2024: A horror ‘Oddity’ – Irish film is year’s best so far
Movie review: Writer-director Damian Mc Carthy masterfully crafts a character-driven supernatural whodunit at a refurbished Irish manor.
Mystery
2024: A horror ‘Oddity’ – Irish film is year’s best so far
Hammett’s ‘The Glass Key’ (1931) digs into city political games
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Though unavoidably a complex subject, Hammett and his most unethical detective make government corruption accessible.
‘Shining Girls’ (2022): Make it make sense
Throwback Thursday (TV review): A shaky portrayal of a newspaper and even shakier time-travel logistics undercut nice design and good acting.
‘The Parallax View’ (1974) a timelessly chilling conspiracy noir
The ‘paranoia trilogy’ (Movie review): Though very Seventies in its style, Alan J. Pakula’s gem resonates as a peek into shadowy string-pulling.
‘Klute’ (1971) a grimy classic of Seventies noir
The ‘paranoia trilogy’ (Movie review): Rightly known for launching a new decade of noir style, Alan J. Pakula’s masterpiece is even more impressive as a romance.
Hayes steps into Marple role for lively ‘Caribbean Mystery’ (1983)
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): True, she doesn’t seem remotely British. But if you can accept the Americanization, this is a fun adaptation of Christie’s novel.
‘Evil Under the Sun’ (1982) is a sunny Poirot delight
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): A standout cast and gorgeous location shooting make this one of the best Poirot film adaptations.
‘Presumed Innocent’ a slick spin on the classic book/film
TV review: David E. Kelley’s melodrama and big personalities blend well with the compelling legal issues at the core of the Scott Turow potboiler.
Return to Britain serves up ‘Frenzy’ (1972) of great plotting
On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): Writer Anthony Shaffer collaborates on Hitchcock’s greatest British film – more than three decades after he moved to Hollywood.
Lansbury takes crack at Marple in ‘The Mirror Crack’d’ (1980)
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): While the actress isn’t my idea of Christie’s sleuth, the plotting and acting are strong in this adaptation.