Tag: murder

Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970

The stories illustrated on the cover are, from left, "The Shrine of Temptation", "Sword of Flowers" and "Planet of Change".

Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970 “Strange Fantasy” was a short-lived reprint digest-sized magazine from Ultimate Publishing. This issue’s stories were originally published between 1959 and 1964, which somewhat belies the cover text. “The Shrine of Temptation” by Judith Merril starts us off with an anthropologist’s tale of a mysterious shrine on an isolated island.… Continue reading Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970

Manga Review: Case Closed, Vol. 73

Manga Review: Case Closed, Vol. 73 by Gosho Aoyama Recap: Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the dub) is a teen genius detective who has been shrunk by a poison and now poses as grade-schooler Conan Edogawa, but still solves crimes. Thus the Japanese title that translates as “Detective Conan.” See my earlier reviews. This volume… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed, Vol. 73

Movie Review: Gaslight (1940)

Has Bella finally snapped?

Movie Review: Gaslight (1940) directed by Thorold Dickinson It has been twenty years since the shocking crime at 12 Pimlico Square. Alice Barlow was murdered by an intruder, the house ripped apart in a search, and the famous Barlow rubies disappeared. All this time, the house has lain empty. But now someone has been found that… Continue reading Movie Review: Gaslight (1940)

Magazine Review: The Phantom Detective September 1935

Magazine Review: The Phantom Detective September 1935 Quick recap: The Phantom is Richard Curtis Van Loan, a wealthy man-about-town. While he started fighting crime out of boredom and a chance to get thrills, he soon developed a burning hatred of crime and major criminals that allow him to carry on a crusade. A master of… Continue reading Magazine Review: The Phantom Detective September 1935

Movie Review: A Bucket of Blood

Carla inspects Walter's creation.

A Bucket of Blood (1959) dir. Roger Corman In 1959, the cool place to be was the Yellow Door, a beatnik coffee house. (For our younger readers, beatniks were the predecessor to hippies, but more focused on artistic expression; both hipsters and goths are distant descendants.) You could listen to word salad poet Maxwell H. Brock… Continue reading Movie Review: A Bucket of Blood

TV Review: Unriddle Season Two

Xiaoman and Bun contemplate their next move against a killer.

TV Review: Unriddle Season Two At the end of Season One, Singaporean police officer Hu Xiaoman (Rui En) and streetwise informer Bun (Li Ping Chen) were able to find their friend and mentor Officer Zhang Yuze (Ping Hui Tay) and clear his name. So, now Xiaoman can finally concentrate on whether she wants to date… Continue reading TV Review: Unriddle Season Two

Movie Review: The Black Room (1935)

Gregor and Anton reunite for the first time in a decade.

Movie Review: The Black Room (1935) directed by Roy William Neill In the Tyrol region of Austria, twin sons are born to Baron Frederick de Berghman (Henry Kolker). He is not pleased by this turn of affairs, as there is a prophecy about his family line. The first Baron de Berghman was stabbed to death by… Continue reading Movie Review: The Black Room (1935)

Magazine Review: High Adventure #171: Far East Fiction of Frederick Moore

Magazine Review: High Adventure #171: Far East Fiction of Frederick Moore edited by John P. Gunnison In this pulp reprint issue, we’re off to the exotic South Seas, in particular Malaysia. According to the introduction, although Frederick Moore’s byline listed him as “Captain”, there’s no record of him ever earning that title. “The Cloth of… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #171: Far East Fiction of Frederick Moore

TV Review: Unriddle Season One

Bun and Officer Hu

TV Review: Unriddle Season One Fifteen years ago, five Singapore police officers were investigating a drug smuggling case. Some of the money from that case went missing, and one of the officers was killed. The incident was covered up, but now it’s coming back with a vengeance. Who can unriddle this conundrum? ASP Hu Xaioman… Continue reading TV Review: Unriddle Season One

Movie Review: Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D

Kabukiman wields one of his many crime-fighting weapons.

Movie Review: Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990) directed by Michael Herz Every thousand years, there is a certain celestial conjunction known as “the Dragon Dances Through the Hoop of Jupiter.” If certain events happen at the same time on Earth, the being known as the Evil One will attain immortality and be able to rule the world.… Continue reading Movie Review: Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D