Movie Review: The Bat (1959)

The Bat (1959) written and directed by Crane Wilbur

Crime novelist Cornelia van Gorder (Agnes Moorehead) rents an old house called "The Oaks" for the summer. It's owned by local banker John Fleming (Harvey Stephens) who is out hunting for an extended period with a doctor friend (Vincent Price). Lots of rumors and history mark the house as one where tragedy happens. In the last year, a killer known as "The Bat" committed murders there. As a writer of murder mysteries, van Gorder is nonplussed. Her staff from the city are less aloof and most of them leave her after a day or two. They heard noises and saw a faceless man wandering the back stairs. All she has left is her chauffeur and her lady's maid.

In town, the bankers have discovered that the vault has been robbed of a million dollars in securities. The only ones with access are Fleming and Victor Bailey (Mike Steele), the assistant manager. Victor is chucked in jail. Meanwhile, Fleming and the doctor have a conversation in their isolated cabin. Fleming did steal the money and has hidden it. He wants the doctor to return to town with a mangled corpse that he will pretend is Fleming's dead body. Now that Fleming has revealed his plan, the doctor needs to play along or get shot. One of them returns to town and gets pulled into the investigation at "The Oaks," where The Bat has returned and is back to his old tricks.

The premise is interesting and the actors do a good job with their roles, throwing suspicion around on just about everybody. The story itself is a little bit too convoluted and occasional bits of dialog don't make sense, turning the tension into confusion (and not the good kind of confusion). It's a fun movie, but not as fun as I was hoping for. It's a standard B-movie thriller with a couple of surprises but nothing outstanding.

Mildly recommended.

Book Review: Unsettled by Steven E. Koonin

Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters by Steven E. Koonin

A major hot-button topic in our culture is what to do as the Earth's climate changes. Alarmists and deniers give reactions from the far ends of the spectrum. The knowledge of how the climate is shifting and what impact human actions have had is growing and showing how complex the system is. The news media in general favors the alarmists, if for no other reason than panic-inducing headlines get more readership or followers than "everything is okay" messages. The issue has become important through the sheer weight it is given. But is that weight really there?

Steven Koonin has a doctorate in theoretical physics from MIT and taught that at Caltech for thirty years. He became a scientific advisor for British Petroleum and later for the Obama Administration's Department of Energy. He spent decades researching climate science on the national and international level. His approach is to look at all of the science, actually reading reports issued by government agencies and other entities to understand their conclusions and how they came to them. He also looks at historical data about weather and climate activities. The results are eye-opening thanks to his intelligent understanding of the models and the data he has found. So many factors are involved in how climate develops, from the absorption of solar radiation to natural and man-made production of carbon dioxide to the production and consumption of energy in developed and developing countries. The climate system of the Earth is very complex and operates on a much higher level, i.e. decades and centuries, than is often looked at in popular culture, where news, entertainment, and scientific reporting look at the latest disaster and claim it's part of a big problem that needs solving. Certainly the climate is changing but realistic understandings of that change and how much we can alter our impact (and how significant that impact really is) is key to a reasonable response.

This book is written for general readership, covering the wide variety of topics in accessible ways. It has plenty of charts and scientific data to back up its claims  but not in overwhelming amounts. Koonin has spent a lot of time researching and thinking about all the different components of this topic. He presents information for the majority of the book, giving his recommendations for how to move forward in climate management only in his conclusion. His clear intent is to have a more thoroughly thought out and truly global understanding of the Earth's climate. This topic is deep and difficult and requires more information than comes from the internet or contemporary news coverage. This book is a valuable resource to be informed rather than indoctrinated.

Recommended.

Book Review: B.P.R.D. Omnibus Vol. 1 by M. Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 1 stories by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Geoff Johns, and others; art by Mike Mignola, Guy Davis, Cameron Stewart, and others; letters by Clem Robins, Michelle Madsen, and others

A series of stories featuring the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, the place where Hellboy grew up and worked for years (though he is no longer with them in these stories).

The Hollow Earth--Liz Sherman has been gone from B.P.R.D. Headquarters for a couple of years. She wanted to learn to control her powers and wandered off to a snowy monastery. But now she's in trouble and has sent a pyschic distress signal to Abe Sapien. He rushes off to find her just as he and Roger the Homunculus are considering leaving the B.P.R.D. They are joined in the snowy search by Kate Corrigan and the Bureau's newest addition, Johann Krauss, a disembodied medium who travels in an old-fashioned diver's suit. They find the monastery in ruins with a weird passage into the middle of the Earth. The adventure is interesting and Mignola's art looks great.

Abe Sapien Vs Science--Roger the Homunculus is seemingly dead and all efforts by the B.P.R.D. scientists have failed to revive him. Well, maybe not all efforts. They plan to switch over to autopsy to learn more about how Roger was made but go for a cigarette break. Abe slips in and saves the day. It's a poignant little tale that I like a lot.

