THE CRIMINAL ACTS OF TOD SLAUGHTER On Blu-ray From Indicator

This is a fantastic four disc, eight movie set, dedicated to the British actor Tod Slaughter. Slaughter was referred to as "The Horror Man of Europe", but these films are really Victorian melodramas, while Slaughter himself doesn't play monsters in the traditional sense. He plays over-the-top villai... Read full article

The Criminal Code (1931): Howard Hawks in The Big House

Although this is still a very early talkie, you can already see Howard Hawks developing a more intricate sense of dialogue which he would be known for in his pictures — most notably His Girl Friday. In the opening scene at the police station, we have dialogue piled on top of each other between... Read full article

The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz

The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (Ensayo de un crimen) Directed by Luis Buñuel Written by Luis Buñuel and Eduardo Ugarte from a novel by Rudolfo Usigli 1955/Mexico Alianza Cinematográfia Española First viewing/YouTube Here is another great satiric take on the theme of frustrated des... Read full article

Day 28 of Noirvember: Convicted and The Criminal Code

Today’s Noirvember post takes a look at two films: one from the film noir era and one from the pre-Code era. Did you know…? Join me tomorrow for Day 29 of Noirvember! ~ by shadowsandsatin on November 28, 2015. Posted in Noir Films, Noirvember 2015 Tags: Convicted, film noir, Glenn Fo... Read full article

Pre-Code vs Post-Code: "The Criminal Code" and "Convicted"

The title of the 1931 film"The Criminal Code," based on Martin Flavin's 1929 play, refers to two different codes -- the one in the law books, cut and dried and in black and white, administered by men like district attorney Martin Brady (Walter Huston). The other is the unofficial code among prison i... Read full article