Book Review: Tom Swift and His Ocean Airport

Book Review: Tom Swift and His Ocean Airport by Victor Appleton The Tom Swift series of books are about a young inventor who gets into various adventures involving the technology he works with. They started out relatively realistic, with him as a teenager who tinkers with motorcycles and motorboats that he comes into possession of,… Continue reading Book Review: Tom Swift and His Ocean Airport

Movie Review: Return of the Evil Fox

You don't say?

Movie Review: Return of the Evil Fox (1991) directed by George Leung The Chiang family has long been involved with Taoist mysticism. In 1991, Chiang Wu (Fung Woo) is the patriarch of the clan, and moves his herb shop and exorcism business into a mall in Hong Kong. The mall is alleged to be cursed, with… Continue reading Movie Review: Return of the Evil Fox

Manga Review: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san 1

Manga Review: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san 1 by Honda Working retail can be a funny business, especially if you work in a popular bookstore. Or so claims Honda, the star and creator of this autobiographical manga. The “hon” in the name is written with the kanji (ideograph) for “book” but can also mean “bone”, so the… Continue reading Manga Review: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san 1

Book Review: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters

Book Review: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters edited by Tim Marquitz & N.X. Sharps Like many a Godzilla fan, I have a fondness for movies where gigantic monsters rampage across the landscape. The fandom has more or less adopted the Japanese term for such monsters, kaiju. While the big critters have been a staples of… Continue reading Book Review: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters

Anime Review: Gegege no Kitaro (2018)

Kitaro and friends.

Anime Review: Gegege no Kitaro (2018) Two decades into the Twenty-First Century, most humans have lost the belief in yokai, folkloric monsters that exist on the fringes of the world. They can’t even see yokai. So when a Logan Paul-like video prankster accidentally unleashes a creature that turns humans into trees, the authorities are helpless… Continue reading Anime Review: Gegege no Kitaro (2018)

Movie Review: The Kennel Murder Case

One of these adorable dogs is about to die.

Movie Review: The Kennel Murder Case (1933) directed by Michael Curtiz With October over, let’s take a look at a non-horror film! Among amateur detective Philo Vance’s (William Powell) many interests is his Scottie terrier, Captain. He’s entered the purebred canine in the Long Island Kennel Club’s dog show. Captain fails to make it into the… Continue reading Movie Review: The Kennel Murder Case

Anime Review: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san

Another busy day at the bookstore!

Anime Review: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san What sort of person do you think makes a good bookstore employee? If you’re thinking, “a kind-hearted, busty young woman who is really good-looking when she takes off her glasses and lets her hair down,” this probably isn’t the show for you. Honda is a mild-mannered fellow who’s hard-working, knowledgeable about the selection, is… Continue reading Anime Review: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san

Book Review: Great British Fictional Villains

Book Review: Great British Fictional Villains by Russell James For a wide swath of fiction, a well-written villain is essential.  They provide the impetus for the hero to act, scatter obstacles in their way, and act as a dark mirror to the hero’s personality.  In many cases, the villain of a story turns out to be… Continue reading Book Review: Great British Fictional Villains