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Reviews & Commentary by Adam Groves
MIDORI-KO
The magnum opus of Japanese dementoid Keita Kurosaka
BATTLEFIELD EARTH
A rare example of a film to which the passage of time has actually been kind
THE GIFT
In which the problem of the miscast director, Sam Raimi in this case, comes into play
LOST IN SPACE
A 1998 adaptation of the classic TV series LOST IN SPACE that could have been worthwhile but isn’t
THE FIFTH ELEMENT
Arguably the purest distillation that exists of French director Luc Besson’s strengths and weaknesses, a 1997 science fiction fever dream with stunning visuals and a horrendously conceived narrative
THE SECRET SCHOOL
The most outlandish of Whitley Strieber’s “nonfiction” alien contact books
THE DICE MAN
This novel, about a man who makes decisions according to a roll of the dice, is said to have inspired many people around the world to live in just that manner
PHILLY
A “modern tale of the macabre” that worked better in its movie adaptation: the 1981 teen comedy PRIVATE LESSONS
THE SLAVE TREE
A novel that’s interesting enough to make me wonder why it was published solely in limited edition hardcover format
AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL
In the category of fiction written by famous singers AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL, the first novel by Australia’s Nick Cave, ranks with classics of the form
GHOSTLY TALES OF ROUTE 66: ARKANSAS TO ARIZONA
Here’s one for you history buffs: a collection of fact based ghost stories from various parts of the legendary Route 66
PSYCHEDELIC SEX VAMPIRES: JEAN ROLLIN CINEMA
In the absence of a comprehensive English language book (as of 2012, at least) on the French filmmaker Jean Rollin, this lavishly illustrated trifle will have to do
PHALLIC FRENZY: KEN RUSSELL AND HIS FILMS
This isn’t the first book about the English cinema’s premiere enfant terrible Ken Russell, but it is very likely the best
EXQUISITE CORPSE: SURREALISM AND THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
The so-called Black Dahlia murder of 1947 continues to inspire all manner of speculation. EXQUISITE CORPSE, a profusely illustrated coffee table hardcover, is the latest in a long line of lengthy analyses on the still-unsolved crime
EDISON’S FRANKENSTEIN
This book has some irritants but I treasure it nonetheless, and enthusiastically recommend it to anyone with an interest in the origins and evolution of horror cinema
2019: Bedlam in Print
Concluding my 2019 overviews is this, the latest edition of Bedlam in Print, exploring the noteworthy publications of the previous twelve months
2019: The Year in Bedlam
What is there to say about 2019? A lot, albeit not on the movie screens
The 2010s
Apologies for the brutal honesty, but regarding the 2010s I have this to say: What a lousy decade for entertainment!
2019: A Look Back in Bedlam
Welcome to the latest edition of my Look Back in Bedlam overview of the previous year’s noteworthy happenings in the world of Bedlam Files-friendly media
Christmas TV Specials for the Irreparably Brain Damaged
Christmastime in America “means” several things, one in particular: a surfeit of TV specials