Crime Thriller
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Movie Review: The Two Jakes (1990)
Sixteen years after the neo-noir classic Chinatown came this sequel, with Jack Nicholson reprising his role as the gritty sleuth, Jake Gittes. This project was delayed in production for years, until Nicholson himself took over as its director. While it failed at the box office and some critics panned it as clunky, others like me Read more
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Movie Review: The Invisible Guest (2016)
From Spanish director Oriol Paulo, who gave us El Cuerpo in 2012, comes another intense thriller, The Invisible Guest, a tale of betrayal, adultery, murder, and cover-ups. Like El Cuerpo, the narrative unfolds through a series of flashbacks. Celebrity entrepreneur, husband, and father Adrián Doria (Mario Casas) stands accused of murdering his former mistress, Laura Read more
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Movie Review: Nightcrawler (2014)
Nightcrawler is a standout neo-noir movie from director Dan Gilroy, who also wrote its screenplay. It is a cynical look at our insatiable need for sensational news to temporarily distract ourselves with news inundated with violence and mayhem, news that does not necessarily enrich us. The movie is set in the 2010s, a time when Read more
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Movie Review: The Grifters (1990)
Produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by Stephen Frears, ‘The Grifters’ is a neo-noir gem, a twisted tale about three criminals. It is based on Jim Thompson’s novel of the same name. Though it is limited to a modest budget, ‘The Grifters’ features a stellar cast who deliver outstanding performances. The taut, smart screenplay has Read more
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Scarface (1932) vs. Scarface (1983)
The first “Scarface,” released in 1932 and directed by Howard Hawks, is loosely based on the 1929 novel “Scarface” by Armitage Trail, which was actually a pseudonym for Maurice R. Coons. In this post, we will compare it with its 1983 remake directed by one of my favorite directors of all time, Brian De Palma. Read more
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Movie Review: Little Caesar (1931)
Little Caesar, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, is part of a trifecta of movies that are considered among the most influential in the gangster genre. The movie, based on a book of the same name by W. R. Burnett, tells the saga of Caesar Enrico “Rico” Bandello, a petty crook who rises up the ranks in Read more
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