Magazine Review: Spicy Mystery Stories June 1936 by various creators As I’ve previously mentioned, the “spicy” pulps were racy for their time, with descriptions of women’s breasts and thighs, and it being obvious that the characters are having sex, but never actually describing the sex or genitals. This particular magazine, despite the title, has little… Continue reading Magazine Review: Spicy Mystery Stories June 1936
Tag: France
Movie Review: The Life of Emile Zola
Movie Review: The Life of Emile Zola (1937) directed by William Dieterle We first meet Emile Zola (Paul Muni) when he is a penniless writer sharing a freezing garret with his friend, starving artist Paul Cezanne (Vladimir Sokoloff). They favor the “realist” schools of their respective crafts, which is not only unpopular with the buying public,… Continue reading Movie Review: The Life of Emile Zola
Magazine Review: Golden Fleece June 1939
Magazine Review: Golden Fleece June 1939 edited by A.J. Gontier, Jr. & C.G. Williams Golden Fleece Historical Adventure was a short-lived pulp magazine that ran for nine issues in 1938-1939, with this being the final issue (not identified as such in the issue itself.) As the subtitle mentions, it specialized in historical adventure fiction and… Continue reading Magazine Review: Golden Fleece June 1939
Magazine Review: High Adventure #200: Special Last Issue
Magazine Review: High Adventure #200: Special Last Issue edited by John P. Gunnison Much like the pulp magazines it reprints, HIgh Adventure is at last coming to the end of its publication history. But a 200 issue run over 33 years (starting as Pulp Review) is pretty darn impressive. And to celebrate the occasion, this… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #200: Special Last Issue
Book Review: The Lad and the Lion
Book Review: The Lad and the Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs A certain kingdom in Europe is experiencing unrest. The people are chafing under the absolute monarchy, wanting to switch to a constitutional republic. The current king is actually pretty good as monarchs go, but firmly believes that those who have been born and trained… Continue reading Book Review: The Lad and the Lion
Movie Review: Maniac (1963)
Movie Review: Maniac (1963) directed by Michael Carreras (aka “The Maniac”) Four years ago, French schoolgirl Annette Beynat (Liliane Brousse) was raped by a neighbor. That man was caught in the act by her father Georges, who decided not to turn him over to the police, but instead use an acetylene torch to murder him in… Continue reading Movie Review: Maniac (1963)
Book Review: The Best of Analog
Book Review: The Best of Analog edited by Ben Bova After the death of long-time editor John W. Campbell in 1971, Analog Science Fiction and Fact needed a new person at the helm. The winner of the selection process was Ben Bova (1932-2020), who intended to stay only a few years, those years winding up… Continue reading Book Review: The Best of Analog
Comic Book Review: Amazing Man Vol. 1
Comic Book Review: Amazing Man Vol. 1 by Bill Everett and various creators. John Aman (probably not his birth name) was an American orphan taken in by The Council of Seven, a mysterious group of wise men headquartered in Tibet. After twenty-five years of intense training, John passed a series of physical and mental tests… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Amazing Man Vol. 1
Movie Review: Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959)
Movie Review: Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959) directed by Jean Delannoy (French title: Maigret et l’affaire Saint-Fiacre) It’s difficult to imagine, but Jules Maigret (Jean Gabin) was not always a police commissioner. As a boy, he lived in the rural village of Saint-Fiacre, where his father was the steward for the chateau of the… Continue reading Movie Review: Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959)
Movie Review: Scream of Fear (1961)
Movie Review: Scream of Fear (1961) directed by Seth Holt (British title: “Taste of Fear”) Ten years ago, the Applebys divorced, and Mrs. Appleby got custody of their daughter Penny Appleby (Susan Strasberg). They moved to Italy. Eight years ago, Penny had a riding accident and lost the use of her legs. Three years ago, her… Continue reading Movie Review: Scream of Fear (1961)