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SKJAM! REVIEWS
Sundance and Butch discuss the outcome of their latest escapade. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) dir. George Roy Hill Parts of this story are true. There actually were outlaws named Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) who belonged to the Wild Bunch. They did indeed rob banks and trains.JUNE 9, 2021
Movie Review: Anatomy of a Psycho (1961) directed by Boris Petroff Years ago, Duke Marco’s parents died suddenly, leaving him as sole support for his much younger siblings Chet (Darrell Howe) and Pat(Pamela Lincoln).
JUNE 1, 2021
Open Thread: Landmark Birthday Coming Up! As of June 26, I will be sixty years old! I’ve tried to keep this blog ad-free as much as possible, and it’s been a few years since I had a fundraiser, but to keep the reviews coming, it helps to have a steady flow of things toreview.
OPEN THREAD: LANDMARK BIRTHDAY COMING UP! Open Thread: Landmark Birthday Coming Up! As of June 26, I will be sixty years old! Created for me by Indigo Caldwell; please do not reuse without permission. I’ve tried to keep this blog ad- BOOK REVIEW: THE BANNER CAMPFIRE GIRLS AT THE WHITE HOUSE Book Review: The Banner Campfire Girls at the White House by Julianne DeVries. Summer vacation has just started, and the high-spirited Camp Fire Girls of Wa-Wan-Da Council of Oakdale have already assaulted afederal agent.
COMIC BOOK REVIEW: ESSENTIAL LUKE CAGE, POWER MAN VOL. 2 Comic Book Review: Essential Luke Cage, Power Man Vol. 2 by various creators.. Carl Lucas, a juvenile delinquent, straightened himself out and was trying to become a respectable citizen when he was framed forheroin possession.
COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MODESTY BLAISE: THE SCARLET MAIDEN Comic Strip Review: Modesty Blaise: The Scarlet Maiden Story by Peter O’Donnell, Art by Neville Colvin. In 1945, an amnesiac little girl escaped from a Displaced Persons camp in Greece. After wandering around the post-war Mediterranean for a while, she was taken in by a Jewish Hungarian scholar named Lob, who gave her an education and the name “Modesty” (she added the “Blaise” later MANGA REVIEW: TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOLUME 1 Manga Review: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Volume 1 by Aidalro. Nene Yashiro is in her first year at high school. She has a crush on one of the older boys, Minamoto. But Nene’s been unlucky in love before (the last boy said she had legs like a daikon radish), and Minamoto’s super popular so getting his attention won’t be easyagainst the
BOOK REVIEW: THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS Book Review: The Beast with Five Fingers by W.F. Harvey. W.F. Harvey (1885-1937) was born in Yorkshire, of Quaker family, and became a doctor. However, his health was poor and he was often unable to practice, so he wrote short stories on the side, many of MAGAZINE REVIEW: ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION JANUARY 1946 Magazine Review: Astounding Science-Fiction January 1946 edited by John W. Campbell, Jr.. Before Analog (see previous reviews), there was Astounding, the science fiction magazine that led the field for many years. Having gotten a copy of an issue from the pulp days, let’s take a look at what wonders lie within.SKJAM! REVIEWS
Sundance and Butch discuss the outcome of their latest escapade. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) dir. George Roy Hill Parts of this story are true. There actually were outlaws named Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) who belonged to the Wild Bunch. They did indeed rob banks and trains.JUNE 9, 2021
Movie Review: Anatomy of a Psycho (1961) directed by Boris Petroff Years ago, Duke Marco’s parents died suddenly, leaving him as sole support for his much younger siblings Chet (Darrell Howe) and Pat(Pamela Lincoln).
JUNE 1, 2021
Open Thread: Landmark Birthday Coming Up! As of June 26, I will be sixty years old! I’ve tried to keep this blog ad-free as much as possible, and it’s been a few years since I had a fundraiser, but to keep the reviews coming, it helps to have a steady flow of things toreview.
OPEN THREAD: LANDMARK BIRTHDAY COMING UP! Open Thread: Landmark Birthday Coming Up! As of June 26, I will be sixty years old! Created for me by Indigo Caldwell; please do not reuse without permission. I’ve tried to keep this blog ad- BOOK REVIEW: THE BANNER CAMPFIRE GIRLS AT THE WHITE HOUSE Book Review: The Banner Campfire Girls at the White House by Julianne DeVries. Summer vacation has just started, and the high-spirited Camp Fire Girls of Wa-Wan-Da Council of Oakdale have already assaulted afederal agent.
COMIC BOOK REVIEW: ESSENTIAL LUKE CAGE, POWER MAN VOL. 2 Comic Book Review: Essential Luke Cage, Power Man Vol. 2 by various creators.. Carl Lucas, a juvenile delinquent, straightened himself out and was trying to become a respectable citizen when he was framed forheroin possession.
COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MODESTY BLAISE: THE SCARLET MAIDEN Comic Strip Review: Modesty Blaise: The Scarlet Maiden Story by Peter O’Donnell, Art by Neville Colvin. In 1945, an amnesiac little girl escaped from a Displaced Persons camp in Greece. After wandering around the post-war Mediterranean for a while, she was taken in by a Jewish Hungarian scholar named Lob, who gave her an education and the name “Modesty” (she added the “Blaise” later MANGA REVIEW: TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOLUME 1 Manga Review: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Volume 1 by Aidalro. Nene Yashiro is in her first year at high school. She has a crush on one of the older boys, Minamoto. But Nene’s been unlucky in love before (the last boy said she had legs like a daikon radish), and Minamoto’s super popular so getting his attention won’t be easyagainst the
BOOK REVIEW: THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS Book Review: The Beast with Five Fingers by W.F. Harvey. W.F. Harvey (1885-1937) was born in Yorkshire, of Quaker family, and became a doctor. However, his health was poor and he was often unable to practice, so he wrote short stories on the side, many of MAGAZINE REVIEW: ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION JANUARY 1946 Magazine Review: Astounding Science-Fiction January 1946 edited by John W. Campbell, Jr.. Before Analog (see previous reviews), there was Astounding, the science fiction magazine that led the field for many years. Having gotten a copy of an issue from the pulp days, let’s take a look at what wonders lie within.JUNE 9, 2021
Movie Review: Anatomy of a Psycho (1961) directed by Boris Petroff Years ago, Duke Marco’s parents died suddenly, leaving him as sole support for his much younger siblings Chet (Darrell Howe) and Pat(Pamela Lincoln).
ANIME – SKJAM! REVIEWS Anime Review: Kodocha Volume 6: Sana’s Bombshell Sana Kurata is not your average sixth-grader. She lives in a mansion with her prize-winning author adoptive mother, and is an accomplished child actress, regularly appearing on the show “Zenjiro’s Kodomo noOmocha.”
TV – SKJAM! REVIEWS TV Review: Tientsin Mystic Tientsin (now usually romanized as “Tianjin”) is a river and port city in Northern China. During a ceremony to honor the River God, two corpses are discovered by salvage diver Guo De-You (Xian Li). MOVIE REVIEW: ANATOMY OF A PSYCHO Movie Review: Anatomy of a Psycho (1961) directed by Boris Petroff Years ago, Duke Marco’s parents died suddenly, leaving him as sole support for his much younger siblings Chet (Darrell Howe) and Pat(Pamela Lincoln).
JUNE 1, 2021
Open Thread: Landmark Birthday Coming Up! As of June 26, I will be sixty years old! I’ve tried to keep this blog ad-free as much as possible, and it’s been a few years since I had a fundraiser, but to keep the reviews coming, it helps to have a steady flow of things toreview.
BOOK REVIEW: THE BANNER CAMPFIRE GIRLS AT THE WHITE HOUSE Book Review: The Banner Campfire Girls at the White House by Julianne DeVries. Summer vacation has just started, and the high-spirited Camp Fire Girls of Wa-Wan-Da Council of Oakdale have already assaulted afederal agent.
COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MODESTY BLAISE: THE SCARLET MAIDEN Comic Strip Review: Modesty Blaise: The Scarlet Maiden Story by Peter O’Donnell, Art by Neville Colvin. In 1945, an amnesiac little girl escaped from a Displaced Persons camp in Greece. After wandering around the post-war Mediterranean for a while, she was taken in by a Jewish Hungarian scholar named Lob, who gave her an education and the name “Modesty” (she added the “Blaise” later COMIC BOOK REVIEW: ESSENTIAL LUKE CAGE, POWER MAN VOL. 2 Comic Book Review: Essential Luke Cage, Power Man Vol. 2 by various creators.. Carl Lucas, a juvenile delinquent, straightened himself out and was trying to become a respectable citizen when he was framed forheroin possession.
MOVIE REVIEW: BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) dir. George Roy Hill Parts of this story are true. There actually were outlaws named Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) who belonged to the Wild Bunch. BOOK REVIEW: THE SEA-WOLF Book Review: The Sea-Wolf by Jack London. Today is an ill-omened day. It began with a heavy fog in San Francisco Harbor, and the ferry carrying literary critic Humphrey Van Weyden colliding with anothership.
SKJAM! REVIEWS
Sundance and Butch discuss the outcome of their latest escapade. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) dir. George Roy Hill Parts of this story are true. There actually were outlaws named Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) who belonged to the Wild Bunch. They did indeed rob banks and trains.JUNE 9, 2021
Movie Review: Anatomy of a Psycho (1961) directed by Boris Petroff Years ago, Duke Marco’s parents died suddenly, leaving him as sole support for his much younger siblings Chet (Darrell Howe) and Pat(Pamela Lincoln).
OPEN THREAD: LANDMARK BIRTHDAY COMING UP! Open Thread: Landmark Birthday Coming Up! As of June 26, I will be sixty years old! Created for me by Indigo Caldwell; please do not reuse without permission. I’ve tried to keep this blog ad-JUNE 1, 2021
Open Thread: Landmark Birthday Coming Up! As of June 26, I will be sixty years old! I’ve tried to keep this blog ad-free as much as possible, and it’s been a few years since I had a fundraiser, but to keep the reviews coming, it helps to have a steady flow of things toreview.
BOOK REVIEW: THE BANNER CAMPFIRE GIRLS AT THE WHITE HOUSE Book Review: The Banner Campfire Girls at the White House by Julianne DeVries. Summer vacation has just started, and the high-spirited Camp Fire Girls of Wa-Wan-Da Council of Oakdale have already assaulted afederal agent.
COMIC BOOK REVIEW: ESSENTIAL LUKE CAGE, POWER MAN VOL. 2 Comic Book Review: Essential Luke Cage, Power Man Vol. 2 by various creators.. Carl Lucas, a juvenile delinquent, straightened himself out and was trying to become a respectable citizen when he was framed forheroin possession.
COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MODESTY BLAISE: THE SCARLET MAIDEN Comic Strip Review: Modesty Blaise: The Scarlet Maiden Story by Peter O’Donnell, Art by Neville Colvin. In 1945, an amnesiac little girl escaped from a Displaced Persons camp in Greece. After wandering around the post-war Mediterranean for a while, she was taken in by a Jewish Hungarian scholar named Lob, who gave her an education and the name “Modesty” (she added the “Blaise” later MANGA REVIEW: TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOLUME 1 Manga Review: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Volume 1 by Aidalro. Nene Yashiro is in her first year at high school. She has a crush on one of the older boys, Minamoto. But Nene’s been unlucky in love before (the last boy said she had legs like a daikon radish), and Minamoto’s super popular so getting his attention won’t be easyagainst the
BOOK REVIEW: THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS Book Review: The Beast with Five Fingers by W.F. Harvey. W.F. Harvey (1885-1937) was born in Yorkshire, of Quaker family, and became a doctor. However, his health was poor and he was often unable to practice, so he wrote short stories on the side, many of MAGAZINE REVIEW: ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION JANUARY 1946 Magazine Review: Astounding Science-Fiction January 1946 edited by John W. Campbell, Jr.. Before Analog (see previous reviews), there was Astounding, the science fiction magazine that led the field for many years. Having gotten a copy of an issue from the pulp days, let’s take a look at what wonders lie within.SKJAM! REVIEWS
Sundance and Butch discuss the outcome of their latest escapade. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) dir. George Roy Hill Parts of this story are true. There actually were outlaws named Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) who belonged to the Wild Bunch. They did indeed rob banks and trains.JUNE 9, 2021
Movie Review: Anatomy of a Psycho (1961) directed by Boris Petroff Years ago, Duke Marco’s parents died suddenly, leaving him as sole support for his much younger siblings Chet (Darrell Howe) and Pat(Pamela Lincoln).
OPEN THREAD: LANDMARK BIRTHDAY COMING UP! Open Thread: Landmark Birthday Coming Up! As of June 26, I will be sixty years old! Created for me by Indigo Caldwell; please do not reuse without permission. I’ve tried to keep this blog ad-JUNE 1, 2021
Open Thread: Landmark Birthday Coming Up! As of June 26, I will be sixty years old! I’ve tried to keep this blog ad-free as much as possible, and it’s been a few years since I had a fundraiser, but to keep the reviews coming, it helps to have a steady flow of things toreview.
BOOK REVIEW: THE BANNER CAMPFIRE GIRLS AT THE WHITE HOUSE Book Review: The Banner Campfire Girls at the White House by Julianne DeVries. Summer vacation has just started, and the high-spirited Camp Fire Girls of Wa-Wan-Da Council of Oakdale have already assaulted afederal agent.
COMIC BOOK REVIEW: ESSENTIAL LUKE CAGE, POWER MAN VOL. 2 Comic Book Review: Essential Luke Cage, Power Man Vol. 2 by various creators.. Carl Lucas, a juvenile delinquent, straightened himself out and was trying to become a respectable citizen when he was framed forheroin possession.
COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MODESTY BLAISE: THE SCARLET MAIDEN Comic Strip Review: Modesty Blaise: The Scarlet Maiden Story by Peter O’Donnell, Art by Neville Colvin. In 1945, an amnesiac little girl escaped from a Displaced Persons camp in Greece. After wandering around the post-war Mediterranean for a while, she was taken in by a Jewish Hungarian scholar named Lob, who gave her an education and the name “Modesty” (she added the “Blaise” later MANGA REVIEW: TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOLUME 1 Manga Review: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Volume 1 by Aidalro. Nene Yashiro is in her first year at high school. She has a crush on one of the older boys, Minamoto. But Nene’s been unlucky in love before (the last boy said she had legs like a daikon radish), and Minamoto’s super popular so getting his attention won’t be easyagainst the
BOOK REVIEW: THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS Book Review: The Beast with Five Fingers by W.F. Harvey. W.F. Harvey (1885-1937) was born in Yorkshire, of Quaker family, and became a doctor. However, his health was poor and he was often unable to practice, so he wrote short stories on the side, many of MAGAZINE REVIEW: ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION JANUARY 1946 Magazine Review: Astounding Science-Fiction January 1946 edited by John W. Campbell, Jr.. Before Analog (see previous reviews), there was Astounding, the science fiction magazine that led the field for many years. Having gotten a copy of an issue from the pulp days, let’s take a look at what wonders lie within.JUNE 9, 2021
Movie Review: Anatomy of a Psycho (1961) directed by Boris Petroff Years ago, Duke Marco’s parents died suddenly, leaving him as sole support for his much younger siblings Chet (Darrell Howe) and Pat(Pamela Lincoln).
ANIME – SKJAM! REVIEWS Anime Review: Kodocha Volume 6: Sana’s Bombshell Sana Kurata is not your average sixth-grader. She lives in a mansion with her prize-winning author adoptive mother, and is an accomplished child actress, regularly appearing on the show “Zenjiro’s Kodomo noOmocha.”
TV – SKJAM! REVIEWS TV Review: Tientsin Mystic Tientsin (now usually romanized as “Tianjin”) is a river and port city in Northern China. During a ceremony to honor the River God, two corpses are discovered by salvage diver Guo De-You (Xian Li). MOVIE REVIEW: ANATOMY OF A PSYCHO Movie Review: Anatomy of a Psycho (1961) directed by Boris Petroff Years ago, Duke Marco’s parents died suddenly, leaving him as sole support for his much younger siblings Chet (Darrell Howe) and Pat(Pamela Lincoln).
JUNE 1, 2021
Open Thread: Landmark Birthday Coming Up! As of June 26, I will be sixty years old! I’ve tried to keep this blog ad-free as much as possible, and it’s been a few years since I had a fundraiser, but to keep the reviews coming, it helps to have a steady flow of things toreview.
BOOK REVIEW: THE BANNER CAMPFIRE GIRLS AT THE WHITE HOUSE Book Review: The Banner Campfire Girls at the White House by Julianne DeVries. Summer vacation has just started, and the high-spirited Camp Fire Girls of Wa-Wan-Da Council of Oakdale have already assaulted afederal agent.
COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MODESTY BLAISE: THE SCARLET MAIDEN Comic Strip Review: Modesty Blaise: The Scarlet Maiden Story by Peter O’Donnell, Art by Neville Colvin. In 1945, an amnesiac little girl escaped from a Displaced Persons camp in Greece. After wandering around the post-war Mediterranean for a while, she was taken in by a Jewish Hungarian scholar named Lob, who gave her an education and the name “Modesty” (she added the “Blaise” later COMIC BOOK REVIEW: ESSENTIAL LUKE CAGE, POWER MAN VOL. 2 Comic Book Review: Essential Luke Cage, Power Man Vol. 2 by various creators.. Carl Lucas, a juvenile delinquent, straightened himself out and was trying to become a respectable citizen when he was framed forheroin possession.
MOVIE REVIEW: BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) dir. George Roy Hill Parts of this story are true. There actually were outlaws named Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) who belonged to the Wild Bunch. BOOK REVIEW: THE SEA-WOLF Book Review: The Sea-Wolf by Jack London. Today is an ill-omened day. It began with a heavy fog in San Francisco Harbor, and the ferry carrying literary critic Humphrey Van Weyden colliding with anothership.
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SKJAM! REVIEWS
Book and pop culture reviews by the man known as SKJAM! COMIC BOOK REVIEW: NO HERO COMIC BOOK REVIEW: NO HERO story by Warren Ellis, art by Juan Jose Ryp Forty-five years ago, the Levellers appeared in San Francisco, superhuman beings created by psychoactive chemicals. Led by maverick scientist Carrick Masterson, they were the world’s first superheroes. Decades later, the membership has changed, except the still-youthful Masterson, and they’re known as the Front Line. They’re still the only superheroes in the world, due to their proprietary empowerment process. And now two of them have died in as many days. It’s time to go recruiting! But is Josh Carver the perfect candidate, or is he, as he says himself, “no hero”? This is one of Warren Ellis’ “big idea” limited series. In this case, the central idea is superhumans who start with the motive of changing the world for the better. Not to rule the world as such, but making it a nicer place to live in. Some of it is done openly, by being superheroes, but they’re not afraid to do dirty work behind the scenes to remove people who they feel are making the world worse. We don’t see too much of how the world has changed as a result, only hearing about events in the background. But one of the side effects is that the Front Line have made a lot of powerful enemies. The story primarily follows Josh Carver as he is recruited into the Front Line. He’s figured out how to get their attention as a candidate, because he really wants to be superhuman. It’s not quite that simple, however, since the empowerment process is somewhat random in its effects, and there are a fair number of people who didn’t survive. (This has been kept from the public.) The process itself makes for some trippy art, and Josh undergoes significant change. Meanwhile, the Front Line’s enemies pound them hard. As soon as they think they know who’s behind it, contradictory evidence shows up. Years of being the only superhumans have made the Front Line, and Masterson in particular, arrogant and unable to adapt to a foe that can truly fight back. Content notes: Lots of gore, and discussion of rape. I would have liked to have seen more of the early days of the Levellers, and information on whether they started more idealistic or were arrogant from the start. Still, there’s some intriguing ideas here. The ending is bleak. Recommended for superhero fans who prefer the gloomier and gorier sideof the field.
RELATED POSTS:
* Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 * Comic Book Review: The Superman Chronicles Volume One * Comic Book Review: New Crusaders #1: Rise of the Heroes * Comic Book Review: Essential Hulk Vol. 1 Related posts brought to you by YARPP.
Posted byadmin October 5,2019October 5, 2019
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MOVIE REVIEW: LEGEND OF EIGHT SAMURAI MOVIE REVIEW: LEGEND OF EIGHT SAMURAI (1983) directed by KinjiFukasaku
After a hundred years, the Hikita Clan is back from the dead to get their revenge on those who overthrew them. They’ve recaptured the family castle/shrine and wiped out all but one of the clan leaders descended from their enemies. Only Princess Shizu remains, but she is the most important. For there is a legend about eight warriors descended from a noble dog who will unite under the princess to end the Hikita Clan once and for all. Princess Shizu is now in search of those warriors. But wait–the ancient scroll shows three members of the Hikita Clan, but only two of their leaders have returned. Couldthis be important?
The baddies gloat over a captive maiden. This blockbuster fantasy movie is based on an epic early Nineteenth Century Japanese novel _Nanso Satomi Hakkenden_ by Kyokutei Bakin. The story runs to ten volumes in Japanese, so this 130 minute version cuts out a lot. Confusingly, the dub never makes mention of “samurai”, repeatedly referring to our heroes as “ninja” and of course the closer translation would be “dog warriors.” The good: There’s plenty of exciting fight scenes (especially the climax where the united warriors storm the enemy stronghold) and nifty special effects. The villain actors are having fun hamming it up aspure baddies.
There’s an undercurrent of sadness as we learn that each of the warriors has had an unlucky life that leaves them free to support the princess when the fated time arrives, leaving them feeling cursed. Indeed, it threatens group cohesion by having them be enemies in the recent past. The most recognizable of the actors is Sonny Chiba as Dosetsu, who has a wasting disease that will kill him inside a month even if he survives the battle. Most of the screen time, though, goes to Hiroyuki Sanada as Shinbei, a scruffy scoundrel who initially is motivated by money before falling in love with Shizu. Less good: Much less time is spent developing any of the other warriors, especially the two that are just found hanging out in a cave and whose personalities are “the big one” and “the small one.” Some time probably could have been spared from the extended “music video” sequence where Shinbei and Shizu make out to an 80s pop ballad, but then they wouldn’t have that for Japanese MTV. The last bit of the ending feels tacked on, as though the test audiences didn’t like the original ending and a couple of minutes were added afterwards to sweeten it. And the less said about the dubbing, the better. Sadly, my copy did not come with a subtitled option. Still, this is a blockbuster movie based on a classic novel, so I’d recommend it to epic fantasy fans, particularly if you can find it with the original voices.RELATED POSTS:
* Movie Review: Tales from Earthsea * Film Review: Three Outlaw Samurai * Movie Review: Excalibur * Movie Review: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya Related posts brought to you by YARPP.
