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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. 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 for

heroin possession.

PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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? Bun and Officer Hu. BOOK REVIEW: THE RAILWAY CHILDREN The kids are remarkably well-behaved, but thankfully are no angels. At various points they steal, lie, quarrel and do end runs around their mother’s instructions for the greater good. It’s even mentioned that Peter once burned Phyllis’ doll at the stake. Their hearts are in the right places, and the children manage to save a train full of 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 easy

against the

MOVIE REVIEW: THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME Movie Review: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) directed by Mamoru Hosoda Makoto thinks of herself as an ordinary high school girl, neither brainy or stupid, neither athletic or clumsy, usually good luck slightly outweighing the bad. TV REVIEW: DC SUPER HERO GIRLS (2019) TV Review: DC Super Hero Girls (2019) Barbara Gordon’s father, James W. Gordon, has decided that Gotham City is far too dangerous a place

to raise a

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 another

ship.

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

heroin possession.

against the

to raise a

ship.

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).

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).

BOOK REVIEW: GOD’S LITTLE ACRE Book Review: God’s Little Acre by Erskine Caldwell. Ty Ty Walden likes to think of himself as a good Christian. That’s why he has tithed the proceeds of an acre on his Georgia farm to the church. 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- WEBTOON REVIEW: INVINCIBLE Webtoon Review: Invincible. Markus “Mark” Grayson is, on the surface, a fairly typical teenager in his final year of high school. He studies, is interested in a girl, has a terrible part time job, and worries about living up to his father’s expectations. What makes this a bit more unusual is that Mark’s father Nolan is secretly

Omni-Man

COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MILTON CANIFF’S STEVE CANYON 1948 Comic Strip Review: Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1948 by Milton Caniff. Prior to World War Two, Milton Caniff’s primary claim to fame had been his popular adventure comic strip, Terry and the Pirates.Due to recurring phlebitis, Mr. Caniff was rejected from military service, and while having his characters joint the war effort, he also created the morale-boosting comic strip Male Call. MOVIE REVIEW: THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME Movie Review: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) directed by Mamoru Hosoda Makoto thinks of herself as an ordinary high school girl, neither brainy or stupid, neither athletic or clumsy, usually good luck slightly outweighing the bad. BOOK REVIEW: WORLD’S BEST SCIENCE FICTION: THIRD SERIES Book Review: World’s Best Science Fiction: Third Series edited by Donald A. Wollheim and Terry Carr (also printed as “World’s Best Science Fiction 1967”). The introduction to this volume of science fiction stories from 1966 mentions that there was a tendency to longer stories in the field, perhaps because many of the ideas required more

fleshing out.

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: FRANKLIN & WASHINGTON: THE FOUNDING Book Review: Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward J. Larson. Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 9, 2021

(Pamela Lincoln).

federal agent.

WEBTOON REVIEW: INVINCIBLE Webtoon Review: Invincible . Markus “Mark” Grayson is, on the surface, a fairly typical teenager in his final year of high school. He studies, is interested in a girl, has a terrible part time job, and worries about living up to his father’s expectations. 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 for

heroin 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 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

JUNE 9, 2021

(Pamela Lincoln).

federal agent.

heroin possession.

(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- BOOK REVIEW: GOD’S LITTLE ACRE Book Review: God’s Little Acre by Erskine Caldwell. Ty Ty Walden likes to think of himself as a good Christian. That’s why he has tithed the proceeds of an acre on his Georgia farm to the church. WEBTOON REVIEW: INVINCIBLE Webtoon Review: Invincible . Markus “Mark” Grayson is, on the surface, a fairly typical teenager in his final year of high school. He studies, is interested in a girl, has a terrible part time job, and worries about living up to his father’s expectations. TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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? Bun and Officer Hu. 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 BOOK REVIEW: THE GAMBLER Book Review: The Gambler by William Krasner. Ben Wulfson hasn’t been back to his home city in a while. He got called up during the war, and when he mustered out, Ben decided to operate in Miami for a while. MOVIE REVIEW: VENGEANCE VALLEY Movie Review: Vengeance Valley (1951) directed by Richard Thorpe Owen Daybright (Burt Lancaster) is the foster son of rancher Arch Strobie (Ray Collins), and foreman of the ranch. Along with his foster brother Lee Strobie (Robert Walker), he’s been out riding the winter range

for several months.

BOOK REVIEW: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Book Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The Bennet family is somewhat well off at their small estate of Longbourn–for now. But since the estate can only be inherited in the male line, and the family has five daughters with no sons, if Mr. Bennet kicks WEBTOON REVIEW: KID COSMIC Webtoon Review: Kid Cosmic “Kid” lives in a wide spot on I-70 in the American Southwest desert. There’s Mo’s Diner, a truck stop where most of the regulars have their own favorite stools, Flores Florists, the junkyard where Kid lives with his grandfather Papa G (a found objects artist), and that’s about it.

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 9, 2021

(Pamela Lincoln).

JUNE 6, 2021

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 a

federal agent.

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 a

federal agent.

heroin possession.

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 easy

against the

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 9, 2021

(Pamela Lincoln).

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

heroin possession.

against the

(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 to

review.

BOOK REVIEW: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Book Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The Bennet family is somewhat well off at their small estate of Longbourn–for now. But since the estate can only be inherited in the male line, and the family has five daughters with no sons, if Mr. Bennet kicks MOVIE REVIEW: VENGEANCE VALLEY Movie Review: Vengeance Valley (1951) directed by Richard Thorpe Owen Daybright (Burt Lancaster) is the foster son of rancher Arch Strobie (Ray Collins), and foreman of the ranch. Along with his foster brother Lee Strobie (Robert Walker), he’s been out riding the winter range

for several months.

