Plot: “Fishhead” is the unkind name given to the mixed-race main character who lived by swampy Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee. The lake was created by an 1811 series of earthquakes, which caused an area of land to subside and the Mississippi to flood in. Fishhead’s “half-breed Indian” mother—so the story goes—was frightened by one ofContinue reading “Review of “Fishhead” by Irvin S. Cobb: Halloween Countdown”
Tag Archives: vengeance
Review of “The Familiar” by J. Sheridan Le Fanu: Halloween Countdown
Plot: This is a case found among the papers of the (fictional) “metaphysical physician” Dr. Martin Hesselius and described by his anonymous assistant. Sir James Barton has served in the British Navy with distinction for some twenty years, particularly in the American War (American Revolution). In his early 40s now, he returns to Dublin withContinue reading “Review of “The Familiar” by J. Sheridan Le Fanu: Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Entail” by E. T. A. Hoffmann: Halloween Countdown
Plot:Our hero’s great-uncle V— works as a law agent and “Justitiarius” (other translations call him “Advocate”) for the family of Freiherr (Baron)* R—. Our hero is named V—like his great-uncle. He accompanies the elder V— to the family estates to attend to R— family business. Uncle V—’s usual rooms are unavailable, having suffered a catastrophicContinue reading “Review of “The Entail” by E. T. A. Hoffmann: Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Fog” (1980)
For our Saturday night pizza and bad movie selection, we chose a flick that started with a ghost story around a campfire. Plot: As midnight nears before the centennial of the founding of the northern California seaside town of Antonia Bay, old Mr. Machen (John Houseman) sits with a group of kids around a campfire.Continue reading “Review of “The Fog” (1980)”
Review of “Kecksies” by Marjorie Bowen: Halloween Countdown
For October 16 Plot:Two young gentlemen (so to speak) are returning from Canterbury quite drunk and obnoxious. The reader gets the impression they annoy even their horses with their attempts at singing. They’ve miscalculated, however. A storm blows up. Nothing to worry about. Sir Edward Crediton is the local landowner, and one of his tenantsContinue reading “Review of “Kecksies” by Marjorie Bowen: Halloween Countdown”
Review of “Pale Rider” (1985)
This was a departure from our usual Saturday pizza and bad movie fare, a Western with some supernatural flavor. Not to give too much away, but the bad guys got their comeuppance in spades. Or lead. Plot:In the beginning (not the last biblical reference to come), two things are happening. First, a group of menContinue reading “Review of “Pale Rider” (1985)”
Review of “The Haunting of Maddy Clare”
The Stuff: In 1920s London, Sarah Piper gets a call from the temporary agency that employs her. She must meet a man in a coffee shop for the details. Everything about this job screams no, but she is behind on the rent. Wealthy Alistair Gellis proposes an outlandish assignment. Sarah is to travel to theContinue reading “Review of “The Haunting of Maddy Clare””
Review of “Tension” (1949)
This is a slightly different take on our Saturday pizza and bad movie night, a noir from 1949. Plot: Lt. Collier Bonnabel (Barry Sullivan), standing outside the door to the homicide (“a fancy word for murder”) division, introduces himself to the viewer. He says the only way he knows to break homicide cases is tension.Continue reading “Review of “Tension” (1949)”
Review of “From Hell it Came” (1957)
This week’s Saturday pizza and bad movie night offering fit the bill in spades. The pizza was good. Plot:Staked to the ground, spread eagle, is Kimo (a Saturday matinee idol lovely Gregg Palmer), the son of the late chief of an unnamed South Pacific Island. For some reason, chickens stand watch around the unfortunate youngContinue reading “Review of “From Hell it Came” (1957)”
Review of “Fast Forgotten” by Ronald Schulte
Plot: Sometime after being struck by a truck, the unnamed narrator suffers from retrograde amnesia. He remembers the rehab. Before the accident, he was a runner. He has no memory of running, or of anything that occurred before the accident. At home, he has a trophy room and a family to corroborate it, however. HeContinue reading “Review of “Fast Forgotten” by Ronald Schulte”
Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old 