Book Review: The Wide Wide Sea

Book Review: The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides (Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or received.) Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy led three exploratory missions, the last of which launched in 1776 and returned in 1780.… Continue reading Book Review: The Wide Wide Sea

Movie Review: Fiddler on the Roof

Tevye will never see his home again.

Movie Review: Fiddler on the Roof (1971) directed by Norman Jewison Anatevka at the turn of the Twentieth Century is a small village in the Russian Empire, what is now Ukraine. It is home to a community of Jews, as well as Orthodox Christians. Our protagonist is Tevye (Chaim Topol), an impoverished milkman who has been… Continue reading Movie Review: Fiddler on the Roof

Movie Review: The Case of the Lucky Legs

Della ministers to her employer.

Movie Review: The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935) directed by Archie Mayo Frank Patton (Craig Reynolds) has a pretty neat scam going. He poses as the representative of a major hosiery company who’s come to a small city to hold a “Lucky Legs” beauty contest. Patton gets local businessmen to front all the expenses for… Continue reading Movie Review: The Case of the Lucky Legs

Movie Review: Goke, Bodysnatcher from Hell

Mr. Tokuyasu is reluctant to accept "aliens" as an explanation for the bizarre events.

Movie Review: Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968) directed by Hajime Sato The Japan Air Lines flight from Tokyo to Osaka was already ill-omened before the bomb threat was received, what with the blood-red sky and birds splattering themselves against the windows. Once the crew are alerted to the possibility of a bomb, they perform a… Continue reading Movie Review: Goke, Bodysnatcher from Hell

Movie Review: The Black Cat (1934)

The old friends are so thrilled to see each other again.

Movie Review: The Black Cat (1934) directed by Edgar G. Ulmer Mystery writer Paul Alison (David Manners) and his bride Joan (Julie Bishop) are spending their honeymoon in Hungary, starting with a private compartment on the Orient Express. As so often happens, the railway company accidentally double-booked their compartment with a courtly but somewhat sinister-seeming middle-aged… Continue reading Movie Review: The Black Cat (1934)

Movie Review: The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll

Paul Allen and Kitty Jekyll meet Edward Hyde.

Movie Review: The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960) directed by Terence Fisher Six years ago, Dr. Henry Jekyll (Paul Massie) was laughed out of the scientific community for his wild theories about the dual nature of human consciousness. Since then, he’s been a recluse spending the majority of his time on his experiments with lab… Continue reading Movie Review: The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll

Comic Book Review: Jack Kirby

Comic Book Review: Jack Kirby by Tom Scioli Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or requested. Jack Kirby (1917-1994) was one of the most prolific and influential American comic book creators of the Twentieth Century. With other… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Jack Kirby

Movie Review: Weird Woman

Paula and Norman discuss her nocturnal activities.

Movie Review: Weird Woman (1944) directed by Reginald Le Borg Paula Slayton’s (Anne Gwynne) mother passed away when she was quite young. Her father, a professor of archaeology, died when she was in her early teens, and she was thereafter raised by her native nurse Laraua (Hanna Kaapa) and taught the native ways, including (what they… Continue reading Movie Review: Weird Woman

Book Review: The Empire of the Ants

Book Review: The Empire of the Ants by H.G. Wells In addition to his famous longer works like The War of the Worlds, Herbert George Wells also wrote a number of speculative fiction short stories. What I’m reviewing today is a collection published by Scholastic Book Services (and mostly sold at school book fairs) which… Continue reading Book Review: The Empire of the Ants

Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries

Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler While stories that could be considered “mysteries” in some sense have existed as long as writing, and perhaps a bit before, the short story mystery came into its own during the lifetime of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). This volume collects forty-nine notable stories from… Continue reading Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries