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)

Comic Book Review: Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock

Comic Book Review: Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock by various creators Fraggle Rock was a children’s television series that ran from 1983-1987, created by Jim Henson and primarily featuring his trademark Muppets of various sorts. The Fraggles live in a series of connected caves collectively called “Fraggle Rock.” Largely carefree creatures, the Fraggles spend much of… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock

Movie Review: The Return of Dracula (1958)

Dracula's coffin is not well-ventilated.

Movie Review: The Return of Dracula (1958) directed by Paul Landres It is a known fact that Count Dracula (Francis Lederer) is a real person, a vampire who drains the blood of the living and creates others of his kind. He’s been terrorizing central Europe for decades, evading attempts to permanently destroy him. At the beginning… Continue reading Movie Review: The Return of Dracula (1958)

Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82

Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82 by Gosho Aoyama It’s time once again to catch up on the adventures of Conan Edogawa, boy detective, who is secretly Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the dub), teen detective who was shrunk by an experimental poison. See my many prior reviews of this series, titled Meitantei Conan (“Detective… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82

Comic Book Review: Simpsons Comics Confidential

Comic Book Review: Simpsons Comics Confidential published by Matt Groening The Simpsons started as a number of short cartoons shown on The Tracy Ullman show in 1987. A dysfunctional family partially named after creator Matt Groening’s own family, they were popular enough to spin off into their own prime time series in 1989. It was… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Simpsons Comics Confidential

Manga Review: Mao Volumes 6 & 7

Manga Review: Mao Volumes 6 & 7 by Rumiko Takahashi Note: This review contains SPOILERS for previous volumes, if you’re just starting, you may want to look at the earlier reviews. Quick recap: Due to an incident in her youth, Nanoka has gained the ability to time travel back to Tokyo in the Taisho Era.… Continue reading Manga Review: Mao Volumes 6 & 7

Movie Review: Spring and Chaos

So very relatable.

Movie Review: Spring and Chaos (1996) directed by Shouji Kawamori Kenji Miyazawa was a poet, children’s story writer, and agriculturalist who lived from 1896-1933. Like many poets, he was unrecognized during his lifetime, but had his work become widely known after his death. You may have seen the animated adaptation of Night on the Galactic Railway. This… Continue reading Movie Review: Spring and Chaos

Manga Review: Mao Volumes 3, 4 & 5

Manga Review: Mao Volumes 3, 4 & 5 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: When Nanoka Kiba was a little girl, her parents were killed in a freak car accident. Since then she’s been raised by her kindly grandfather and his odd housekeeper Uozumi. Now, in her third year of middle school, Nanoka hears strange voices… Continue reading Manga Review: Mao Volumes 3, 4 & 5

Manga Review: The Crater

Manga Review: The Crater by Osamu Tezuka In the late 1960s, Osamu Tezuka’s career was facing a crisis. He was still popular, with publishers quite willing to buy more of the kid-friendly material he’d become famous for. But he wasn’t a trend-setter anymore. The new generation of manga creators was into gekiga, more serious and… Continue reading Manga Review: The Crater

Book Review: Diadem from the Stars

Book Review: Diadem from the Stars by Jo Clayton Aleytys (“Leyta” to her friends) isn’t like the other girls in her clan. No one else has that bright red hair. Although she is the daughter of Azdar, the clan head, he barely acknowledges Aleytys exists, and his first wife Qumri is physically and emotionally abusive… Continue reading Book Review: Diadem from the Stars