Well, it was bound to happen! A pandemic comes along, and you stop teaching. There’s nothing to do but stare at the walls, studiously avoid that mountain of books comprising your TBR pile, and desultorily post in your blog about this or that mediocre novel that you read in Book Club. And then – inspiration! You … Continue reading ” . . . there are matters of which no jest can be made:” THE RED DEATH MURDERS
ROGER THAT, BOOK CLUB: Jumping Jenny by Anthony Berkeley
If there’s one thing that can bring about a Book Club’s downfall, it’s Bad Books. Oh, sure, we could call ourselves Bad Book Club and play hilarious drinking games as we share our favorite Awful Passages, but that’s not what my group is about! And so we’ve been trying a new strategy of keeping our collective … Continue reading ROGER THAT, BOOK CLUB: Jumping Jenny by Anthony Berkeley
THE EVIL THAT MEN DO: Kiss Me Deadly and The Big Combo
It’s hard to pinpoint precisely when film noir began and ended. Its antecedents lie in the silent era, in German Expressionism and in the Warner Brothers crime dramas of the 30’s. Our teacher Elliot Lavine offers a specific starting point – 1940’s Stranger on the Third Floor (which I discussed here) – and will rattle off a title or … Continue reading THE EVIL THAT MEN DO: Kiss Me Deadly and The Big Combo
THE ELLERY QUEEN POLL: The Results!
It is always gratifying to put something up for a vote and then see a mad rush to the polls. Tens of thousands of eager fans showed up to choose the best episode of the Ellery Queen mystery series, and I was all set to post the results yesterday. But then someone who had hacked … Continue reading THE ELLERY QUEEN POLL: The Results!
TWO Bs OR NOT TWO Bs: 99 River Street and Crime Wave
There’s a moment toward the climax of 99 River Street when Evelyn Keyes dances up to psychopath Victor Rawlins (Brad Dexter) and lights her cigarette with his. It’s the dirtiest moment in a 50’s film I can remember, and I wondered how it got past the censors. The New York Times reviewer latched onto moments like this … Continue reading TWO Bs OR NOT TWO Bs: 99 River Street and Crime Wave
DEATH – AGAIN – ON THE NILE
Christie purists, we’ve had our day! Actually, that day lasted for quite a few years, through most of the 1980’s right into the millennium. You got your Warwick/Annis Tommy and Tuppence adventures and Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. You got your Poirot . . . well, most of him. And now it’s time to face the fact … Continue reading DEATH – AGAIN – ON THE NILE
WHO YOU GONNA CALL . . . ? POIROT!
Well, hellooooo, Agatha! How are you, Mrs. Christie? I haven’t seen you in my dreams written about you in the longest time – since December 13th actually, when I offered up Twelve Christies for Christmas. Keeping the “dozens” theme in mind, I would like to offer up twelve cases that Christie wrote and then gathered together in … Continue reading WHO YOU GONNA CALL . . . ? POIROT!
NE PLUS ULTRA-VIOLENT: Two Noirs from 1953
Revenge is sweet! Just ask Liam Neeson as he plows down the mobster clan/spy organization/terrorist cell when his cousin’s great niece’s best friend’s neighbor is . . . TAKEN! But do you remember when revenge was not sweet? When it was more sweet and sour? Ask Antigone. Ask Hamlet. And, by all means, ask Fritz Lang. In … Continue reading NE PLUS ULTRA-VIOLENT: Two Noirs from 1953
ELLERY QUEEN: The Adventure of the Dubious Pollster
If you've been following along with me this past six weeks - or even if you haven't - you've received my take on the twenty-three episodes (including the pilot) of the all-too short-lived mystery series, Ellery Queen. Now it's your chance to be a part of history in the first (and probably only) fan poll … Continue reading ELLERY QUEEN: The Adventure of the Dubious Pollster
GOD SAVE THE QUEENS (THE NETWORK WON’T): Ellery Queen Episodes 21 and 22
And so it ends, not with a bang but . . . not with a whimper either (although the penultimate episode edges a little close). It’s impossible to believe that Link and Levinson could not have sustained the puzzle plots for at least one more season, and yet what we have here is most pleasurable … Continue reading GOD SAVE THE QUEENS (THE NETWORK WON’T): Ellery Queen Episodes 21 and 22
Ah Sweet Mystery! 