The Champions "Get Me Out of Here!" #1.22 (1969) (TV)

The Champions rescue a scientist, 18 March 2017

Renowned research scientist Anna Maria Martes is being held against her will on the island of San Dios. The government wants to take credit for her discoveries. The Champions are sent in to extract Professor Martes.

While watching Get Me Out of Here!, I couldn't help but think that the whole thing felt like something more in line with what you'd see on Mission Impossible than The Champions. The IM team seemed to always be up against third world government thugs in a tiny, fictitious country. Also, Get Me Out of Here! never really used many of the Champions' special abilities (Sharon's biggest contribution was wrecking the car). The IM team could have easily handled this group of baddies. It was all sort of underwhelming.

On the positive side, I did get a kick out of Ronald Radd as the Commandante. His joy in holding Martes prisoner, for example, was really well played.

Overall, a 6/10 from me.

6/10

The Champions "The Body Snatchers" #1.21 (1969) (TV)

The Champions head to Wales, 16 March 2017

A journalist investigating a secret research facility in Wales asks Richard for help after one of his colleagues is killed while snooping around. It seems the research facility is working on cryogenics and has a very powerful United States general as one of its patients. The man running the facility, Squires, intends to "sell" the frozen general and all his secrets to a foreign power.

The Body Snatchers is an above average episode (hence my 6/10 rating), but I don't find it overly spectacular. The story just never drew me in and the baddies' plan didn't really seem all that compelling to me. On the positive side is James Bond regular Bernard Lee as Squires. Lee could play a tough, murderous baddie as well as anyone. He has a powerful presence about him that he puts to excellent use in The Body Snatchers. His treatment of the journalists is proof of that - he comes off as incredibly vicious. Other highlights include: a nice final showdown, Sharon and Craig playing lost tourists, and Sharon getting to do a little hand-to-hand combat with a guard.

6/10

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) (TV)

"My son is not a freak!", 15 March 2017

Several years ago, when $1 DVD bins were in the front of every discount store in America, you could find hundreds of copies of The Boy in the Plastic Bubble – many with different artwork. It was one of those movies that budget DVD companies just loved – a (I'm assuming) public domain movie you could slap John Travolta's face on. I'm sure they sold thousands of those things.

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble tells the story of Tod Lubitch – a boy born without an immune system. The slightest hint of a germ could kill him. He spends the first few years of his life in a hospital until his parent decide to bring him home. Tod lives in an enclosed, sterile environment inside the Lubitch house. Jump forward about 12 years and we see Tod as a fairly normal teenager – well, as normal as you can be living inside a plastic tent. He's smart, gets along with his parents, and enjoys spying on the neighbor girl, Gina. Tod takes classes via closed circuit TV and eventually attends real classes in a special enclosed suit. He's doing all this to be closer to Gina, not necessarily to learn. But in the end, will this be good enough and will he ever get out of his bubble?

I sat down to watch The Boy in the Plastic Bubble the other night. I don't think I'd seen it since it originally aired back in '76. I had two distinct memories of the film – 1. It was incredibly sad. 2. Glynis O'Connor's bikini (the stuff of 13 year-old dreams). How did it hold up 40 years later? Not as well as I had hoped. It's still a decent enough story, but now I see problems I didn't necessarily notice (or care about) before. There are way too many moments that make me cringe as I watch them now. Travolta overacts in a lot scenes to the point that I felt embarrassed for his character. I know he was meant to show innocence and all that, but he just looks stupid. Another thing that bothered me after this view was the ending. I don't care for it. (SPOILER) What are we supposed to think? Are we supposed to think that Tod just walked out of his bubble and he and Gina lived happily ever after? Are we supposed to think she threw away her dream of going to New York for some guy she's had minimal feelings for? And are we supposed to assume that Tod didn't just keel over a few weeks after stepping out of his bubble? If he did die, what a guilt trip to lay on Gina. (END SPOILER)

I've watched several movies and TV shows from my childhood recently. Many of them are still as good as I remember. But not this one. The Boy in the Plastic Bubble didn't hold up for me. I'll rate it a 4/10.

