fiction – Page 6 – Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old

Review of “The Car” 1977

Recovering from “mild” cases of Covid, the dearly beloved and I watched this silly movie last night. We’re doing a lot better, mostly coughing up an occasional lung and sleepy. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, though. Plot:The film opens with a reworked “Dies Irae,” “Day of Wrath” perhaps by Thomas of Celano, according toContinue reading “Review of “The Car” 1977″

Review of “Attack the Block” (2011)

This was our Saturday pizza and bad movie night movie, a little something different. I’m glad it came with subtitles. Plot:On Guy Fawkes Night in South London, nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker) walks home after work, on the phone to her mother, explaining that she got stuck at work. Young gang members— Pest (Alex Esmail), DennisContinue reading “Review of “Attack the Block” (2011)”

Review of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” 2022

This was a different sort of Saturday night pizza and bad movie fare for us. The dearly beloved took a recommendation from The Critical Drinker (more on him at a later date), who spoke highly of the flick. Plot: The opening scenes tell a fairy tale about a star that fell to earth, scorching aContinue reading “Review of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” 2022″

Review of “The Thing with Two Heads” (1972)

This was our Saturday pizza and bad movie offering. Garlic pizza. Yum. But, aside from that, I remembered watching this flick on something called broadcast television back in the day. It’s one of those movies that’s so bad it’s almost good. Plot:Brilliant surgeon and icky racist Maxwell Kirshner (Ray Milland) is dying but wants hisContinue reading “Review of “The Thing with Two Heads” (1972)”

Review of “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy” (1955)

Some weeks ago, Svengoolie disappeared without explanation when the masterpiece discussed below was scheduled. We were looking forward to it as something silly, so the dearly beloved found it at the library. Silly is what we got. Plot: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are for some unexplained reason in Cairo and looking for a wayContinue reading “Review of “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy” (1955)”

Review of “The Old Dark House” (1932)

This is our latest Saturday night pizza and bad movie offering. Last week, Svengoolie was unavailable. The cable channel has not explained. Oh, well. The dearly beloved found the film scheduled for then, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, through the library. It should arrive shortly. This week’s film is a bit less cheery. Plot:Continue reading “Review of “The Old Dark House” (1932)”

Review of “Island of Lost Souls” (1932)

This is our Saturday pizza and bad movie offering, a flick that got banned, censored, and clipped back in the day. While there’s no sex or nudity, there is some violence. Mostly, it’s heavy and depicts cruelty. It’s not one for the kiddies. We watched it with Svengoolie. Plot: While traveling to meet his fiancée,Continue reading “Review of “Island of Lost Souls” (1932)”

Review of “A Simple Ad” (2019)

Thoughts:This is a very short film inspired by a six-word micro-short story attributed to Ernest Hemingway. The opening credits roll over shots of a bookcase with family pictures—a baby, a little boy, and a wedding, among others. The viewer hears “Suo Gan,” a lovely traditional Welsh lullaby sung by the Choir of King’s College. ItContinue reading “Review of “A Simple Ad” (2019)”

Review of “At the Earth’s Core” (1977)

Svengoolie was a rerun once again, so we went to Mystery Science Theater for this gem, an adaptation of an Edgar Rice Burroughs work. Plot: Against a backdrop of Victorian Great Britain, scientist Dr. Abner Perry (Peter Cushing) oversees the building of a giant earth-boring machine, “the iron mole.” Accompanying him on its test run throughContinue reading “Review of “At the Earth’s Core” (1977)”

Review of “Romancing the Stone” (1984)

Our Saturday night pizza and bad movie movie was in color for a change. And our usual place for pizza procurement changed hands, which included a big jump in prices. I asked if that meant a pay raise for the worker bees, not realizing I was talking to one of the new owners. He laughed.Continue reading “Review of “Romancing the Stone” (1984)”