Vultural

Flash Gordon: Savior of the Earth Edition (Flash Gordon) by havok1977

Flash Gordon was one of a fistful of films that emerged after the Star Wars phenomena. Many were rushed Hollywood SciFi scripts (Black Hole, Meteor, Saturn 3, Battle Beyond The Stars). Flash took a different course, spoof over story. Camp more than special effects. The result was a mixed bag.
Havok1977 removed much of the stupidity, making this a sleeker, less dumb version.
This edit is more intelligent than the original. The overall story remains childrens fare, but this child has a brain.
He also heavily tweaked the original color design. More on that.

I did notice omissions, such as the football sequence, and the cut was abrupt. The red color shift was noticeable for the whole film. Struck me as a mistake, especially for Earth parts. Also, in the original film, the Mongo world was a glittering, technicolor extravaganza. Here, monochrome ruled.

Acting splits between non-Americans who seriously seem to be having fun with the story, and Yanks who are clumsy and amateurish.
In my book, Jason Williams, playing Gordon back in 1974, was less wooden than Sam Jones.
Von Sydow is an unforgettable Ming.
Havok’s version was a fun romp, delivering on the promise of what the original ought to have been.
By all means, fans should hunt this down.

Blue Skies on Mars: A Total Recall Fanedit (Total Recall) by Jorge

Count me as a fan of the original. Saw it theatrically a couple times, defended it in arguments.
Bought the VHS, later the Laserdisc, finally the DVD in a round tin resembling Mars.
Total Recall is, to me, the last great Arnold vehicle. I have liked little of his work since.

To be honest, someone unfamiliar with Total Recall will get lost with Jorge’s edit.
A lot was cut, and the linear narrative is a choppy mess.
Plot points bounce back and forth, and I never got a feel for Kuato’s group, the Agency motivations, or why Hauser-Quaid bothered going to Rekall or Mars for that matter.

Black n white sequences (all on Mars?) were well rendered.
The color palate (on Earth?) was harsh - perhaps by design. Very 70’s looking.

I appreciated all the thought and work that went into Blue Skies On Mars.
Total Recall remains my go-to, however, though this has its points.

Darth Dougal said:

I love that movie. Has anyone ever made a fan edit with improved vfx that you know of? (Ducks for cover). Yes, I know that’s not inkeeping with the spirit of the forum but some tasteful improvements wouldn’t go amiss.

I’m pretty sure Havok made a version.
I’ll search through my reviews.

Puggo - Jar Jar’s Yoda said:

Vultural said:
I disabled Cortana,

How did you do that? I thought they made it impervious.

I did that last December when my Win 7 (than Vista) and my wife’s Slax (then XP) both crashed.
I believe I tweaked the registry of the Win 10 (I do not recommend anyone messing about in their registry).
With Edge, I downed a program that snuffs it every time it launches.
To be honest, the Win 10 is on a dual boot, that runs Ubuntu 99% of the time.

I was unaware that Win 7 Pro was still being updated.
That bears investigation.

My main computer is Win 7, and I don’t plan to leave any time soon.
The second computer is dual boot with Win 10 and Ubuntu. Disclosure: it is low RAM.
The Ubuntu works flawlessly and I have had few issues with the distro I use.
Any time I have to use the Win 10 side, it’s a real resource hog.
I disabled Cortana, blocked Edge, did a few other tweaks.
Usually I let it run 15", until the CPU settles down, then it’s OK enough.
My wife runs Slax (Linux) on her unit.

Dig around a little and see if Brooklyn College (where you hope to attend, yes?) offers placement programs.
I have a relative who attended Syracuse, and the school helped with internships, career counseling, meet and greets.
Those initial contacts were invaluable, and my relative has been working in Hollywood steadily for several years now.
A friend’s child went to Emerson (Boston) and they also boasted a strong placement record.
Tuition costs are tremendous. A diploma alone is not enough, you want post graduate assistance.

Levy, Shawn - Ready, Steady, Go!

Swinging London and the Invention of Cool.
The rise, exhilarating peak, and demise of Swinging London, circa 1960 - 68
To be frank, however, the blazing time you want to visit in your Tardis is 1962 - 66.
Music, movies, fashion, photography, art galleries are key areas.
I was fairly steeped in music of the British Invasion, cinema I had caught up with later.
Fashion, not really, though my wife is very knowledgeable.
That’s the thing, you roll from sphere to sphere, in fairly chronological time.
Levy does a great job focusing on key movers and shakers. Illuminated, sometimes dissected.
This is a period fondly recalled, though few, extremely few, swirled in the hot nucleus.
Meritocracy and class distinctions meant 99%, as now, never had admittance.
Addictive history with a surprising amount of blunt interviews. Little glossing over.
Smashing.

Easy Beat
Pop Goes Beat

The Shadow Strikes! (The Shadow 1994) by BionicBob

The 1994 pulp flick receives an overhaul, courtesy Fanedit.
Silliness and bad jokes are excised, and the look is rendered black and white.
Instead of a lame imitation, the film is now dark homage to 30s action films.

The movie remains marred by poor script and bad direction, but Alec Baldwin is great, flashing more charisma than Zane (The Phantom), Campbell (The Rocketeer), and Beatty (Dick Tracy), as studios tried to cash in on nostalgia during the mid 90s.
Baldwin and Penelope Miller also sparked undeniable chemistry, perhaps not romantic, but they definitely worked as a couple.

Unfortunately, the original movie was undermined by poor writing and sloppy direction. The Shadow seemed aimed at eight year olds, circa 1950s. The narrative was gauzed in fuzzy, misplaced nostalgia. No one bought in, not adults, not teens, not children.
Bionic Bob has done a remarkable job, raising the enjoyment level. The black and white sheen is perfect, not only with the foggy Manhattan set design, but with attire. Gowns and tuxedos resemble Nick & Nora Charles’ wardrobe. Plus, the retro gizmos look pretty cool.

The sound mix is a dynamic, often aggressive, two channel LPCM. Too loud during action sequences, too quiet with dialogue. I ended up using headphones. I hate suggesting this, especially as a music geek, but I think normalized audio might have worked here.

The black and white seems inconsistent. Pristine sharp in some scenes, soft focus in others, and scratchy and dirty in others. I didn’t mind, but every time a scratch appeared I noticed.

Aside from those quibbles, BB’s The Shadow Strikes! is a classy improvement, easily recommended.

Flash Gordon: Ming Strikes Back! (Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe) by Billy Batson

Yes, kids, and you thought Emperor Ming was no more! Ha! The would be ruler of the universe attacks Earth again! This time with mysterious purple dust that kills people dead. Luckily for the sake of humankind, Flash and Doctor Zarkov still know a thing about fighting evil.

The 12 chapter cliffhanger runs three and a half hours, Billy has cut this to a little over two hours.

Video - 640 X 480p AVC. My player did a nice job improving this, but it cannot compensate for what is, at best, a mediocre print. Editing is solid. All intros and recaps, gone. Several transitions seem abrupt, perhaps those just before the “NEXT WEEK!” banner launches. Much as I dislike fade to black, that might have solved that.

Audio - 128 kbps AAC 2 Channel stereo. Specs may indicate stereo, but this is mono.

I have not watched the original serial lately, and had forgotten just how much action this boasts. Being a Universal production, this is not on a par with the Republic cliffhangers, but the production values were first rate back then.
Anyway, this edit really moves, though it gets jumpy at times, as Flash and Zarkov dash from one crisis to another across Mongo.

In 1966, Universal Television recut the serial into the hour and a half “Purple Death From Outer Space.”
Avoid that, Billy’s edit is far superior! That said, serials were never meant to be binged. Recaps and previews can exhaust even the most patient. Billy’s version, I watched over two nights which is what I would suggest.

Hard Target: Ultimate Cut by Commodore Schmidlapp

Nice fan tweak from Commodore Schmidlapp of a guilty pleasure of mine.
He used sources from domestic US release, as well as the harder international cut, and the VHS “Sneak Peek” workprint.
Made a couple of music changes as well.
The result seemed much closer to Woo’s final stage of Hong Kong output.

Plot involves an out of work veteran / seaman / drifter hiring on to help young girl find her lost daddy in New Orleans. Then it steams into Most Dangerous Game territory.
Several scenes seemed little more than echoes from Hard Boiled.
One of Van Damme’s better roles, with Lance Henriksen and Arnold Vosloo outstanding as baddies.
Wilford Brimley as cajun uncle is a poster boy of imbecile acting.

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Hard-Target-Ultimate-Cut/id/15253

Head Cheese (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation) by steFANedit

Ha ha ha. Though still listed, this gem remains “banned” at the all-inclusive joint.

Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger give career defining performances in Kim Henkel’s directorial highpoint, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. The film is an odd mix of slasher gore, unfunny comedy, and incredibly broad over-acting. steFAN degraded the film into a VHS. To heighten the effect of “found video” he added a couple POV porn shots, as well as the end snip of Motel Hell.

Video - Looks like crap, by design, so great work steFAN. This is ugly looking and the 4 X 3 aspect ratio does not help this one bit. No, sir.

As for the POV porn, it did not add to the edit. It enhanced the concept of a found VHS tape, but the oral opener was a tactical error. Had steFAN slipped the footage on at the end, after static, cable preachers and info-mercials, it might have worked. Straight from the get-go? No. Some folks have no problems watching heads decapitated, women set on fire, or news reporters shot to death. Those very same souls often get bent outta shape over what they perceive as immoral.

Audio - Pretty good, although Heather the unkillable (AKA - Too Dumb To Die) is really hard to understand. Otherwise, Matthew’s hollers and Renée screams had me lower the volume, and the man-in-black (Mr Devil, maybe?) had me dial up the decibels. No subs.

Narrative - First off, adding that Motel Hell finale proved riveting. Forced me to dig though my guy films to rewatch another classic. Anyhoo, this edit neither hurts nor improves what is already a head buried in armpit story. The flow drags for stretches, then screeches incessantly. Grinds on your nerves after awhile until you start wishing - kill 'em all. You have all these twisted souls, forced to kill, who don’t enjoy killing? Blah blah blah. Strikes me that Mr Devil can’t get good help. loser with a small-cap L.

Enjoyment - Not really. The VHS effect is overdone. No matter how hard everyone tries, the yarn is a bore. The idea of creating a VHS is novel, but could have been executed better. I like steFAN’s edits, but ofttimes he labors on these without seeking ongoing feedback. Well placed advice might have turned this into a FanEdit Of The Month instead of Banned.

Listen, this is a ballsy edit, and I applaud steFAN for seasoning this with hardcore. The fact that they were not incorporated into the story proper hurt approval chances, I suspect. Still, plenty of hombres ought to hanker after this. You folks, go ride it down. You might even see relatives during the naughty bits. Such are the stuff of dreams.

Bukowski, Charles - South Of No North

Stories culled from the Los Angeles Free Press and Doug Blazek’s “Ole.”
The narrator recollects growing up poor, living rough. Childhood, poignant, bleak, overlaid with an adult wonder of how everyone survived.
Companions drift in and out, fellow discards, clutching bent pipedreams.
Women stroll into the Life’s bar, give, take. When the gauge hits empty, they hit the breeze.
The sex stories are pretty funny. Sex itself can be funny, unless you’re one of those types who view the mortal coil oh so seriously.
Chinaski visits the doctor for various ailments. The doc, an ex-Nazi, treats him, yet wails about his own problems.
Chinaski sees a fellow starving poet. Only this guy is about climb out of the ditch. This story seems eerily prophetic.
Two honchos of a roller derby league take an over-eager achiever to task.
(The roller derby awakened an old memory. Years ago, for four months, in a period of sheer lunacy, I dated a jammer. That didn’t go so well.)
Sour luck, bad choices, narrow chances, liars, drunks, the crooked game.
These are timeless stories, always timeless.
Don’t believe it? Go on, be pleased with yourself. It won’t last. It never does.
Then, when you’re staring at your empty hands, these essays will resonate.

Alien-Ate (Alien: Resurrection) by TMBTM

One of the earliest fanedits I ever viewed.
Like many, I disliked the original.
The edit is tighter, less haphazard than the Jeunet film.
Audio is solid and well focused. Nice incorporation of video materials from AVP.
Was enjoying this up until the final act, until the Ripley business, which I found, and still find, ridiculous.
As far as the Alien franchise goes, neither Resurrection nor Alien-Ate are films I return to.
Hey, and a shout out! Thank you TMBTM for your “Making Of” extra.
That is helpful and generous to those contemplating their own edits.

Rocky Horror Picture Show: Super 8 Digest by Dr. Sapirstein

Brilliant concept by the dependable doctor, crafting a showreel of big moments.
Plus, he has generously given viewers the choice between an HD restoration and a scruffy 8mm print.
Since both are only 17’, greedy souls can watch the whole shebang in one sitting.

Video - 720 X 480p MPEG. 4 X 3 ratio. Wonderful choices here and superb editing. The HD is wonderful, though for me the 8mm is too scratchy and fuzzy. Too much damage, though I realize many find charm there.

Audio - 448 kbps AC3. 2 Channel. The major numbers are here and the sound - again, the HD - just pops. Crank and sing along! Dialogue is clear, especially diction clinic Charles Gray.

Narrative - It’s amazing how well this works. The essence holds together into a hot short. My brother and I had a Super 8 projector and used to buy 200’ movie reels. Fifteen minute soundless assemblages of whatever movie, usually sold by Blackhawk. While faithful to those old reels, this is actually superior to any of those I owned as far as storytelling and sound!

Enjoyment - For five or six years, I watched “Rocky Horror” to death. Even when I tapered off, from weekly to monthly to every other month, it would seem excessive to outsiders. Then I flat quit cold, and did not view it for five years - ten years - more.
Sapirstein’s short is a perfect encapsulation of the show. Faithful (though I do miss Eddie). and ideal if you want to return and relive “some” of the jollies but not 100 minutes of them.

Hunt (The Hunt) by Maniac

Shy, mild mannered Maniac delivers a hard nosed version of President Trump’s favorite film of 2020.
Two noticeable sequences have been cut. The pressurized opening, which adds little to the narrative, and an extended flashback. The latter trim makes “Manorgate” a reality, which is darker and funnier.
As with the original film, the fight finale goes on too long for me, but I know I’m in a minority there.
Some specs for you tech-heads.
4 GB mkv. Video is 1920 X 1080p. Audio is 5.1 DTS! Kick ass and thank you!
I liked the original film, I like Maniac’s edit.

This is a review thread for “finished” fanedits. For ongoing projects, please post comments and suggestions in those specific topics.
Anyone can post their reviews in this thread.
List the title of the fanedit, the original title, and the faneditor.
Please try to share what you liked or disliked about the edit. Details.
If you particularly enjoyed something, share your experience. Other members, especially newcomers, often seek recommendations.
If, unfortunately, you did not enjoy an edit, try to be gracious.
Keep in mind, someone worked on their project for a long time. Perhaps months, perhaps longer. They also made the effort to share.
Live outside our age, be respectful.

This is a REVIEW thread, not a REQUEST thread.
You want an edit, contact the faneditor (PM), learn about UseNet, prowl I2P.

Finally, fanedits cannot be bought or sold. Do not post reviews of any edits or individuals associated with commercializing their fanedits. Protect OT, protect the fanedit community.

Good luck out there.

INDEX

^

300: Earth And Water (300 & 300 Rise) - Aztek463
Alien-Ate (Alien: Resurrection) - TMBTM
Alien: Ripley Does Dallas (Alien 1979) - heathen3017
Austin Powers: Shaggedelic Extended Edition - ADigitalMan
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: Shaggedelic Extended Edition - ADigitalMan
Blue Skies on Mars: A Total Recall Fanedit (Total Recall) - Jorge
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Planet of the Slave Girls - Slavery & Sorcery - Lapis Molari
Conan: Man Of War (Conan The Barbarian) - TMBTM
Crouching Dragon: The Tiger Lily Cut (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) - ssj
Darkman Lives! (Darkman) - MusicEd921
Derelict (Alien / Prometheus) - Job Willins
Descent: Extended Cut (The Descent) - Mikedrew87
Doctor Who: ‘Fortress of the Daleks’ and ‘Invasion of the Daleks’ - TM2YC
Dune: The Alternative Edition Redux (Dune) - spicediver
Elysium: PanzerKut (Elysium) - PanzerKut
Fear and Loathing In Fantasy Mission Force (Fantasy Mission Force) - matrixgrindhouse
Flash Gordon: Ming Strikes Back! (Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe) - Billy Batson
Flash Gordon: Savior of the Earth Edition (Flash Gordon) - havok1977
Frighteners Recut (The Frighteners) - Neglify
Ghostbusters 2: Time is But a Window - Bobson Dugnutt
Ghost in the Shell 2017: Lean & Mean Edition (Ghost in the Shell 2017) - FairFriend
Grindhouse Vol. 2 (Death Proof/Machete) - Leeroy
Hard Target: Ultimate Cut - Commodore Schmidlapp
Head Cheese (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation) - steFANedit
Hitchhikers - Wayne Workman
Humans Are Limitless (2001: A Space Odyssey) - BlueYoda
Hunt (The Hunt) - Maniac
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Recut - 15MAF
In The Mouth Of Event Horizon (In The Mouth Of Madness & Event Horizon) - RollWave
Justice League Reborn (Justice League) - JLfanedit
Kaiju FanEdit: Gigan - Ghidorah - Armageddon - Markus Bruckner
Kenobi: A Star Wars Story (Star Wars prequels) - JXEditor
Matrix Hacked: Revolutions - Doctor M
Matrix Revolutions Decoded (Matrix sequels) - Jerick
Men in Black: Intergalactic Duology - Bobson Dugnutt
Miami Vice: 01 Vendetta (Miami Vice) - Ranger613
Natural Born Killers: Tarantino Cut - the cuddlyninja
Nightbreed: Cabal Cut (Nightbreed) - hollowshape
Raiders (Raiders Of The Lost Ark) - Steven Soderbergh
Raiders Of The Lost Ark: The Serial - Roger Rmjet
Raiding The Lost Ark - Jamie Benning
Rise of Skywalker: The Final Sith - MacsDamage
Rocky Horror Picture Show: Super 8 Digest - Dr. Sapirstein
Run Marty Run (Back To The Future) - BlueYoda
The Shadow Strikes! (The Shadow 1994) - BionicBob
Star Wars 30’s Serial Edition Part 1 (Star Wars prequels) - TMBTM
Star Wars 30’s Serial Edition Part 2 (Star Wars trilogy) - TMBTM
Star Wars: Blackened Mantle (Star Wars prequels) - Darth Lunar
Star Wars: Fall Of The Jedi (Neon Noir) (Star Wars Prequels) - ONLYYODAFORGIVES
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi-The Spence Final Cut - Spence
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker: The Anti-Cringe Cut - DonKamillo
Star Wars: The Epic Picture - T-Bone
Star Wars: Ultramachete (Phantom Menace & Attack Of The Clones - Razil
This Is Tokyo (Gojira - 1954 and Godzilla - 1956) - G&G-Fan
Under The Terminator’s Skin (The Terminator) - DominicCobb
Violent Mistress (Revenge) - Maniac
War Of The Worlds: Extinctive Cut (War Of The Worlds - 2005) - CBB