WEBTOON REVIEW: KID COSMIC Webtoon Review: Kid Cosmic “Kid” lives in a wide spot on I-70 in the American Southwest desert. There’s Mo’s Diner, a truck stop where most of the regulars have their own favorite stools, Flores Florists, the junkyard where Kid lives with his grandfather Papa G (a found objects artist), and that’s about it. BOOK REVIEW: SHOT IN THE FACE: A SAVAGE JOURNEY TO THE Book Review: Shot in the Face: A Savage Journey to the Heart of Transmetropolitan edited by Chad Nevett. Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway for

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

JUNE 1, 2021

review.

PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 easy

against the

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. MANGA REVIEW: SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN 1 Manga Review: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san 1 by Honda. Working retail can be a funny business, especially if you work in a popular bookstore. Or so claims Honda, the star and creator of this autobiographical manga.

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

JUNE 1, 2021

review.

PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 easy

against the

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. MANGA REVIEW: SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN 1 Manga Review: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san 1 by Honda. Working retail can be a funny business, especially if you work in a popular bookstore. Or so claims Honda, the star and creator of this autobiographical manga.

JUNE 1, 2021

review.

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 no

Omocha.”

MAY 17, 2021

Anime Review: Demon Slayer For hundreds of years, oni (“demons” or “ogres”) have infested Japan. These monsters roam at night, finding human victims to kill and eat, usually in that order. BOOK REVIEW: GOD’S LITTLE ACRE Book Review: God’s Little Acre by Erskine Caldwell. Ty Ty Walden likes to think of himself as a good Christian. That’s why he has tithed the proceeds of an acre on his Georgia farm to the church.

MAY 9, 2021

Book Review: Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a big boom in paperback horror books, which was helped along by some truly lurid cover art that told the potential reader right up front that this was a book about, say, flesh-eating

rabbits.

COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MILTON CANIFF’S STEVE CANYON 1948 Comic Strip Review: Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1948 by Milton Caniff. Prior to World War Two, Milton Caniff’s primary claim to fame had been his popular adventure comic strip, Terry and the Pirates.Due to recurring phlebitis, Mr. Caniff was rejected from military service, and while having his characters joint the war effort, he also created the morale-boosting comic strip Male Call. TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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? Bun and Officer Hu. PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 another

ship.

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

JUNE 1, 2021

review.

PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 easy

against the

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. MANGA REVIEW: SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN 1 Manga Review: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san 1 by Honda. Working retail can be a funny business, especially if you work in a popular bookstore. Or so claims Honda, the star and creator of this autobiographical manga.

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

JUNE 1, 2021

review.

PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 easy

against the

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. MANGA REVIEW: SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN 1 Manga Review: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san 1 by Honda. Working retail can be a funny business, especially if you work in a popular bookstore. Or so claims Honda, the star and creator of this autobiographical manga.

JUNE 1, 2021

review.

Omocha.”

MAY 17, 2021

MAY 9, 2021

rabbits.

COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MILTON CANIFF’S STEVE CANYON 1948 Comic Strip Review: Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1948 by Milton Caniff. Prior to World War Two, Milton Caniff’s primary claim to fame had been his popular adventure comic strip, Terry and the Pirates.Due to recurring phlebitis, Mr. Caniff was rejected from military service, and while having his characters joint the war effort, he also created the morale-boosting comic strip Male Call. TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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? Bun and Officer Hu. PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 another

ship.

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. 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). 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 a

federal 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 for

heroin possession.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 easy

against the

TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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? Bun and Officer Hu. 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 RAILWAY CHILDREN The kids are remarkably well-behaved, but thankfully are no angels. At various points they steal, lie, quarrel and do end runs around their mother’s instructions for the greater good. It’s even mentioned that Peter once burned Phyllis’ doll at the stake. Their hearts are in the right places, and the children manage to save a train full of

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. 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). 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 a

federal agent.

heroin possession.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 easy

against the

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

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). BOOK REVIEW: GOD’S LITTLE ACRE Book Review: God’s Little Acre by Erskine Caldwell. Ty Ty Walden likes to think of himself as a good Christian. That’s why he has tithed the proceeds of an acre on his Georgia farm to the church.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. BOOK REVIEW: THE REMNANTS Book Review: The Remnants by Troy A. Skog. The humans and dwarves of Pendar have long disdained their gnomish neighbors to the south. Fast-breeding but weak and disorganized, the gnomes have never been a

threat before.

TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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? Bun and Officer Hu. COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MILTON CANIFF’S STEVE CANYON 1948 Comic Strip Review: Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1948 by Milton Caniff. Prior to World War Two, Milton Caniff’s primary claim to fame had been his popular adventure comic strip, Terry and the Pirates.Due to recurring phlebitis, Mr. Caniff was rejected from military service, and while having his characters joint the war effort, he also created the morale-boosting comic strip Male Call. BOOK REVIEW: THE BAMBOO BLOODBATH Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. BOOK REVIEW: THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy It is the height of the Reign of Terror, after the fervor of the French

Revolution

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

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. 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). 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 a

federal agent.

heroin possession.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 easy

against the

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. 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). 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 a

federal agent.

heroin possession.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 easy

against the

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. BOOK REVIEW: THE REMNANTS Book Review: The Remnants by Troy A. Skog. The humans and dwarves of Pendar have long disdained their gnomish neighbors to the south. Fast-breeding but weak and disorganized, the gnomes have never been a

threat before.

TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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? Bun and Officer Hu. COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MILTON CANIFF’S STEVE CANYON 1948 Comic Strip Review: Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1948 by Milton Caniff. Prior to World War Two, Milton Caniff’s primary claim to fame had been his popular adventure comic strip, Terry and the Pirates.Due to recurring phlebitis, Mr. Caniff was rejected from military service, and while having his characters joint the war effort, he also created the morale-boosting comic strip Male Call. BOOK REVIEW: THE BAMBOO BLOODBATH Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. BOOK REVIEW: THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy It is the height of the Reign of Terror, after the fervor of the French

Revolution

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. 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). 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 a

federal agent.

heroin possession.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 easy

against the

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. 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). 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 a

federal agent.

heroin possession.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. 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 easy

against the

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. BOOK REVIEW: THE REMNANTS Book Review: The Remnants by Troy A. Skog. The humans and dwarves of Pendar have long disdained their gnomish neighbors to the south. Fast-breeding but weak and disorganized, the gnomes have never been a

threat before.

TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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? Bun and Officer Hu. COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MILTON CANIFF’S STEVE CANYON 1948 Comic Strip Review: Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1948 by Milton Caniff. Prior to World War Two, Milton Caniff’s primary claim to fame had been his popular adventure comic strip, Terry and the Pirates.Due to recurring phlebitis, Mr. Caniff was rejected from military service, and while having his characters joint the war effort, he also created the morale-boosting comic strip Male Call. BOOK REVIEW: THE BAMBOO BLOODBATH Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. BOOK REVIEW: THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy It is the height of the Reign of Terror, after the fervor of the French

Revolution

SKJAM! REVIEWS

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.

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

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). 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 a

federal agent.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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. MANGA REVIEW: THE PROMISED NEVERLAND Manga Review: The Promised Neverland story by Shirai Kaiu, art by Demizu Posuka. Note: While I will be speaking about the ending of the manga in only vague terms, spoiler-phobic people should be aware I will be speaking about the ending. 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 another

ship.

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

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). 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 a

federal agent.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. PULP – SKJAM! REVIEWS 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. TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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. MANGA REVIEW: THE PROMISED NEVERLAND Manga Review: The Promised Neverland story by Shirai Kaiu, art by Demizu Posuka. Note: While I will be speaking about the ending of the manga in only vague terms, spoiler-phobic people should be aware I will be speaking about the ending. 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 another

ship.

JUNE 6, 2021

federal agent.

MAY 28, 2020

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes. I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. BOOK REVIEW: THE REMNANTS Book Review: The Remnants by Troy A. Skog. The humans and dwarves of Pendar have long disdained their gnomish neighbors to the south. Fast-breeding but weak and disorganized, the gnomes have never been a

threat before.

TV REVIEW: UNRIDDLE SEASON ONE 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. COMIC STRIP REVIEW: MILTON CANIFF’S STEVE CANYON 1948 Comic Strip Review: Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1948 by Milton Caniff. Prior to World War Two, Milton Caniff’s primary claim to fame had been his popular adventure comic strip, Terry and the Pirates.Due to recurring phlebitis, Mr. Caniff was rejected from military service, and while having his characters joint the war effort, he also created the morale-boosting comic strip Male Call. TV REVIEW: DC SUPER HERO GIRLS (2019) TV Review: DC Super Hero Girls (2019) Barbara Gordon’s father, James W. Gordon, has decided that Gotham City is far too dangerous a place

to raise a

BOOK REVIEW: THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy It is the height of the Reign of Terror, after the fervor of the French

Revolution

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SKJAM! REVIEWS

Book and pop culture reviews by the man known as SKJAM! MOVIE REVIEW: THE GENERAL MOVIE REVIEW: THE GENERAL (1926) directed by Clyde Bruckman. The train pulls into Marietta, Georgia in 1861. The engine known as “The General” is driven by engineer Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton). He loves his engine, but Johnnie also loves local girl Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack). The young sweethearts are just about to settle into some chaste courtship when it’s announced that war has started with the Union. Annabelle’s father and brother rush off to enlist in the army, and Johnnie not only follows, but uses a shortcut to be first in line at the recruiting office. Watering a train is hard for people who aren’t

experienced.

Johnnie’s enlistment is turned down because he has a vital civilian job as a railway engineer, but the clerk doesn’t actually tell him that. As a result, he has no explanation for the Lee family, who decide he’s a coward who refused to enlist. Annabelle cuts off relations until Johnnie overcomes his yellow belly. A year later, Captain Anderson, a Union spy, and ten picked men infiltrate the South and steal the General, planning to destroy the rail bridges between Marietta and Chattanooga, Tennessee so that the Confederate forces will lose their supply lines. As it happens, Annabelle is in the baggage car when this happens, so she is dragged along with as much delicacy as the Union men can spare. Johnnie (who’s unaware that Annabelle is involved) starts chasing the stolen

locomotive.

This 1926 silent film is less a straight-up comedy, and more of a drama that has comedic protagonists. Much of it is extended chase scenes as first Johnnie chases the stolen General, then the Union soldiers chase the General when Johnnie steals it back. The climax of the film is a pitched battle between Union and Confederate forces across the Rock River. (Actually a river in Oregon as the movie was

filmed there.)

Buster Keaton performs some spectacular stunts that are even more dangerous than they look, in addition to some regular physical comedy. The steam engine wreck is especially impressive because that was an actual bridge and train engine they’re actually wrecking, making it the most expensive movie filmed to that date. Annabelle Lee turns out to be much sturdier than her poetic namesake, taking quite a beating once Johnnie starts her rescue. She’s not the best help, being new to running a steam engine, but Annabelle’s a game woman. The movie avoids the fact that Johnnie is fighting for slavery (which is never mentioned, though a couple of black luggage haulers appear in an early scene.) Since the plot was loosely based on a real incident, Buster Keaton felt it would be pushing things too far to make the hero a Union man. Parents of younger viewers might want to talk about what actually happened during the Civil War. There’s also a scene where Johnnie loses his temper for a second and tries to throttle Annabelle. This is one of the last great silents and well worth a watch for

Buster Keaton.

