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Crime Erupts Under the Streets of L.A.
Much of “He Walked by Night” is held together with the loose thread of documentary-style film-making. But those parts are no match or the last 20 minutes or so of the film that prowls the lower reaches of the city. Richard Basehart is the killer who terrorizes L.A. and can’t be stopped. Few have ever…
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Scene of the Crime (Film) IV: Shock of Recognition
If you live in or visit Hollywood you can find lots of buildings used as film exteriors. You might be familiar with the address, such as 77 Sunset Strip, named after the 1950s-60s TV detective show set in Los Angeles, For the record, the building where they filmed the opening sequence and some exterior scenes…
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Punks, Thugs Rule the City in ‘Crime Wave’
One of the better rediscovered crime films of the past few years is “Crime Wave.” Remember James Ellroy’s top 10 favorite crime films, which we discussed here a few posts ago? As you may remember, “Crime Wave” made the list, and for good reason. It should have come as no surprise when I got ahold…
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Crime in the New Wild West
A lot of people say that “No Country for Old Men” is Joel and Ethan Coen’s best film so far. I’d find that a difficult choice to make. But I’ll say that “No Country” is one of my favorites. Javier Bardem has gotten all the kudos for his portrayal of devil incarnate Anton Chigurh —…
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Their Mileage May Vary: Thundering Down ‘Plunder Road’
I took James Ellroy’s advice — it didn’t come directly from him, you understand — and checked out “Plunder Road,” one of his all-time favorite crime films that was included in Monday’s post. It’s a great-looking, pared-down gritty drama made in 1957, obviously on a small budget. The cast includes the great Elisha Cook Jr.,…
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High School Noir: Crime is an Extracurricular Activity
Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) makes a secret phone call in ‘Brick’ (2005). It’s remarkable how well life at a typical suburban high school can resemble the plot of a classic film noir. That’s the conceit behind “Brick,” the 2005 Rian Johnson feature he wrote and directed. High school outsider Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) searches for his missing…
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‘Snatch’: A Well Oiled Machine About … What?
Turkish (Jason Statham), Mickey O;Neil (Brad Pitt) and Tommy (Stephen Graham) in ‘Snatch.’ The problem with “Snatch,” Guy Ritchie’s crime drama/comedy that looks at life through the eyes of Turkish (Jason Statham), a London promoter of unlicensed boxing matches, is that the film’s not really about anything. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty that happens plot-wise.…
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All Aboard Guy Ritchie’s Quick-Cut, Malevolent Joy Ride
Normally I write here about movies and TV shows I’ve seen. But two Netflix discs have been sitting unwatched on my coffee table for nearly three weeks. It’s been my cuckoo writing schedule that prevents me from hunkering down and watching stuff I’d like to see. The two on-deck films are both Guy Ritchie-directed movies,…
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The Bad, The Horrible And The Unbalanced
They say good villains make good drama. Here are my Top 5 favorite crime film villains. These five are particularly memorable as some of the screen’s finest psychopaths. They look and sound normal at first. But if you cross them, things quickly become unpleasant. 1.) Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) “Cape Fear” Max turns the crazy…
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The Humanity of a ‘Mad Dog’ in ‘High Sierra’
In “High Sierra” (1941), Humphrey Bogart is Roy “Mad Dog” Earle, an ex-con who is full of contradictions. Earle, apparently a hardened criminal, gets sprung from prison, and the first place he wants to go is to a park, where the grass is growing underfoot and he can breathe the fresh air. He may be…