Tintin In The Congo – Hergé, 1930-31 [Revised 1946] ½★

Hergé Lays an Egg

Racism stinks. So does killing animals for sport. Having gotten these points out of the way, I’d like to go on and say my main beef with Tintin In The Congo has nothing to do with either. It’s more a matter of quality.

Cult Movies 3 – Danny Peary, 1988 ★★★

Movies to Shave Your Head For

What is a “cult movie”? Is it merely any film that wins a devoted, substantial fan following? Or does it imply content outside the norm, perhaps transgressive? Does “cult” status preclude mainstream success, or can a box-office smash be a cult movie, too? If I sound confused, it’s because I am, even after multiple readings of this, the third and final installment of a series of books by noted film critic Danny Peary.

Richard III – William Shakespeare, c. 1593 ★★★★½

Best of the Baddies

That Richard III is Shakespeare’s most successful history play is a view not everyone shares; I likely have more company in declaring the title character Shakespeare’s most enjoyable villain. Few in English literature are so good at being bad as Richard Crookback, the Duke of Gloucester.

Henry VI, Part III – William Shakespeare, c. 1591-92 ★★½

It's Not Easy Being King

A crown rests heavy on an unsettled mind, but no easier on one more steely of purpose. While not considered one of Shakespeare’s problem plays, Henry VI, Part III is a play with a problem: ‘Tis better to be just, or strong? It then spends five acts offering no answers.