What's New
23 Mar 25
We've only got a couple films this week because manga is back on the menu. Let's get those movie reviews out of the way first. First we have the excellent stage-to-film adaptation of Glengarry Glen Ross, for which I have to bite my tongue not to make comments about certain members of the cast. Then we have the far less excellent but still decently funny 2008 film remake of Get Smart. For our manga, rather than resuming old coverage (which has been so long that I actually need to go back and reread it all), we're going to start covering three new series that I've read more recently. We kick things off with the first volume of Dandadan, Too Many Losing Heroines! and Interviews with Monster Girls. Picking the old stuff back up is going to take a little time, so it'll be quicker for now to move forward with the new stuff then circle back to get the rest later. Hopefully I can keep this going for a while as the comics section is in much need of some love. Be looking for more CoP as well next week. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 12:14:34
22 Mar 25
I actually finished this week's chapter back on Monday. For this book, that's a rare feat and it's put me in a pretty good mood. I've been making respectable progress on the next chapter as well, so things bode well for the future. The finale is getting split into at least two parts, so that'll stretch out the release schedule a bit more, but an extension with actual content sure as punch beats delays with nothing to show for it. Anyway, we gear up for the big showdown in Chapter 25 of TWH. In other news, there are actually going to be manga reviews again for the first time in a good long while, so be looking forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 10:53:00
16 Mar 25
We start this week's reviews with the story of a media mogul who looked across the pond and saw some promising stuff that he wanted to promote here at home, so he commissioned a little film called Gabriel Over the White House. Next, possibly not unrelated, we gin up support for this dandy new idea called the Federal Bureau of Investigations in the James Cagney film "G" Men. Now let's lighten the mood a bit with cats in France in Gay Purr-ee. Next, we have the late great Gene Hackman with John Travolta and Danny DeVito in 1995's Get Shorty and then Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law in the now not-so fantastical look at the near future in Gattaca. We get Thursday off for the vernal equinox, so I'm going to try to get some manga reviews written and I'll be taking some time off before the new school year starts, so I hope to further work down this giant pile of manga that's been sitting around all this time. If I'm as productive as I'm hoping, we'll get back to having a regular mixed media selection for a good while. Be looking for the next chapter of TWH as well. (And I'm really going to have to start thinking about what I want to take its place.) Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 11:47:31
15 Mar 25
It feels good to actually get things done on time. I should try doing it more often. Anyway, here's Chapter 11 of RttW. I'll be getting reviews to you tomorrow, so be looking for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 12:33:34
10 Mar 25
I rather enjoy going through the years, so we'll go chronologically again this time. We start with William Holden in the 1951 love story Force of Arms and 1956's Forbidden Planet. (Yes, I know Leslie Nielsen is in it, but you're supposed to take it seriously. He used to be a dramatic actor, you know.) We then have a double-header from 1988 that couldn't be more different. Harrison Ford comes back for the Roman Polanski-directed Frantic and the Chevy Chase comedy Funny Farm. If I'm going to be making Indiana Jones jokes like last week, we close with Brad Pitt and Henry Jones III in the 2014 war flick Fury. Now, I know it probably doesn't mean anything to you, but I have my movie reviews split across four files and this week marks the completion of all my backlog in the first file. A few more months and I'm going to have to start watching more movies. ^o^ In other news, the plan is to get the next chapter of RttW out by this weekend. Let's hope I don't spend so much time playing in the peripheral materials that I actually get it done on time. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 00:34:30
09 Mar 25
I've been spending a ridiculous amount of time the past week fiddling around in the Tellus Arc peripheral materials that I nearly missed this week's deadline entirely, but considering all that, I'd say being a day late isn't too bad. Anyway, here's Chapter 3 of CoP, where we see the opposing force gear up to give our gang a hard time. I'll be getting the reviews to you on the early side of tomorrow, so be looking for that as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 10:13:26
02 Mar 25
For this week's selection of reviews, we'll go chronologically and start with the Bette Davis film Fog Over Frisco, then jump ahead 56 years to the original version of Flatliners. Next is Henry Jones, Sr. (Sean Connery) in First Knight and Junior (Harrison Ford) in Firewall and lastly, Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson in about as close to an Indiana Jones adventure as you're likely to get in a chick flick in the form of Fool's Gold. I expect to start releasing Winter 2025 anime reviews at the end of next month, so in the meantime, expect more film posts like this, but maybe I'll actually get around to picking up manga reviews again. Look for more CoP as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 15:16:49
01 Mar 25
Behold the mascot enthroned in azure. Before any other encounters with royalty can occur, though, some preparations need to be made in Chapter 24 of TWH. I'll have reviews for you tomorrow, so be on the lookout for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 13:59:31
23 Feb 25
I've been falling behind on my anime viewing, but I did finish reading Volume 4 of The Eminence in Shadow, the latter part of which is going to be hitting the silver screen at some point in the hopefully not too distant future. For movie reviews, we have both the 1950 original and the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride, the 1962 thriller Experiment in Terror, and Roger Moore trying to break his typecasting in 1980's ffolkes, or North Sea Hijack as it's known in its home country of Jolly Old England. I imagine I'll continue to go down the line in the movie review backlog next week, but I may have a surprise or two in store. Look for TWH as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 16:52:44
22 Feb 25
It's a good thing I already had this finished last time or else I doubt I would've had anything for you. It's time for Chapter 10 of RttW, where we dip our toes in the fascinating world of isekai finance. I'll have reviews for you tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 18:06:15
16 Feb 25
Do you hear the strains of "O Fortuna" rising in the background? We start our coverage with 1981's Excalibur, and then go on to my favorite Steven Seagal film (heh heh), Executive Decision. Next is the Ivan Reitman-directed Evolution, the original 1975 version of Escape to Witch Mountain, and lastly the William Holden film Executive Suite. Next week's reviews remain to be seen, but I can at least promise the next chapter of RttW. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 13:31:24
15 Feb 25
We're gearing up to begin our journey in Chapter 2 of CoP. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: JamesUTC 13:15:23