Turner (Mick Jagger), left, keeps watch over Chas (James Fox) in ‘Performance’ (1970). Just another a drug-induced,decadent, rock ’n’ roll-tinged noir  “Performance” isn’t on many “best neo-noirs” lists — absolutely zero that I could find, honestly. Some might say it shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as the 1960s crime films that pay homage…

Mark Rylance as Leonard Burling in ‘The Outfit.’ Set in 1956, “The Outfit” (2022) is a smart-looking Chicago-based drama starring Mark Rylance as meek British cutter Leonard Burling, who has dedicated his life to crafting bespoke men’s suits. After a long tenure on London’s Savile Row, he’s set up shop in the midwestern city famous…

Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Robert Phillips, Seymour Cassel and Morgan Woodward. Sometimes, your favorite films play tricks on you. You carry around a memory of the plot, atmosphere and pacing, but later you find that your recollection was all wrong. That happened to me recently when I saw John Cassavete’s 1976 film,”The Killing of a…

Celebrated L.A. crime novelist James Ellroy will be talking about his new book, “Perfidia,” at the main branch of the L.A. Public Library on Tuesday, Sept. 9. Wait list tickets are all that are left, and admission is free. He’ll be signing “Perfidia,” but only copies you buy from the library — proceeds help support…

The James “Whitey” Bulger saga continues, and here’s an interesting interview with reporter Shelley Murphy about the incarcerated 83 year old Boston mob boss. Check out Shelley’s accent — sounds like she’s right out of Southie. Shelley Murphy on Whitey Bulger – RadioBDC blog – Boston.com You may remember that Whitey was on the lam…

The Hoodlum (1951) Director: Max Nosseck Writer: Sam Neuman Stars: Lawrence Tierney, Allene Roberts and Marjorie Riordan See the full movie on YouTube, or rent it on DVD. Sometimes a rat gets what he deserves – it just takes a while. “The Hoodlum” begins documentary style with a rundown of anti-hero Vincent Lubeck’s dirty dealings.…

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…

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…

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…

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…