Movie Review: Boys of the City

Knuckles tries to reason with Danny and Muggs.

Movie Review: Boys of the City (1940) directed by Joseph H. Lewis Summer, 1940. New York City is in the middle of a scorching heatwave. “Knuckles” Dolan (Dave O’Brien) is worried about his kid brother Danny Dolan (Bobby Jordan) and his gang of underprivileged youths. It’s been too hot for them to exercise and blow off… Continue reading Movie Review: Boys of the City

TV Review: Doctor Who: The Visitation

The android appears!

TV Review: Doctor Who: The Visitation Doctor Who is one of the all-time classic British science fiction television series, first airing in 1963, and continuing on and off until the present day. The Doctor (his or her actual name is a bit of a mystery) is an alien who travels in a time-space vehicle called… Continue reading TV Review: Doctor Who: The Visitation

TV Review: The Avengers ’68 Set 5

King and Steed examine his family tree.

TV Review: The Avengers ’68 Set 5 In 1961, a new show hit the airwaves in Britain, The Avengers. The main character was Dr. David Keel (Ian Hendry) whose wife had been murdered. He’s recruited by spy John Steed (Patrick McNee) to be an expert consultant in exchange for help avenging his spouse. After the… Continue reading TV Review: The Avengers ’68 Set 5

Manga Review: The Trial of Kitaro

Manga Review: The Trial of Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki This is the final volume in Drawn & Quarterly’s reprints of selected Gegege no Kitaro stories. The history section wraps up with Mizuki dealing with the pressures of fame by taking a long trip to Rabaul, where he had been stationed in World War Two, and… Continue reading Manga Review: The Trial of Kitaro

Movie Review: Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch

The Silver Haired Witch reminds Snake Girl why she's seeking revenge.

Movie Review: Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch (1968) directed by Noriaki Yuasa Sayuri (Yachie Matsui) has mostly been okay with living at the Catholic orphanage with the Director nun (Kuniko Miyake) and handsome “big brother” Tatsuya (Sei Hiraizumi). But now she’s been adopted by the Nanjo family, and she’s determined to be a… Continue reading Movie Review: Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch

Book Review: Farthing

Book Review: Farthing by Jo Walton England didn’t win World War Two. In fairness, they didn’t lose either. Thanks to a coalition of wealthy nobles and businessmen, Rudolph Hess’ mission was a success, and the Axis were able to negotiate a peace settlement with Great Britain. This is generally considered a great saving of British… Continue reading Book Review: Farthing

Book Review: Unfinished Business: Tales of the Dark Fantastic

Book Review: Unfinished Business: Tales of the Dark Fantastic by Catherine Lundoff Per the author’s introduction, the style of stories in this volume were inspired by her love for the artwork of Edward Gorey and Victorian ghost stories. And so we have a dozen short stories of horror and dark fantasy. “The Mask and the… Continue reading Book Review: Unfinished Business: Tales of the Dark Fantastic

Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 65-67

Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 65-67 by Gosho Aoyama Premise: Teen detective Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the American version) is trapped in the body of a child. As Conan Edogawa, he solves mysteries anyway, while trying to track down the Black Organization that did this to him. See my previous entries. We open Volume… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 65-67

Magazine Review: Famous Fantastic Mysteries Fall 2016

This scene does not appear in any of the stories this issue.

Magazine Review: Famous Fantastic Mysteries Fall 2016 edited by Matthew Moring Every so often, someone tries to relaunch a once-popular magazine. Most of these efforts fold quickly. The subject of this review is one such, lasting a single issue. As you’ll recall from a previous review, Famous Fantastic Mysteries was primarily a reprint title, presenting… Continue reading Magazine Review: Famous Fantastic Mysteries Fall 2016

Book Review: The Case of the Fenced-In Woman | Inspector West Takes Charge

Book Review: The Case of the Fenced-In Woman by Erle Stanley Gardner | Inspector West Takes Charge by John Creasey These two books were bound together as a Detective Book Club selection and thus I am reviewing them together. The Case of the Fenced-In Woman:  While Perry Mason is best known for defending innocent people accused… Continue reading Book Review: The Case of the Fenced-In Woman | Inspector West Takes Charge