It has been months in the making: Sergio Angelini, the Noir Master and host of the noir-centered podcast Tipping My Fedora, reached back seventy years and compiled a list of thirty-six films made in 1955. Our task was to watch (or, in some cases, re-watch) these films and come together in Noirvember to draft a list of the … Continue reading “IT’S A HARD WORLD FOR LITTLE THINGS . . . ” The 1955 Film Noir Draft

As we turn to nine more films this month on our 36-film-list that will form the basis of my Noirvember ’55 Top 13 Films Noirs Draft, my own personal list of favorites is starting to take shape. I only get to select four or five titles on the final draft, but if Sergio or Nick play one … Continue reading NOIRVEMBER ’55, PART 9

What is the world coming to?  It used to be that if one announced a new film based on a hugely popular novel and starring Oscar, Tony and Olivier winner Helen Mirren, Oscar and Grammy winner Sir Ben Kingsley, Tony and Olivier winner Sir Jonathan Pryce, and 72-year-old-but-he’s-still-got-it former Bondsman Pierce Brosnan, you would reach … Continue reading SATURDAY REVIEW: The Thursday Murder Club

You know the drill! The full list is here. We’re drafting the Top Thirteen 1955 Films Noirs in November. Today’s trio is a decidedly mixed bag: each has elements that work for me – and elements that don’t. I’ll rank the trio at the end, but I wonder if any of them will earn a high enough place on … Continue reading NOIRVEMBER ’55, PART 5

My Book Club has come up with a wonderful idea to spice up our monthly meetings. We’ve determined that it isn’t necessary to read a classic mystery each time (especially since we have a spotty track record when it comes to finding titles we can all enjoy); what matters is that we have a grand time talking about classic … Continue reading “I’ve got (another) little list . . . ” Ten Favorite Mysteries of the 1940’s

Good morning, and Happy Thanksgiving! Today I’m grateful for my family, for the possibility that my mashed potatoes will turn out even fluffier than last year’s (first, you need to dry them out on a warm burner after they’re boiled, and then you mustn’t over-mash them or they get too starchy), and I’m grateful to everyone and … Continue reading NOIRVEMBER MADNESS: THE HITCHCOCK TOP THIRTY (Brad vs. Screen Drafts)

“Attached is an application form for the new MA course I’m running from this September to May next year. It’s designed to bridge the gap between creative work and the commercial world. I aim to create a safe space for students to develop unfamiliar skills and practice those they already possess. As you said, artists … Continue reading EXTRA-CURRICULAR WTF: Janice Hallett’s The Examiner

In all fairness, “Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star” probably had no chance with me from the start.  This 1991 episode pits the Lieutenant against Hugh Creighton, “the world’s best defense attorney” (Dabney Coleman). Now, I happen to be intimately acquainted with the world’s best defense attorney: his name is Perry Mason, and, … Continue reading FAIT ACCOMPLI: Two More Columbo Adventures

Like many popular crime TV series, Columbo succeeded because of, rather than despite, its formulaic structure. Fans endured waits lasting anywhere from weeks to years between episodes for the chance to see Peter Falk wield his fake humility against the overweening ego of a colorful guest star, pop up at awkward and arguably humorous moments to rattle … Continue reading RATTLING THE LIEUTENANT: Two More Columbo Adventures

I don’t know the reasoning behind why some Columbo episodes were 75 minutes long and others ran to 95 minutes. “Any Old Port in the Storm,” the 2nd episode of the 3rd season, is a brilliant 75-minute-long case weighed down by twenty extra minutes.  The fabled Carsini Winery is run by elder son Adrian Carsini (Donald Pleasance), whose ability … Continue reading DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES: Two More Columbo Adventures