‘Simple Art of Murder’ (1950) has overly complex street-level mysteries
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Not as accessible as the Marlowe novels, this collection is worth reading for Chandler’s titular essay.
Mystery
‘Simple Art of Murder’ (1950) has overly complex street-level mysteries
Prowling for an unsung Eighties slasher? Try ‘The Prowler’ (1981)
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Slathered with trope-building sequences and sub-Hitchcockian suspense, Zito’s film nonetheless has a shlocky pull.
No sophomore slump for Philippous with ‘Bring Her Back’
Movie review: The brothers follow “Talk to Me” with an even more meticulously crafted film, although it trades scares for an overall unease.
Parker takes the baton from Chandler in refreshing ‘Poodle Springs’ (1988)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): One of the most successful authors inspired by Chandler gets his own crack at Marlowe by finishing “The Poodle Springs Story.”
Bava lays a foundation with ‘Blood and Black Lace’ (1964)
Frightening Friday (Movie review): But later works would put his style innovations to scarier use than this procedural murder plot.
Chandler salvages screenplay for one more Marlowe novel, ‘Playback’ (1958)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Though it’s the slightest Marlowe novel, it still gives us the goods we’ve come to expect.
‘Alice, Sweet Alice’ (1976) driven by a great Evil Kid performance
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Though it lacks the intense scares of pure slashers, this film’s mystery hits on a psychological level.
‘A Bay of Blood’ (1971) shows where ‘Friday the 13th’ came from
Frightening Friday (Movie review): The style and practical gore effects remain outstanding, but the plot of this Bava film has never been strong.
Marlowe actually makes friends in ‘The Long Goodbye’ (1953)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): However, that doesn’t turn his life or his job into a breeze in Raymond Chandler’s meatiest novel.
‘Stendhal Syndrome’ (1996) is stupid but rather engaging
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Asia Argento plays the least plausible cop ever, but her father Dario’s directorial style remains a high point.