* Movie Review: House on Haunted Hill (1959) * Movie Review: Tarzan the Fearless (1933) * Movie Review: The Last Tycoon (2012) * Movie Review: The Chinese Cat (1944) Related posts brought to you by YARPP

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Review: The General

COMIC BOOK REVIEW: 2000 AD SCI-FI SPECIAL 2019 COMIC BOOK REVIEW: 2000 AD SCI-FI SPECIAL 2019 edited by Tharg Artist Carlos Ezquerra was a long-time contributor to the _2000 AD_ comics series, including co-creating the popular Judge Dredd series with John Wagner in 1977. He passed away in October 2018, and this issue is designed as a tribute to him. “Night at the Museum” by Alan Grant and Robin Smith is a Judge Dredd story. Three muggers flee from the future lawman into a science fiction museum, and wind up in the Ezquerra wing. It’s mostly an excuse to reference favorite works by the artist. “Strange Meeting” by Guy Adams and Dave Kendall is set in the Fiends of the Eastern Front series, about vampires in the World Wars. It’s a dark piece about fear and vampiric recruitment. “Spector: Incorruptible” by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra is the centerpiece of the issue. This series about a police robot created to be incorruptible and more or less forced on a police force and city government that’s entirely corrupt would have been their next collaboration. Only two chapters were finished, and one scripted, before Ezquerra’s death. Spector’s an interesting character, not quite human but trying out various human traits such as humor to see if he can get the hang of them. The story is driven by the fact that the very people who employ Spector don’t want him to succeed, because then they’d go to jail. But they can’t openly be against him, because that would admit they

were afraid.

“Valhalla” by Mike Carroll and Patrick Goddard closes the issue with a story about Wulf Sternhammer, who was a supporting character in the Strontium Dogs series. A time-lost Viking, he became mutant Johnny Alpha’s partner as a bounty hunter. In this tale, taking place between stories in the original continuity, Vulf visits his old hometown only to discover that his old friends are not just dead, but forgotten, as was he himself lost to history. But perhaps one can take some pleasure in the present moment? Bittersweet. There’s also a couple of pinups by Cliff Robinson featuring Ezquerra’s characters. It’s a good tribute to a favorite artist, well worth having for

_2000 AD_ fans.

* Comic Book Review: 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2018 * Comic Book Review: Essential Spider-Man Vol. 5 * Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-ups, Volume 1 * Anime Review: Dororo (2019) Related posts brought to you by YARPP

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Leave a comment on Comic Book Review: 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2019 BOOK REVIEW: THE POCKET BOOK OF SCIENCE FICTION BOOK REVIEW: THE POCKET BOOK OF SCIENCE FICTION edited by Donald A.

Wollheim

In the introduction to this 1943 anthology, Donald A. Wollheim talks about “the theory of outrageous hypotheses” which helps science progress by asking, “this is not true but what if?” These ten stories are most assuredly fictional, but point to places to explore. “By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benet takes place in a post-apocalyptic New York State as a young priest goes on a vision quest which brings him to the ruins of a great city. It’s a story that reads simultaneously as eerily prescient (it very much seems like a post-atomic war scenario) and old-fashioned. I was surprised to learn it was as recent as 1937 because of the stately quality of the

wording.

John, son of John, learns that the dead gods were but men, and that he can walk in the City of the Gods and not die. But he also realizes that he needs to be careful how he uses this knowledge, and learn from the mistakes of the past. “Moxon’s Master” by Ambrose Bierce starts with two men discussing whether machines can think. The question is still unsettled at the story’s end, but it’s established that machines can certainly kill. Perhaps Moxon should have installed a “gracious loser” program in his chess automaton. “Green Thoughts” by John Collier is a morbid tale about a plant collector who acquires a new species of orchid that has disturbing properties. He discovers too late how the plant feeds, but that’s not the end of the story. One of those rare tales where the bad guy

wins.

“In the Abyss” by H.G. Wells takes us below the surface of the ocean in a deep-sea diving bubble. Elstead is down far too long and comes up a considerable distance from where he should have surfaced. When he returns, Elstead raves about a civilization on the ocean floor, one that is by no means human. I’m fairly certain H.P. Lovecraft read this story. “The Green Splotches” by T.S. Stribling recounts an expedition to a remote valley in the Andes, the Valle de Rio Infiernillo. The place has an evil reputation, and none of the natives will willingly go anywhere near the valley. So two condemned prisoners are pressed into service as guides with the prospect of freedom if they survive. Naturally, the expedition goes horribly wrong, almost as much due to the arrogant preconceptions of the explorers as to the danger that lurks in the valley. They probably should have turned back when they saw the human skeleton strung up. There’s a long section at the end where it’s explained “what really happened’ which stops the story dead, but is essential for the final joke. And the ending raises a question for me. The danger in Valle de Rio Infiernillo is in fact of recent origin. How did the valley originally get its fearsome reputation? “The Last Man” by Wallace G. West is a grim tale of the evil consequences of equality for women. As women gained a place in the workplace and in leadership roles, men became less and less active. When women discovered artificial reproduction, men became redundant. Now there remains only one man, a genetic anomaly thrown up by the

birthing vats.

