A reporter breaks
up a baby-selling ring. Good location shots, definite B-feature. Not available
on video or DVD, so keep your eye out for it on classic movie channels.
(1949)
Armored
Car Robbery
Halliwell's says
"A police lieutenant leads the recovery of half a million dollars
stolen by gangsters." Good police procedural with great LA locations,
with crisp direction by Richard Fleischer. Again, not available except
on cable. (1950)
"Imagine
a dish like this married to a mug like Benny McBride. The naked and
the dead."
Between
Midnight and Dawn
Two radio-car partners
vie for many things, including the collar of a corrupt racketeer, the
love of a good woman, and maybe even a slug of hot lead. Competent but
unispired. (1950)
Beware,
My Lovely
Robert Ryan has one of the
best menacing presences on-screen. Here, as a psycho handyman, he's the
only bright spot in the movie as he imprisons and terrorizes an unusually
flat Ida Lupino. (1952)
Body
Double
Deliberately derivative, this
is Brian DePalma's salute to Hitchcock's "Rear Window" set in
the Los Angeles of B-movies, porn stars, and obsession. (1984)
Crimson
Kimono
More film than noir,
this movie is mostly memorable for its late 50s Little Tokyo film locations
than for the storyline, the angst of the two detectives who fall in love
with their key witness in this murder mystery. And why are so many of
the really good movies unavailable except if you luck out on TCM? (1959)
Criss
Cross
Another
great Ciodmak thriller with great Bunker Hill locations and all the classic
film noir elements. Dan Duryea is his usual psycho-self. Remade as The
Underneath (1995) with a better ending.(1949)
Dark
City
A bookie turns
to the tables for operating capital. After one of his clients lost money
he didn't have and hangs himself, the bookie and his cronies one by one
learn the existence of a murderous older brother. (1950)
"Why didn't
you answer the phone?"
"There was nobody I wanted to talk to."
Dragnet
Seargant Joe Friday on the
job, ma'am, investigating the murder of a connected ex-con. those familiar
with the radio shows of the 50s will enjoy seeing them come to life on
the big screen; those familiar with the TV show of the 60s will enjoy
seeing the seaminess of the movie rather than the Brady-esque vision of
the series. (1954)
Kiss
Me Deadly
Halliwell's says, "By
helping a girl who is nevertheless murdered, Mike Hammer prevents crooks
from stealing a case of radioactive material. Curiously arty and excruciatingly
boring private eye thriller, a ripe piece of cinematic cheese, full of
tilt shots and symbols: even the titles read from down to up." Check
out the cast, though - Ralph Meeker, Albert Decker, and Cloris Leachman.
(1955)
"Do me a favor, will
you? Keep away from the windows. Somebody might... blow you a kiss."
Pulp
Fiction
Just see it.(1994)
The Replacement
Killers
An assassin (the
marvelous Chow Yun-Fat in his American debut) must choose between killing
the son of a police officer or allowing his own family to be killed if
he refuses the job. Hong Kong action, plenty of gunfire, and with a cast
of your favorite character actors (including one of our favorites, Danny
Trejo!), this is definitely one to watch. (1998)
"I'll need
guns."
Scene
of the Crime
Pedestrian B procedural
with aspirations to noir. Nice seamy slice of post-war L.A. You can picture
Jack Webb cutting his teeth on this one. (1949)
"Naturally, I know you know I know somethin'."
"I know you know I know you know somethin'."
True
Romance
Quentin Tarantino
scripted a surprisingly good on-the-lam flick with an outstanding cast,
chock-full of his usual actors & characters. In a nutshell, Slater,
with new wife Arquette, embark on their honeymoon with her dead pimp's
mob cocaine stash. Much excitement ensues. A must see. (1993)
"Who
are you?"
"The Anti-Christ. You get me in a vendetta kind of mood, you tell
the angels in heaven you never seen evil so singularly personified as
you did in the face of the man who killed you."
Union
Station
Standard mystery
thriller. This movie's inclusion is based on great Union Station locations
and as always, William Holden's admirable performance. Second alternate
if the video store's out of what you wanted.
(1950)
"Gonna send that kid home, aren't you, Joe? I mean after we collect."
"She'll go home...they ever fish her out of the river. Let's have
the coffee, huh?"
