized but Mayuri doesn't really care.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

The Twilight Zone (1959) 1.21

Mirror Image

starring Vera Miles, Martin Milner
written by Rod Serling
directed by John Brahm

Millicent Barnes (Vera Miles) is waiting for a bus to Buffalo, NY. She doesn't understand why everyone keeps telling her that they just saw her a minute ago when she is meeting them for the first time. Twice sees she sees herself. Once in a bathroom mirror and then again in on a bus that she is about to board. Paul Grinstead (Martin Milner), who is waiting for the same bus tries to help her but he ultimately decides to call the police and let them deal with the matter. That gets her out of his hair but then he starts seeing someone who looks just like himself. 

Bosch: Legacy 3.10

Dig Down

Detective Harry Bosch works with LAPD Detective Renee Bosch to solve a case. It looks like the case is linked to an unsolved serial killer case that has been haunting Bosch for more than a dozen years. Bosch and Ballard clash. He uses unorthodox methods. She tries to play it straight but she also puts a tracking device on his car without getting permission to do so. She learns to accept his tactics and together, along with some help from some of his friends, they find and capture the killer.

Thoughts

I started to watch the first episode of Ballard. I paused it when I was about halfway through the episode. I did a little research and discovered that Renee Ballard appeared in the last episode of Bosch: Legacy. I decided to give it a watch before finishing the first episode of Ballard. I thought it might explain some things as to where things begin in the first episode of Ballard but so far I don't think watching this episode yielded any nuggets of useful information.

I haven't watched Bosch or any other episodes of Bosch: Legacy. I read the first five Bosch novels, before Bosch was a TV show. I enjoyed them but eventually I felt like I had read enough and stopped. 

I tried watching Bosch once before. There was something about the portrayal of the main character that rubbed me wrong. It was different enough from what I recalled from the books that it didn't feel right to me. I can see how some people might like or love it but it isn't my cup of tea. I feel no compulsion to go back and start watching Bosch from the beginning. I do still plan to finish watching the first episode of Ballard and maybe more than just the first episode.

This was an okay episode. It was a little too text book for me. Everything moved a little too quickly and smoothly. Ballard is more or less the co-star of this episode. It is as much her episode as it is Bosch's.