Movie Review: The Living Skeleton (1968) directed by Hiroki Matsuno (Japanese title: Kyûketsu dokuro-sen (“Blood-sucking Skull Ship”) Three years ago, the freighter Dragon King was lost at sea, with no survivors. Among those who apparently perished were ship’s doctor Nishizato (Ko Nishimura) and his recent bride Yoriko (Kikko Matsuoka). Yoriko’s twin sister Saeko (Kikko Matsuoka) still mourns them,… Continue reading Movie Review: The Living Skeleton
Tag: bats
Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) directed by Steven Spielberg Shanghai, 1935. Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones (Harrison Ford) is in town to swap the ashes of a Manchu emperor for a large diamond of historical and personal interest to him. Unfortunately, gang boss (and shipping magnate) Lao Che (Roy Chiao) wants to… Continue reading Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Book Review: Scarecrow
Book Review: Scarecrow edited by Rhonda Parrish This anthology is part of the “Magical Menageries” series, each volume focusing on a different type of critter. A previous volume, Corvidae, dealt with crows of various types. Thus it’s not surprising that there’s a collection featuring their archenemies. While the aesthetic of humanoid beings of straw lends… Continue reading Book Review: Scarecrow
Book Review: Catfishing on CatNet
Book Review: Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer It is the not too distant future, a time of self-driving cars, drone package delivery, and robots teaching sex ed. Steph Taylor doesn’t think too much about technology, as she has other concerns in her life. Ever since she can remember, her mother has been moving them… Continue reading Book Review: Catfishing on CatNet
Manga Review: Beast Complex I
Manga Review: Beast Complex I by Paru Itagaki As it happens, Paru Itagaki has loved drawing animals and animal-people since she was a child. So it’s no surprise that when she started professional manga creation, she chose to write about a world where various animal people lived together and tried to have a civilization. Before… Continue reading Manga Review: Beast Complex I
Manga Review: Kitaro the Vampire Slayer
Manga Review: Kitaro the Vampire Slayer by Shigeru Mizuki It’s time for another volume of stories about the yokai boy named Kitaro! As you might guess, there are vampires this time. “The Vampire Eryt” is a long tale involving a mop-topped bloodsucker with a guitar, visually inspired by the Beatles. Even though his playing can… Continue reading Manga Review: Kitaro the Vampire Slayer
Book Review: Great Thrillers: 101 Suspenseful Tales
Book Review: Great Thrillers: 101 Suspenseful Tales compiled by Stefan Dziemianowicz The definition of “thriller” is a little loose in this fun anthology, though most of the stories do have at least some suspense. It feels more like the compiler picked a bunch of the public domain stories he liked, but didn’t have a strong… Continue reading Book Review: Great Thrillers: 101 Suspenseful Tales
Book Review: Respectable Horror
Book Review: Respectable Horror by K.A. Laity Horror is a wide-ranging genre, which can be tailored to a variety of tastes. Some folks prefer their scary fiction with a maximum of gushing blood and sharp objects being plunged into soft flesh; others like a more genteel approach that emphasizes the subtle wrongnesses and growing atmospheric… Continue reading Book Review: Respectable Horror
Comic Book Review: Batman Archives Volume 1
Comic Book Review: Batman Archives Volume 1 written by Bill Finger & Gardner Fox, art by Bob Kane & Sheldon Moldoff Batman was the second full-fledged superhero published by National Periodicals, soon to be better known as DC. The kernel of the idea was proposed by artist Bob Kane, and fleshed out by writer Bill… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Batman Archives Volume 1
Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Batman, Volume 6
Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Batman, Volume 6 edited by Julius Schwartz By 1971, the Batman television show had been off the air long enough that its sales boost to the Batman and Detective Comics series had faded, and with it, the incentive to model the magazines on the show. Bruce Wayne moved from stately Wayne Manor to… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Batman, Volume 6