Posted byadmin October 2,2019October 2, 2019
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Movie Review: Legend of Eight Samurai MAGAZINE REVIEW: HIGH ADVENTURE #166: THE BIG FOOT MURDER MYSTERY MAGAZINE REVIEW: HIGH ADVENTURE #166: THE BIG FOOT MURDER MYSTERY byEdgar Wallace
This time the pulp reprint magazine only has one story, which originally appeared in Complete Detective Novel Magazine in October, 1929. It was one of twelve novels Edgar Wallace (Richard Horatio Edgar Freeman) had published that year! One publisher claimed that nearly a quarter of the books sold in England during his career were by him. Most of my readers probably remember him best for a script he sold to Hollywood: “King Kong.” Most of the action takes place in rural London, near the Sussex border. It’s still within the purview of Scotland Yard, but quiet enough that Superintendent Patrick “Sooper” J. Minter can run things pretty much his own way. He can tend to his garden, tinker with his souped-up motorcycle, and poke his nose into the neighborhood’s business on his own schedule. Most of the time his caseload is dealing with tramps and burglars; but that isn’t to say that murderdoesn’t happen.
Gordon Cardew, wealthy and mostly retired solicitor, takes younger lawyer Jim Ferraby into his confidence. He’s come into evidence that his surly housekeeper Hannah Shaw is being threatened by a mysterious figure that signs notes as “Big Foot.” Jim, who has a thing for Cardew’s lovely young secretary Elfa Leigh, agrees to do a little quiet investigating. Jim’s snooping intersects with Sooper’s, and they share information. Alas, they are unable to prevent Hannah’s murder in a lonely seaside cabin, near which are mysterious footprints of someone with very large pedal appendages. The murder seems impossible, as there was no way into the cabin the witnesses could not see from the outside, only Hannah had gone inside, and only Hannah had come out! Despite the suggestive name, and one of the suspects having come from America, no reference is made to cryptozoology. But there are reports of a singing tramp, who keeps popping up in odd places, always repeating a Spanish melody. Could he be Big Foot? It’s a twisty case, with several red herrings, one of which completely took me in. The then-standard detective story format of older, eccentric detective who does all the thinking and the younger fellow who’s mostly there as the romantic interest but useful for things the detective can’t do works well. On the other hand, it’s not quite a fair play mystery as Sooper does some evidence gathering offstage. Modern mystery fans may also find some of the coincidences a bit too neat and the story musty with the conventions of its time. Overall, it’s a good, solid detective novel for its age, and well worth a look as it’s been reprinted multiple times under the title _Big Foot_. Or you can support Adventure House by buying the magazine. And here’s the song the tramp is singing in the story:RELATED POSTS:
* Magazine Review: High Adventure #160: Ten Detective Aces Special * Magazine Review: Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine December 1978 * Magazine Review: High Adventure #73: Secret Agent “X” * Magazine Review: High Adventure #162: The Uranium Pomegranates Related posts brought to you by YARPP.
Posted byadmin September 29, 2019September 29, 2019Posted
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Leave a comment on Magazine Review: High Adventure #166: The Big Foot Murder MysteryBOOK REVIEW: SIEGE
BOOK REVIEW: SIEGE by Victor B. Miller from a script by Robert Heverly The bank robbery itself went smoothly, but the getaway was a disaster due to fast police response. Two of the robbers panicked and drove off with the van, while the other four in the car wound up roadblocked and fleeing on foot. One shootout later, a cop is dying and so is one of the robbers. The remaining three crooks take refuge in Apex Surplus. What it turns out to stock is a surplus of guns and ammunition. The robbers take the owner and customers hostage. Only one police detective has the moxie to end this standoff with minimum civiliancasualties. Kojak!
The _Kojak_ television series aired from 1973-1978, a gritty crime drama that was very influential in its day. This book is a novelization of the first episode, “Siege of Terror.” (There had already been a TV movie that introduced the character.) Theodore “Theo” Kojak (Telly Savalas) was a New York City police detective, a tough guy and incorruptible, but given to a streak of meanness towards suspects and ribbing of his subordinates. He follows procedure, mostly, but isn’t too keen on rules that protect criminals, mentioning in the book that he wishes Miranda had gone into another line of business. The novel roughly follows the plotline of the TV episode, as Kojak tries various ways to defuse the hostage situation and tracks down leads. As this is a series with a central character, Kojak takes most of the important actions himself where in real life they would be delegated to other police officers. It makes for some tense moments. But since it’s told in first person, we also get to hear Kojak’s thoughts, including a flashback that explains his rage at this hostage crisis, and also that he’s always dressed snappier than his pay grade. His decision to cut back on smoking takes place later in the series, but we do get a moment where Kojak sucks a lollipop. On the down side, surprise homophobia! In fairness, while Kojak thinks a slur, he doesn’t say it, treats the gay Hispanic man no worse than any other random civilian, and at the end of their interaction draws a distinct line between the otherwise law-abiding homosexual “citizen” and criminal “creeps.” Which is pretty good for a 1970s NYPD cop who got his badge in the 1950s. I don’t think this book has been reprinted in years, but it’s worth looking at garage sales if you’re nostalgic about the classiccop show.
