In this new version of Ghost in the Shell, Scarlett Johansson plays cyborg Major Motoko Kusanagi. Basically, the Major is a robot with a human brain. The Major works for Section 9, a Japanese defense agency focused on dealing with terrorism. And, for a country that strictly controls guns, there’s a vast array of weaponry in Ghost in the Shell. My favorite is the “spider tank.” Ghost in the Shell explores issues of identity and memory. And corporate corruption. There’s been some controversy about the casting of Scarlett Johansson as the Major instead of an Asian actor. This seems like a phony argument to me since the Major is basically a machine without sex or race. And, of course, I’m a big fan of Scarlett Johansson.

If you’re in the mood for an action movie with philosophical questions, Ghost in the Shell is the film for you. Some fans of the original 1995 animated version might not like that fact that the original ending has been changed to allow for a possible sequel. GRADE: B

I love the appearances of new teams in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament’s FINAL FOUR. Gonzaga is here for the first time. So is South Carolina. Oregon hasn’t been in the FINAL FOUR since 1939–78 years! And, of course, North Carolina is looking for redemption after Villanova beat them last year with a buzz beater. Gonzaga is favored over the Gamecocks by 6 points. North Carolina is favored over the surprising Ducks by 5 and 1/2 points. I’ll be rooting for the Ducks and the Gamecocks (I love underdogs!). Who will you be rooting for?

No, this is not a tale of Art Scott’s golf game. The Horror on the Links is the first volume of the complete tales of Jules de Grandin, Seabury Quinn’s detective of the supernatural. Like the Golden Age investigators like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, Jule de Grandin has his methods to solve mysteries. But, his mysteries usually involve magic, or voodoo, or the occult, or the supernatural. This first volume of tales presents the short stories in chronological order so you can see the development of Jules de Grandin as a character and Seabury Quinn as a writer. Many of these stories have been unavailable for years. I applaud Night Shade Books for bringing these wonderful stories back into print. I can’t wait for Volume Two! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
iNTRODUCTION–George A. Vanderburgh and Robert E. Weinberg
1925
The Horror on the Links (Weird Tales, October 1925)
The Tenants of Broussac (Weird Tales, December 1925)
1926
The Isle of Missing Ships (Weird Tales, February 1926)
The Vengeance of India (Weird Tales, April 1926)
The Dead Hand (Weird Tales, May 2926)
The House of Horror (Weird Tales, July 1926)
Ancient Fires (Weird Tales, September 1926)
The Great God Pan (Weird Tales, October 1926)
The Grinning Mummy (Weird Tales, December 1926)
1927
The Man Who Cast No Shadow (Weird Tales, February 1927)
The Blood-Flower (Weird Tales, March 1927)
The Veiled Prophetess (Weird Tales, May 1927)
The Curse of Everard Maundy (Weird Tales, July 1927)
Creeping Shadows (Weird Tales, August 1927)
The White Lady of the Orphanage (Weird Tales, September 1927)
The Poltergeist (Weird Tales, October 1927)
1928
The Gods of East and West (Weird Tales, January 1928)
Mephistophele and Company, Ltd. (Weird Tales, February 1928)
The Jewel of the Seven Stones (Weird Tales, April 1928)
The Serpent Woman (Weird Tales, June 1928)
Body and Soul (Weird Tales, September 1928)
Restless Souls (Weird Tales, October 1928)
The Chapel of Mystic Horror (Weird Tales, December 1928)

Before The Supremes, there was Martha Reeves and The Vandellas. I was just a teenager back in 1964 when I first heard “Dancing in the Street” (written by Marvin Gaye, William “Mickey” Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter). It made me want to go dancing in the street, too! Martha Reeves and The Vandellas also had me singing in the shower with “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave.” What an infectious melody! And I am always moved when I hear Martha Reeves and The Vandellas sing “Quicksand.” These are songs that made up part of the soundtrack of my Life back in the Sixties. What’s your favorite song by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas? GRADE: A
SET LIST:
1. Dancing In The Street 2:40
2. Nowhere To Run (Mono) 2:49  
3. Jimmy Mack 2:52  
4. My Baby Loves Me (Mono) 3:05  
5. In My Lonely Room (Mono) 2:27
6. I’m Ready For Love 2:57  
7. (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave 2:45  
8. Come And Get These Memories (Mono) 2:22  
9. Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things) (Mono) 2:54  
10. Quicksand (Mono) 2:37  
11. Honey Chile (Mono) 257

For the past couple of months, Diane and I have been watching Legion on the FX network. Legion is based on a MARVEL comic book series. David Haller is in a mental hospital. David has has “problems” all his life. But, a group of mutants show up to spirit him away. David learns he is a powerful mutant, but he has to learn how to control his powers. And, later, we find out what is causing David’s problems. Legion can be confusing and mystifying at times, but if you stay with it, you’ll find plenty to like about this unconventional series. Dan Stevens (who stars as the Beast in the hit movie Beauty and the Beast) is excellent as David. Jean Smart plays the leader of the mutants. I really like Rachel Keller who plays David’s “don’t touch me!” girlfriend, Sydney Barrett. Bill Irwin excels as Cary Loudermilk, a scientist with a dual body. Noah Hawley does a brilliant job running this series. FX renewed Legion for a second season for March 2018. GRADE: A