M-1 lives in a museum, carefully preserved for the curiosity of tourists. He is mostly resigned to his fate, but resents it. What he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only genetic anomaly alive, and she’s coming for him. The sexism is strong with this story. “A Martian Odyssey” by Stanley G. Weinbaum takes place on Mars, as the first Earth expedition almost loses a man. When he returns, he has a wild tale to tell. This is one of the all-time great stories of science fiction, as it introduced Tweel the Martian. Tweel’s an exercise in creating an alien that is as intelligent as a human, but doesn’t think like a human. There’s also some imaginative ideas for other alien life forms. The ending is perhaps not the best example if we want to argue that Earthlings should not be shot on sight on other planets. “Twilight” by Don A. Stuart (pen name of John W. Campbell) has a man telling his friend about the hitchhiker he picked up, and that man’s strange tale. It turns out the hitchhiker is a time traveler from the fairly far future, who wound up in the “present day” while escaping from the very far future. Kenlin reports that he’d gone too far, to a point where the human race has exhausted itself and is dying out, slowly dwindling among the machines of their ancestors they no longer understand. This is an autumnal story, and sad if you believe in eternal progress. But perhaps not so sad if you think of the millions of years that humans had a pretty good run. “Microcosmic God” by Theodore Sturgeon has two awful people in it. One is biochemical engineer James Kidder, who creates an artificial tiny sentient race he calls the Neoterics which live at hyperaccelerated rates. He sets himself up as their god and does horrific things to make them advance their civilization so that he can set them to inventing things. The other is banker Conant, who realizes that the misanthropic Kidder isn’t paying attention to the outside world, and hatches a plan to use Kidder’s scientific toys to take over the world. But Conant hasn’t figured out that his plan has a single failure point. “…And He Built a Crooked House” by Robert A. Heinlein finishes the volume with a tale of California architecture gone horribly right. Q. Teal builds houses, and he has an idea for one that’s a tesseract (a cube extended into the fourth dimension.) He can’t literally do that, but can design a house that’s like an unfolded tesseract. Until he shows it off to the new owners during an earthquake and…something…happens that folds the house into a true tesseract. Can they escape before another earthquake destabilizes the tesseract into a new configuration? This comedic tale is one of the two places most SF fans learned about tesseracts, the other being _A Wrinkle in

Time_.

The Weinbaum and Stuart stories are the ones I liked best; “The Last Man” has issues that severely date it, and the Stribling story ending is too clunky. Most of the stories have been reprinted elsewhere, some extensively. This volume is a bit rare, so is more for the collector than the

casual fan.

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Posted byadmin November 16, 2019

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Leave a comment on Book Review: The Pocket Book of Science Fiction MANGA REVIEW: CASE CLOSED VOL. 62 MANGA REVIEW: CASE CLOSED VOL. 62 by Gosho Aoyama It’s time for yet another volume of the manga series about a teen genius detective trapped in the body of a child! We open with the conclusion of a case where Cafe Poirot’s waitress Azusa has vanished after her brother was accused of killing his boss with a rifle. Except not by shooting his boss, but by bludgeoning. Japanese firearm laws are strict! Then a judo expert friend of Eri Kisaki (dub name Eva Kadan, Ran/Rachel’s mother) requests help dealing with her husband’s stalker. She’s not convinced the stalker is real until the husband turns up dead. Eri’s estranged husband Kogoro Mouri (Richard Moore) helps out from a distance…in his own special way. Then there’s a long case where the Moore family and Osaka detective Heiji Hattori (Harley Hartwell) head to a remote village near a lake where it’s said a shinigami (_death spirit_) lurks. Conan goes missing, but Shinichi Kudo (Jimmy Kudo) turns up with amnesia. Without his memory, Shinichi seems like a different person; but is he also a

murderer now?

That resolved, Shinichi/Conan is in his grown-up form for a while, and is about to have a serious talk with Ran, but murder intervenes! The shinigami case is an emotional one, involving what looks like one of Shinichi’s few failures, which he might be resorting to murder to cover up. It’s a good story, but there’s no overall plot advancement in this volume, so can be skipped if you are just here for

the myth arc.

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Posted byadmin November 16, 2019November 16, 2019

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Leave a comment on Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 62 BOOK REVIEW: THE SHADOW #61: THE TRIPLE TRAIL & MURDER GENIUS BOOK REVIEW: THE SHADOW #61: THE TRIPLE TRAIL & MURDER GENIUS edited

by Anthony Tollin

It’s time for more exciting pulp reprints of the mystery man known

as the Shadow!

“The Triple Trail” is by Walter B. Gibson, the original Maxwell Grant. Stanton Treblaw, collector of letters written by notable people, has been contacted by the mysterious Signet. Signet is offering a rather large sum for one particular piece of correspondence, and after getting a report from an overseas detective firm, Treblaw has agreed to sell via a cryptic newspaper ad. This ad comes to the attention of the Shadow, but also to the attention of criminals. They murder Treblaw in his hotel room, but the letter they were sent to retrieve isn’t there! The Shadow and the police are soon on the case, not always at cross-purposes. Where is the letter? Who is Signet? Who is the mysterious boss of the criminals, and what was in that detective’s report? Only the Shadow realizes there are three trails that have crossed, and soon the truth will be untangled! This is an intricately plotted tale, obviously inspired by an article or book Mr. Gibson had read about the life of Cellini. Trained magician that he was, Walter Gibson knew exactly how to pull off the several reveals at the end, while having enough action every few pages to keep the audience riveted. “Murder Genius” by Theodore Tinsley is the second of four parts in the Prince of Evil sequence. Benedict Stark is one of America’s wealthiest men, with holdings in the high millions. Secretly, he’s also one of America’s most evil men, with a penchant for murder. The Shadow has figured out that Stark is a baddie, but has no solid proof. Meanwhile, Stark has become pretty sure that his fellow socialite Lamont Cranston is connected to the Shadow, but can’t quite prove

it.

After their first clash, Stark has retreated to his private island in the Bermudas. Annoyed that his secretary has fallen for a British scientist, he murders the man, making it appear that the scientist was cheating on his wife and committed suicide. But while still savoring that, Stark learns that one of his long-term schemes has gone awry. Years ago, he’d arranged for a bank he secretly controlled to give a loan to entrepreneur Andrew Marshall. The plan was to let Marshall build up a manufacturing plant, then as soon as it was profitable, ruining him and forcing the man to default on the loan. That would allow Stark to take over the company for a song on the back of Marshall’s misery. But Marshall has been too successful, and is about to pay off the loan in full. So it’s time for Stark to move directly to ruining his target, no matter how many lives it costs! Can the Shadow figure out

the scheme in time?

