Into the Archive: Birthday Bounty

Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart (2023, Blu-ray and Digital Download)

A Venture Bros. direct-to-video movie, that serves as a sort of ‘eighth season’ and emotionally satisfying conclusion to the ‘adult animated science fiction action adventure’ series. Many of the main character arcs reach satisfying peaks, while lesser but still beloved minor characters get a farewell wave. I do not have a Blu-ray player at the moment, but I had to see it, and I was successfully able to download the digital copy and watch it today. The movie itself was released on July 25^th, and by the time I could order it on July 31^st, it was already sold out on Amazon! It was a few nerve-wracking days before it was available again. But I have it now, and the adventure of twenty years has been brought to a triumphant if somewhat wistful conclusion. Comes with a poster!

The Reavers (2007) by George MacDonald Fraser

This was Fraser’s last novel (he died in 2008 at the age of 82). It is a parody of adventures among the Scottish border reivers in the time of Elizabeth I. Having dealt with the subject in a radio play, a history (The Steel Bonnets), and a serious historical novel (The Candlemass Road), Fraser returns to the subject in a comic romp on the lines of his glorious novel The Pyrates, with its use of anachronisms, cinematic exaggeration, and cynical approach to character. Fraser is perhaps best known for his twelve Flashman novels (also known for its satirical blend of history and fiction) and for his early 1970’s adaptations of Dumas’ The Three Musketeers, among other films.

The Haunted Dolls’ House and Other Ghost Stories, by M. R. James

The second volume of James’ collected ghost stories, presented by Penguin Classics, and annotated by the noted scholar of weird literature, S. T. Joshi. The first volume is on its way. I find James to be one of the finest writers of ghostly tales, or at least the one that most closely appeals to my sensibilities. This volume contains rarities not included in other collections, and Joshi’s notes look to illuminate phrases and references that may have grown obscure in time, or perhaps too subtle for a casual reader. I suppose that having these books will mean that I can pass on my lesser Collected James. Annotations!