he Pope of Greenwich Village (dir. Stuart Rosenberg, 1984) It must have been spring or summer in the year 2001. I turned on Comedy Central one late night and saw an episode of TV Funhouse, the short-lived spinoff of Robert Smigel’s animated sketches on Saturday Night Live. The series version incorporated animation with live action … Continue reading The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)

Night of the Running Man (dir. Mark L. Lester, 1995) If I found a bag or briefcase full of cash, there are no circumstances in which I would actually take it. I’ve seen enough movies to know that it is never a good idea. Not only would I never take the money, I wouldn’t ever … Continue reading Night of the Running Man (1995)

Deadfall (dir. Christopher Coppola, 1993) Arsenal (dir. Steven C. Miller, 2017) Several years ago the 1993 movie Deadfall reentered the public consciousness, although it’s a stretch to say that it ever quite ‘entered’ it to begin with. The film only made 18,000 dollars at the box office before going to home video. How many people … Continue reading Deadfall (1993) and Arsenal (2017)

This Gun for Hire (dir. Frank Tuttle, 1942) Raven (Alan Ladd) is a contract killer. In addition to being a murderer, he’s violent toward the overdressed housekeeper at his apartment, but is kind toward animals and children, which sort of endears the audience to him. On orders from his employer, an industrialist named William ‘Not … Continue reading This Gun for Hire (1942)

Outrage (dir. Ida Lupino, 1950) The Hitch-Hiker (dir. Ida Lupino, 1953) The Bigamist (dir. Ida Lupino, 1953) Ida Lupino was a rarity for the 1950s. Born into an English acting dynasty, Lupino began her career as a teenage actor in Britain. Discovered by American talent scouts, she continued her career in Hollywood in the 1930s … Continue reading Three Films Directed by Ida Lupino

Shoot the Piano Player (dir. François Truffaut, 1960) Charlie Kohler (Charles Aznavour) plays piano in a bar, but Charlie also has a past. For one thing, his name isn’t Charlie. It’s actually Edouard Sarayoan, and he used to be a real musician before a tragedy in his life led him to abandon it all. His … Continue reading Shoot the Piano Player (1960)

Elevator to the Gallows (dir. Louis Malle, 1958) A man and a woman are having an affair. She wants her husband dead so they can be together. This man has a certain set of skills and some expertise in manners like this. A perfect crime is planned and a murder is committed. As the man … Continue reading Elevator to the Gallows (1958)

Bob le Flambeur (dir. Jean-Pierre Melville, 1956) Anne:     You that fixed on gambling? Bob:       What makes you say that? This is just for fun Anne:     Do you win? Bob:       Never. Film noir, as I’ve come to see it, began as a synthesis of American literary realism—the naturalism of Jack … Continue reading Bob le Flambeur (1956)

The Woman in the Window (dir. Fritz Lang, 1944) Scarlet Street (dir. Fritz Lang, 1945) Fritz Lang made two films back-to-back with Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, and Dan Duryea that involve a horny, middle aged man, a dangerous woman, and paintings. They were both adapted from novels. The Woman in the Window comes from … Continue reading Fritz Lang’s “Edward G. Robinson is a Rube” Duology: The Woman in the Window (1944) and Scarlet Street (1945)

Sea of Love (dir. Harold Becker, 1989) Men who responded to singles ads in a New York newspaper are turning up dead. They’re found in bed, shot in the neck, as a recording of “Sea of Love” spins silently on the turntable. Who in the NYPD is up for solving these serial killings? Enter Frank … Continue reading Sea of Love (1989)