What I Watched: Roger Corman’s 1961 parody movie Creature From the Haunted Sea.
As per Rotton Tomatoes: After political unrest breaks out on a Caribbean island, scheming criminal Renzo Capetto (Anthony Carbone) sees an opportunity. He promises to transport a group of exiles out of the country while also taking part of the national treasury. Followed onto the boat by an American agent (Edward Wain), Capetto plans to kill off the exiles and explain that their deaths were from a sea monster. Then he can keep the money for himself. But this plan goes awry when the sea monster actually shows up.
From the cheesy monster to the silly dialogue, it is a movie best watched with the cocktail of choice! (Trigger warning for casual misogyny and bigotry.)
What I Read: The Magic on Main Street trilogy by K. M. Shea. The series is:
- The Lies of Vampires and Slayers
- The Games of Enemies and Allies
- The Order of Blood and Ruin
The Lies of Vampires and Slayers is the first book in the Magic on Main Street urban fantasy trilogy, and is part of the Magiford Supernatural City world. This series is packed with humor, magical fights, and a sweet, slow burn romance between a slayer who battles social anxiety and a vampire who is sick of his immortality.
It helps (but isn’t required) if you read the Magiford Supernatural City trilogy first. The series is:
- Hall of Blood and Mercy
- Court of Midnight and Deception
- Magic Unleashed
This completed urban fantasy trilogy is packed with humor, adventure, and a sweet, slow burn romance between a vertically challenged wizard and the most lethal vampire in town. The Magiford Supernatural City universe features vampires, wizards, fae, and werewolves! It is available as a set for $9.99 on Amazon.
These books hit my reading sweet spot – all good fun, some romance, low on violence, high on action. Unfortunately, the author is experiencing several serious health problems and is on a writing hiatus until at least late 2025. But – this gives you plenty of time to binge read her completed works!
What I Listened To: Benjamin Amaru – Jonny’s Lancia Feat. The Great Stoyan Duo; GIFT – Later; and Ty Segal – The Dance (Edit):
Thank you for playing Brain Drain! How are you, dearest ones? Darling DeadSplinterites, what’s going on? Please do share with us!
I’ve been watching tons of Olympics and I’ve been really enjoying it.
I’ve been meaning to go see Deadpool & Wolverine before I see all the spoilers, maybe that will happen tomorrow. I’ve been trying really hard to avoid spoilers but fucking hell, like I opened The Mary Sue the other day and saw some piece titled like “Let’s Talk about why (person’s name) is a great cameo in it” — like don’t list the actual actor/actress name, you know?
…so…I went the other day
…I know some people hereabouts don’t enjoy that animated star trek lower decks thing as much as I do & it might be a bit that way…I know it had a bit more high-def cartoon-level violence than someone I was with would have preferred…but it was pretty much exactly what I expected only somehow more so?
…it’s pretty clear reynolds isn’t the only one who really got a bit giddy when they turned him loose with a 4th wall breaking marvel character with an R-rating so…I was aware (as vaguely as I could contrive) of a few things going in but they had no shot at being the majority?
…if you’re lucky you won’t know about a few faces who show up in ways that double as punchlines but the relentless pace of gags at varying degrees of “meta” won’t give you much time to be irked before something else comes along
…I definitely know people who wouldn’t enjoy it but I barely stopped laughing…would recommend
I just want to laugh and see multiverse shenanigans.
I have friends who love the olympic skateboard stuff. The guy had a skateboard store and they entire family boards. He has some amazing decks as decor.
…haven’t seen much of it but would be interested… hopefully I’ll do better at actually managing to catch some of the breakdancing
…also…TIL that windsurfing racers have hydrofoil boards now…when did that happen?
A ton of big stars like Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, and Robert DeNiro got roles in Roger Corman movies when they were first starting out.
Based on that header photo, it looks like Cookie Monster did too.
Wow rude, I mean come on, it was before Cookie Monster got the glow-up with the makeover and veneers and learned better hair care and how to reshape eyebrows.
…been reading a few bits & pieces of the “cosmere” stuff that brandon sanderson churns out at a somewhat blistering rate
…still probably enjoy the stormlight archives ones the best but some of the stuff that’s sort of “around” those are fun…& I don’t exactly dislike the mistborn strand…they just feel a bit interchangeable with the ones about “breath” or the steelheart ones or the alloy ones or…it goes on?
Because I am a barrel of laughs, I read Founding Partisans. I loved it. I got the hardcover first edition, to ward off Amazon/Kindle takesies/backsies and future bowdlerized editions should the sensitivity readers get their hands on it. It’s fascinating, and actually very funny. The founders, while gifted lawyers, statesmen, and philosophers somewhat, were also nutty and had BIG personalities.
Right? Revered today, radical in their own day.
One of the stupid things about today’s right wing cancel crowd in the Ron DeSantis mode is that histories that are honest and factual get banned from schools.
The right wingers insist that complaining about slavery is a modern judgment which has no place in hagiographies about people like Washington, but slavery took a huge hit from within the society at that time.
But all of that feuding and fighting has to swept under the rug in order to justify Scalia style originalism.
It’s no different than the RWers of Japan who tried to hide Japan’s complicity in WW2, the 1931 invasion of China, the 1910 takeover of Korea, etc.
They feel completely blameless for everything that happened to non Japanese Asians and play the victim when it comes to being nuked and firebombed by the US. I realize most Japanese aren’t that stupid (more out of ignorance due to their education system) but I have nothing but contempt for the Japanese RW.
That’s what has always bothered me about RWers has been their dishonesty and facing the terrible truths as well as their selective playing of the victim card.
Trivia from wikipedia: Edward Wain was actually Robert “Chinatown” Towne
Keeping with our current French theme due to the Paris Olympics, we’re watching some Frenchie detective show from 2015 called Cherif. It’s basically a sexier Columbo except everybody says “oui” a lot. My wife thinks the main character is hot so I guess we’re in this for the full six seasons.
He drives a nice car too. A 70’s Peugot 504. It’s pretty much your basic econobox, but sexier (being French of course). I had one in college and it was a sweet ride, but mine smelled of weed and Italian beef sandwiches and Cherif’s probably smells like bergamot and baguettes.
With any luck and in all probability Cherif’s 70s Peugeot smells faintly of Gallic BO, strongly of Gitane or Marlboro Red cigarettes (God what I wouldn’t give to have a pack of Gitanes next to me right now) and leaded fuel. So civilized. You haven’t lived unless you’ve been in an automotive situation like this while negotiating one of the world’s scariest roundabouts, L’Etoile, which is where many avenues meet at the Arc de Triomphe.
Columbo’s old Peugot was a running joke on the show. I wonder if that’s a tribute.
https://www.cartalk.com/blogs/jim-motavalli/columbos-car-it-was-rare-and-ratty-1959-peugeot-403-cabriolet
Good point. Cherif actually makes many references to Columbo (and every other US detective show). In the episode yesterday, he went to a costume party dressed as Ponch from CHiPS.
shockingly…i havent read or watched anything
creature from the haunted sea is good fun tho….i members it…somewhat
anyways ive got 1 more week of work holiday hell left before things should ease up…..till then im not gonna have the energy to do more than find music till i fall asleep
2 people doing a 4 people job takes its toll