Movie Review: Zatoichi’s Vengeance (1966) directed by Tokuzo Tanaka Let’s look at one of the Zatoichi films! This Japanese series ran for 26 films from 1962 to 1989, all starring Shintaro Katsu as the titular blind masseur. Plus a five year TV series, and a couple of modern remakes. From the relatively scanty hints of backstory… Continue reading Movie Review: Zatoichi’s Vengeance
Tag: Nineteenth Century
Book Review: Mary Shelley: Gothic Tales
Book Review: Mary Shelley: Gothic Tales by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley The author of the classic horror novel Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus also wrote other things. This chapbook from Union Square & Co. reprints one of her short stories and an essay she wrote. “The Mortal Immortal” is a memoir by a fictional student of… Continue reading Book Review: Mary Shelley: Gothic Tales
Manga Review: Ōoku Volumes 13 & 14
Manga Review: Ōoku Volumes 13 & 14 by Fumi Yoshinaga Note: This review may contain SPOILERS for earlier volumes; you may want to read previous reviews if you are unfamiliar with the series. Quick recap: In an alternate history, Shogunate Japan was struck by an epidemic of “red-faced pox”, also known as “bearpox.” For unclear… Continue reading Manga Review: Ōoku Volumes 13 & 14
Manga Review: From the Red Fog 1
Manga Review: From the Red Fog 1 by Mosae Nohara The place is England, in the late Nineteenth Century. Ruwanda Bailey is twelve years old, and from his earliest memories, his mother has kept him locked in the cellar. Miranda Bailey is beautiful, often compared to a rose, but her “thorn” is her habit of… Continue reading Manga Review: From the Red Fog 1
Movie Review: Project A
Movie Review: Project A (1983) directed by Jackie Chan In the fading years of the Nineteenth Century, the waters off Hong Kong are infested with pirates. It’s the duty of the Hong Kong Coast Guard to deal with said pirates, and they haven’t been doing a very good job. Sergeant Ma Yue “Dragon” Lung (Jackie Chan),… Continue reading Movie Review: Project A
Book Review: The Vessel of Ra
Book Review: The Vessel of Ra by Catherine Schaff-Stump It is October 1837, and the acqua alta, the fall flooding, has come to Venice. Lucy Klareon has also come to Venice, as part of her Grand Tour, but she doesn’t plan to leave in the usual way. For on her sixteenth birthday, October 31st, All Hallows Eve, Lucy must do battle… Continue reading Book Review: The Vessel of Ra
Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic
Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab Delilah “Lila” Bard’s hometown may be London in the year 1819, but she’s pretty sure she won’t be starring in a Regency romance any time soon. Life is tough for a pickpocket and mugger who has to disguise herself as a man to survive on… Continue reading Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic
Comic Book Review: Sherlock Holmes Mysteries Volume One
Comic Book Review: Sherlock Holmes Mysteries Volume One written by Martin Powell, art by Seppo Makinen Sherlock Holmes and his good friend Doctor Watson are on the trail of Professor Moriarty, but they’ve just missed him. The Napoleon of Crime has realized that the world’s first consulting detective is more difficult to deal with than… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Sherlock Holmes Mysteries Volume One
Book Review: The Invisible Man
Book Review: The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells The sleepy village of Iping doesn’t get many visitors in the middle of winter, so when Mrs. Hall gets a new customer (and one that pays on time!) for her boarding house, it’s not polite to look a gift horse in the mouth. It’s true the guest… Continue reading Book Review: The Invisible Man
Book Review: Behind a Mask: The Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott
Book Review: Behind a Mask: The Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott edited by Madaleine Stern Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) is best remembered for her Little Women series of books for girls, but had quite a few other works to her name. And some that were written under a pen name. The latter included several short… Continue reading Book Review: Behind a Mask: The Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott