The Comic Critic reviews Psycho

I thought about doing a strip without words, using only iconic pictures from Psycho. Well, there would have been one word, “Mother.” Instead, I decided to concentrate on what made this film great at the time and that still makes it great today. Hardboiled crime fiction was the rage at not only the box office, but on the radio as well. It saturated the marketplace so completely that when Hitchcock stood the movie on its ear by abruptly killing one story line (the hardboiled genre) and switching to another story line (the horror genre), the shock had quite an effect. It changed our expectations. This heightened sense of unease would lock the scenes that followed into our memories forever, and cause a few people to keep their shotguns in the shower.

The Return of Stickman #1138

FYI: The cat weighed ten pounds going in and came out weighing only three. No name was given for the cat in the story. That is very odd. All I can think is that the cat didn't have a name or its name was something terrible, like Hitler.

The Return of stickman #1137

Yesterday was a busy day. I hope this strip makes up for it.

The Return of Stickman #1136

Only 40% of cats carry this germ. And even fewer people react strongly to it. But every now and then you get a perfect storm and the next thing you know you have a couple of balloons under your arms and you're wondering if you got the plague. Not that I ever caught it, mind you.

The Return of Stickman #1135

I can't help but think that if your government is telling you that your cat is attacking people, you might consider that slim chance that Tiger is stepping onto the wild side.

The Comic Critic Reviews "Black Narcissus"

My good friend, Polly Law, lists Black Narcissus as one of her all-time favorite films. I remember seeing it on television when I was in my preteens. The questions I had then I still have now: “Why don’t we get to see more of the Old General?” and “Why didn’t that actor go and get those long legs of his tanned before starting this role?” and “What is up with that hat?” Watching the film as an adult, I enjoyed all the same key moments I did when I was a kid. But while I find the film greatly enchanting, I am still left wanting it to go on longer, even after all this time has passed since my last viewing. Still, I might give it another viewing …say in about another 30 years.

Polly Law says: Black Narcissus has it all- a dense script rich with subtext, deep characters, gorgeous visuals, lots of sexual tension, and a guy with long legs riding a very short pony.

The Return of Stickman #1134

Happy Easter, everybody!