There’s some nice mastermind vs. mastermind in this one. The villain’s scheme is suitably horrific, though there’s a certain amount of coincidence needed to pull off the ending. Because it’s part two of four, it feels a bit incomplete. “Sargasso Club” by Alan Hathway (as “Clifford Goodrich” is a short story of the Whisperer. The Whisperer is Police Commissioner James “Wildcat” Gordon who dons a disguise to fight crime he can’t legally investigate. (And yes, he appeared before the Batman

comics came out.)

In this story, there’s been a rash of city government folks who’ve embezzled money and then vanished. Their escapes are a little _too_ perfect, with all of them being completely untraceable. Is it possible they’re all still somewhere in the city? Astute readers will figure out the trick fairly early. Pulp expert Will Murray provides essays to fill out the issue. I liked Triple Trail best; if your reading type insists on a complete story, you’ll need volumes 60-63 to find out what happens to the

Prince of Evil.

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Posted byadmin November 14, 2019

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inBook Tags: action

, bankers

, Benvenuto Cellini

, book

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Leave a comment on Book Review: The Shadow #61: The Triple Trail & Murder Genius MOVIE REVIEW: THE LAST TYCOON (2012) MOVIE REVIEW: THE LAST TYCOON (2012) directed by Jing Wong Back in the 1910s, when Chen Daqi (Chow-Yun Fat) was just a grocer’s assistant, he fell in love with aspiring actress Ye Zhiqiu (Quan Yuan). After Daqi was framed for murder, he had to flee to Shanghai, while Zhiqiu went to Beijing to join the Opera. Daqi was able to get a position with Hong Shou Ting (Sammo Hung), crime lord of Shanghai, and quickly rose in the ranks. Although he did finally come to Beijing to be with Zhiqiu, she proved unable to handle his new violent lifestyle and they wound up marrying other people. The student has become the master. Now it is 1937, and Chen Daqi is on top of the world. He’s got wealth, power, connections and a wife who is both hot and loyal. Except that this is 1937 in Shanghai, and the Japanese Army is about to attack. Oh, and Ye Zhiqiu is in town with her husband, who is an intellectual and secretly working for a certain revolutionary group. Daqi’s old “friend” General Mao Zai wants a list of the members of the group Zhiqiu’s husband supposedly has and pressures Daqi into making a connection. Plus General Nishino pf the Japanese Army would like Daqi’s help in subduing anti-Japanese resistance. Now would be a bad time for Daqi’s old enemies to resurface. So naturally they do. Treachery and violence ensues. This Hong Kong movie is very loosely based on events in the life of real world Shanghai gangster Du Yuesheng. As is common in gangster movies, Chen Daqi is turned into the stereotype of the “honorable” gangster whose illegal activities are confined to fighting and killing other, worse, gangsters. He specifically eschews certain less honorable criminal enterprises his inspiration is known to have heavily indulged in. And once Daqi does move against the Japanese, it’s a much more heroic endeavor than the real gangster ever pulled

off.

Okay, whitewashing aside, how’s the movie? There’s some fine acting by Chow-Yun Fat and Sammo Hung, plenty of well-shot violence, and the music’s good (one song won Best Original song at the Hong

Kong Film Awards.)

I especially liked Hu Gao as Lin Huai, a rival of Chen Daqui that becomes his bodyguard, and explains that his name is written with the characters for “villain.” He’s a fun person. Content notes: Implied rape, off-camera torture. Recommended to Chow-Yun Fat fans who aren’t too picky about

historical realism.

* Book Review: A Force So Swift: Mao, Truman and the Birth of Modern

China, 1949

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Posted byadmin November 13, 2019November 13, 2019

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inMovie Tags: action

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Leave a comment on Movie Review: The Last Tycoon (2012) MANGA REVIEW: URUSEI YATSURA VOL. 1 MANGA REVIEW: URUSEI YATSURA VOL. 1 by Rumiko Takahashi Have you ever had a day when a pint-sized Buddhist monk looks you in the face and tells you you have terrible luck? Ataru Moroboshi has. Repeatedly. While he’s had poor luck all his life, the young lecher’s problems really kicked into high gear when aliens invaded and he was chosen to battle their champion–in a game of tag! After much difficulty, Ataru was able to defeat the lovely _oni_ Lum, but at the cost of becoming unwillingly engaged to her. This didn’t sit well with Ataru, who’s way too young to be tied down to just one woman, and even less so with his more or less steady love interest Shinobu. Before long, other annoying aliens show up, and the Earth people are no prize either. This science fiction comedy manga was Rumiko Takahashi’s breakout hit. It’s filled with puns (most not actually translated) and Japanese folklore, as well as slapstick humor. American fans have been waiting a long time for a complete version of the manga. Back in the early 1990s, Viz Media put out a series of miniseries in a flipped format and under the titles “Lum” and “Return of Lum.” Sadly, this publication model was not a good one for the series, and it was dropped for poor sales. We’re hoping that the new Signature Edition version with two Japanese volumes per book will be able to complete its run. Legend has it that Takahashi intended for Shinobu to be the main heroine, and for a more random assortment of wacky things to happen to Ataru. Thus, the second chapter has no Lum whatsoever and Ataru must deal with a mirror devil. But Lum reappears at the end of the third chapter and never goes away for a full chapter again. Soon afterward, we are introduced to the Shinto shrine maiden Sakura, niece of monk Cherry. Ataru vacillates between coming on to the lovely slightly older woman and being terrified of her botched exorcism

attempts.

