Recent content by Whitewings

A short novel by Roald Dahl. Aimed at adults, it tells the story of a somewhat careless vintner and his not quite fruitless attempts to keep the local great tits away from his grapes (their fondness for his grapes is noted to be very unusual). Mostly a horror author, the book was one of his few...

An early foray into computer assisted animation, The Scary Goofy Movie features an early character from one of Disney’s darkest shorts, intent upon Goofy’s death for a very minor slight: accidentally bumping him with a large package. The situation is played entirely straight, except when Goofy’s...

Doctor Vincent Strange, MD, DSM, became known for a series of popular science novels such as Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep, Count Bloodcount and Doctor Nero's Neurosis, examining from a neuroscientific viewpoint the behaviours of zombies, vampires, mad scientists, and other such Hollywood...

An animated dark fantasy movie centred upon the eponymous Black Dogs, psychopomps and harbingers attached to a particular upper-class British family. The main thrust of the film is that each life ends, and that death can be a tragedy, or a kindness. Or both, in some cases. Praised by critics and...

A derogatory term originally applied to the servers, and by extension other personnel, of the “Thousand Meals Kitchen,” due to the servers’ Northern European appearance and the chain’s use of the swastika in their signage. As most now know, the founders chose the emblem because of its positive...

The story of the Mitchell family in their struggle with City Hall and various “heritage preservation” societies to force through the many variances and waivers needed to obtain the permits needed to build, or more accurately rebuild, their family home after a hurricane severely damages the...

A somewhat tongue in cheek survivor series produced by Proper Television for CTV, set in the immediate aftermath of a zombie uprising. The three teams each start with an advantage: food, medicine or weaponry (no effort was made to make the weapons appear to be anything but the paintball guns...

An early inter-company crossover, the story involves the eponymous superheroines working to prevent not a villainous plan, but a natural disaster, specifically an impending flood from an unusually early and rapid spring thaw. After trying and failing to get the local authorities to help, they...

Founded in the early 1970s under the name of All-Floor, the company was one of the first to take advantage of the rising trend toward the use of wall-to-wall carpet in both professional and individual settings. Offering first-to-last services, they at one point appealed to the younger, hipper...

The physical seat of power in Siam, one of the few remaining monarchies in which the monarch is openly active as head of the government. Though not actually inspired by the peacock, the shape of the throne’s back and its colourful inlays lend themselves to the comparison. In theory, anyone who...

The term applied to Queen Elizabeth I of England’s marriage to Prince Carlos, the younger brother (by about 20 minutes) of King Phillip II of Spain, and King Phillip’s marriage to Princess Juliana, Elizabeth’s similarly younger sister. The unusual arrangement benefited both countries, improving...

The working name used by Chuck Berry and his backing band for the release of their Halloween comedy album, Marshmallow Pumpkins. Expected to be only a publicity exercise, the album was successful enough to turn a small profit. Contrary to popular belief, General Mills did not licence its mascots...

The legendary rocker, crooner and gospel singer Elvis Presley was not a gifted composer or lyricist. But there was one notable exception: this wistful song, which he wrote while on deployment in Saudi Arabia during one of the many attempts by its clergy to create a theocratic dictatorship...

We had that earlier. I know, I answered it.

One of the most shameful displays of moral depravity in God's name ever, the Massacre was nothing less than mass murder, the near-total destruction of the town of Clean Sweep, Missouri. Founded originally under the name of Oyster Creek, the infamous den of sin underwent a truly drastic change...