I’ve been obsessed with golems since I first read about them in Michael Chabon’s novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I don’t remember much about what that story but the idea of a golem, a creature made of clay who comes to life, stuck with me. Golems are a part of Jewish folklore. They are made of any inanimate object but usually it’s mud or clay. They are not sculpted well, more like clumped together as made by a child and given life. They can be creatures of good, but in the best stories they turn evil and are difficult to destroy. There have been numerous movies made about golems over the years. I’ve not seen any of them but the idea fascinates me.
I’ve been obsessed with murder mysteries, especially murder mysteries set in Victorian London, for as long as I can remember. Murder, especially murder most foul is an easy, but completely malleable plot device. Have someone murdered and then have someone else figure out who did it is an easy way to get a story moving and when done right it can be quite thrilling.
I’ve been obsessed with Billy Nighy since I first saw him in Love Actually. He’s got such a wonderful presence as an actor. Put Bill Nighy in a Victorian murder mystery about a killer called the “Limehouse Golum” and I’m already sold. Throw in the delightful Olivia Cooke with a fresh rating on the Tomato Meter and you’ve got yourself a Pick of the Week.
Also out this week that looks interesting:
Cars 3: An unnecessary sequel to a lesser Pixar film. Still, it looks gorgeous and is entertaining. You can read my full review.
Westworld: Season One: An HBO series based on an old movie from Michael Crichton about a sexy Disneyland for adults that allows you to enter into the Old West and play with artificial beings. David Wangberg has our review.
The Philadelphia Story (Criterion Collection): Classic comedy starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart.
Speed Racer: Complete Series: The cult Japanese TV shows gets a new boxed set featuring the entire series that comes in a large plastic Speed Racer-shaped head. I can’t find any info on whether this is a new transfer or not or if it has any special features. With a $300 price tag, I hope it has more than a plastic head.
Poldark: The Complete Third Season: When Season Two of this American Revolutionary drama came out about a year ago, I noted that my Twitter feed proclaimed it to be well worth watching. That feed has calmed down a bit since then but I’d still like to check it out.
DC Universe: 10th Anniversary Collection: Massive boxed set featuring all 30 of the DC animated movies.
The Crown: The Complete First Season: British drama about a young Queen Elizabeth II trying to get a grip on leading the country and forging a relationship with the legendary Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
Into the Night: Shout Factory brings us this 1985 comedy from John Landis about a wild and crazy night in Los Angeles. Stars Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Pfeiffer, and David Bowie.
Ingrid Goes West: Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen stars in this comedy about a social media star and her obsessed fan.
The Glass Castle: Based on the memoir of Jeanette Walls, this drama stars Brie Larson as a young lady trying to cope with her very unconventional family. Also stars Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts.
Satan’s Cheerleaders: The janitor at a high school is actually a scout for a coven of Satanists. When he kidnaps the cheer squad, he gets more than he bargained for as one of them is a real witch. Of course, this was made in the 1970s. Of course, I can’t wait to see it.