4/10

Poirot "The Clocks" #12.4 (2009) (TV)

"Mais oui. Which can only mean one thing, mon ami. The solution, it must be very simple.", 15 March 2017

Poirot is approached by Lieutenant Colin Race for help with a case. Race has found himself mixed-up in an unusual murder mystery. The story goes like this: Walking down a street, Race is nearly knocked over by a hysterical young woman named Shelia Webb as she runs from the front door of a house. Inside the house are a dead body and the owner of the house, a blind woman who knows nothing of the girl or the dead man. The police cannot identify the body and no one can explain how Webb, a typist for hire, came to be in the house with the dead man. Added to the mystery are four clocks in the room where the dead man was found, all set to 4:13. The blind woman knows nothing of the clocks and no one can explain what they mean. Oh, there's also some missing military documents that Race has been investigating thrown into the mix. Poirot has is hands full with this one.

I've ranted recently about several of the newer Poirot episodes. Some are twisted and changed from Christie's original work to the point they are unrecognizable. Some are filmed in a modern style more suited for something like CSI than a classic detective story set in the 1930s. I'm happy to report that neither is true with The Clocks. The story, while it varies on some aspects of Christie's The Clocks, holds true on most of the main plot points. It's easily recognizable to anyone familiar with the book. And the movie is told is style more fitting Poriot and Christie. It looks more like the earlier episodes I enjoy so much.

The Clocks was always one of my favorite Christie books and this adaptation did not disappoint. I congratulate director Charlie Palmer and the screenwriters for taking a fairly complicated story with multiple characters and suspects and putting it together so well. There are plenty of red herrings that work perfectly. It has all the hallmarks of a classic, well made, and well told mystery. The acting is top notch. By now, my enjoyment of Suchet's work goes without saying. The supporting cast, including Tom Burke as Race and Jaime Winstone as Shelia Webb, is very strong. There's even some good comic relief provided by the frustrated Inspector Hardcastle, played brilliantly by Phil Daniels. The sets and locations are once again flawless. I'm amazed at all the varied locations the producers were able to find for filming. Just beautiful. Finally, the music is a real bonus. It fits nicely with the unfolding story. Overall, an easy 8/10 from me.

8/10

The Champions "The Silent Enemy" #1.20 (1969) (TV)

The Champions investigate mass deaths on a submarine, 15 March 2017

A missing nuclear submarine, the Kepple, suddenly appears off the coast of Scotland. All 100+ crew members are found dead at their stations. Cause of death: simultaneous cardiac arrest. The Champions are called in to investigate by retracing the last trip taken by the Kepple. What they find is a mysterious, unchartered island. The island serves as a laboratory for a scientist working for a foreign government. He has discovered a gas that causes death by an apparent natural cause – cardiac arrest.

The Silent Enemy is a really nice episode. It moves at a good pace with little time for a dull moment. From fight scenes to a submarine crash to planes dropping bombs – it's packed with so much goodness. And I appreciate that much of the plot's mystery wasn't revealed until the end. It kept up the suspense. As is unfortunately too common, Richard and Craig get to do the heavy lifting while Sharon is left with little to do. Richard and Craig's brief scenes on the island are really well done. Sharon does get a chance to steal at least one scene as she comes down the long ladder into the submarine – much to the delight of the crew on-hand. I got a real chuckle out of it. Besides the regulars, the supporting cast is quite good. One performance, in particular, stands out. I can't decide if it was good or so over-the-top I can't stop thinking about it, but Esmond Knight's character (known only as the Minister) is so wound up, I'm surprised he didn't have a real life heart attack. The Silent Enemy gets a solid 7/10 from me.

7/10

The Champions "The Interrogation" #1.19 (1969) (TV)

Doesn't "feel" like the other episodes, 15 March 2017

Craig awakens to find himself held prisoner by an unknown man in an unknown location. He is drugged and interrogated. He is repeatedly asked about the details of his most recent mission. Craig is able to resist, but for how long?

