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: 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

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

Anime Review: Saint Seiya: Hades Chapter

Persephone plays the harp while waiting for the main plot to begin.

Anime Review: Saint Seiya: Hades Chapter Quick recap: The Greek gods are real, in that they’re energy beings who periodically reincarnate in human bodies. Most of the gods are hostile to humanity, but Athena is its protector. Currently she inhabits the body of Saori Kiddo, an heiress who was raised in Japan. Saori/Athena is served… Continue reading Anime Review: Saint Seiya: Hades Chapter

Book Review: Mary Poppins Opens the Door

Book Review: Mary Poppins Opens the Door by P.L. Travers It is the Fifth of November (remember, remember) and a foggy day in London town. The fog is particularly thick in the Banks household, where things have gone from Bad to Worse since Mary Poppins left the second time. Indeed, it’s so thick that chronically… Continue reading Book Review: Mary Poppins Opens the Door

Manga Review: Mao Volumes 16-18

Manga Review: Mao Volumes 16-18 by Rumiko Takahashi Note: This review contains SPOILERS for the first 15 volumes, so you might want to go back to earlier entries if you’ve missed one or more. Quick recap: Nanoka is a 21st century girl who was cursed by the cat ayakashi Byoki. She discovered that a certain… Continue reading Manga Review: Mao Volumes 16-18

Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly 2024

Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly 2024 by various creators It’s the twelfth anniversary of my blog, so time once again to look at Japan’s best-selling manga magazine, or at least the online version of it. 2024 has been another turbulent year for Jump, with both My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen ending. (I did a… Continue reading Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly 2024

Comic Book Review: Strange Academy: The Deadly Field Trip

Cover by Nick Bradshaw & Edgar Delgado

Comic Book Review: Strange Academy: The Deadly Field Trip by various creators Up until fairly recently, the general way of learning magic in the Marvel Universe was being the apprentice of a more experienced mage, and if you didn’t have a mentor or had been kicked out of the relationship, self-study. Doctor Stephen Strange, sometime… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Strange Academy: The Deadly Field Trip

Movie Review: Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow

Naruto knows from dreams.

Movie Review: Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (2004) directed by Tensai Okamura Yukie Fujikaze is a popular young actress most famous for starring in the title role of the “Princess Gale” movie series, as a ninja princess with “rainbow chakra.” Sadly, while she is indeed a skilled actress in addition to… Continue reading Movie Review: Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow

Movie Review: Ghostbusters (1984)

Winston checks out his new workplace.

Movie Review: Ghostbusters (1984) directed by Ivan Reitman The parapsychology department at Columbia University in New York City is small, consisting of three men. They are Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Ackroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis). While the other two are serious and dedicated paranormal researchers, Dr. Venkman as head… Continue reading Movie Review: Ghostbusters (1984)