“What a terrible mistake I had made in starting with Hercule Poirot so old,” Agatha Christie states in her autobiography. (He is reputed to be around 62 at the start of The Mysterious Affair at Styles . . . in 1920.) “I ought to have abandoned him after the first three or four books, and … Continue reading THE MIRROR CRACK’D FROM SIDE TO SIDE
Films
1950: A VERY GOOD YEAR FOR NOIR
Over at Past Offences, Rich has designated January as a celebration of the year 1950 and all the great mysterious books and films that came out of that year. To join up, simply go here: https://pastoffences.wordpress.com/2015/12/28/1950book-sign-up-page/ Turns out that 1950 was a great year for film noir. Wikipedia lists fifty-four titles, including In a Lonely … Continue reading 1950: A VERY GOOD YEAR FOR NOIR
THE FIRST GLIMMERS OF NOIR: Two Great Mystery Films From 1941
In honor of the December celebration of the year 1941 over at the Past Offenses blog, I checked out the film scene and discovered that two of my favorite mysteries of all time were made that year. I’m a huge fan of film noir, a very brief era that actually began after World War II … Continue reading THE FIRST GLIMMERS OF NOIR: Two Great Mystery Films From 1941
MAKING HISTORY: Two Movies to Gobble Up This Holiday Time
Some people mark the coming of Christmas as that time of year when the wife and kids bundle up into their warmest clothing, fire up the car, and head over to Target or Best Buy or Kohl’s for the Black Friday sales . . . all while Dad sits at the table and says, “But … Continue reading MAKING HISTORY: Two Movies to Gobble Up This Holiday Time
THE EL NINO SCREENING ROOM PART II: More Comfort Films To Get You Through the Storm
Yesterday, I shared three films deserving of a viewing on a wet winter's night, with a steaming mug of cocoa in your hand. Today, I offer you three more. Two of the movies conjure up warm feelings of romance, while the third is a cult film that deserves more attention than it has gotten. All three films … Continue reading THE EL NINO SCREENING ROOM PART II: More Comfort Films To Get You Through the Storm
THE EL NINO SCREENING ROOM – PART ONE: Comfort Films for the Approaching Storm
My non-West Coast friends may not be aware that, for the past several years, the Golden State has been stricken by drought. This has meant day after day of beach weather, shorts and sandals, rising air toxicity, dead lawns, and alarming produce prices at the market. But now, we Californians are taking heart (with some … Continue reading THE EL NINO SCREENING ROOM – PART ONE: Comfort Films for the Approaching Storm
WORST QUESTION EVER: “WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE . . . ANYTHING?”
Don’t you just hate it when people ask you that? “What is your favorite movie? book? TV show?” “If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take . . . one food, one movie star, one CD…..” We are complex beings, we humans! Our passions take on different tones as the moon … Continue reading WORST QUESTION EVER: “WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE . . . ANYTHING?”
IS THIS THING ON???
Welcome, friends, to my first attempt at a blog! My name is Brad Friedman, and throughout much of my life I have developed a set of interests and passions which, if you know me, you know that I love to talk about. This blog is my chance to praise, pan, extol, criticize, and expound (hopefully in … Continue reading IS THIS THING ON???
Ah Sweet Mystery! 