Category: Pulp Fiction
-
Feverish dreams, persecution fantasies: there’s something about Cornell Woolrich’s stories that pulls us in like a magnet
Kevin McCarthy, Gage Clarke, “Nightmare” (1956). Contains spoilers By Paul Parcellin When it comes to crafting stories of dread and entrapment, Cornell Woolrich stands out among his peers. His darkest work seethes with feverish, paranoid fantasies. Wrongly accused men, caged on death row or free and living under a stifling cloud of suspicion, are driven…
-
One American Author’s Writings Inspired Multiple Films Noir, Yet His Name Is Less Well Known Than Other Top Noir Storytellers of His Generation
Edward G. Robinson, “Night Has a Thousand Eyes” (1948). By Paul Parcellin By any measure, Cornell Woolrich was a virtual human writing machine who cranked out fiction at a feverish pace. He’s credited with 22 novels under his name, 17 more under the pseudonym William Irish, two more as George Hopley (including one of the…
-
FEARSOME 15: Movie Gangsters to Watch Out For
In the movies, henchmen climb to the top of the crime heap by using bombs, bullets and intimidation. Of course, being a terrifying SOB isn’t just a job security tactic – any mobster who’s not feared will often end up as landfill. The range of badass criminal types runs the gamut: There are those who…
-
Tarantino’s Twists and Turns Add Up Perfectly
Vincent, left, and Jules settle a score. Some may quibble with “Pulp Fiction”’s herky jerky storyline. It dodges back and forth from the past to the present without warning. The trouble is, at first it’s challenging to figure out exactly what is happening in the present and what took place in the past. You have…