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Brian Greene

Page to Screen: Hammett (1982)

By Brian Greene

September 2, 2020

Think of the career of acclaimed film director Wim Wenders (1945-) and what’s the first title of his that comes to your mind? Paris, Texas (1984)? Wings of Desire (1987)? Maybe Buena Vista Social Club (1999)? The cinematic work of his I personally treasure the most is Alice in the Cities (1974). I bet you…

Bringing It All Back Home: Bruce Lee on Screen

By Brian Greene

June 22, 2020

When I watched Be Water, ESPN’s new 30 for 30 documentary on the life of legendary martial arts master and actor Bruce Lee (1940-73), I kept waiting for the topic of Quentin Tarantino’s portrayal of Lee in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to come up. I figured it might get mentioned by Bruce’s daughter…

Book Review: Red Border by Jason Starr (writer) and Will Conrad (artist)

By Brian Greene

April 10, 2020

“Be careful what you wish for” is an adage that often holds a lot of truth. Eduardo and Karina, the young, middle-class Mexican couple who are the main characters of Jason Starr’s new graphic novel Red Border, didn’t exactly ask for what happens to them in this story. But being saved by a vigilante when…

A Bollywood Icon in Action: Zeenat Aman in Crime and Suspense Films

By Brian Greene

February 5, 2020

If you’re like me, you’ve long had an interest in Bollywood movies, but haven’t explored this corner of cinematic history much. The problem is, where do you start in trying to learn about such a vast pool of films that haven’t been part of your cultural life? Well, in a situation like this, sometimes the…

Revisiting 1971’s Cult Classic Horror Film Let’s Scare Jessica to Death

By Brian Greene

January 9, 2020

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…

Scream, You’re a Star: Susan George in 1971

By Brian Greene

October 17, 2019

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…

Book Review: C’est la Vie by Pascal Garnier

By Brian Greene

September 16, 2019

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…

Culture Clashes and Nightmares: The Horror/Suspense Film Collaborations of Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur

By Brian Greene

July 8, 2019

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…

An Opportune Time to Make a Monster (or an Angel): Author Profile of Marietta Miles

By Brian Greene

March 25, 2019

“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…

You’re the Last Person I Should Have Ever Met: Ill-Fated Chance Encounters in Film Noir

By Brian Greene

February 28, 2019

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.…

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