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Posted byadmin September 28,2019 Posted
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BOOK REVIEW: UP IS NOT THE ONLY WAY BOOK REVIEW: UP IS NOT THE ONLY WAY by Beverly Kaye, Lindy Williams &Lynn Cowart
At some point, probably the 1950s, it became the conventional wisdom that the ideal career path was to start at one company, work your way up the ladder with consistent promotions, and retire from that same company in a high position. You’d only switch to a different company if they offered you a faster promotion. Failure to move up was seen asa career ender.
For many of us in later generations, this career path has long since ceased to be possible, or never existed in the first place. And yet the idea still persists and can make the employee feel frustrated when promotions just aren’t happening. And thus this business self-help book to explore other options. It suggests replacing the “ladder” metaphor for a career path with a “kaleidoscope” metaphor, moving the perspective around to find new pleasing combinations. Whether that means a lateral move into a related field, finding new depth in your current position, or even stepping down a notch when you’ve hit a job that is killing you. This book has some useful bits in it, some very obvious, while others you may not have considered before. The graphic design is nice. It is, however, perhaps best used by people in fields where there is room for multiple approaches to a career path. It’s unlikely to be helpful for people who have to struggle even to keep entry level positions, or who are almost at the end of their working years. A company might give out this book to every employee (as indeed mine did) but that doesn’t mean the company will be equally interested in every worker’s career opportunities. Recommended to folks who are feeling a bit stagnant in their current position and searching for directions they can go if up isn’tavailable.
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Posted byadmin September 25,2019
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Leave a comment on Book Review: Up Is Not the Only Way MOVIE REVIEW: HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959) MOVIE REVIEW: HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959) directed by William Castle In its hundred years of history, the house has been host to seven brutal murders. It is said that their ghosts still haunt the place, ready to add more victims to their number. Tonight, five strangers have been invited to the house on Haunted Hill for a party hosted by eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) and his fourth wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmert). Test pilot Lance Schroeder (Richard Long), skeptical psychiatrist Dr. David Trent (Alan Marshal), gossip columnist with a gambling problem Julie Mitchum (Ruth Bridgers), pretty typist Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig) and Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook, Jr.), technical owner of the house, who became an alcoholic after the murder of his brother from whom he inherited the place. Each of them could desperately use the $10,000 offered to anyone who survives the night. Our heroine meets the friendly housekeeper. This is a short, low-budget film from William Castle, who was very good at making these sort of thrillers. There’s barely a wasted moment as the cast explores the inescapable house they’ve been locked in for the night. Early on, most of the spooky moments happen to Nora, who has the most sympathetic backstory. (She’s supporting her disabled parents.) She quickly becomes frustrated when the scary things she sees either aren’t seen by the others, or vanish by the time she gets someone to look. Early on, we learn that Frederick and Annabelle are on bad terms; she was the one with the idea for a haunted house party, but he picked the guest list. Supposedly, none of the guests know each other or the Lorens, but then why were they hand-picked? Frederick’s previous three wives died under suspicious circumstances, and he recently had a bout of arsenic poisoning he’s pretty sure Annabelle arranged. Their venomous interplay is fascinating. It doesn’t help that the party favors are loaded guns! For most of the film, we’re left in suspense as to whether the house is truly haunted; yes, some of what’s going on is clearly rigged, but other bits say otherwise. And the housekeeper is way too creepy to be fully human, probably. There’s much use of the gendered term “hysteria” (Dr. Trent is especially fond of it.) Thankfully, while Nora and Lance are clearly attracted to each other, the film doesn’t try to cram in a romancesubplot.
While the acid bath introduced early on is plenty gruesome in theory, the movie is fairly tasteful when it comes to gory details. Recommended to fans of classic horror films.RELATED POSTS:
* Movie Review: The Fly (1958) * Movie Review: Electric Dragon 80,000 V * Movie Review: Chamber of Horrors * Movie Review: Carnival of Souls Related posts brought to you by YARPP.
Posted byadmin September 23, 2019September 23, 2019Posted
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Leave a comment on Movie Review: House on Haunted Hill (1959) MAGAZINE REVIEW: GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION NOVEMBER 1973 MAGAZINE REVIEW: GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION NOVEMBER 1973 edited by EjlerJakobsson
The last issue of this magazine I reviewed was from the 1950s, so there’s a considerable time gap, and we can see some definite changes in the science fiction field. For reasons unknown to me, this issue had two different covers. There was a standard painting cover, and the one on the copy I have, which shows the contents with a few of the interior illustrations. “Think Only This of Me” by Michael Kurland opens the issue. Humanity has gone to the stars, and the one thing that Earth is still valued for is its history common to all humans. So Earth has been turned into an enormous history theme park named Anno Domini. There are areas called “Centuries” where the cultures and conditions of notable eras are recreated for the amusement of tourists. Which, you know, great, but the inhabitants of these Centuries are brainwashed to believe that they’re actually living in those times and strictly controlled not to break the illusion. And there’s no indication that they were given any choice about becoming theme park attractions. I have some serious ethical qualms about this. But that’s not the focus of the story. Christopher Charles Mar d’Earth is a member of the Parliament of Stars who’s getting burned out at his job, so takes a vacation in Anno Domini. While in the Seventeenth Century, he meets a fellow tourist, Diana Seven. She’s expert at combat, given to philosophical questioning, and well-informed in some areas while being startlingly naive. They becomelovers.
And then the story gets icky. It seems that Diana is a genetically engineered super-soldier, who looks twenty due to forced aging, and with the equivalent of an adult education, but chronologically twelve. She’s been put on a long leash by her creators so that she can spend a couple of years learning to interact with more normal humans before going full time as a government operative. Now that Christopher knows her circumstances, what will he do?A depressing story.
