Patrick Hamilton was a gentrified British version of Jim Thompson: a disreputable alcoholic who supported himself by writing twisted pulp novels with an even bloodier jagged edge than most. Like Thompson, he marked his work by a seedy personal perspective and a talent for the sudden appearance of the bizarre …
113th Congress, 2nd Session H.R. 7162 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES — June 4, 2013 AN ACT To deter and punish acts of comedic violence in the United States and around the world, and to further control and prevent the occurence of slapstick-related deaths and injuries by means …
Shot: Dark room. Cast, standing with arms crossed, moving pan. Stern expressions as they look up at the camera. Menacing tone plays on soundtrack. ANNOUNCER’S V.O.: NYPD Blue did it for the police department. Shot: Conference table. Jim throws his pen angrily across a legal pad. He glares at a stern-looking agent …
“You’re in the soup now, missy.” “Yeah.” “You’re well and truly sorted out, me girl.” “Sorted out.” “You’re in for a long old night of it.” “A long night.” “Thank you, Miller, no need for the Greek chorus.” “Sorry, sir.” “Right ho. Now, back to you. You really should have …
Ida Lupino’s The Hitch-Hiker breaks a lot of the ‘rules’ of film noir, and in doing so, it sometimes scans like a prescient warning bell of the post-Psycho revolution in crime drama than it does a product of the 1950 B-picture system. This is by no means meant as a criticism; …
V-CHIP THEATRE PRESENTS: THE GREAT FILMS 1. The Godfather (1971; Francis Ford Coppola, dir.) An Italian-American family struggles to thrive in an extremely competitive business environment. 2. Vertigo (1958; Alfred Hitchcock, dir.) San Francisco police detective investigates confusing identity theft, fails to take medication to control phobia. 3. The Seven …
Harken, she who is called ‘Sue’! Conan has no need of your foolish tonics and potions. Is this the way of civilization? Are all the men here so weak and womanly that they must anoint their steel with herbs and magics in order to please their women-folk? Bah! A pox …
Le Pont du Nord, which I saw earlier this week in a gorgeous new 35mm print at the Northwest Film Forum, is a baffling creature; neither a straightforward narrative nor an entirely experimental impressionistic piece, it’s hard to figure out while you’re watching it and even harder to suss with …
Oh, you future generations who read these words in admiration or infamy: it is to you I speak, for there is none today I can tell. Pity me, please, and envy too: for I am the most luckless man on this lonely world, and the most blessed. I am no …
“Saint’s Day”: Eric is disappointed when none of his friends will help him celebrate his Saint’s Day. They point out that the whole idea of a Saint’s Day is pretty stupid, and that at any rate, he is not Catholic. He vows to develop an affectation that will make the …
Orson Welles’ Mr. Arkadin (also known as Confidential Report, Dossier Secret, and a handful of other names) is one of the most difficult to assess items in the great man’s filmography, which is one reason I’ve resisted seeing it for so long. While the general consensus seems to be that it’s a noble failure, …
I’d finished my scone and was having a second cup of Turkish coffee when I saw him. The No. 73 Express bus from the University District had come in a few minutes before, and he was peering in one end of the café window, the end nearest the anarchist bookstore, …
Outstanding Monkey Drama Series: Monkey Murder Squad • CBS One Tough Monkey • ABC The Logbook of Sailor Beppo • HBO Philadelphia Organgrinders • FOX President Ape • NBC Outstanding Robot Comedy Series: Class 3 Laughter Inducement Program • FOX Me and HRX4220149-Delta-AM1640-C • Showtime Flesh-Sac Commands Me to Dance …
Hey, folks! Good to see you! And I mean that. Not that I’ve ever seen you before, I just mean that simply that my being able to see you at all is indicative of the fact that I haven’t gone blind. Unless this is some kind of elaborate internal hallucination, …
LIVER The most common of the variety meats is also the easiest target. The mere mention of liver perennially brings a frown to children’s faces, and even among adults with more sophisticated palates it is unjustifiably maligned. The truth is, this vitamin-packed, easy-to-extract organ is easily prepared, affordable, and quite …
