Movie Review: Mark of the Vampire

Count Mora and Luna descend the stairs in the abandoned castle.

Movie Review: Mark of the Vampire (1935) directed by Tod Browning (also released as “Vampires of Prague”) Czechoslovakia, 1934, near the city of Prague. It is growing dark, but in the inn run by a local fellow (Michael Visaroff), two English travelers want to be on their way. The innkeeper warns that vampires roam these parts… Continue reading Movie Review: Mark of the Vampire

Manga Review: Attack on Titan Vols. 1 & 2

Manga Review: Attack on Titan Vols. 1 & 2 by Hajime Isayama One hundred years ago, humanity lost its war with the Titans. The gigantic humanoid anthropophages were just too powerful and numerous. What remained of the human race withdrew into a city-state guarded by three circles of fifty-meter tall walls. The Titans found these… Continue reading Manga Review: Attack on Titan Vols. 1 & 2

Movie Review: Broadway Limited

April initially thinks Ivan wants her to get pregnant.

Movie Review: Broadway Limited (1941) directed by Gordon Douglas Our story opens in Chicago, where Hollywood director Ivan Ivansky (Leonid Kinskey), his top star April Tremaine (Marjorie Woodworth) and personal assistant Patsy Riley (Patsy Kelly) are promoting their most recent movie. It’s going swell, but Ivansky is already planning his next movie, which will have a… Continue reading Movie Review: Broadway Limited

Book Review: Union Bust

Book Review: Union Bust by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy Quick recap: Remo Williams used to be a cop before he was framed for murder and “died” in the electric chair, only to find out he’d been recruited by the secret U.S. government agency CURE. He was trained in the deadly martial art/lifestyle Sinanju by… Continue reading Book Review: Union Bust

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

Comic Book Review: Holmes: The Bento Cases

Cover by Myung Hee Kim

Comic Book Review: Holmes: The Bento Cases by various creators Bento Comics was an artist collective that allowed fans to select stories from their members to put together in bespoke anthologies. At conventions, they’d sell themed volumes to demonstrate the concept; I reviewed their Peter Pan anthology some years back. This collection is on the… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Holmes: The Bento Cases

Book Review: Eleven Blue Men

Book Review: Eleven Blue Men by Berton Roueché September 25, 1944, New York City. An elderly man collapses on the sidewalk. When a police officer investigates, he discovers the man has turned blue. The blue man is rushed to the hospital where the doctors are baffled by his condition. Worse, he’s only the first of… Continue reading Book Review: Eleven Blue Men

Movie Review: The Hasty Heart (1949)

Lachie registers a complaint with Sister Parker.

Movie Review: The Hasty Heart (1949) directed by Vincent Sherman Burma, 1945, what will turn out to be V-J Day, the last day of World War Two. Scots soldier Lachie (Richard Todd) takes a piece of mine shrapnel to the back. The military doctors manage to save his life, but he’s lost one of his kidneys.… Continue reading Movie Review: The Hasty Heart (1949)

Movie Review: The Living Skeleton

Non-living skeletons

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

Movie Review: Doctor X (1932)

Dr. Rowitz waxes lyrical about his "lunacy" theory.

Movie Review: Doctor X (1932) directed by Michael Curtiz The Moon Killer has struck again! Each month during the full moon, a victim is found strangled and killed with a wound to the back of the skull, and then large chunks of their flesh removed, presumably to be eaten. After six victims, the police have finally… Continue reading Movie Review: Doctor X (1932)