“And No Birds Sing” by William E. Wilson has factory owner Harry Norman visiting an oculist with an unusual vision problem. He’s starting to lose the ability to see people. Things he can see just fine, but people keep fading out. Sometimes it affects his hearing, too. While there turns out to be a science fiction explanation, it’s also metaphorical, or so Harry takes it. This ending is more optimistic, at least in the short run. “A Suppliant in Space” by Robert Sheckley involves an alien named Detringer who has been exiled to space by his people for crimes against their culture. This coincidentally makes him the first alien contacted by human explorers. But when the humans learn of Detringer’s crimes, will justice be done? This is a comedic tale, with clashes between the civilian and military commanders of the exhibition, and a hilarious scene of the ship’s captain unleashing the reporters on a potential threat. Justice of a sort is indeed done. “Mayflower II” by Ernest Taves is set in the very near future (you can tell by the technology) as two married couples are sent to a lunar research station to see if babies can be conceived on the moon. This one’s more about the human drama and the effects that trying for a baby and maybe not succeeding have on people and their relationships. Gets very tense at a couple of points. “Galaxy Bookshelf” by Theodore Sturgeon reviews four East European SF books, and Robert A. Heinlein’s _Time Enough for Love_. Mr. Sturgeon appreciates the work of Stanislaw Lem. “Some Joys Under the Star” by Frederik Pohl has Earth attacked by an alien empire with a device that creates joy to make us unable to fight back when they invade. It doesn’t turn out as they expect. Seventies social and political satire are on display here. “Eclipse Expedition Into the Sahara” by Ernest Taves is a fact article about the June 30, 1973 solar eclipse and efforts to study it. The highlight of the issue, and recommended for fans of science and the history of science. It comes with a photo spread, and a mini-bioof the author.
“The Dream Millenium” by James White is part two of three. Dr. John Devlin is effectively captain of a hibernation ship seeking out a new planet for the remnants of humanity to live on. He’s spent most of the trip in suspended animation himself, dreaming of past lives (but are they _his_ past lives?) and awakening only for evaluation of prospective homes and emergencies. Things aren’t going so well. The first few worlds passed by were all unsuitable for one reason or another, the hibernation may be causing mental instability, and it’s beginning to look like the ship won’t last until the projected end of the journey. Not that the doctor had a bright future at home. Earth had become a dystopia, with male inhabitants divided between gun-toting “citizens” and unarmed “sheep”, while women were essentially property. Constant gun violence and terrorism were the norm. Pollution and overpopulation were certain to lead to total societal collapse inthe near future.
This story suffers from being the middle section of a three-parter. Most of this part is taken up with flashbacks to the Earth and an elaborate dream sequence in which a king slowly slides from honor into deceit. However, Dr. Devlin and his love interest Yvonne do find a solution to one of the problems plaguing the voyage. “By the Seashore” by R.A. Lafferty rounds out the issue with a bizarre tale about a boy who finds a seashell. Or is it that the seashell finds him? This one’s heavy on the quirkiness. Again, I enjoyed the fact article best, but the Sheckley and Pohl stories were also very good. The Taves is the best of the seriousstories.
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Posted byadmin September 21,2019
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Leave a comment on Magazine Review: Galaxy Science Fiction November 1973 BOOK REVIEW: WOLF OF THE TESSERACT BOOK REVIEW: WOLF OF THE TESSERACT by Christopher D. Schmitz Claire Jones is excited about her upcoming marriage to hot movie star James, who she’s known since they were in high school together in Duluth, Minnesota. Her best friend and bridesmaid to be Jackie is also pretty enthused. Not so happy is the other bridesmaid, Vivian, James’ half-sister, who once paid a dude to put a snake in Claire’s locker. But when a homeless man who appears to be yet another high school acquaintance, Rob, shows up and warns Claire of danger, the wedding might have to be put on hold. It seems that Earth is actually a backwater world in the tesseract-shaped multiverse, and there’s been an invasion of the Prime world. Princess Bythia has been captured by the renegade sorcerer Nitthogr, who wants to get the key to a multiverse-controlling device from her. Failing that, he’ll get the key by marrying Bythia’s only remaining dimensional counterpart, Claire. Or if neither of those plans work out, there’s always summoning the agod Sh’logath to destroy everything. Opposing Nitthogr and his forces is Zabe, as far as he knows the last survivor of the Guardian Corps, and sweetheart of Bythia. He’s a wolf-shifter, and since he can’t get to Bythia right now, Zabe (whose dimensional counterpart is or was Rob) must concentrate on protecting Claire. This is made more difficult since Claire is wearing a magical device that makes her fear wolves and feel affection for James, who has at some point been killed and replaced with dimensional counterpart Nitthogr. The good: Some nice worldbuilding, and there are a couple of good callbacks late in the story. I especially like that Sh’logath points out that from its point of view, the god that replaced it and created reality as the characters know it is the agod. (Except that Sh’logath may not have non-existed before it was called into non-being. Long story.) I also enjoyed that there were multiple enemy factions with slightly differing long-term goals. Less good: Jackie feels for most of the story to be the wacky best friend who’s a bit less attractive and more man-hungry to make Claire look better by comparison. (Vivian’s a bit more complex.) Claire is rendered effectively useless for a long section of the story. All Earth spirituality turns out to be a mask for the true Prime world magic, and this is how an Ojibwe shamaness gets involved briefly, which feels a bit shady. Nitpick: All the versions of the cover I’ve seen have Claire with a horizontal face wound, while in the story itself, the wound isvertical.
Honestly, I became distracted by logistics. Several of the Earth characters grew up together and attended the same high school, and their dimensional counterparts could be the same age, but Nitthogr is far older than the other characters so how does that match James? And when precisely did the kill/replace happen so that no one noticed? Also, Nitthogr/James is running an invasion army and doomsday religion in the Prime plane, while simultaneously leading a doomsday cult on Earth, having a movie star career, and romancing Claire. Where does he find the time? (Much the same could be said of another character withsimilar issues.)
