Book Review: Branded West edited by Don Ward The Western Writers of America were founded in 1953 to promote literature related to the American West. It started with primarily traditional Western fiction, but also promotes historical and non-fiction works and even songs. It has an annual prize called the Spur Awards. But this collection published… Continue reading Book Review: Branded West
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Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82
Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82 by Gosho Aoyama It’s time once again to catch up on the adventures of Conan Edogawa, boy detective, who is secretly Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the dub), teen detective who was shrunk by an experimental poison. See my many prior reviews of this series, titled Meitantei Conan (“Detective… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82
Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries
Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler While stories that could be considered “mysteries” in some sense have existed as long as writing, and perhaps a bit before, the short story mystery came into its own during the lifetime of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). This volume collects forty-nine notable stories from… Continue reading Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries
Movie Review: Blood Brothers (1973)
Movie Review: Blood Brothers (1973) directed by Chang Cheh (original Chinese title “Ci Ma”, “The Blood Brothers” on the title card, aka “Dynasty of Blood.”) Ching (Qing) Dynasty government official Ma Hsin-yi (Lung Ti) has been assassinated. The assassin, Chang Wen-hsiang (David Chiang) has been arrested, but seems unusually calm and in good spirits. Hauled into… Continue reading Movie Review: Blood Brothers (1973)
Book Review: Away and Beyond
Book Review: Away and Beyond by A.E. van Vogt This paperback anthology is a partial reprint of the first hardcover collection of A.E. van Vogt short stories from 1952, with 7 of the 9 1940s tales. It’s not explained why two stories were dropped, but my research suggests they were lesser works. “The Great Engine”… Continue reading Book Review: Away and Beyond
Movie Review: Captain Blood (1935)
Movie Review: Captain Blood (1935) directed by Michael Curtiz When he was a wild Irish lad, Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) fought for the French against the Spanish, the Spanish against the French, and learned to sail with the Dutch. But with his earnings, he got training in the medical arts and retired from action to become… Continue reading Movie Review: Captain Blood (1935)
Movie Review: Hang ‘Em High
Movie Review: Hang ‘Em High (1968) directed by Ted Post Jed Cooper (Clint Eastwood) used to be a lawman in Saint Louis, Missouri, but got tired of that job. So in 1889 he moved to the Oklahoma and Indian Territory. He used money he’d saved up to purchase cattle from a Mr. Johansen. Unfortunately, that man… Continue reading Movie Review: Hang ‘Em High
Book Review: The Case of the Mythical Monkeys
Book Review: The Case of the Mythical Monkeys by Erle Stanley Gardner Working as a secretary for scandalous writer Mauvis Meade was a pretty good gig for Gladys Doyle. She didn’t ask too many questions when Mauvis asked her to take a meeting at a ski resort with a Hollywood publicist. Her boss even gave… Continue reading Book Review: The Case of the Mythical Monkeys
Book Review: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales
Book Review: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales by Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) wrote several “weird” stories as well as adventure tales like Treasure Island. This volume collects five of them. “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” starts us off with the adventures of Mr. Utterson,… Continue reading Book Review: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales
Movie Review: The Comancheros
Movie Review: The Comancheros (1961) directed by Michael Curtiz In 1843, gambler and womanizer Paul Regret (Stuart Whitman) kills a man in an illegal duel in Louisiana. This ordinarily wouldn’t be a problem, except that the dead man (who’d falsely accused him of cheating at cards to eliminate him as a romantic rival) had a politically… Continue reading Movie Review: The Comancheros