Posts

Movie Review: The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre (1964)

-
Image
Synopsis: When her blind husband begins receiving phone calls from his dead mother and she herself begins to see apparitions, Vivia Mandore enlists help from architect and paranormal investigator Nelson Orion. At first, Orion is skeptical and thinks it's a hoax, possibly to scare Henry Mandore into selling his estate. However, after witnessing supernatural events and realizing they are centered around Vivia, he begins to believe they are connected to an unsolved murder. Who's in it? The movie stars Martin Landau , Diane Baker, Judith Anderson , Tom Simcox and Priscilla Morrill. Review: I came across The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre a couple weeks ago and thought it looked interesting enough to add to my library. I decided to watch it this morning, and it turned out to be both entertaining and surprising. My first expectation of this movie is the ghost would turn out to be nothing more than an elaborate and cruel hoax. The phone calls from the tomb could have been placed by anyo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Movie Review: Smart Alecks (1942)

-
Image
Synopsis: Things aren't quite right with the East Side Kids after Danny's sister, Ruth, testifies against one of their own for participating in a bank robbery and Danny himself collects a reward for capturing a wanted criminal, Butch Brocalli, and doesn't immediately share it. Their strained friendship is then put to the test when Butch breaks out of prison and puts Danny in the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Who's in it? The movie stars Leo Gorcey , Bobby Jordan , Huntz Hall , Gale Storm and Maxie Rosenbloom. Review: As has happened to me too often lately, I had planned on watching another movie this morning but then couldn't remember what it was (stupid old age). So, needing an alternative, I once again fell back on the East Side Kids with their movie, Smart Alecks . Overall, it was an OK film, though my opinion did end up being a bit mixed. The movie's plot, once it happened, was solid. The story focused on loyalty to your friends/gang and the d...
Post a Comment
Read more

Movie Review: The Cyclops (1957)

-
Image
Synopsis: Three years after her test pilot boyfriend, Bruce, crashed in a restricted region in Mexico, Susan Winter, believing he may still be alive despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, insists on conducting a search. Despite warnings, she and three men fly into the region, which they learn has high levels of radiation. They discover the radiation has caused many of the native species to grow gigantic in size. However, their biggest surprise is the cyclops that traps them in a cave. Who's in it? The movie stars Gloria Talbott, James Craig, Tom Drake, Duncan "Dean" Parkin and Lon Chaney, Jr. Review: I had another movie in mind for this morning but while looking for that one, I came across The Cyclops . Since it had been a while since I watched a Lon Chaney, Jr. film, I figured I'd give it a try instead and wasn't disappointed. The movie is pretty much what you would expect from a 1950s science fiction film. The wild "monsters" are clearly just ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Book Review: Spooky Great Lakes by S. E Schlosser (2024)

-
Image
Synopsis: The Great Lakes have a wide variety of ghost stories passed down through generations. This book provides a collection of those stories, originating from multiple states and Canada. Review: I came across Spooky Great Lakes at my local library, while familiarizing myself with their temporary location after coming in to get a book that was on hold. It sounded interesting, mostly because I recognized a few of the Wisconsin cities mentioned, so I added it to my checkout. After reading it, my opinion was mixed. The book offers a good collection of ghost stories; some told in first person and others in third person. This included stories of ghost ships and face-to-face interactions with ghosts on land. Some of the backstories behind the ghosts were equally as interesting, including one involving a brutally murdered man. The reason I say my opinion was mixed was the book, while entertaining, also felt incomplete. It's a nice compilation of stories and I'm as open minded as...
Post a Comment
Read more

Book Review: Can You Ever Forgive Me by Lee Israel (2008)

-
Image
Synopsis: After finding herself living in poverty after one of her books was a failure, author Lee Israel found a second and lucrative career selling signed letters from Dorothy Parker, Louise Brooks and other celebrities. There was just one problem, most of those letters were forgeries. This autobiography tells Israel's story from her first sale to her arrest and conviction. Review: I was looking for another book in my library's online catalog when I came across Can You Ever Forgive Me? I will confess, I had no idea who Lee Israel was, nor had I heard about what she did. However, the book seemed interesting enough to give it a try. Overall, it ended up being a good read. I will confess, I had some doubts about an autobiography written by a convicted forger, mostly because I figured it would either just be an attempt to prove their innocence (or at least try to justify their crime) or would be nothing more than a way to profit off their crime. After reading it, the book felt ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Movie Review: The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

-
Image
Synopsis: When a meteorite crashes in rural Wisconsin, it opens a door to another dimension. Soon after, local residents are terrorized by giant, man-eating spiders. Their only hope is closing the dimensional door to prevent even more monsters from escaping. Who's in it? The movie stars Steve Brodie , Barbara Hale, Alan Hale, Jr ., Robert Easton, Diane Lee Hart and Kevin Brodie. Review: It had been a long while since I last watched The Giant Spider Invasion so, when I came across it on Amazon Prime and realized it too was celebrating its 50th birthday, I made sure to add it to my list. My wife and I watched it today and it was about as I remembered it. The special effects were about what you would expect to see from a movie in this genre made in the 1970s. While there were some very creepy moments involving the smaller spiders (and a few gross ones too), the giant ones were a bit on the ridiculous side. However, the movie's dialog, especially from the sheriff (Hale, Jr.) ma...
Post a Comment
Read more

Trail Camera Photos (10/2/2025-10/3/2025)

-
Image
I didn't have the same variety I had earlier in the week, but there was still quite a bit of trail camera activity last night, including multiple visits from some of our furry neighbors. Here are some of the photos:
Post a Comment
Read more