Artwork of the Day: Ideal Love (by Morr Kusnet)

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Dazzling Erin

by Morr Kusnet

This snowy cover is from 1947.

I Watched Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun (1986, Dir. by Ron Satlof)

Posted on January 2, 2026 by Dazzling Erin

In the second Perry Mason movie, Perry (Raymond Burr) defends Sister Margaret (Michele Greene), who has been accused of murdering Father Thomas O’Neil (Timothy Bottoms). The D.A. (David Ogden Stiers) says that Sister Margaret was having an affair with Father O’Neil and she killed him when he tried to break it off. However, the movie shows us that, just like in the last movie, Father O’Neil was actually killed by a hitman (Hagan Beggs). Perry, Della (Barbara Hale), and Paul Drake, Jr. (William Katt) have to figure out who ordered the priest’s murder.

I enjoyed the Case of the Notorious Nun, even if it wasn’t as good as the previous film. It was still entertaining and I loved watching Perry constantly give Paul a hard time about every little thing but this time, it was really obvious who the actual killer was. Paul, of course, had romantic feelings for Sister Margaret but nothing came from them, other than a chaste kiss on the cheek. Sorry, Paul. You’re charming but you’re not that charming.

Father O’Neil was far more sympathetic than the previous movie’s victim. Father O’Neil was trying to make the world a better place and his death with was a real tragedy. That made it all the more satisfying when Perry was able to get his cross-examination confession. There was an alarming scene early on in the movie where Perry checked into a hospital because he was feeling faint and I get the feeling that they framed the scene to make Raymond Burr look even heavier than he was. (This movie justified Paul Drake doing all the leg work while Perry stayed at the office.) But even if he moves a little slower than he used to, Perry Mason is still the best lawyer out there.

Happy Science Fiction Day!

Posted on January 2, 2026 by Dazzling Erin

Science Fiction Day is observed every year on January 2nd. The date was chosen to honor the birthday of Isaac Asimov. To help you get in the mood for Science Fiction Day, here are some classic covers from Science Fiction Magazine! Keep watching the skies!

by A. Leslie Ross

by Alex Schomburg

by Allen Gustav Anderson

by Edmund Emshwiller

by Frank R. Paul

by Harold Bennett

by Leo Morey

by Milton Luros

Moments #32: The First Morning Of 2026

Posted on January 2, 2026 by Dazzling Erin

I took this picture yesterday, from my bedroom window. It’s the first picture that I took in 2026. This is the morning on January 1st, 2026. It may not be my best photograph but it’s an important one. It’s the first image of the year. I love this tree. In just a few months, that ugly, scary old tree will no longer be an eyesore. It’ll be full of green leaves and I’ll have a wonderful view.

Previous Moments:

Artwork of the Day: Private Detective (by Hugh Joseph Ward)

Posted on January 2, 2026 by Dazzling Erin

by Hugh Joseph Ward

This cover is from 1940.

I Loved “Eephus (2025, Dir. by Carson Lund)”

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Dazzling Erin

Eephus is a movie about one very long baseball game.

In a small Massachusetts town, the local baseball field is about to be demolished to make way for a school. Two rec league teams meet to play one final game, drink some beer, and shoot off some fireworks. The Riverdogs are led by Graham (Stephen Radochia), who brokered the deal that’s leading to the field’s destruction. He feels guilty and he wants the two teams to have one final great game. The Riverdogs and Adler’s Paint play a game that, once it becomes tied, goes far into the night. The few spectators leaves. The umpire leaves. But the players keep playing, even in the dark.

Though the player may be middle-aged and out-of-shape, they all love baseball and they love their teams. But Eephus is about more than baseball. It’s also about community and change. Many of the players talk about their memories of growing up playing on the field. They can’t leave until they finish their last game but they also know that their lives will be forever different once the game ends. They may complain about playing in the dark but no one truly wants to get that last out. The players give each other a hard time. The dialogue is frequently very funny but the occasional angry word is still exchanged. But deep down, they’re friends no matter what team they’re on. They may not be professional athletes but baseball is what brought them together. It’s their bond and it’s brought purpose to not only their lives but also to men like Franny (Cliff Blake), who have spend their free time watching the games and keeping the records. When former pitching legend Bill “Spaceman” Lee appears as himself, he’s welcomed to the game as just another local who loves baseball.

Eephus may seem plotless but it’s not. It’s about the community of players and how each of them deals with the inevitability of change. There’s a scene where someone in the stands says that they’ve been watching 30 minutes and they still don’t understand baseball. You don’t have to understand baseball to love Eephus. You just have to appreciate the bonds that bring us all together.

I Watched Perry Mason Returns (1985, Dir. by Ron Satlof)

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Dazzling Erin

When his former secretary, Della Street (Barbara Hale), is arrested for murdering wealthy businessman Arthur Gordon (Patrick O’Neal), Judge Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) resigns from the bench so that he can defend her in court.

Perry Mason Returns reveals who the killer is when the murder happens. The killer is a lowlife named Robert Lynch (James Kidnie), who is wearing a gray wig and a frumpy dress so that everyone will mistake him for Della. It doesn’t take Perry and private detective Paul Dark, Jr. (William Katt) long to discover that Lynch is the murderer but, after someone shoots Lynch, they have to figure out who hired Lynch to kill Gordon. Gordon had recently disinherited his entire family so Perry and Paul have a lot of suspects to consider. 30 minutes in, I thought I knew who the killer was but it turned out I was wrong.

My Aunt Kate loved her detective stories and, when I was growing up, I would always watch them with her whenever we were visiting for the holidays. Watching Perry Mason Returns really made me feel nostalgic, even if it also made me feel dumb for not being able to guess who the killer was. Perry gives up being a judge so that he can defend Della Street in court. That’s true love. William Katt, who plays Paul Drake’s son, was Barbara Hale’s real-life son so I think that proves my theory that Della loved both Perry and Paul.

Perry Mason Returns was fun to watch. It had more action than I was expecting because Paul Drake, Jr. was always getting into tight situations. The movie really tried to make William Katt into an action star. The murder mystery held my attention and, of course, Perry got the murderer to confess on the stand and on the record. Some things never change! One thing that really amused me was that, as soon as Perry took the case, everyone naturally assumed he would win. Della wasn’t worried for a minute, even though she was facing life in prison. “You didn’t tell me Perry Mason was her lawyer!” Robert Lynch yelled at the person who hired him. He knew the gig was up. Perry Mason always wins!

Watching Perry Mason Returns, I felt like I was a kid again, watching movies with my Aunt Kate and trying to solve the mystery with her. All of the Perry Mason made-for-TV movies are on YouTube so I’ll be reviewing more of them in the future.

Start 2026 With These Fantastic Covers!

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Dazzling Erin

It’s the start of a new year and it seems like all things are possible! Here are some Fantastic covers to help spark your imagination and get you in the mood for the future!