Crime

  • Frank Tuttle – Hell on Frisco Bay (1955)

    1951-1960CrimeFrank TuttleThrillerUSA

    Synopsis:
    When ex-cop Steve Rollins is released from San Quentin after five years, his only thoughts are of revenge on the men who framed him for manslaughter. Back in San Francisco, his quest for the truth brings him up against ruthless waterfront gang boss Victor Amato.Read More »

  • Frank Tuttle – Suspense (1946)

    1941-1950CrimeFilm NoirFrank TuttleUSA

    If Republic’s skating star Vera Hruba Ralston could go “dramatic”, so too could Monogram’s skating star Belita. Produced by the enterprising King Brothers, Suspense takes place in an ice-skating emporium owned by Frank Leonard (Albert Dekker). No-good heel Joe Morgan (Barry Sullivan) not only strongarms Leonard into sharing the establishment’s profits, but also tries to move in on Leonard’s wife Roberta (Belita). Read More »

  • Edwin L. Marin – Race Street (1948)

    1941-1950CrimeEdwin L. MarinFilm NoirUSA

    In this dark crime drama, the trouble begins when a San Francisco bookie attempts to lead an honest life by marrying a comely widow. In preparation for his nuptials, the fellow stays on the straight and narrow, but when he learns that one of his cohorts has been murdered by an East Coast gang that is trying to horn in on West Coast territory, he reenters the underworld. A boyhood friend who became a cop tries to convince him to team up with the police, but the vengeful bookie remains determined to things his way. It proves to be a tragic mistake and shows the bookie that those closest to him are not what they seem.
    — Sandra BrennanRead More »

  • Takashi Miike – The Man in White Part 2: Requiem for the Lion (2003)

    2001-2010ActionCrimeJapanTakashi Miike

    Synopsis:
    A rowdy, young yakuza takes revenge against a gang of thousands for the death of his boss.

    Review:
    Wow! The second and final part Miike’s Yurusarezaru mono (or: The Man in White) is pretty damned impressive! Following directly from the previous part’s cliffhanger ending, Miike steps up the action tenfold, adding new deranged characters to obstruct Azusa’s path of vengeance for the death of his boss.Read More »

  • Takashi Miike – Yurusarezaru mono AKA The Man in White (2003)

    2001-2010ActionCrimeJapanTakashi Miike

    Asuza is a yakusa always dressed in white, a pure, yet tarnished man. A child from the streets, he saw his father assassinated by his older brother, and his mother commit suicide. These traumatizing events haunt him in the present. Asuza is now a member of a criminal group. He has been taken under the wing of the gang’s leader, his new adoptive father. When this second father figure is suddenly assassinated, Asuza plunges rapidly into an infernal revenge scheme. As he searches tirelessly for the killer, he discovers that once again, his older brother is the culprit. A confrontation is inevitable. When Asuza meets his brother face to face, he learns that behind every murder committed, lie motives more complex than they first appear.Read More »

  • Walter Tennyson – The Body Vanished (1939)

    1931-1940CrimeUnited KingdomWalter Tennyson

    Despite a short run time this is a breezy, effective British mystery. A Scotland Yard Inspector (Anthony Hulme) is on holidays with his friend, a newspaper reporter. The two come into a small village for rest and refreshments before continuing their holiday. Their peace is disturbed when a villager runs into the local pub declaring the owner of a nearby mansion has been murdered.Read More »

  • Fabián Bielinsky – El aura AKA The Aura (2005)

    2001-2010ArgentinaCrimeFabián BielinskyThriller

    A quiet, epileptic taxidermist plans the perfect crime. All he needs is the right opportunity. An accident, perhaps…Read More »

  • Stanley Kubrick – Killer’s Kiss (1955)

    1951-1960CrimeFilm NoirStanley KubrickUSA

    Synopsis:
    Prize-fighter Davy Gordon intervenes when private dancer Gloria Price is being attacked by her employer and lover Vincent Raphello. This brings the two together and they get involved with each other, which displeases Raphello. He sends men out to kill Davy, but they instead kill his friend. Gloria is soon kidnapped by Raphello and his men, and it is up to Davy to save her.Read More »

  • Fritz Lang – Ministry of Fear (1944)

    1941-1950CrimeFilm NoirFritz LangUSA

    Synopsis:
    Ray Milland plays Stephen Neale–a bewildered man just released from an asylum. However, reality proves to be more surreal and perplexing than the asylum itself. Neale wanders through the streets, whimsically stopping off at a rural carnival, where he unwittingly gets involved in a complex and dangerous spy ring that is attempting to smuggle microfilm out of the country. He travels to London and hires a small-time detective to help him decipher the mysterious things that seem to constantly befall him. But things only get more confused from there, leading Stephen to Scotland Yard, where his fate entwines with a Nazi front organization, and a love affair.Read More »

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