BOOK REVIEW: Jungle Tales by Edgar Rice Burroughs

 

This is a collection of short stories about Burroughs’ iconic character Tarzan that chronologically takes place during the time of the first book, between the chapters. They follow the Lord of the Apes through his teenage years and young adulthood. There is the story of his first love, his longing for a person to lavish his human affections on, and his efforts to teach the troop of apes he thinks of as his people some humanlike attributes. Reading these gives additional insight into Tarzan’s background and an idea of the events that would lead to the man that fell in love with a young American woman who was shipwrecked on the shore of his home territory. I enjoyed these stories immensely. Being written in 19th century prose, they are rather wordy in their descriptions, but the stories are incredibly entertaining and interesting, especially for a fan of Tarzan. Recommended for those who love classical adventure.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Rift

 

When an experimental submarine is lost, the designer joins the rescue mission looking for it. What they find is a secret that boggles the mind. This film, made in 1990, was the product of a Spanish studio that made it to the US under the title Endless Descent. It stars Jack Scalia, Deborah Adair, and Ray Wise. Though the production value is low and the script is sometimes a little repetitive, this movie has everything in it that makes for a excellent sci-fi/horror flick. There are mutant monsters, a secret government lab, and a conspiracy of silence that someone will kill to keep intact. The cast is great at making due with what little they have in dialogue, and the action is enough to overlook the rubber monsters that jump out at every turn. With no gore, no erotica, and very little strong language, this is an entertaining enough feature that even young children will like it for family night.