Then Lum’s ex-fiance Rei shows up, and we begin to see a bit of why she’s so fixated on Ataru. Rei’s super-handsome when he’s not in his tiger-bull form, but stupider than many rocks. This is followed by Lum dragging Ataru off to a battle between her people and the gods of luck, which results in Ataru meeting and hitting on biker goddess Benten. Another recurring alien soon appears, Neptunian ice princess Oyuki. Ataru flirts with her, too. You think he would learn, but that’s not Ataru’s style. Soon, we see the first of several possible futures for our cast when a shortcut to school turns out to be a shortcut to the school reunion. Ataru’s child is a chip off the old block. Finally in this volume, we have Princess Kurama of the crow goblin people, who manages to get hooked up with Ataru much to her disgust. Even turning Ataru mentally female doesn’t improve his behavior due to his extreme lust. Pretty much everyone in this series is some variety of jerk, with Ataru thoroughly deserving up to 70% of the awful things that happen to him because he can’t stop hitting on women or puts his stomach ahead of his brain. Lum’s a horrible person with a jealous streak a mile wide (she gets nicer over the course of the series) and Shinobu’s quick to assume the worst of Ataru. Ataru’s sexual harassment of girls and women, and the subsequent violent attacks he suffers are less funny in the 21st Century, so younger readers may find aspects of the series distasteful. The first chapter has Lum’s bikini top being stolen as a major plot point and we get to see a full view at one point. This edition comes with translation notes and mini-features about the characters and their world. Highly recommended to Rumiko Takahashi fans.

* Manga Review: The Ancient Magus’ Bride Vol. 1 * Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 2 * Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 42 Related posts brought to you by YARPP

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Posted byadmin November 11, 2019November 11, 2019

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inmanga Tags: aliens

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Yatsura Vol. 1

BOOK REVIEW: WIVES TO BURN BOOK REVIEW: WIVES TO BURN by Lawrence G. Blochman William Shakespeare Gabriel may have bitten off more than he can chew when he accepted an assignment to go to India and track down Fred Oaks. Bill’s past as a reporter may make him an excellent investigator for the Five Continents Detective Agency, but India’s a big country to track down one missing soldier of fortune in. And it doesn’t help that client Lucy Steel has insisted on coming to Shakkarpur to check up on Bill, but won’t say why she needs to meet

Mr. Oaks.

Things take a turn for the worse when Lucy turns up dead in Fred Oaks’ hotel room. The owner of Seaside House, Gwendolyn Small, claims to know nothing about the crime, but tells Bill’s fortune with cards in a way that suggests there’s more going on. Fred’s the too-obvious suspect, but although he’s being very uncooperative, Bill isn’t convinced he’s the killer. Lawrence G. Blochman (1900-1975) had been a journalist in India before becoming a mystery writer, so the experience of Westerners living in India comes across well. (Shakkarpur itself is a fictitious city, however.) It’s also a book about a very specific point in time, as the fact that Germany (and Russia) is about to invade Poland factors into Fred Oaks’ motivations. The title is inspired by the practice of _Sati_, which one character opines was probably instituted to discourage husband-poisoning, but no instances of it occur in the book. However, bigamy is a running topic. Religious strife between Hindu and Muslim citizens is important to the plot, and colonialist attitudes from the Westerners are in evidence. Gandhi gets mentioned as one of several people the younger, less traditionalist Indian generation admire. A Fascist agent gets way more sympathetic treatment than a similar character would have even two years later, a good example of how history can change attitudes. The mystery aspect is satisfying enough, but I think the real value of the book is as a period piece, capturing a moment just before the war and independence brought massive social change. I’d recommend it to mystery fans with an interest in colonial India.

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Posted byadmin November 9, 2019

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Curtiz

With October over, let’s take a look at a non-horror film! Among amateur detective Philo Vance’s (William Powell) many interests is his Scottie terrier, Captain. He’s entered the purebred canine in the Long Island Kennel Club’s dog show. Captain fails to make it into the finals. Vance is philosophical about this, but wealthy boor Archer Coe is disappointed. He’d hoped to lord it over Vance in competition. Archer is much less pleased to be competing against the dog of Sir Thomas MacDonald, love interest of his niece Hilda Lake (Mary Astor). If Hilda gets married, Archer will have to relinquish control of her considerable estate. One of these adorable dogs is about to die. But these aren’t the only people with a grudge against Archer Coe. His brother Brisbane also hated him for…reasons that are never specified but certainly could turn fratricidal. Archer’s Chinese cook Liang is actually an expert on Chinese porcelain, and had helped Archer assemble one of the world’s finest collections of that art form through means less than honorable. Liang was angered to learn that Archer planned to sell said collection to a museum in Milan. Eduardo Grassi, the museum’s agent, was infuriated when Archer suddenly backed out of the deal because Grassi had been sparking Doris Delafield, Archer’s next door neighbor and mistress, who was also dumped. Raymond Wrede, Archer’s secretary, also wants to marry Hilda but Archer did not approve, and butler Gamble has a criminal past that Archer might have been blackmailing him over. So it’s no surprise to the audience when bodies start piling up; first Sir Thomas’ terrier, then Archer Coe. Archer is found dead in a room locked from the inside, a pistol in his hand. It sure looks like suicide…until Philo Vance suggests the coroner look a little closer. Some alibis are disproven, but the pieces of the puzzle don’t seem to fit together until the very end of the film. (And one question is never answered.) Good: William Powell puts in a fine performance as Philo Vance, thankfully toned down a bit from the books. The mystery is a fun little puzzle box. Etienne Girardot is a delight as the irascible coroner Dr. Doremus, who like Dr. McCoy of _Star Trek_ likes to remind people “I’m a doctor, not a fill in the blank.” The cast as a whole is good, and the adorable Captain is kept to a few key

scenes.

Less good: Like many series with an amateur detective, the police and district attorney are incompetents who would never be able to solve a mystery without Philo Vance holding their hand the entire time. Content notes: Violence against dogs. Archer Coe turns out to be one of those people who might admire Chinese art, but is ethnically prejudiced against actual Chinese people who he no longer needs. (James Lee’s portrayal of Liang is relatively nuanced for the time period of the movie.) Overall, this is a fun old movie that I’d recommend to mystery buffs who enjoy cultured amateur detectives.

