Magazine Review: Fantasy Tales Autumn 1989

Cover by Angus McKie

Magazine Review: Fantasy Tales Autumn 1989 edited by Stephen Jones Fantasy Tales was a British fantasy and horror magazine that ran from 1977-1991, though since it only published twice a year that’s not a huge number of issues (24). It was modeled after the classic pulp Weird Tales, and had a high percentage of notable… Continue reading Magazine Review: Fantasy Tales Autumn 1989

Movie Review: Larceny in Her Heart

Mike and Tim confer about a late night visitor.

Movie Review: Larceny in Her Heart (1946) directed by Sam Newfield Noted private detective Michael Shayne (Hugh Beaumont) and his adoring if sarcastic secretary Phyllis “Phil” Hamilton (Cheryl Walker) are five minutes away from starting a two-week vacation visiting her aunt in Niagra. Naturally, that’s when a wealthy would-be client walks through the door. Burton Stallings… Continue reading Movie Review: Larceny in Her Heart

Comic Book Review: House of El Book Two: The Enemy Delusion

Comic Book Review: House of El Book Two: The Enemy Delusion written by Claudia Gray, art by Eric Zawadzki Sera-Ur and Zahn-Re come from the same world, Krypton, but very different subcultures. Sera is a member of the military caste, and until recently was content to follow orders. Zahn is from the elite science caste,… Continue reading Comic Book Review: House of El Book Two: The Enemy Delusion

Book Review: The Ginger Star

Cover by Andrew Hou, for once showing Eric John Stark with his correct skin tone.

Book Review: The Ginger Star by Leigh Brackett Skaith is a dying world. Its sun, once a vibrant red, has faded to a brownish ginger and the warmth reaching the surface has ebbed over the centuries. Slowly, the civilizations that once fared over the globe have moved away from the increasingly frozen poles towards the… Continue reading Book Review: The Ginger Star

Movie Review: The Casino Murder Case

Philo and Doris compare notes.

Movie Review: The Casino Murder Case (1935) directed by Edwin L. Marin We begin our story with urbane amateur detective Philo Vance (Paul Lukas) fencing with his manservant Currie (Eric Blore). This is part of Vance’s recent exercise kick, and Currie has been dragged into it as well. More relevantly to the plot, an anonymous letter… Continue reading Movie Review: The Casino Murder Case

Open Thread: Top Ten Lists for 2024!

Created for me by Indigo Caldwell; please do not reuse without permission.

Open Thread: Top Ten Lists for 2024! Well, that was certainly a year, wasn’t it? Before we step into the dreaded new year, let’s take a look back at what you, my faithful readers, looked at the most in 2024 Top Ten Posts in 2024 For the first time ever, books do not dominate the… Continue reading Open Thread: Top Ten Lists for 2024!

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

"Honey, did you ever wonder if we're living in a Daphne Du Maurier story?"

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) directed by Chris Columbus Once upon a time, there was an Ugly Muggle named Harry. The Muggle family he lived with neglected, bullied and abused him because he was so bad at being a Muggle. But then one day a friendly giant appeared, and revealed to Harry… Continue reading Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 7-8-9

Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 7-8-9 by Yoshiki Nakamura Note: This review contains spoilers for previous volumes. If you are unfamiliar with the series, you may want to read earlier reviews instead. Quick recap:  Kyoko Mogami dropped out of school and moved to Tokyo to support her beloved Sho as he tried to break into show… Continue reading Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 7-8-9

Anime Review: The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians

The Magic Research Club members might be offputting, but they're not bad people.

Anime Review: The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians When Kurumi Mirai was little, she met a mysterious woman in the woods. This woman was a magician, and showed off her power in a cool way. She said that anyone could become a magician, and Kurumi pledged that she too would be a magician… Continue reading Anime Review: The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians

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