^ Updated = 2020 07 03

I’m still following this.

Brantley, Avalon - Aornos

Orpheus myth in the character of Alektor, pining for his bygone beloved, Philomena.
Though barely a slip of a tale, the word choice, as expected, is superb.
Dionysus, who acts as chorus and our guide, has the juiciest lines.
Alektor himself comes across as impulsive, over-earnest, and a bit dim.
The narrative unfolds, and there are turns which I guessed and I imagine you will, too.
Aornos is brief and I read it twice, each time going through it as if it were a play on the stage.
The first telling, I let the characters act as if they were from a Kenneth Branagh enactment.
Next, I went for dell’arte melodrama, characters declaring and projecting, over the top at times (think “Horse Latitudes” by The Doors.)
Neither way was especially gripping. To be honest, the whole thing feels like an academic exercise.
For those curious about this author, Aornos might not be the best entry point.

McCammon, Robert - The Night Boat

Zzzzzzzz . . . . . .
Scuba diver in small Caribbean island accidentally releases Nazi sub stuck in a sand bar.
Superstitious islanders want that U-boat removed or sunk as soon as possible.
So, of course, the sub gets towed to the local salvage warehouse.
Sooner than you can sing the Horst-Wessel song, Nazi zombies emerge, seeking unhappy snacks.
Shock Waves, a 1977 film with Peter Cushing, seemed the inspiration for this silly saga.
Said flick finished in 90 minutes.
Sadly this took longer to slog through.
Slow going, stereotyped characters, shallow-pool plot.
Sleep, Nazi zombie, go sleep now.
Zzzzzzzz . . . . . . .

Watt, D. P. - Terroir

Cecilia, early 20’s, wondering what to do with her life, hires on to work the grape harvest at Château Fontaine.
She catches the eye of Marcel, oldest son and heir apparent.
Mutual attraction and hormone driven activity belie a fleeting undercurrent.
Cecilia’s intuition senses a mystery behind the smile, charm, and grace of Marcel, and indeed, of his whole family.
Questions are evaded or glossed over, as are worries.
And slowly, you, like Cecilia, are eased into story that pulls you down like quicksand.
There was a point in this when I sensed a trope, and really worried Mr. Watt might go that route.
For me, at least, he did not, and I enjoyed this immensely.

