Movie Review: The Terror (1963)

The baron and the lieutenant trade suspicious words.

Movie Review: The Terror (1963) directed by Roger Corman Lieutenant Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson) of Napoleon’s French army is separated from his unit and very lost. His compass has stopped functioning, and he’s no longer even sure what country he’s in. It’s probably one occupied by France at the height of the Empire, though. Rapidly approaching… Continue reading Movie Review: The Terror (1963)

Anime Review: Case Closed: The Culprit Hanzawa

Phrasing, Dr. Agasa!

Anime Review: Case Closed: The Culprit Hanzawa I’ve reviewed several volumes of the long-running Detective Conan (“Case Closed” in the American dub) manga. The “teen genius detective trapped in the body of a pre-teen” premise has remained popular, and the associated anime has run for over twenty years and a thousand episodes. This has caused… Continue reading Anime Review: Case Closed: The Culprit Hanzawa

Book Review: The Crystal Stopper

Book Review: The Crystal Stopper by Maurice Leblanc Arsène Lupin should probably have been more cautious when two members of his gang, Vaucheray and Gilbert, asked him to assist with the burglary of the Enghien country home of government deputy Daubrecq. But Vaucheray is experienced, and Lupin is impressed with Gilbert’s good character (for a… Continue reading Book Review: The Crystal Stopper

Movie Review: Beverly Hills Cop

Movie Review: Beverly Hills Cop (1984) directed by Martin Brest In Detroit, small-time grifter Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is making a deal to unload a truckload of dubiously sourced cigarettes. One of the people he’s negotiating with makes an insultingly low offer, and the ensuing argument allows some uniformed police officers to sneak up on them.… Continue reading Movie Review: Beverly Hills Cop

Movie Review: Mad Max

Max goes hunting.

Movie Review: Mad Max (1979) directed by George Miller It is “a few years from now” and things aren’t looking good for the Victoria province of Australia. Oil supplies are drying up, economic woes are accelerating, and violent motorcycle gangs operate virtually unopposed. The Main Force Police patrol the highways, but they’re underfunded and undermanned. To… Continue reading Movie Review: Mad Max

Book Review: The Ghost Ninja of Hong Kong Island

Book Review: The Ghost Ninja of Hong Kong Island by Lukas Krueger Johnathan Zhang isn’t content with being a crimelord. True, he has substantial power in the underworld of Hong Kong, and has never been arrested for his many murders due to his habit of leaving no witnesses. But he wants more, and a certain… Continue reading Book Review: The Ghost Ninja of Hong Kong Island

Book Review: Deck the Pulps

Book Review: Deck the Pulps published by Brick Pickle Media Pulp magazines, like most forms of media, liked to celebrate holidays. Such as, you know, Christmas. But being the pulps, they leavened the usual sentimentality of the season with more of their usual action and excitement. This set of nine tales covers a variety of… Continue reading Book Review: Deck the Pulps

Book Review: Dick Tracy: The Secret Files

Book Review: Dick Tracy: The Secret Files edited by Max Allan Collins and Martin H. Greenberg In 1990, the venerable Dick Tracy comic strip got a movie adaptation, Dick Tracy, starring Warren Beatty and Madonna. To cash in on the publicity, the then-writer of the strip, Max Allan Collins, was asked to do both a… Continue reading Book Review: Dick Tracy: The Secret Files

Movie Review: Rio Bravo (1959)

Stumpy, Dude, Colorado and John T. bond with a little music.

Movie Review: Rio Bravo (1959) directed by Howard Hawks Rio Bravo is a small town in the West Texas county of Presidio, not too far from the Mexican border. The rancher with the biggest spread nearby is Nathan Burdette (John Russell). He also has something of a monopoly on guns for hire in the area, being… Continue reading Movie Review: Rio Bravo (1959)

Comic Book Review: The Great Gatsby

Comic Book Review: The Great Gatsby adapted by K. Woodman-Maynard from the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald A decently long copyright term is a good thing. An author who wrote something cool in their youth can still be supported by it in their old age. The family of a creator taken too soon is not… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Great Gatsby