The back cover blurb on my edition gives away an important plot development late in the story, so beware. Also, while this volume is self-contained enough to stand well on its own, you should be aware it’s the first of a series. Recommended for those that like a little paranormal romance in with their fantasy adventure.RELATED POSTS:
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Posted byadmin September 15, 2019September 15, 2019Posted
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Leave a comment on Book Review: Wolf of the Tesseract MOVIE REVIEW: THE FLY (1958) MOVIE REVIEW: THE FLY (1958) directed by Kurt Neumann Helene Delambre (Patricia Owens) has killed her husband Andre (David Hedison), crushing his head and arm in a hydraulic press at the electronics plant he co-owns with his brother Francois (Vincent Price). This comes as a great shock to everyone who knows the couple, as they seemed so happy together. Admittedly, no one had seen much of Andre in the last few months, but no one believes they quarreled. And they have a lovely son, Phillipe. Our title character! Helene collapses from nervous shock, and her doctor prescribes bed rest, so the police inspector has a police nurse look after her. Helene seems obsessed with capturing, not killing, any flies in the house. Does this have anything to do with the fly “with a white head” Phillipe reports seeing? This film was adapted by James Clavell (of _Shogun_ fame) from a short story by George Langelaan which originally appeared in the _Playboy_ magazine. It’s fairly faithful to the story, maintaining the “mystery” framework but shifting the action from Paris to Montreal to keep the French names but have everyone speak inEnglish.
Eventually, there’s a long flashback to the part that’s famous, as Andre invents a teleportation device, tests it on himself, and makes a horrible blunder. This leads to both his death at the beginning of the movie, and another death at the end, in the most famous scene of themovie.
This was actually my first time seeing the full movie in color, as opposed to the TV cut on late-night black and white. Treating the transformation as a mystery allows the film to use the monster makeup sparingly, a good thing considering the limitations of 1958 special effects. The reveal is effective, and would definitely have been shocking to audiences of the time. Vincent Price is understated in a role that started his transition from playing urbane, worldly supporting characters to being a horror movie star. Patricia Owens is the one who has to do most of the heavy emoting as Helene, especially after Andre becomes mute. The kid who plays Phillipe does the best he can with the material, and sets up thesequel hook well.
There’s a bit of period sexism–Andre is able to devote himself to weeks in the lab inventing because he has a wife and housekeeper keeping everything else running smoothly. And he’s clearly filled Phillipe’s head with some dubious ideas about women. Recommended for horror fans who like a slow burn. If you want to just get to the part where the main character gets fused with fly DNA, the David Cronenberg remake may be more your speed.RELATED POSTS:
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Posted byadmin September 11, 2019September 11, 2019Posted
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Leave a comment on Movie Review: The Fly (1958) MANGA REVIEW: BERSERK VOLUME 39 MANGA REVIEW: BERSERK VOLUME 39 by Kentaro Miura Note: This post contains SPOILERS for previous volumes of the series. Quick recap: Guts, the Black Swordsman, cuts a swath across the demon-infested country of Midland. Once a member of the famous Band of the Hawk, until they were betrayed by their leader (and Guts’ best friend) Griffith and sacrificed to allow Griffith to gain demonic power, Guts now journeys to heal the mind of his lover Casca, blasted during the Sacrifice. Despite his surly nature and the danger associated with his presence, Guts has gained a group of traveling companions who have helped him heal a bit emotionally. At last, the ragtag bunch of misfits have landed in Elfheim, Puck and Ivalera’s homeland. It’s been a long journey, but they aren’t done yet! Witches are on watch for intruders, and send minions to fight Guts and company. Fortunately, the misunderstanding is cleared up when Archmage Gedfring arrives to explain that he was told theywould be coming.
Turns out that a peaceful colony of magic-users shares the island with the Fair Folk, isolated from the world but able to sense the mystical disturbances beyond. For the first time in many months, our protagonists are able to relax and take in the wonders around them. Magnifico’s plan to sell the elves for profit fails immediately, and we meet Danann, Queen of the Flower Storm. The fairy queen agrees to help cure Casca, but can only facilitate the process by granting young witch Schierke and apprentice Farnese access to Casca’s dreams. They will have to navigate her dark memories and the trauma that broke Guts’ lover in order to heal her mind. And considering the monsters in Casca’s mind, this will be no walkin the park!
The art as always is detailed and excellent, with impressive splash pages of both fairyland beauty and hellish mindscape. This volume’s plotline allows for some relatively quiet and contemplative moments, and the personality growth of some characters is mentioned. (On the other hand, Puck is considered just as annoying in his hometown as abroad.) Guts even has time to consider that even if Casca is restored to sanity, their relationship may be beyondrepair.
The new character most likely to be appearing after this arc is Morda, a witch in her late teens or early twenties who’s bored with peaceful study and wants to see the dangerous outside world. Given her amoral attitude and the use of a wicker man as an attack puppet, Morda might not be joining the good guys. In many ways, this is a nice breather volume before we plunge back into the all-violence more typical of the series. Highly recommended if you’ve enjoyed earlier parts of the series. And here’s the opening of the 2016 anime!RELATED POSTS:
* Manga Review: Berserk Volumes 31 & 32 * Manga Review: Oh My Goddess! Volume 27 * Manga Review: Alice & Zoroku Volume 1 Related posts brought to you by YARPP.
Posted byadmin September 8, 2019September 8, 2019Posted
inmanga Tags: cherry blossoms, constructs
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Leave a comment on Manga Review:Berserk Volume 39
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