Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... Heretics and Heresies by Robert Green Ingersoll Well, you can't go wrong with a title like that. It sounds like the best/weirdest Dungeons & Dragons spin-off ever. Okay, so today's book never gets that wild. But it's interesting nonetheless, and its author is an especially interesting guy. Robert Green … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #22
Today on Project Gutenberg #21
Today on Project Gutenberg we have... Pleasures of the Telescope by Garrett P. Serviss This book comes to us all the way from 1901. It presents itself as "An Illustrated Guide for Amateur Astronomers and A Popular Description of the Chief Wonders of the Heavens for General Readers." The author, Garrett Putnam Serviss, was actually … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #21
A Brief and Boredom-Induced Guide to German Expressionist Films, Part 2
NOTE: Some of the films I'll look at in this article deal with content and themes that might be upsetting to some readers/viewers, including the deaths of children (M) and a scene of sexual assault (Variety). I won't dwell too long on such topics, but there are a few cases where I couldn't properly discuss … Continue reading A Brief and Boredom-Induced Guide to German Expressionist Films, Part 2
A Brief and Boredom-Induced Guide to German Expressionist Films, Part 1
Soooooo. Coronavirus. Quarantine. All that good stuff. Needless to say, the current global crisis is upending everyone's usual schedule. I myself was doing pretty well for once. But then, as though I'd wished on a monkey's paw for some extra free time, it all went up in a neat little puff of smoke. Hooray. But … Continue reading A Brief and Boredom-Induced Guide to German Expressionist Films, Part 1
Today on Project Gutenberg #20
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... The Strand Magazine, Vol. 27, No. 159 by various authors The Strand! One of the most famous literary magazines of its days, mainly due to one certain author and his most enduring creation. For those not in the know, The Strand was where Arthur Conan Doyle published his Sherlock … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #20
Horror Is Universal: “Dracula’s Daughter” (1936)
Again with the vampires! Since the sequel to Frankenstein turned out so well, it was only natural for Universal to also make a follow-up to their other monster hit from 1931. You may notice a similarity to Bride right off the bat -- namely, the premise of a female counterpart to the original film's antagonist. … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “Dracula’s Daughter” (1936)
Today on Project Gutenberg #19
Hello again! I hope all my readers are still in good health. With this sudden new emphasis on "social distancing" due to coronavirus concerns, it may be a bit disheartening to see our most prominent sources of entertainment being delayed or shut down one by one. But fear not! If you're desperately looking for something … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #19
Horror Is Universal: “Werewolf of London” (1935)
Let's start by establishing one thing right off the bat: no, this is not The Wolf Man. That comes later. And it's definitely not that other werewolf movie with "London" in the title. That comes way later and would also probably be five minutes long by Hays Code standards. If it somehow didn't make the … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “Werewolf of London” (1935)
Today on Project Gutenberg #18
Today on Project Gutenberg we have... The Checquers by James Runciman The full title of this book is The Chequers, being the Natural History of a Public House set forth in a Loafer's Diary. I'm going to cut right to the chase and refer to it as "Drinking Sucks And So Does Being Poor." It's … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #18
Today on Project Gutenberg #17
Today on Project Gutenberg we have... From Paper-mill to Pressroom by William Bond Wheelwright What are all the things you never knew about paper-making and didn't really care to know? Well, obviously you couldn't answer that. You don't know. But this book is here to fix that! Published in 1920, the premise of this non-fiction … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #17
