Movie Review: Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla

Sammy with a gorilla that he's just figured out isn't Duke.

Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla dir. William Beaudine Crooner Duke Mitchell (himself) and comedian Sammy Petrillo (himself) are on their way to a USO performance in Guam when they get lost on their way to the restroom and walk off the airplane. Good thing they were wearing parachutes! The pair land on the tropical… Continue reading Movie Review: Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla

Movie Review: I Walked With a Zombie

Betsy meets her patient.

Movie Review: I Walked With a Zombie (1943) directed by Jacques Tourneur It’s a particularly cold and snowy winter in Ottawa, so recently graduated Canadian nurse Betsy Connell (Frances Dee) is quite willing to be hired for private nursing duty to take place on the island of San Sebastian in the West Indies. On the ship… Continue reading Movie Review: I Walked With a Zombie

Anime Review: Super Crooks

Most of the gang.

Anime Review: Super Crooks Johnny Bolt used to be, well, not a “sweet” kid, exactly, but one with at least a little idealism. Comic books based on the Utopian and other superheroes gave him hope that there could be a better life. One night he discovers that he has electrical powers (his mother never has… Continue reading Anime Review: Super Crooks

Movie Review: Wonder Woman (2009)

Diana stands tall.

Movie Review: Wonder Woman (2009) directed by Lauren Montgomery Diana has always lived on Themyscira. Her mother Hippolyta, it is said, made her from clay infused with godly power, making Diana the only child (now grown) of this Amazon society. The Amazons live on the isolated island both to protect themselves from the male-dominated outside world…and… Continue reading Movie Review: Wonder Woman (2009)

Book Review: The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 16

Book Review: The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 16 edited by Stephen Jones Let’s go back to 2004 for what at least one editor considered excellent short horror fiction. As with the later volume I have reviewed, there’s a lot of ancillary material. It opens with an extended look at horror and horror-adjacent… Continue reading Book Review: The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 16

Comic Book Review: Essential Captain America, Vol. 2

Comic Book Review: Essential Captain America, Vol. 2 written by Stan Lee, art by various. In 1941, war raged in Europe and Asia. Though the United States was not yet directly involved, it was preparing for the day when it might be pulled in to World War Two. Among other things, this meant recruiting many… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Essential Captain America, Vol. 2

Anime Review: Naruto the Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom

Naruto has goals.

Anime Review: Naruto the Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (2006) directed by Toshiyuki Tsuru The ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire have been hired for a new assignment. The epicurean Prince Michiru of the Moon Kingdom and his spoiled son Hikaru are returning home after a long tour… Continue reading Anime Review: Naruto the Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom

Manga Review: Shonen Jump (2020)

Manga Review: Shonen Jump (2020) It’s the eighth anniversary of this blog, and time once again to look at the online version of Weekly Shounen Jump! There haven’t been any major changes to the format since last year. One Piece is still the longest-running feature, and is closing in on 1000 chapters! There was a… Continue reading Manga Review: Shonen Jump (2020)

Manga Review: Treasure Hunter Book One: Eternal Youth

Manga Review: Treasure Hunter Book One: Eternal Youth by Hitoshi Tomizawa Jubei is a merchant. But he’s a specialized merchant. If there’s a specific hard to find item you need to acquire, hire Jubei, and he will get that item for you, guaranteed. Unlike some other merchants, Jubei isn’t as much known for his ability… Continue reading Manga Review: Treasure Hunter Book One: Eternal Youth

Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970

The stories illustrated on the cover are, from left, "The Shrine of Temptation", "Sword of Flowers" and "Planet of Change".

Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970 “Strange Fantasy” was a short-lived reprint digest-sized magazine from Ultimate Publishing. This issue’s stories were originally published between 1959 and 1964, which somewhat belies the cover text. “The Shrine of Temptation” by Judith Merril starts us off with an anthropologist’s tale of a mysterious shrine on an isolated island.… Continue reading Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970