Vendange
There is a long passage on the vendange, or grape harvest, and it was bang on.
Several years ago, I participated in a preliminary harvest in Sonoma County.
Ostensibly, this was to check how close the Chardonnay was to maturity.
The bulk of the “pickers” were the affluent and well heeled of Marin and San Francisco.
We picked for a couple hours, finished, enjoyed a sumptuous outdoor lunch. (also in Terroir, and also accurate)
Around us were preexisting case buying regulars, or invitees from a select list.
And no, my wife and I were guests of a “regular,” and there was no repeat invite.

(Note: As soon after I finished reading Terroir, I rewatched Vagabond, along with Éric Rohmer’s Conte d’automne. Diverse views of the wine region.)

Matovina, Dan - Without You: The Tragic Story Of Badfinger

Extremely depressing book about a legendary group.
Their manager arranged the contract so he was a member, entitled to an equal share of revenue.
Their US business manager, royally fleeced all earning from recordings and touring.
(One of the girlfriends became the template for the blonde girlfriend in Spinal Tap.)
Songwriters Pete Ham and Tom Evans were ignorant they were due royalties for “Without You” which became a well covered standard.
Apple deleted their entire catalogue after tiring of threats and bullying from the business manager.
Warners deleted “Wish You Were Here” after seven weeks due to the manager threatening lawsuits.
“Head First” was similarly halted before it even came out.
In despair, Ham committed suicide by hanging.
Eight years later, Evans committed suicide by hanging.
It’s a long way to the top, and for Badfinger, it was ugly and painful, up and down.
Brilliantly written, hundreds of photos, CD of unreleased material.

Lee, Edward - Brides Of The Impaler

Ha ha ha. So, I grabbed a title off my shelves at random.
I rarely do that. Last time I did that, I selected Eddie Lee’s Witch Water.
That turned out to be his attempt to emulate M. R. James, borrowing heavily from “The View From A Hill,” packing it with sexual escapades. Mr. Lee’s pastiche was, my goodness, regrettable.
Anyway, Brides Of The Impaler.
Straight off, in the intro, Lee credits favorite influences, such as film directors, Jess Franco and Jean Rollin. Once the novel gets going, we meet a lawyer named Jess, and a priest, John Rollin.
Hard-nosed attorney fleeces the Catholic diocese of adjoining property.
He and his voluptuous girlfriend, who makes trendy Goth-ish dolls, move in and spawn like crazy.
Add a quartet of trashy homeless women who worship Romanian accented nun.
Add a detective who investigates a grisly series of impalements.
Did I mention sex? Multiple configurations? Well imagine more! Mr Lee did.
Yes, back in the day, I had purchased several Lee titles, for when I had time in the world to read.
Like now. What a muffin. Ha ha ha.

Hodgson, Barbara - Opium: A Portrait Of The Heavenly Demon

Richly illustrated, glossy book on smoking poppies.
Lots of pages wandering notorious “Chinatowns,” the cultivation and trade of opium, not to mention tons of ink scribbled by authors. Hopeless addicts and annoying do-gooders.
Also poets, painters, thrill seekers, the lost set.
Lurid paperback covers grace several pages.
For me, the best were terrific vintage adverts.
Yer kid giving you trouble? Give 'em candy laced with narcotics!

Crisp, Quentin S - Graves

An obsession with death. Death and afterwards.
After decay and putrefaction, is there a metamorphosis, a transfiguration? Does the soul endure? And what is the soul? A construct of memory?
Damien dwells on these matters, along with similar depths.
He becomes a nurse, working at the crossroads of existence and expiration. He bears the cross of intelligence, often more a burden than a blessing.
Unlike the majority, his overwhelming curiosity compels him to activity.
This is a novel rich in thought, vivid with details. Not a page turner, either, as many passages demand reflection and contemplation.
I will likely read this again, as I suspect multiple readings will be rewarding.

Farmer, Philip Jose - The Evil In Pemberley House

What a pile of poo. At least mercifully brief at 200 pages.
American girl - distant relative of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam D’arcy - inherits famed country manor.
The house apparently has a ghost who haunts the master/mistress three midnights every year.
Other relatives in the family tree include Lord Greystoke (AKA: the Jungle Lord), as well as the Duke of Holdernesse, so Holmes is involved - or at least his notes are consulted. Oh, and the family doctor is Dr Augustus Moran, grandson of Colonel Sebastian Moran.
Far be it from me to omit, this is also a bodice ripper, and there are several passages of stripping, whipping and squeezing.
This read like very bad fan fiction to me, yet I must confess, other readers adored it.
The mystery aspect was poorly developed.