THE BRASHER DOUBLOON (1947) There’s a reason this film is not remembered as fondly as other Chandler adaptations: it’s not as good. With lacklustre leads and very little style or ambience, there’s really only the plot to keep you engaged and who goes to Chandler for plot? In smaller roles there’s the always wonderful Florence…
Tag: noir
Film Noir Friday: Fallen Angel (1945)
FALLEN ANGEL (1945) Dir Otto Preminger Attempting to capture the magic of Laura the year before, Preminger got Dana Andrews back into a fedora and Joseph LaShelle lensing but no Gene Tierney, alas. Instead we have a ripe Linda Darnell as the bad girl Stella (she shines at night of course) and Alice Faye as…
Surreal Noir: 17 May 22
Tonight, it’s SURREAL NOIR at NoBounds Radio. Episode Ten: Last episode was so talky I decided to double the listening pleasure this time around. Deep Listening from the 21st century back to the 14th—immersive sound to stop time and feed your ears! Musical selections include: Pauline Oliveros: Big Slow Bog (Mills Tape Center 1966-7) —…
Surreal Noir: 19 Apr 22
Tonight, it’s SURREAL NOIR at NoBounds Radio. Episode Nine: My text for this episode is Leonora Carrington’s ‘My Mother is a Cow’ which you can find in the collected stories. It features surrealism, ritual, goddesses, sacrifice, skin, magic, and a bit of Graves’ The White Goddess. If this sounds familiar, it’s adapted from the talk…
Surreal Noir: 22 Mar 22
Tonight, it’s SURREAL NOIR at NoBounds Radio. Episode Eight: It’s Women’s History Month, so a variety of things including adaptations of Patricia Highsmith’s Deep Water (no, I haven’t seen the brand new one yet but I did hear someone refer to it as Gone Girl 2.0 which is encouraging. All texts mentioned: Leave Her to…
Surreal Noir: 22 Feb 22
Returning for 2022, it’s SURREAL NOIR at NoBounds Radio. Episode Seven: In the States it’s Black History Month so this episode shares a variety of Black women and centres on Paris, of course the city at the centre of Surrealism, but also with a long history drawing people of colour for art, music and more….
Out Now: All Due Respect 2021
Out Now: the 2021 collection of stories from All Due Respect, which includes my tale ‘Squid Lord’ which — wait for it — was inspired by a song from The Fall. Of course. Links when it is available for sale. What’s the story about? A fellah who’s out of work, annoyed by his wife’s worship…
Coming Soon: All Due Respect 2021
Out February 18th: the 2021 collection of stories from All Due Respect, which includes my tale ‘Squid Lord’ which — wait for it — was inspired by a song from The Fall. Of course. Links when it is available for sale. What’s the story about? A fellah who’s out of work, annoyed by his wife’s…
Surreal Noir: 22 Dec 21
In a contemplative yuletide vein, it’s SURREAL NOIR at NoBounds Radio. This episode gets me belatedly into seasonal mode: an exploration of fictional accounts of the Parker-Hulme murder and its repercussions. In the darkest days of the year we tend to hide; with good reason – who knows what might lurk in the dark. Even…
TAROT IN GRESHAM’S NIGHTMARE ALLEY
[N.B. Written when I first heard that GDT was remaking it] When I showed Nightmare Alley to the students in my noir film course, one came up at the end to complain that the tarot readings were way off. I agreed and encouraged him to pick up Gresham’s novel. I assured him that the author cared a…
K. A. Laity 