THE BLACK CAT (Edward G. Ulmer, 1934)

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(Directed by Edward G. Ulmer from a script by Peter Ruric "suggested by"* the story by Edgar Allan Poe; starring Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, David Manners, and Jaqueline Wells. Released 07 May 1934; watched 2023w41 via Criterion Channel)

"Suggested by" = not at all similar but the name is a nice touch.

While mostly forgettable until the last third, wanted to mention Lugosi's performance here: a rare turn as one of the good guys (ok, a vengeance-driven, cat-killing (via throwing knife, I believe), Karloff-flaying good guy but hey) that makes his Dracula typecasting all the more tragic. Sure, the accent could be limiting (something of a Schwarzenegger-before-Schwarzenegger situation), but he brought genuine presence and nuance to the role – unlike the good guy-good guy, David Manners, who, as in all of his appearances, made total lack of charisma a calling card.

Maybe this one was done a disservice by how closely I watched it to THE OLD DARK HOUSE, which - minus the Satanist cult angle that popped up in the rather excellent last third - delivered a similar narrative with far more panache and better performances all around.

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Seem to have this week's Shard where it wants to be. Pleased that these experiments are not only excellent exercises in letting go and embracing resounding imperfection, but a way to keep me working on fiction all through the week. Love doing the newsletter, but two+ work blocks spent in a communicative status update / synthesis document are simply too much. A great way to create a modicum of balance and progress.

CASTLEVANIA: NOCTURNE, s1 (2023)

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Loath to compare NOCTURNE to its predecessor, the Warren Ellis-scripted CASTLEVANIA, but I can't help it: while I enjoyed much of that run, everyone sounded like Warren Ellis doing his standard, world-weary and wearying schtick (as is the way in much of Ellis's work – though I will freely admit to loving some of it, FELL and MOON KNIGHT and, as I said, much of the original CASTLEVANIA series and his JUSTICE LEAGUE/UNLIMITED episodes, specifically, are utterly brilliant; when he's on, he's on); NOCTURNE, on the other hand, shows what CASTLEVANIA could have - should have – been from the start.

Guided by a fantastic cast of characters (including THE WOMAN KING's amazing Thuso Mbedu and LONGMIRE, WESTWORLD, and RESERVATION DOGS's Zahn McClarnon) – all of whom feel real –, their hopes and hurts and wants and desires and fears and loves and weaknesses and strengths and spirits colliding with the reality of a seemingly hopeless situation for which they are, one and all, woefully underprepared – but damn if they don't give it everything they've got (and then some).

As for that ending? One of the rare deus ex machinas that had me cheering. Sign me up for season two – I can't wait to see where this goes.

THE MYSTERIES (Watterson / Kascht, 2023)

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Strange, magical, mystical, beautiful: to reveal too much about it here is to take away the joy of discovery; it deserves the benefit of your unprepared eyes.

Of note: Even though it's the best discussion of collaboration I've seen, I wish (somewhat), in retrospect, that I hadn't watched the (amazing) behind the scenes video beforehand: what can I say, getting to hear Watterson speak was too tempting. That being said, that my that my eyes were not unprepared doesn't change how much I love the fruits of their collaboration.

Truly something special; I can only imagine what discoveries and layers await upon repeated re-reads.