Movie Review: The Buddy Holly Story

Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper all together on stage.

Movie Review: The Buddy Holly Story (1978) directed by Steve Rash We first meet Buddy Holly (Gary Busey) and his bandmates Jesse (Don Stroud) and Ray Bob (Charles Martin Smith) at a roller rink in Lubbock, Texas. They’re just out of high school and doing okay on a local level. But Buddy has a new sound… Continue reading Movie Review: The Buddy Holly Story

Book Review: Lost in Underspace

Cover by 100 Covers.

Book Review: Lost in Underspace by Kate Dane Kate Dane is a Minnesota speculative fiction author whose first novel is a romance between a lawyer and a werewolf. This is the second collection of her short stories. “The Interplanetary Olympics” starts us off with the story of Jackie, a world-class swimmer who’s trying to get… Continue reading Book Review: Lost in Underspace

Movie Review: Detour (1945)

Al is at the end of his rope.

Movie Review: Detour (1945) directed by Edgar G. Ulmer When we first meet Al Roberts (Tom Neal), he’s hitchhiking east, unshaven, haunted-looking, and reacting badly to a jukebox song. That song used to mean something different, when he was a pianist in a small club, hoping for a break into the big time, and singer Sue… Continue reading Movie Review: Detour (1945)

Book Review: The Bird’s Nest

Book Review: The Bird’s Nest by Shirley Jackson Elizabeth Richmond is, at first glance, a very dull young woman. She lives with her maiden aunt in a small city somewhere in New England in the early 1950s. Elizabeth has a nearly mindless clerical job at the local museum, but has no interest in the exhibits.… Continue reading Book Review: The Bird’s Nest

Comic Strip Review: Mad as a Hatter

Comic Strip Review: Mad as a Hatter by Sergio Aragonés Sergio Aragonés was born in Spain in 1937, but his family fled the Spanish Civil War, settling in Mexico when he was six. He had a talent for humor and cartooning, and was convinced to move to the big city of New York in 1962.… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: Mad as a Hatter

Book Review: Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2025

Cover by Jeffrey Ray Hayes, illustrating "ESPD." The distressing is part of the cover design.

Book Review: Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2025 edited by Robert Greenberger Disclaimer: I contributed to the Kickstarter for this book. A lesser known aspect of pulp fandom is the creation of new stories in the tradition of the pulp magazines of old, action-packed and exciting. Thus this series of books which feature modern authors trying their… Continue reading Book Review: Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2025

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

Movie Review: Fatal Attraction

Dan and Alex fail to recognize the foreshadowing in the environment.

Movie Review: Fatal Attraction (1987) directed by Adrian Lyne Dan Gallegher (Michael Douglas) has a pretty comfortable life. He loves his wife Beth (Ann Archer) and daughter Ellen (Ellen Latzen) and has a well-paid job as the house lawyer for a publishing firm in New York City. Things are going so well that the family is… Continue reading Movie Review: Fatal Attraction

Movie Review: Coogan’s Bluff

Coogan tries to get Lieutenant McElroy's attention.

Movie Review: Coogan’s Bluff (1968) directed by Don Siegel Deputy Sheriff Coogan (Clint Eastwood) is sent from his native Arizona to New York City to extradite escaped felon James Ringerman (Don Stroud). He expects it to be a quick process, but Ringerman had a bad trip on LSD and is currently under observation at Bellevue. NYPD… Continue reading Movie Review: Coogan’s Bluff

Movie Review: Kramer vs. Kramer

Ted Kramer checks the mail for good news.

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) dir. Robert Benton Today was supposed to be one of the five best days in Ted Kramer’s (Dustin Hoffman) life. His hard work and long hours at the high-powered Manhattan advertising agency where he works have finally paid off with a major account and a fast track to promotion. When he gets… Continue reading Movie Review: Kramer vs. Kramer