Drums of the Dead--A shipping line is plagued by sharks, which is not so bad. Their real problem is when their crews hear drums in the middle of the ocean. Invariably, one or more crew members start speaking in a strange language, attack the other crew members, and jump overboard. The B.P.R.D. is called and Abe Sapien comes with a new agent (a psychic) to investigate. The story has a good blend of horror and history, making it a very good read.

The Soul of Venice--The B.P.R.D. team is dispatched to Venice, where the pipes are exploding and the water is disgusting. The supernatural cause is not immediately obvious but does stem from the ancient Roman roots of the town (as in Roman gods). The story has some good twists though it is a fair standard adventure.

Dark Waters--A Massachusetts town that's not Salem (which is nearby) is draining the town square pond, only to discover three perfectly preserved women in shackles at the bottom. They are dead but their memory brings out the worst in a few of the town folk. The B.P.R.D. is called in and they help to resolve the situation through smarts and heart.

Night Train--Roger and Liz go to investigate a spooky train that has been terrorizing a neighborhood in the American South. The story starts with a Lobster Johnson adventure about a train wrecked by a Nazi in the American Southwest. Are the stories related? Obviously, though I found the ending tried to cram in too much stuff, making it feel rushed and choppy. They need some more pages of exposition and action!

There's Something Under My Bed--Kids are being abducted from a small town in the middle of the night after complaining about "a monster under the bed." The team comes in to investigate, though Abe Sapien, being a fish man, is not so enthusiastic about kids dealing with monsters. The story makes some good points about the difference between being a monster and acting monstrously. It's also a fun tale that resolves well for all.

Another Day at the Office--Abe and Johann investigate a zombie outbreak in an Eastern European city. As the title suggests, this story is a typical adventure for the gang. It's short and works well.

Plague of Frogs--A long, ongoing storyline starts here as the team discovers and then fights an outbreak of a fungus that turns humans in to frog-like humanoids. The story is creepy and delves into Abe Sapien's past, since he's got a bit of the amphibian in him too. Guy Davis is the artist and his style became the template for the B.P.R.D. stories. It looks a bit more like regular comic books (as opposed to the stark visuals from Mignola) and works well.

This is a very entertaining collection, providing a lot of different stories that show the characters and the world they live in. Even though there is plenty of references to previous storylines, they are easy to follow and help newcomers get up to speed.

Highly recommended.

TV Review: Doctor Who: Revenge of the Cybermen (1975)

Doctor Who: Revenge of the Cybermen (1975) written by Gerry Davis and directed by Michael E. Briant

Fourth Doctor Tom Baker and his companions Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter) have returned to the Ark in Space to pick up the TARDIS, only to find themselves thousands of years before their last visit. At this point, the Ark is a space beacon guiding ships through the solar system. But a plague has broken out, leaving a handful of crew and one scientist, Kellerman (Jeremy Wilkin). Kellermen is interested in an asteroid nearby that is really the home of the Voga, a race of beings once at war with the Cybermen. Their asteroid is called the "planet of gold" because it is basically a chunk of gold ore floating in space. Gold is a weakness of the Cybermen--if their suits are contaminated they die quickly. Naturally, the Cyberman want to destroy Voga. The Vogans naturally don't want to die. Plenty of conflict is set up for the Doctor to resolve.

The plot moves along at a good pace with some mystery about who is on whose side among the humans on the space station. The typical cliffhangers abound in this four-episode storyline. The special effects are also typical for the classic Doctor Who (not very good). The story falls apart a bit when the Cybermen go to Voga to plant bombs. The Vogans fight them with rifles rather than using the plentiful gold all around. What the heck? Baker is charming as usual and has good chemistry with Sladen and Marter.

Mildly recommended--this is a typical, not great, story.

The Maryland Zoo, Baltimore

We visited the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore on Presidents Day. The place was more crowded than we were expecting, but the nice (for February) weather and the cheap winter tickets probably contributed to the turn out, along with the holiday.

Right by the entrance is a playground (much like any other playground in Maryland, no need to pay to use this one) and a statue dedicated to otters.

The first animals we saw were not very lively

Before getting down to the zoo proper, we saw the prairie dog exhibit, an outdoor field full of cute little rodents. They make a yelping sound and have a fun way of popping up and down.

Prairie for the dogs

Cutie close up

On the way down to the other animal exhibits, many of the original cages and displays still stand. The zoo was built in the 1870s, so it is amazing that a lot of the original structures are extant.

The old cages from the Victorian era

The first exhibit we saw was the penguins, who were being fed. They spent most of their time eating while a zoo keeper told us a lot of information over loudspeakers. The keeper was standing with the patrons so we were able to ask some questions. She told us how the penguins are shaped a bit like torpedoes so they move quickly through the water. Their feet are optimized for swimming, so they are more awkward on land. Sometimes, while swimming, they pop out of the water (called "porpoising") to get a breath of air.

