Had Charlotte Armstrong decided that she would become the beloved author of sixty-six cozy mysteries starring her beloved amateur sleuth, retired history professor MacDougall Duff, I have a feeling we would not be talking about her now. Or perhaps Dean Street Press would be slowly republishing her long-forgotten canon. (Not to snark on Duff: I … Continue reading LAY OFF MAC DUFF: The Unsuspected by Charlotte Armstrong
Film Noir
NOIRVEMBER ’55, PART 4
Let’s return to the mean streets for three more of the thirty-six films noirs made in 1955 that the Noirmeister Sergio Angelini sent to Nick Cardillo and me so that we can determine the Top Thirteen during our Noirvember Draft. (Here is the complete list.) Warning: not every trio of movies can be a banger, folks! Today, I feel … Continue reading NOIRVEMBER ’55, PART 4
NOIRVEMBER ’55, PART 3
I sure hope some of you are watching along with me as I take a crash course in 1955 film noir in preparation for the second annual Noirvember Draft I’ll be having with my buddies Sergio and Nick. So far, the views have ranged from terrific to terrible, which is exactly how the genre is supposed to … Continue reading NOIRVEMBER ’55, PART 3
NOIRVEMBER ’55, PART 2
I’m back with my thoughts on three more films from the big 1955 film noir list that Sergio Angelini, Nick Cardillo and I are watching in order to create our Top 13 Best Film Noirs of 1955. (Remember: I’m watching these films in alphabetical order. You can join me or simply sample the films that sound good … Continue reading NOIRVEMBER ’55, PART 2
THE “GREATEST MYSTERY FILMS OF ALL TIME” DRAFT!!!
On Sunday, I met with my buddies Sergio Angelini and Nick Cardillo for our latest game of list-drafting. After tackling Christie, Hitchcock, Sherlock Holmes and Charlie Chan, we decided to broaden our focus on a more general look at the mystery genre in film. Each of us did our research and came together armed with … Continue reading THE “GREATEST MYSTERY FILMS OF ALL TIME” DRAFT!!!
NOIRVEMBER ’55, PART I
The concept of “Noirvember” was created fifteen years ago by Marya E. Gates, a film critic, as a jazzy way to celebrate the beloved genre of film noir. Last year, the word was co-opted by Ah Sweet Mystery when Sergio, Nick and I drafted The Best Noirs of 1944. And now, another Noirvember draft is brewing: this year, we examine … Continue reading NOIRVEMBER ’55, PART I
MYSTERY MOVIE TALK: Three Announcements!
I got into this blogging game for the conversations. Ironic, since the vast majority of readers tend to shy away from the comments section. So we scribes do what we can to get the conversation going. Over the past couple of years, my two buddies, Sergio Angelini and Nick Cardillo, and I have set aside … Continue reading MYSTERY MOVIE TALK: Three Announcements!
EVE OF POSSIBILITIES: Looking Back on ’24 and Forward to ’25
It’s New Year’s Eve, the final day of a most, er, dramatic year, and this is my 79th and final post of 2024. It's also the time when some of my fellow bloggers review their accomplishments, perhaps name a “Book of the Year,” and make prognostications about what’s coming up in 2025 that are hopefully vague … Continue reading EVE OF POSSIBILITIES: Looking Back on ’24 and Forward to ’25
“A strange and dangerous experiment in love and murder” THE NOIRVEMBER ’44 DRAFT
Fresh off our Columbo Distaff Draft, the Three Musketeers (we have got to come up with a better name for ourselves – maybe I’ll have a contest!!) didn’t have to think hard to arrive at our next topic. The glorious sub-genre of cinematic mystery known as film noir has a history as dark and complex as the … Continue reading “A strange and dangerous experiment in love and murder” THE NOIRVEMBER ’44 DRAFT
NOIR ’44 – The Draft Is Coming!
I have a couple of new projects coming up on the blog - – one for viewing and the other for reading - with which I hope you’ll all get involved. Today’s all about movies – we’ll talk about the reading in two days. Fresh off our Distaff Columbo Draft, the Three Amigos – Sergio Angelini, Nick … Continue reading NOIR ’44 – The Draft Is Coming!
Ah Sweet Mystery! 