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…
It’s difficult now to imagine watching a crime film set to the jaunty live piano playing that accompanied most early 20th Century silent movies. Without soundtrack and score music, some of our most cherished crime thrillers would be different animals altogether. Imagine Pulp Fiction’s pawn-shop S&M dungeon scene without the dirty saxophone of “Comanche” by…
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?…
Although I’m a writer of novels, one of the most common compliments I receive from my readers is that my books are very cinematic. This is deliberate because when I’m writing a scene, I can see it playing out in my head like a movie and I want the reader to “see” it too. I…
A classic type of crime fiction tale is the hunt for the mysterious serial killer. It’s a subgenre that has inspired books, television shows, movies, and narratives in several other mediums. The serial killer is a staple of horror fiction as well. In fact, the entire slasher film subgenre embraces the fear and intrigue that…
This adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s short story “Barn Burning” is either an off-kilter serial killer thriller or merely an eccentric case of arson. Either way, a young woman has still vanished under mysterious circumstances. The metaphors get rather ominous, but the lonely, detached nature of modern life is even more dangerous for the protagonist and…
There were two Joan Crawfords (1904-77). One was an esteemed actress who showed off her considerable skills as a thespian in classic movies such as Mildred Pierce (1945) and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). The other was the “Mommy Dearest” head case who was known to be an exceptionally difficult person with mad mental…
Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3) is back, mixing his signature humor with horror in his newly reimagined version of the Predator series. Starring Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight), Jacob Tremblay (Room), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), and more, The Predator was directed by…
Summer’s dead days of TV are almost over, and September is looking good! Season 2 of Marvel’s Iron Fist combines with Black Panther and the latest season of The Walking Dead to highlight some killer streaming entertainment. See what other crime/mystery/thriller entertainment is coming to (and leaving) Netflix in September! What’s Coming to Netflix in September September 1 Assassins…
Lizzie Borden took an ax And gave her mother 40 whacks. When she saw what she had done She gave her father 41. Roadside Attractions and Saban Films recently released the trailer for their upcoming dramatization of the legendary Lizzie Borden story. Starring Academy Award-nominated actor Chloë Sevigny (Boys Don’t Cry) as the accused murderer, Lizzie also features Kristen Stewart (Personal Shopper), Denis…