Penguins feeding

Penguins swimming

Penguins popping up like prairie dogs of the sea

The penguin habitat includes two storks who were not very interested in what was going on.

He's looking at the feeding, so maybe he's wondering when it is his turn?

Showing off big wings

The sitatunga is a central African swamp antelope that has big hoofs to keep it from sinking in to soft earth. They were hanging out on the far side of their pen. 

Sitatunga

Across the way from them is a pond full of Caribbean Flamingos. They were digging through the mud with their bills, looking for some snacks.

Flamingos

Much drier and much larger are the animals in the next exhibit--ostriches. They are the largest birds extant and can run at speeds up to 40 miles per hour and have a powerful kick. They don't bury their heads in the sand, though they might bury their feet in their persecutors!

Good thing the log is between us and them!

Much faster, of course, is the cheeta, who can speed up to 70 miles per hour. This cheeta was either shy or indifferent to its many visitors. Or maybe it was hoping to run into a sitatunga along the back wall.

Or maybe searching for a way out?

African elephants are the largest land animals in the world. With such bulk, how are they so cute and charming? 

African elephant

View of the other side

Caught in the act

Eating a snack

The giraffes, the tallest animals on the planet, were also shy. Only one was out in the paddock and it never stood in any spot that was good for getting a photo.

Facing the wrong way

This one was my fault, should have click a moment sooner

Over on lemur lane, we saw a monkey hanging out in an overhead tunnel. The colobus monkey mostly stays in the trees, eating fruit and leaves.

Monkeying around?

More like napping

The red ruffed lemurs were more active, but not by much.

Red ruffed lemurs

In the monkey house, the red-tailed guenons were moving all over the place, making it hard to get a good shot of any one in particular.

Some distinctive coloring for sure

A cute face

The chimpanzees were more active, climbing around their area with ease and grace (and the occasional blanket!). Some were not as active as others.

Hanging from the ceiling with a blanket

Hanging on the ground with a blanket

Over at the window

A few of the outdoor exhibits were interactive, like an area to walk like a chimp or ride on a tortoise.

Not as easy as it looks

A slow ride

The African slender-snouted crocodile is an endangered species, though from the looks of him he is not worried about it. He was placed in a habitat with a turtle, who I assume is immune from being eaten because of his shell.

African slender-snouted crocodile

An indoor cave exhibit featured the Eastern Hellbender. The Hellbender is the largest salamander in North America, living mostly in Appalachia. The name's origin is murky, though people assume it is because it is very unattractive. It likes to hide between rocks in shallow water and eats other, smaller animals. 

Eastern Hellbender!

The cave exhibit also has a bunch of snakes behind glass. These two rattlesnakes don't look very dangerous curled up as they are.

Rattlesnakes!

Outside of the cave exhibit is the otters, who swim so fast they don't make attractive pictures either. The otter habitat includes a tunnel for humans under the water where they can see the swimming from below!

It's an otter, really!

The zoo was a fun place to visit, even in the winter.

Movie Review: Nope (2022)

Nope (2022) written and directed by Jordan Peele

Otis Jr. (Daniel Kaluuya) is working with his dad on their horse farm when a freak fall from the sky (of what seems like pocket items) kills the dad. The farm is Haywood Hollywood Horses, a firm that provides horses for movies, television, and commercials. Otis tries to keep the business going but he does not have the sales skills of his father. His sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) shows up and tries to help out but she is more interested in pitching her own career schemes than in helping keep the family farm going. She hangs out at the farm long enough to realize there's something weird going on--a UFO might be causing their problems. The neighboring farm is a struggling tourist attraction run by "Jupe" (Steven Yeun), a former child star of a popular kids western in the 1990s. Jupe believes in the UFO too, though he, like Emerald, wants to cash in on the phenomenon, not figure out what it is.

The movie has a weird vibe that fits with its science fiction/horror core. Moments are unsettling and odd. Peele is good at setting up tension by telling different parts of the narrative out of order, creating intrigue through editing. He provides a nice twist in the final third that freshens up a story that gets bogged down in mechanics and a slow burn that's a little too slow. Maybe if Peele could have streamlined the story or tightened up the editing, it would have been more fun and exciting. I was not bored by the film but I was not wowed by it either.

Mildly recommended.

Book Review: Buffy '97 by J. Lambert et al.

Buffy '97 written by Jeremy Lambert, illustrated by Marianna Ignazzi, and colored by Mattia Iacono

Buffy the Vampire Slayer goes shopping for clothes with Willow while she should be helping Giles with his bowling game. Giles has a new girlfriend who bowls, so he needs practice. Buffy really wants to go to the one-night-only fashion show at the mall featuring a famous designer. They bow out of bowling and they wind up trapped by the designer who turns out to be more evil and magical than imagined. The story has an interesting idea but the art is rough. Sometimes I was not sure who was which character--a big problem in a graphic story.

The book comes with five other short stories. None of them are that impressive in story or in art. Even as a fan of Buffy, I found the whole book disappointing.

Not recommended.