Many of us film watchers rely on critical reviews of movies to help us decide whether a particular title is worth our time, whether it’s a new release we’re thinking of seeing in a theater or an old one we’re considering checking out through various means. But what to do when a certain movie has…
Susan George (born 1950) had a string of movie roles under her belt before 1971. In those early film appearances, the gorgeous blonde with the alluringly pretty eyes and nice legs was sometimes used largely as cinematic eye candy. And while there were varying degrees of more dramatic roles for George through that slew of…
C’est la Vie by Pascal Garnier, translated from French to English by Jane Aitken, is a novel about a relatively obscure writer who hits it big and decides to embark on an adventure to relive his youth and reconnect with his son. Most of us have dreams of achieving success in life, whether via endeavors…
Join Brian Greene as he revisits the trio of horror movies that resulted from the collaboration of Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur in the early 1940s at RKO Pictures. In 1942, film industry professional Val Lewton (1904-51) was hired by RKO Pictures to head up its new horror movie initiative. Lewton, who had recently worked…
“Since most of my writing is pretty character driven, much of the story is about how this person got to where they are now. What they have experienced in life makes up who they are now … and so it’s natural for me to visit a character’s childhood.” Those are the words of noir author…
Some of the most memorable works of film noir involve characters who just can’t catch a break. And many times, these people’s ill fortunes come about via chance encounters they have with others who become poison in their lives. 1945’s Detour—this writer’s personal favorite film noir title—is one example of this kind of cinematic setup.…
Englishman Julian Symons (1912-1994) was/is something of an oddity within the world of crime fiction. His is a name that rarely gets mentioned among enthusiasts of the genre. You get the sense that, even in his own time, he flew somewhat under the radar within the realm of suspense novel writers and buffs. All this,…
Homages in the arts can be tricky undertakings. When a musical act, author, filmmaker, etc., produces a work that is largely derivative of a previous creative effort from the same medium, how should critics and the general public view their output? Should it be taken at face value, experienced and judged only as to whether…
In Back Door to Hell by Paul Gadsby, boy meets girl. Girl has a plan. A plan that’ll change everything. If only they didn’t steal from the wrong person… Nate Stokes, the most central character of Paul Gadsby’s new novel, Back Door to Hell (published by Fahrenheit 13, an imprint of Fahrenheit Press), has a ne’er-do-well…
Westerns is a movie genre historically dominated by male characters. Think of these films and what image immediately comes to mind? John Wayne in a ten-gallon hat and some kind of cowboy neckwear? Clint Eastwood smoking a cigarillo while donning a poncho? Maybe Kevin Costner sporting the Marlboro Man look? It’s probably a dude, right?…