I first saw City Lights 40 years ago at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. There was an active Film Society at UW-Madison that showed movies almost every night of the week. And, only charged a $1.00 admission. Whenever I had a chance, I’d watch these classic films (no Turner Class Movies back then!). I’ve seen many of Charlie Chaplin’s films and City Lights is my favorite. Chaplin is perfect as the little Tramp. Yes, the mawkish plot with the blind girl is a bit much, but there’s enough humor with the eccentric millionaire and the drama of the boxing match to carry the film. City Lights was released in 1931. This Criterion edition of the film includes commentary on Chaplin and his work as well as a excerpt of Chaplin’s short film, The Champion from 1915. Also included are the trailers for City Lights. If you haven’t seen this classic lately, the Criterion version is the one to watch. What’s your favorite Charlie Chaplin film? GRADE: A

“Lately I’ve been thinking about the allure of suicide again…” (p. 3). This is the first line of Daphne Merkin’s book about her battle with depression. Merkin was hospitalized for depression three times: once for childhood depression, the second time for severe postpartum depression, and later, when her mother died. Merkin shares her experience of depression beginning in her childhood. She isn’t shy about her sexual experiences (which sometimes lifted her depression…other times made it much worse) and her sadomasochism. I found it difficult to read about Merkin’s many therapists and psychopharmocologists. The litany of drugs and “treatments” also made me dispirited. I’ve read Daphne Merkin’s excellent articles in the New York Times, Vogue, The New Yorker, and a dozen other newspapers and magazines over the years. I admire Merkin’s courage in her struggle against depression. But I feel very sorry for her. GRADE: B+

For over 25 years I bought music CDs at Record Theatre. As I wandered down the aisles of great music over the years, I had the feeling Record Theatre might end up being the last record store in Buffalo. When the Internet arrived in the 1990s with “file sharing,” music CD sales started to slide. When APPLE introduced iTunes, CD sales tanked. Record Theatre tried to diversify its product offerings by selling DVDs and Blu-rays in addition to music CDs. And, they always had a small section of the store devoted to vinyl records (that section would grow over the past five years). But even loyal customers like me ended up buying 90% of our music online, usually through AMAZON.com. So after along run of selling music, Record Theatre is closing its doors today. Like the closing of a book store, the closing of a record store makes me sad. Are any record stores still operating where you live?

When I’m puttering around in my basement with my books, I like to listen to music. Up until last week I was playing CDs on Katie’s old Sony boombox from the 1990s. But the right speaker of Katie’s boombox stopped working. I played only mono CDs for a while, but decided I needed to buy a new boombox. By coincidence, the Wall Street Journal recommended a boombox: the Sony CFD-S70. You can read the review here. If you’re looking for an inexpensive ($59.95) boombox with plenty of features and good sound, this is the boombox you should be considering! GRADE: A

Audrey Parente started working on Once a Pulp Man back back in 1988. She interviewed Judson P. Philips (aka, Hugh Pentecost) several times and even spent three days going through his business records relating to his publishing activities. Then, a series of roadblocks prevented Audrey Parente from finishing her book as planned in 1995: the publisher, Starmont House went under when the owner, Ted Dikty, died. Audrey Parente’s next publisher for Once a Pulp Man, Borgo Press, went under, too. So Parente shelved her project and became a full-time journalist for The Daytona Beach News-Juournal for the next 20 years.

When Parente retired in 2012, she encountered Judson Philips’ son, Dan, and got re-energized to finish the Once a Pulp Man book. The book was published in 2016 by Bold Venture Press. If you’re a fan of the Hugh Pentecost mysteries (or the Judson Philips books) Audrey Parente supplies plenty of facts about the fiction output of a prolific author. Audrey Parente provides plenty of information about the pulp fiction industry. You’re not going to find a more complete bibliography of the Philips/Pentecost books and stories. I loved all the cover artwork! Books like Once a Pulp Man are labors of love. It’s clear that in this case, Audrey Parente loved her project. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
I. Meet Judson P. Philips: By Bernard Drew 7
II. Preface 13
1. Where Did the Pulp Man Go? 21
2. Who Was the Lonely Boy? 41
3. Hugh Pentacost Rises 73
4. Will the Real, Real Judson Philips Please, Please Sign In? 89
5. Women Troubles: The Loss of Hope 123
6. The Playhouse 155
7. The Editors 175
8. The Series Characters 193
9. On Foreign Reprints and Translations 201
10. The Newspapers 207
11. The Rest of Story 215
III. Bibliography 223
Pulps 223
Anthologies, Digest, Magazines, Periodicals, Misc 237
Radio, Scripts, Plays 271
IV. An Interestin g Prequel 275
V. About the Author 283