Film 
Frozen
(1)“In winter all this pleasure came to an end, for the windows were sometimes quite frozen over. But then they would warm copper pennies on the stove and hold the warm pennies against the frozen pane. Soon a little round peephole would appear, and through these holes beamed the soft bright eyes of a little… Read More ›
Branded
Could this film be considered a horror film for those working in PR, marketing, and advertising? Touted as a sci-fi thriller set in a dystopian future, Branded (2012) plays more like a satire about society and the love/hate relationship with advertising. A brief prologue introduces a young Misha Galkin in early 1980s Moscow. After seeing… Read More ›
Sunset Boulevard
From the opening scene of a dead man face down in a pool to a star’s tragic descent down the stairs into madness, Sunset Boulevard is a Hollywood classic that ranks near the top of the 100 best films of all time. Joe Gillis (William Holden) is a down-on-his-luck Hollywood writer in need of a… Read More ›
Towards Zero
Perhaps one of the best modern adaptations of an Agatha Christie story is the 2007 French film, L’Heure Zero (Zero Hour), adapted from the novel, Towards Zero. Here, Superintendent Battle become Det. Bataille and he is present in the prologue when a group of lawyers listen to M. Trévoz, a former solictor, explain his theory of… Read More ›
OSS 117
Before he was The Artist, French actor—and Academy Award-winner—Jean Dujardin was OSS 117 (cent dix sept), a suave spy in OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (Nid d’Espion). This secret agent, though, is a cross between James Bond and Inspector Clousseau, and he’s able played with joie de vivre by Dujardin. The film starts off with… Read More ›
Lady in the Lake
This 1947 film noir is unique in its presentation. “Right now you’re reading in your newspapers and hearing over your radios…about a murder. They call it the Case of the Lady in the Lake. It’s a good title. It fits. What you’ve read and what you’ve heard is one thing. The real thing is something else. There’s… Read More ›
The Thin Man
It’s 1934, and Prohibition is over! The martinis and highballs flow freely in this classic silver screen hit that spawned five sequels! “The champagne elite of sleuthing”, Nick and Nora Charles banter their way through solving their first mystery in The Thin Man. Clyde Wynant, an inventor, receives a visit from his daughter, Dorothy, who is soon… Read More ›
Murder by Death
The ultimate murder mystery parody? You are cordially invited to Dinner and a Murder at 22 Lola Lane Saturday evening 7 p.m. Your Host Lionel Twain What would happen if Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles, and Charlie Chan teamed up to solve a mystery? Well, no one really knows, but… Read More ›
Topper Returns
Welcome to Carrington Hall, a creepy seaside mansion on a hill! Or as one character says, “If there wasn’t anybody living there, it’d be a haunted house.” Our story begins with a car accident. Oh, don’t worry! No one’s killed…yet. Anne Carrington (Carole Landis) and her dear friend Gail Richards (Joan Blondell) are on their… Read More ›
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
Master Jia is giving a tour of a great wonder under construction when, upon entering the sunlight, he begins to spontaneously combust. Is this some divine retribution? Are supernatural forces at work? No, it is a case of murder in China, circa 690 A.D. When judges from China’s supreme court begin their investigation, it is… Read More ›
The Poisoned Martini 