Friday, June 28, 2024

Feverish Dreams, Persecution Fantasies, Tormented Anti-Heroes: There’s Something About Cornell Woolrich’s Stories that Pulls Us in Like a Magnet — You’d Think it Would Do Just the Opposite

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Kevin McCarthy, Gage Clarke, "Nightmare" (1956). He Murders as He Sleeps! Contains spoilers By Paul Parcellin When it comes to cra...
Saturday, June 8, 2024

Peter Lorre: His first starring role was a massive hit and one of the most influential works of art in the history of film — and that was the problem

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Peter Lorre, "M" (1931). An unforgettable psychological portrait. By Paul Parcellin Renowned character actor Peter Lorre created ...
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Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Scrapped: The Original Opening Sequence of “Sunset Boulevard” was Even Stranger than the Final Cut, and Audiences had a Peculiar Reaction to It

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Erich von Stroheim, William Holden, Gloria Swanson, "Sunset Boulevard" (1950). Test Audiences Were Stunned, Amused and Confused Jo...
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Sunday, April 21, 2024

Pop! Goes the Flashbulb: In Noir, Photographers Did It the Old Fashioned Way, and their Pictures Usually Turned the Town, and Crime Investigations, Upside Down

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Howard Duff snaps a candid shot in "Shakedown" (1950). Contains Spoilers By Paul Parcellin Lighting and photographic style play a...
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Monday, April 8, 2024

Kings of the Road: Alienated, Disenchanted Drifters May Think They’re Heading Toward their Destination, but They’re Really on Course to a Tragic End

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Ann Savage, Tom Neal, "Detour" (1945). Contains Spoilers By Paul Parcellin Film noir is full of cheap hotel rooms, train stations...
Sunday, March 24, 2024

Is It or Isn’t It? “Clash by Night” is a Gripping Drama, Alright, But Some Insist It Doesn’t Make the Cut as an Authentic Noir Because It Lacks One Crucial Element

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Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan, "Clash by Night" (1952). Contains Spoilers By Paul Parcellin “Clash by Night” has   t...