A mother and daughter's special ties

We've often discussed the bond between Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters) and her mother, Elizabeth "Bess" Peters. Mother not only infused her daughter with a confidence that paid off in the rough-and-tumble world of entertainment, but a feminist, I-can-do-anything sensibility that enabled Lomb... Read full article

Two Women (1961): Sophia Loren in Her Mother Tongue

Sophia Loren is an extraordinary treasure of the cinema. We know her from numerous Hollywood pictures but there’s something especially gratifying about hearing her in her mother tongue. It’s not that she is necessarily less herself in a picture like Houseboat, speaking English dialogue,... Read full article

The Punisher #18, Mother Russia, Part 6 (of 6)

It’s a perfect comic. There’s no big Punisher action, no rampant gun porn, just high levels of espionage action as Frank figures out how they’re going to escape the missile silo as he delivers on his threat to fire nukes on Moscow. Meanwhile the Russian general’s reaction scene is another be... Read full article

The Punisher #17, Mother Russia, Part 5 (of 6)

And here’s the issue where Ennis goes for the heartstrings. Frank’s got to save the little girl, which ends up being a fantastic sequence. The issue opens with the hijacked airliner getting shot down; the response to it, both from the Russian general and Fury, are the B plot for the issue. Frank... Read full article

The Punisher #16, Mother Russia, Part 4 (of 6)

Just over halfway through the arc and Ennis does a bridging issue. It’s an all-action bridging issue, but a bridging issue. We find out exactly what the U.S.-funded terrorists on the plane are going to do, we find out what the Russian general’s little henchman is capable of doing, we get some gr... Read full article