Revisiting Old Haunts

Last night I came across some old books that I had read when I was in elementary /middle school. Leafing through them brought back both pleasant memories and also a confirmation that I was glad that I grew up then. A few years ago, I looked up and purchased copies of the "Monsters" and "Movie Monsters" series from Crestwood House, and Thomas G. Aylesworth's "The Story of..." series. These particular books sparked my interest in horror movies and things that go bump in the night. I can remember checking these out repeatedly from both the school and public libraries while growing up. Looking back at them now, the text is  basic to an adult's eyes, but the joy of seeing the tantalizing covers still make me smile. I still have two books about ghosts that I purchased when I was in the fifth grade. I distinctly recall getting the "Weekly Reader" book lists in class and ordering "Beware, This House is Haunted" by Henry Dreher, and "Haunted Houses" by Larry Kettlekamp. Another one I got at the same time is "Movie Monsters" by Alan Ormsby, which I treasure because it not only has great movie stills, but also a do-it-yourself makeup section in which the author teaches the reader how to turn oneself into Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula, etc. There is one common denominator with these authors, and that is to write about interesting subjects but also to encourage reading. I think their strategy worked, since it has inspired in me a life-long love of books and reading.

Elementary is back

I am thoroughly enjoying the new CBS series "Elementary". I managed to see the pilot when it was first broadcast, but managed to miss the succeeding episodes. I checked out watched the new DVD of  the entire first season a couple of weeks ago, and am totally hooked. Last Thursday was the season 2 premiere, and it didn't disappoint. Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu are first-rate, and I thought Rhys Ifans was a great Mycroft Holmes. I marvel at the great scripts that cleverly weave in elements from the original stories. The Moriarty 2-parter that closed out season 1 was especially satisfying--I won't give away spoilers. I will be interesting to see what happens tonight--can't wait! I also heard that season 3 (series 3 in the UK) of "Sherlock" is forthcoming--that is a definite must-see. We probably won't see it here in the US until next year on PBS. I'll probably re-watch Season 2 to refresh my memory before then. The finale of S2 was also a stunner that involved Moriarty. Andrew Stone was a great "Napoleon of Crime". I knew I was hooked on "Sherlock" in S1 when Holmes approached a body and pop-up bubbles appeared on the screen to visualize all the clues that were immediately apparent to him. Then of course there was the flawless acting of the leads, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. If you haven't seen either of these shows, do yourself a favor and take a look, it's worth it.

Reconnecting with an old friend: The Glories of Vinyl

After several years, I decided to buy a new turntable, mainly to be able to play the small collection of LP's that I have. Then I was hooked, especially after purchasing some new albums. Two that I absolutely love are ones on John Coltrane and Dave Brubeck. The Brubeck album is a 180g and I can tell the difference: slightly heavier in terms of weight, and a deeper, richer sound. I also like film music and my favorite composer is Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975), who scored CITIZEN KANE (1941), PSYCHO (1960), and TAXI DRIVER (1976), just to name a few. This album had him conducting the London Philharmonic, in a great program consisting of Sibelius' "Finlandia", Liszt's "Les Preludes", Dukas' "The Sorceror's Apprentice", and Saint Saens' "Bacchanale" from "Samson and Delilah". All were first-rate, and I actually felt the hairs raise on the back of my neck. This was one of London Decca Records' "Phase 4" releases, and the four-channel stereo brings out every instrument to the point that you feel as though you are in the studio or concert hall.
Another genre that I've been revisiting are vintage radio shows, being particularly taken with the horror-themed ones, like "Inner Sanctum"(IS), "The Strange Dr. Weird". These have been great fun and some surprisingly grisly for the time (wartime). These two programs in particular were hosted by distinct personalities, "Raymond" (IS) and "Dr. Weird". The TV horror hosts that came later are direct successors to their radio ancestors, with their tongue-in-cheek introductions and commentary on the stories. Example: Raymond's parting comment at the end of every IS program, "Good Night, and Pleasant Dreams, hmmmm...?, and Dr. Paul Bearer's "I'll be lurking for you.....". As a result of all these tasty treats, my appetite for more has resulted in a wish list.......Stay tuned......