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Takes Charge

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Posted byadmin November 6, 2019November 6, 2019

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inMovie Tags: agents , amateur detectives

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Leave a comment on Movie Review: The Kennel Murder Case BOOK REVIEW: POPULAR BOOK OF WESTERN STORIES BOOK REVIEW: POPULAR BOOK OF WESTERN STORIES edited by Leo Margulies The title of this 1948 paperback may seem a trifle misleading (“if it’s so popular, why have I never heard of it?”) but makes more sense when you learn that it came out from the publishing company Popular Library. Leo Margulies, a long-time pulp editor who certainly knew what sold, picked ten stories from the Western genre that he liked and could get the reprint rights to. The introduction waxes lyrical about the Old West, then explains why he picked each story. “The Lamb of the Flying U” by B.M. Bower starts us off with an example of cowboy humor. New hand Percival Cadwallader Perkins looks and acts like a greenhorn, so the boys of the Happy Family figure they’ll pull some pranks on the boy. They don’t savvy that he’s actually “Pink” from Milk River and enjoying his own private joke. “The Orneriest Three” by Walt Coburn is a character study of human Old Zack, mule Diablo and dog Booger Face. Three of the orneriest cusses alive, and how they met and became best friends. Heartwarming

stuff.

“In the Mexican Quarter” by Tom Gill takes us near the border as young Billy decides to go to hell because he’s become convinced he isn’t good for anything else. But he’s not as ready as he thought he was to look bad in the eyes of the woman who loves him. Content note: Ethnic prejudice towards Mexicans. “Some Were Brave” by Ernest Haycox takes place in 1907, as one hundred square miles of reservation land have been taken from the natives and opened for settlers. There’s about four hundred claims to be had and over five thousand potential claimants, so the government is having a land lottery. The story follows several potential landowners, but especially Letitia “Letty” Brewerton, a girl who has just turned old enough to be included in the lottery to give her family another chance. There are good people and bad people in the town, not all of them who they

appear at first.

This story is high on the pioneer spirit, but spares not a thought for those who have been displaced so that Letty and those like her can have a new life in the West. For a modern reader, that may be

uncomfortable.

“The Saga of Ragged McLean” by James B. Hendryx is another humorous piece. “Ragged” (so called because the seat of his trousers always had holes in it) is the biggest liar in the state. Which produces a bit of a conundrum when he outright confesses to murder. There’s a bit of meta-humor in that “ragged” isn’t the man’s full nickname, but the writer won’t repeat the rest in case there’s ladies reading. “Fight at Painted Rock” by Alan LeMay is the tale behind the one notch on Gar Lacey’s gun he never knew he didn’t earn. It’s a sneaky story about an attempt to prove a man “yellow” and how it

backfired.

“Hopalong’s Hop” by Clarence E. Mulford is the one most likely to have been reprinted elsewhere, as it is the origin of Bill “Hopalong” Cassidy’s distinctive gait. Bill was just scouting out some cattle his boss was planning to buy when he’s mistaken for a hired gunslinger. Bill may not know what’s going on, exactly, but he’s a tough customer with a wily streak and an accurate gun hand. Plenty of shooting at the end. “The Timid Guy” by William MacLeod Raine has a greenhorn panic when captured by outlaws–and manage to kill two of them before escaping. Being naturally timid, he’s in a frothing worry about what to do if the rest of the gang ever catches up to him. But as we all know, courage is being afraid and doing it anyway. “The Ace and the Two-Spot” by Charles Alden Seltzer is a romantic tale of how a sheriff pulls a fast one to get around a father’s dislike of him to get married. Honestly, it’s a dirty trick and if the woman in question weren’t in on it to some extent, it would give

me the creeps.

“Clean Crazy” by W.C. Tuttle (of Tombstone and Speedy fame) brings us back to humor to close out the book, as two cowpokes decide to go skinny-dipping to bathe for an upcoming social event. They lose their clothes, which is bad enough, but at the same time the posse is looking for some naked outlaws, and none too careful about getting close enough to identify which nude person they’re shooting at! It’s pretty hilarious stuff. Best stories are “Some Were Brave” (with that caveat I mentioned before) and “Clean Crazy”, though “Hopalong’s Hop” is also

pretty good.

I don’t think this volume has ever been reprinted, so it’s something to watch for at estate sales, used book stores and checking to see if a particular story that sounds interesting is in another

anthology.

* Book Review: The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard * Book Review: Great Thrillers: 101 Suspenseful Tales * Book Review: Louis L’Amour’s Lost Treasures Volume 2 * Book Review: Tombstone & Speedy, Range Detectives Related posts brought to you by YARPP

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Posted byadmin November 3, 2019November 3, 2019

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inBook Tags: anthology

, Arizona

, bathing

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, bonding

, book

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, confessions

, conundrums

, courting

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, dissipation

, dogs

, drunkenness

, embarrassing names

, farmers

, generosity

, gunfighters

, harmonicas

, Hopalong Cassidy

, humor

, journalists

, lies

, lotteries

, manliness

, marriage

, mistaken identity

, mules

, murder

, naked people are funny

, New Mexico

, nicknames

, orneriness

, outlaws

, practical jokes

, prizes

, pulp

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, rustlers

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, town marshals

, trousers

, western

Leave a comment on Book Review: Popular Book of Western Stories

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SKJAM! REVIEWS

heroin possession.

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heroin possession.

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fleshing out.

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 9, 2021

(Pamela Lincoln).

federal agent.

heroin possession.

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 9, 2021

(Pamela Lincoln).

federal agent.

heroin possession.

(Pamela Lincoln).

for several months.

SKJAM! REVIEWS

JUNE 9, 2021