Movie Review: Excalibur (1981) directed by John Boorman It is the Dimly-Lit Ages, and nearly indistinguishable armored warriors clash in the night. A man stands apart and calls quietly, yet is heard clearly. It is Merlin, and the warlord to whom he speaks is Uther Pendragon. Merlin is guiding Uther’s rise to power over the land,… Continue reading Movie Review: Excalibur
Book Review: New Stories for Men
Book Review: New Stories for Men edited by Charles Grayson This 1941 anthology’s title is a trifle misleading, as some of the stories were up to twenty years old at the time of publication. It turns out it’s a sequel to Stories for Men by the same editor a year or two earlier, which became… Continue reading Book Review: New Stories for Men
Book Review: The Leavenworth Case
Book Review: The Leavenworth Case by Anna K. Green Everett Raymond is alone in his law office because the senior partners are elsewhere when a man comes in and tells him that their client, wealthy importer Horatio Leavenworth, is dead. Murdered! In the absence of Mr. Leavenworth’s usual attorney, Mr. Veeley, Mr. Raymond is deputed… Continue reading Book Review: The Leavenworth Case
Movie Review: Twice-Told Tales
Movie Review: Twice-Told Tales (1963) dir. Sidney Salkow The book version of Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne was full of ghosts and supernatural occurrences, so it’s not surprising that a star vehicle for noted horror actor Vincent Price would dip into that well. It’s not a very deep dip, though, with only one story from that anthology, one… Continue reading Movie Review: Twice-Told Tales
Book Review: The Black Arrow
Book Review: The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson The place is England, near Tunstall Forest, and the time is the War of the Roses, circa 1460. Richard “Dick” Shelton is nearly eighteen, and looking forward to glory in battle. The other residents of Tunstall Village are less enthused. Their current liege lord, and Dick’s… Continue reading Book Review: The Black Arrow
Manga Review: Smashed
Manga Review: Smashed by Junji Ito Who’s ready for another big collection of horrific tales from one of Japan’s best scary manga creators? I know I am! The volume opens with “Bloodsucking Darkness” about a girl with an eating disorder and the well-meaning boy who tries to help her with his swarm of vampire bats.… Continue reading Manga Review: Smashed
Book Review: Mother of Detective Fiction
Book Review: Mother of Detective Fiction by Patricia D. Maida One of the joys of reading random biographies is learning about minor figures you might have heard about once in a long list of “these people existed.” In this case, it’s Anna Katherine Green, author of the first detective novel written by a woman in… Continue reading Book Review: Mother of Detective Fiction
Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)
Movie Review: Star Trek (2009) directed by J.J. Abrams The U.S.S. Kelvin is cruising through space when a spacial anomaly opens, disgorging an unknown, highly advanced technology ship that promptly attacks. It turns out to be captained by a Romulan named Nero, who has a grudge against someone named “Ambassador Spock.” In the absence of that… Continue reading Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)
Manga Review: Captain Harlock: The Classic Collection 1
Manga Review: Captain Harlock: The Classic Collection 1 by Leiji Matsumoto When a gigantic black sphere lands on Earth in the distant future, humankind has become too apathetic to care much about what it might mean. Top scientist Dr. Daiba warns of possible danger, but is ignored by the lazy President of Earth. When Dr.… Continue reading Manga Review: Captain Harlock: The Classic Collection 1
Anime Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Vento Aureo
Anime Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Vento Aureo Giorno Giovanna never knew his father. Given that his biological father was the vampiric supervillain known as DIO, this is probably for the best. His mother named the product of her one-night fling Haruno Shiobana, but after she married and settled down in Italy, Giorno changed his name… Continue reading Anime Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Vento Aureo