I'll keep this short. As my rating would indicate, I am not a fan of The Interrogation. The whole plot doesn't make sense given what we've seen in prior episodes or what would come after. I don't see any way that Craig (or even Richard and Sharon for that matter) would have stayed on with Nemesis after this episode. I could easily see all three walking out in protest. I know they have a certain amount of loyalty, but loyalty is two way street. Also, as I've said any number of times, I prefer episodes where all three are involved. For all practical purposes, Richard and Sharon are not in The Interrogation.

I will say this, however, Stuart Damon is very good in The Interrogation. It's probably his best work in the entire series. And Colin Blakely, the unknown interrogator, is just as good. It's some of the best acting you'll find in The Champions. Too bad it comes in an episode I care so little for.

5/10

The Champions "The Mission" #1.18 (1969) (TV)

The Champions go in for plastic surgery, 13 March 2017

After a number of high-profile criminals have seemingly disappeared after arriving in London, the authorities are convinced that someone must be helping them. Nemesis is put on the case. Posing as a big- time New York gangster with a load of stolen money, Craig arrives in London with a big splash and girlfriend, Sharon, in tow. They are quickly approached by an associate of a Dr. Pederson who says that, for the right price, he can give them new faces so they can move about undetected. The Champions must find a way to put a stop to Pederson and locate the gang of criminals he's helped escape.

The Mission is very strong episode with some nice comedy, drama, and a good twist at the end. The comedy comes from watching Craig play the New York gangster. It looks to me that Stuart Damon is having a great time playing the role. He's quite funny in the role. I also got a laugh or two out of Demont Kelly as the homeless, but humorous drunk, Hogan. The drama comes near the end as Richard and Craig race to save Sharon. She's under an anesthetic awaiting plastic surgery. They've got to get to her in time. And the twist at the end, well . . . I'm not going to go into it and ruin the finale. I'll just say it's a nice way to wrap-up the episode.

I really enjoy episodes where all three of The Champions get a chance to shine. While most of the heroics (and dialogue) are left up to Craig and Richard, the title sequence featuring Sharon is one of the better I've seen so far. She teaches a lecherous hitchhiker a thing or two. Good stuff.

8/10

Pacific Warriors (2015)

Rugby from the Islands, 13 March 2017

I became a fan of rugby later in life. Growing up in the United States, I didn't have any opportunities to watch the game – especially in the pre-cable 1970s. I grew up in the South where college football is more of a religion than a sport. When I finally discovered rugby around 2000, I knew almost instantly I had found my new favorite sport. Now, it's the only sport I watch and follow with any regularity. I love it! I'm not sure how I missed Pacific Warriors in 2015. I was paying attention to the run-up to the World Cup, so you'd think I would have at least heard of the movie. I just stumbled on it a couple nights ago and decided to give it a go.

Overall, Pacific Warriors is a very nicely made documentary. If you're a fan of rugby union, regardless of the team or nation, you owe it to yourself to give it a go. The movie tells the story of the triumphs and struggles of Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji in the rugby world. The movie highlights their successes in past World Cups given the budgetary and training limitations they face when compared with the game's giants like England and South Africa. Given an equal playing field, I'm positive that one of these tiny nations would have at least played in a title game by now. There's a lot of information on players, games, and behind the scene stories from the three Pacific Island nations. While host Brian Cox is rock solid, it's the actual players that sat down and recorded their thoughts and recollections that really make this movie shine. I was especially impressed with the stories from Epi Taione and Nicky Little. They have an infectious way about them that made their stories sparkle. I also enjoyed the bits from competitors like Jonny Wilkinson and Bakkies Botha that put the Islanders' tremendous abilities into perspective.

In the end, I suppose that the purpose of any documentary is to teach something about the subject matter at hand. With that as a goal, I'd say Pacific Warriors is very successful. As a bonus, it not only enlightens, but also entertains. When you combine the two, you've got a winner. I can easily rate Pacific Warriors an 8/10.

8/10