‘Deep Red’ (1975) not deeply profound, but it gets Argento noticed
Frightening Friday (Movie review): One of the most famous “Psycho”-influenced films smooths off the edges of Argento’s earlier work.
Mystery
‘Dain Curse’ (1978), Hammett’s most emotional novel, gets miniseries treatment
Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): Although he doesn’t resemble Hammett’s description, James Coburn makes an appealing screen version of the Continental Op.
‘Four Flies on Grey Velvet’ (1971) completes ‘animal trilogy’ with buzz
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Argento’s hand becomes steadier on the giallo tiller in his third directorial effort.
Wilder adds to sleuth’s lore in ‘Private Life of Sherlock Holmes’ (1970)
Wilder Wednesday (Movie review): The premise: This unusually personal mystery was kept from the public till 50 years after the sleuth’s passing.
‘Dial ‘M’ for Murder’ (1981) remains gripping in Plummer’s TV movie
On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): The remake is inferior in most ways, but it serves to remind us how ingenious Frederick Knott’s story is.
A baffling mystery: Why has there never been a Continental Op TV series?
Sleuthing Sunday (TV commentary): One obscure half-hour episode from 1995 features Hammett’s prolific detective, and teases what we could have over the course of a full series.
‘Cat o’ Nine Tails’ (1971) a few whiskers short of Argento’s debut
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Still, this mystery-slasher is worth watching for strong set pieces and nods to Hitchcock.
Add ‘The List’ (2023) to your list of contemporary culture dramas
Book club book report: Debut novelist Yomi Adegoke takes an engrossing dive into the good and very bad of cancel culture.
Hardboiled fiction that goes over easy: ‘Big Book of the Continental Op’ (2017)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Nearly a century after Hammett invented him, all of the Continental Op’s world-spanning adventures are cozily combined into one book.
Enter giallo gallery in ‘Bird with the Crystal Plumage’ (1970)
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Rome architecture and cinematography elevate this tale of an American trying to solve Italian serial murders.