Blogcritics Author: Richard Marcus

Graphic Novel Review: The Book Of Leviathan by Peter Blegvad

Richard Marcus — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:31:01 EDT

Absurd, strange, and even a little twisted certainly, but always thoughtful and never simple.
I've always thought comics never get the recognition they deserve. They are either looked down on as being less than the plain written word, as if the inclusion of pictures somehow reduces their value, or they are elevated beyond their worth by those too embarrassed to admit that they enjoy them just for the pleasure they bring. The next time I...

Book Review: The Peacekeeper Shabbir Ahsan

Richard Marcus — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:17:34 EDT

The best book set in a war zone that you're liable to read in a long time.
I'm sure for most people in the West Bangladesh is only known as the country the late George Harrison once did a benefit concert for. The reality is it once was part of the Indian province Bengal. When the region gained its independence from Britain in 1947, and the subcontinent was partitioned into India and Pakistan, the province of Bengal...

DVD Review: I'm Not There (Two Disc Special Edition)

Richard Marcus — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:13:23 EDT

One of the most complete pictures of Bob Dylan that I've ever seen.
It was in 1968 that Bob Dylan first walked into my family house. Of course he wasn't actually there in person, but my mom's younger sister - our hippie aunt - came by one day bearing presents for her two nephews. My older brother was given a copy of Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol.1 and I was given a couple of books. Somehow or other my...

Music Review: Double Trouble (Chris Layton & Tommy Shannon) & Friends Been A Long Time

Richard Marcus — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:57:29 EDT

Double Trouble - the core around which great music is built.
It's sort of ironic that the two members of a rock and roll, or any popular music band for that matter, who are most responsible for the rhythms that make the music so distinct are usually hidden off to one side or behind the other members of the band. While the lead singer and the guitar players can usually be found as far down stage as...

Book Review (Play): The Portrait Of Mahatma Gandhi by Himendra Thakur

Richard Marcus — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:26:11 EDT

Surely there must be a better way of defending the Mahatma's grand vision than this?
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2nd in 1869 and was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic January 30th 1948. To the majority of us he is now more familiarly known by his honorific, Mahatma, meaning Great Soul, rather than the names he was born with, and for his dedication to non-violent resistance as a form of protest. Such is his...

Book Review: Elric -To Rescue Tanelorn (Chronicles Of The Last Emperor Of Melnibone, Volume Two) by Michael Moorcock

Richard Marcus — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:55:23 EDT

To Rescue Tanelorn contains all the proof anybody would need that Moorcock is one of the great fantasy writers of ours or any time.
Heroes have always been of a singular nature. Dating back to the times of the heroes as depicted by Homer in his Odyssey the hero has stood alone in the world, either through choice or circumstances. Yet what has really distinguished the iconic hero from the rest of us mere mortals has been the ability to reduce the world down to a single focus....

Music Review: Janiva Magness - What Love Will Do

Richard Marcus — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:57:00 EDT

If you want to hear a real woman sing real music for a change, than this is the disc for you.
I don't know about anybody else, but I'm getting really sick of histrionic singing passing for emotion that has come to dominate popular music. If I have to listen to one more wannabe diva screech out her undying love in an upper register I might just go postal. Just because opera singers, who've probably spent more hours studying how to sing than...

Music Review: Michael Burks - Iron Man

Richard Marcus — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:30:06 EDT

Good solid electric blues with a little extra soul added on top for its own special flavour.
The blues rose out of the churches and the fields of African slaves in America. Both the work songs and the church music had roots that disappeared into tribal rhythms from their former homes. With each new generation born in the new world, Africa moved further into the past and the slave's music started to adapt features of the other cultures...

Music Review: JJ Grey & Mofro Lochloosa and Country Ghetto

Richard Marcus — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:10:07 EDT

Mighty fine music filled with heart and soul that won't fail to move you.
No one likes to admit to their own prejudices, let's face it who wants to own up how narrow minded they really are? So it's with some chagrin that I have to confess that I've long thought of Florida as being a mixture of plastic tourist traps, right wing money, and conservative Christians who would as soon see me burn in hell as talk to...

Book Review: The Last Of The Angels by Fadhil al-Azzawi

Richard Marcus — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:31:23 EDT

A beautiful book that does the seemingly impossible of holding humans up to ridicule while exalting their potential simultaneously.
Satire is a delicate matter, or at least it should be. Far too often satire seems to be confused with farce for some reason, which is sort of like confusing a chain saw with the delicate touch of a surgeon's scalpel. It's true that both will cut close to the bone, but while farce will leave a great big gaping hole making it obvious...