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‘Time Table’ races towards a frantic conclusion with twists and turns along...
Time Table Written by Eben Kandel Directed by Mark Stevens USA, 1956 The longevity of television’s Dexter speaks to audience interest in and creative potential of the premise in which an authoritative...
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‘Johnny O’Clock,’ despite the talent involved, lacks bite
Johnny O’Clock Written and directed by Robert Rossen USA, 1947 Balancing plot and character must be a complex feat to pull off. It seems that, on a weekly basis, especially with the plethora of blogs...
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‘Desert Fury’ is a passionate film about love, rebellion, and how we perceive...
Desert Fury Written by A.I. Bezzerides and Robert Rossen Directed by Lewis Allen USA, 1947 Perception plays a spectacularly large role in how people behave and process information. Everything one does...
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‘Born to Kill’ has a sexually charged an unstoppable force encounter an...
Born to Kill Written by Eve Greene and Richard Macaulay Directed by Robert Wise U.S.A., 1947 Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) is in Reno, Nevada for a few days to settle a divorce. She stays at a nearby...
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‘The Blue Dahlia’ is Raymond Chandler’s only original screenplay but not his...
The Blue Dahlia Written by Raymond Chandler Directed by George Marshall USA, 1946 Three wartime veterans who served in the Navy return home to Los Angeles. They are Johnny Morrison (Alan Ladd) and his...
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‘Shed No Tears’ spares no expense at making its wacky plot as amusing as...
Shed No Tears Written by Brown Holmes Directed by Jean Yarbrough U.S.A., 1948 Edna (June Vincent) and her much older husband Sam Grover (Wallace Ford) have cooked what they believe is the perfect plan...
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‘Rififi’ lives up to its imaginative, evocative name
Rififi Written by Auguste le Breton, Jules Dassin and René Weeler Directed by Jules Dassin France, 1955 Having recently concluded a prison sentence, Tony ‘le Stéphanois’ (Jean Servais), former thief,...
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‘The Big Heat’ is a bitter tale of corruption and the fight for true justice
The Big Heat Written by Sydney Boehm Directed by Fritz Lang USA, 1953 Opening with a bang, Fritz Lang’s The Big Heat begins with a carefully placed overhead shot of a hand claiming a small pistol...
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‘The Lady from Shanghai’ is the noir version of an Orson Welles fun house
The Lady from Shanghai Written and directed by Orson Welles USA, 1947 Michael O’Hara (Orson Welles) is an Irish émigré to the United States who earns his income as a sailor. Walking the streets of...
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‘The Amazing Mr. X’ has a great story and some unexpectedly terrific special...
The Amazing Mr. X (a.k.a. The Spiritualist) Written by Crane Wilbur and Muriel Roy Bolton Directed by Bernard Vorhaus USA, 1948 Christine (Lynn Bari), widowed for two years, steps out one night on her...
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‘A Perfect Murder’ is well directed, but suffers from an uneven script
A Perfect Murder Written by Patrick Smith Kelly Directed by Andrew Davis USA, 1998 In a makeshift loft apartment in one of Manhattan’s forgotten districts, two lovers, Emily and David (Gwyneth Paltrow...
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‘Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye’ has a cunning, scheming Cagney rip institutions and...
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye Written by Harry Brown Directed by Gordon Douglas USA, 1950 Seven people stand on trial for murder in a court of law, but one man is missing, a convict named Ralph Cotter (James...
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‘Pursued’ sees another dark past give chase to Robert Mitchum
Pursued Written by Niven Busch Directed Raoul Walsh USA, 1947 In a small, dilapidated home in the middle of the New Mexico desert, the beautiful but worried Thor Callum (Theresa Wright) arrives to...
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‘Phantom Lady’ sells itself on incredible craftsmanship and an impressive...
Phantom Lady Written by Bernard C. Schoenfeld Directed by Robert Siodmak U.S.A., 1944 Scott Henderson (Alan Curtis), owner of a small engineering company in New York, is already experiencing a poor...
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‘D.O.A.’ shows that one’s perception of everything changes in the face of...
D.O.A. Written by Russell Rouse, Clarence Greene Directed by Rudolph Maté U.S.A., 1950 In a terrifically dramatic opening, D.O.A. begins with a series of smooth tracking from behind one man as he walks...
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Gotham, Ep. 1.01, “Pilot” gives Gordon the spotlight
Gotham Season 1, Episode 1 ‘Pilot’ Written by Bruno Heller Directed by Danny Cannon Airs Mondays at 8pm ET on FOX Batman is one of the most iconic comic book superheroes of all time and has been...
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‘Ride the Pink Horse’ rides hard and strong with its unique interpretation of...
Ride the Pink Horse Written by Ben Hecht, Charles Lederer Directed by Robert Montgomery U.S.A., 1947 Set in the small New Mexican town of San Pablo during a locally popular festival, actor-director...
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‘Born to Kill’ has a sexually charged an unstoppable force encounter an...
Born to Kill Written by Eve Greene and Richard Macaulay Directed by Robert Wise U.S.A., 1947 Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) is in Reno, Nevada for a few days to settle a divorce. She stays at a nearby...
View ArticleClik here to view.
‘The Blue Dahlia’ is Raymond Chandler’s only original screenplay but not his...
The Blue Dahlia Written by Raymond Chandler Directed by George Marshall USA, 1946 Three wartime veterans who served in the Navy return home to Los Angeles. They are Johnny Morrison (Alan Ladd) and his...
View ArticleClik here to view.
‘Shed No Tears’ spares no expense at making its wacky plot as amusing as...
Shed No Tears Written by Brown Holmes Directed by Jean Yarbrough U.S.A., 1948 Edna (June Vincent) and her much older husband Sam Grover (Wallace Ford) have cooked what they believe is the perfect plan...
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