Movie Review: Ponyo (2008) directed by Hayao Miyazaki Brunhilde’s father, Fujimoto, is a sorcerer in love with the sea, in the person of the Ocean Goddess Granmamare. He has long abandoned the land and no longer considers himself human. He’d prefer that Brunhilde and her sisters stay safe under his protection forever in the depths of… Continue reading Movie Review: Ponyo
Tag: ships
Comic Book Review: The Best of Don Winslow of the Navy
Comic Book Review: The Best of Don Winslow of the Navy edited by Craig Yoe Don Winslow of the Navy was created as a newspaper comic strip in 1934 by Lieutenant Commander Frank Victor Martinek, a Naval Reserve officer. He wanted to encourage enlistment in the U.S. Navy during a time of relative peace, especially… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Best of Don Winslow of the Navy
Book Review: Mister Roberts
Book Review: Mister Roberts by Thomas Heggen It is early spring, 1945, and World War Two rages on…somewhere else. Here in the backwaters of the Pacific Ocean, the Reluctant, an auxiliary cargo vessel of the United States Navy, sails from miserable coral island to miserable jungle island, delivering loads of non-urgent supplies. This old tub… Continue reading Book Review: Mister Roberts
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
Magazine Review: Judge Dredd Megazine #417
Magazine Review: Judge Dredd Megazine #417 edited by Matt Smith I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that Judge Dredd, the breakout character from 2000 AD was so popular that the publishing company spun off a monthly magazine featuring him and his world, which has lasted a remarkably long time. It’s still primarily featuring stories tangentially… Continue reading Magazine Review: Judge Dredd Megazine #417
Movie Review: The Giant of Marathon
Movie Review: The Giant of Marathon (1959) dir. Jacques Tourneur The year is 490 B.C., and the mighty Phillipides (Steve Reeves) has just won the Olympics. Back home in Athens, Phillipides is appointed the leader of the Sacred Guard. Their job is to ensure that Athens remains a democracy, even with the threatened invasion of King… Continue reading Movie Review: The Giant of Marathon
Manga Review: Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji #1
Manga Review: Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji #1 by Nobuyuki Fukumoto February 1996, Tokyo: Kaiji Ito is a loser. He’s long-term unemployed, isn’t taking any classes, and doesn’t have the grit to put in effort to improve his life. Kaiji’s also a gambling addict, which is unfortunate for someone who doesn’t have the money to spare. His… Continue reading Manga Review: Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji #1
Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales
Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales compiled by Stefan Dziemianowicz This hefty volume collects a variety of public domain stories concerning the supernatural. While the majority fall roughly into the category of horror, some are more what we’d call “dark fantasy” and a handful are just “well, that’s a weird thing that happened.”… Continue reading Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales
Book Review: The Holy City Murders
Book Review: The Holy City Murders by Ron Plante Jr. Duke Dempsey might live in Charleston, South Carolina, which likes to tout itself as the “Holy City”, but he’s not particularly interested in religion, or the many churches and temples that dot the landscape. He’s much more focused on bourbon and keeping his private investigation… Continue reading Book Review: The Holy City Murders
Book Review: Nova 2
Book Review: Nova 2 edited by Harry Harrison In the introduction to this 1972 anthology, Mr. Harrison talks some about the internationalization of science fiction beyond North America and Western Europe. In recognition of this growing trend, he’s included a Brazilian author’s story. “Oh, and we have one story by a woman.” In reality, there… Continue reading Book Review: Nova 2