Charlie Chan In...

I'm still sick, which means I've been spending my few waking hours wrapped in a blanket in my recliner, alternately sipping Theraflu and/or hot tea from my Femme Noir mug, watching DVDs with the window blinds shut tight.

This nefarious bug has ping-ponged around my body and has now settled in my chest, which feels like it's full of liquid mercury. It hurts to cough, my thinking processes are fuzzy, and my head and neck ache.

Thank god for Charlie Chan.

I received the fifth and final set of 20th Century Fox Charlie Chan films today. I had pre-ordered the set from Amazon, and it was supposed to have been here on Tuesday, but UPS was delayed by Ike. Still, as this flu/cold/whatever looks to be settling in for the weekend, I expect that Mr. Chan and Number Two Son Jimmy will be providing me with satisfactory companionship through the final stages of this viral assault.

I've only seen two of the seven films in this collection – Charlie Chan in Rio and Charlie Chan At The Wax Museum (one of my favorites) – so I'm eager to start spinning these discs. I think I'll start with Castle In the Desert. It's the last Fox Chan film, but its got a great setting (the aforementioned castle) and looks to have a lot of creepy, gothic atmosphere... not to mention the always sinister Henry Daniell.

With their formulaic plots, slick production values, and stock company of familiar Fox Studio contract players, the Charlie Chan films are the cinematic equivalent of comfort food, and feeling as lousy as I do right now, they're just what I need.