Category: The 1980’s

Timothy S. Johnston Reviews the Netflix Original Film In the Shadow of the Moon

Title: In the Shadow of the Moon
Director: Jim Mickle
Studio/Distributor: Netflix
Writers: Gregory Weidman, Geoffrey Tock
Starring: Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Bokeem Woodbine (Spider Man: Homecoming), Michael C. Hall (Dexter)

Short Description: A Philadelphia police detective hunts a time-traveling serial killer.

TSJ Reviews HBO’s CHERNOBYL

TSJ Reviews HBO’s CHERNOBYL

Starring: Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard, Emily Watson, Paul Ritter
Company: HBO
Running Time: 330 minutes
Created by: Craig Mazin

TSJ on The Hot Zone

I read this book shortly after its release in 1994. It is a page turner. It brought public attention to the threat of deforestation, and it did so in graphic, horrific detail.

TSJ Reviews BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

 

TSJ Reviews BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Sometimes less is more, and I am aiming to keep this short and sweet, hopefully to have greater impact on those who might stumble across it. My wish is that it might motivate people to spend two hours at the theaters this weekend.

TSJ Reviews CAMP DEATH III in 2D!

 

Review:  CAMP DEATH III in 2D!

I had the opportunity to review this “camp” horror film (see what I did there?) by director Matt Frame and starring Dave Peniuk and Angela Galanopoulos. The film is currently making the horror festival circuit, and campy is actually an understatement when describing this horror farce. Crowdfunding helped with the movie’s $35 000 budget, and apparently the filmmakers spent four years working on it.

The Inaugural Timothy S. Johnston Future Writer Award

 

On Thursday 4 October I presented the inaugural TSJ Future Writer Award during the commencement ceremony for the Class of 2018 at London South Collegiate Institute in the Thames Valley District School Board.

Rebooted MAGNUM PI Trailer is Here

 

Rebooted MAGNUM PI Trailer Online — See it Here

I’m not sure how I feel about this. Tom Selleck’s Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV is so ingrained in my memory due to my teen years in the 80’s. (I was born at the perfect time.  See my thoughts on this here.)  The series was watershed for me — it featured a strong cast of male characters who had bonded during war and were now living in the years after, still as close as brothers, but each dealing with their own memories and trauma from Vietnam. It was a show that portrayed Vietnam vets in a positive light, and Tom Selleck was the Alpha who held it all together. His humor, his self-deprecating portrayal of Magnum, and the great chemistry between the leads — including Jonathan Hillerman (Higgins) — kept the show going for eight years. It was also the first time a Navy SEAL had been portrayed in popular culture. When it finally ended, it went out on top, and almost from the instant it went off the air fans have been clamoring for more MAGNUM PI.

Where Has the Character-Driven Action Film Gone?

#Thriller #Action #Movies

First, I have to define the concept. A “Character-Driven Action Film” would be a sub-category of the action genre, set in any time or place that focuses on the character and history of the leads as much as it does on the action elements of the story. Simple enough, right? Right.

So where have these movies gone?

TSJ on THE TERMINATOR

I watched THE TERMINATOR on the weekend.

I had to.

It was calling me.

I use the phrases “watershed film” or “watershed book” quite a lot. That’s the point of this entire blog. What are the movies/books/tv shows that influenced me in the years leading to my first attempts at writing fiction? Hell, even the name of this blog — “Life After Gateway” — is a nod to my favorite Science Fiction novel. This blog is dedicated to the books and movies that inspired me in my creative/formative years. A few TV series, some fantastic authors, and a small selection of short stories helped along the way. Certain teachers were invaluable too.