Movie Review: Ma Barker’s Killer Brood

The Barker family, solid church-going citizens.

Movie Review: Ma Barker’s Killer Brood (1960) directed by Bill Karn Kate “Ma” Barker (Lurene Tuttle) was born into a hardscrabble family as the tenth child and suffered many privations growing up. She stepped up a bit by marrying the first young man to take notice of her, George Barker (Nelson Leigh) but by the time… Continue reading Movie Review: Ma Barker’s Killer Brood

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

Movie Review: Nevada Smith (1966)

Max enjoys the products of civilization: canned peaches and the McGuffey Reader.

Movie Review: Nevada Smith (1966) directed by Henry Hathaway Max Sand (Steve McQueen) is the son of a failed prospector and his wife, a woman of the Kiowa tribe. While he’s out doing chores some miles from their house, Max is approached by three men. We will come to know them as Jessie Coe (Martin Landau),… Continue reading Movie Review: Nevada Smith (1966)

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

Movie Review: Dressed to Kill (1946)

Mrs. Courtney enjoys her ill-gotten gains.

Movie Review: Dressed to Kill (1946) directed by Roy William Neill Three seemingly-identical music boxes have come up for auction. The first is purchased by music box collector Julian “Stinky” Emery (Edmund Breon), the second by toy shop owner Evelyn Clifford (Patricia Cameron) (though she doesn’t leave her name) and the third by Mr. Kilgour (Harry… Continue reading Movie Review: Dressed to Kill (1946)

Movie Review: Juggernaut (1936)

Eve receives instructions from Dr. Sartorius.

Movie Review: Juggernaut (1936) directed by Henry Edwards Lady Yvonne Clifford (Mona Goya) had thought becoming the second wife of considerably older Sir Charles Clifford (Morton Selten) was a good bargain. She got to share in a title, great wealth, and a home in the French Riviera. But a few years into the marriage, Sir Charles… Continue reading Movie Review: Juggernaut (1936)

Magazine Review: High Adventure #190: H. Bedford-Jones – Adventure

Magazine Review: High Adventure #190: H. Bedford-Jones – Adventure edited by John P. Gunnison This issue of the pulp reprint magazine collects three stories from the multiple typewriters of prolific author Henry James O’Brien Bedford-Jones (1887-1949). He was born in Canada, but moved to the United States in his teens and became a naturalized citizen… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #190: H. Bedford-Jones – Adventure

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace

Holmes and Watson check the Times for clues.

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962) directed by Terence Fisher What comes from Benghazi? Early in the morning, a group of children and a fisherman find a body floating in the Thames, prominently displaying the name of a recently docked ship, the Thyasia. As the passengers disembark from the ship, one of them… Continue reading Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace

Comic Book Review: Gotham Central: Unresolved Targets

Comic Book Review: Gotham Central: Unresolved Targets edited by Matt Idelson Being a cop in Gotham City is rough. In addition to the long hours, hostile population and dangerous streets that come with the police officer’s job in any large city, Gotham City has one of the highest corruption rates of a police department in… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Gotham Central: Unresolved Targets

Book Review: Valhalla: Into the Darkness

Book Review: Valhalla: Into the Darkness by Lee Gold Note: This review will have SPOILERS for Valhalla: Absent Without Leave so if you have not read that book, you may want to read that review first. Robin Grima Jonson and her oathmates have managed to avert Ragnarok, or at least the version of it that… Continue reading Book Review: Valhalla: Into the Darkness