Fine Stories and Other Wordy Tidbits
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)
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
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 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 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
What with all the historical nonfiction I've been reading the past couple of months, I eventually decided it was time to take a break and pick up some good old-fashioned fantasy, one of my most preferred genres. And let me tell, this book reminded me how much I missed it. It’s possible you haven’t heard … Continue reading Book Look: Ranking Every Short Story in “The Last Wish”
"To a new world of gods and monsters!" By 1935, Universal had been making horror films for about ten years. Their world of gods and monsters wasn't terribly new in that respect. What was new, however, was the experiment they were about to undertake. Up to this point, Universal's horror films had all been standalone … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935)
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... The Pioneers by Katharine Susannah Prichard So far, the historical fiction we've found here on PG has ranged from in-depth informational texts to Hans of Iceland punching wolves and bears. With a title like The Pioneers, it could go either way. But this book, upon some examination, manages to … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #16
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... Shapes of Greek Vases by the Metropolitan Museum of Art "Ah, now this takes me back to my days as an art history student," I say, as if those days were carefree in any way and also more than two or three years ago. But seriously, one of the … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #15
Imagine there's a person sitting right behind you, watching your every move, that you can't see. You might not be able to prove it to a third party, or even to yourself. But you know that person is there, and that person knows that you know and is relishing every moment of your discomfort. They … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Invisible Man” (1933)
