Comic Book Review: The Bitter End and Other Stories

Comic Book Review: The Bitter End and Other Stories illustrated by Reed Crandall and George Roussos This EC reprint volume covers the latter part of Reed Crandall’s career as an artist of EC comic books, and several genre stories by George Roussos, who didn’t stay with the company long. The book opens with an introduction… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Bitter End and Other Stories

Movie Review: The Case of the Curious Bride

Perry can handle drinking coffee during an autopsy, but Spudsy has a weaker stomach.

Movie Review: The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) directed by Michael Curtiz Between movies, star defense attorney Perry Mason has successfully defended an alleged hatchet killer, humiliating the district attorney once again. He’s preparing for a victory feast, the crab dish of which he’ll cook himself, and then a Chinese vacation. At the restaurant, he’s… Continue reading Movie Review: The Case of the Curious Bride

Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 83-86

Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 83-86 by Gosho Aoyama Quick recap: Teen detective Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the dub) is shrunk into a pre-teen by an experimental poison. Until he can find a way to reverse the effects, he assumes the identity of Conan Edogawa. He still solves crimes, but it’s harder to get… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 83-86

Book Review: The Hills of Homicide

Book Review: The Hills of Homicide by Louis L’Amour Before he landed the contracts that were to make him America’s most beloved Western writer, Louis L’Amour tried his hand at various other genres of pulp fiction. But the pulp magazine market was drying up, so it was generally a good thing he found other work.… Continue reading Book Review: The Hills of Homicide

Anime Review: Pluto

Gesicht confronts the darkness in his own past.

Anime Review: Pluto On an alternate Earth where robotics technology is far more advanced than our own, self-aware robots have spread into almost every facet of society. Some are virtually indistinguishable from humans, and in recent years, robots have been granted at least some civil rights. But some robots are more powerful than others, with… Continue reading Anime Review: Pluto

Movie Review: 48 Hrs. (1982)

Hammond and Cates have worked their way up to "grudging respect."

Movie Review: 48 Hrs. (1982) directed by Walter Hill San Francisco police detective Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) isn’t having a good day. He started it with fighting with his bartender girlfriend Elaine (Annette O’Toole). Then he invited himself along when two fellow detectives were trying to do a simple credit card theft/fraud bust (they weren’t too… Continue reading Movie Review: 48 Hrs. (1982)

TV Review: The Batman (2004)

Batman shares a rare smile with Batgirl and Robin.

TV Review: The Batman (2004) Wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne is in his third year of a double life as the mysterious masked vigilante, Batman. Gotham City police chief Angel Rojas officially claims that “the Bat” is an urban legend in public, but to his subordinates rails against Batman for being more competent at fighting crime… Continue reading TV Review: The Batman (2004)

Movie Review: Bangkok Haunted

Paga is a skilled dancer.

Movie Review: Bangkok Haunted (2001) directed by Pisuth Praesang-Iam & Oxide Chun Pang We open on a moving truck in the Thai countryside, heading for Bangkok. The man sitting in the back taking care of the packages gets scratched by…something. The moment he realizes he’s in a horror story, he jumps out the back of the… Continue reading Movie Review: Bangkok Haunted

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

Movie Review: The Case of the Howling Dog

Perry Mason reviews the evidence.

Movie Review: The Case of the Howling Dog (1934) directed by Alan Crosland Millionaire Arthur Cartwright (Gordon Westcott) is being put on edge by the howling of his equally rich neighbor Clinton Foley’s (Russell Hicks) dog Prince (Lightning). According to Cartwright, the dog’s been howling for the last forty-eight hours straight, an omen of death. Mr.… Continue reading Movie Review: The Case of the Howling Dog