Leader of the Pack: Stray Dog and its Influence on Detective Fiction Films

|Courtney Kowalke| For a film reviewer, I have a big blind spot when it comes to Asian cinema. I enjoy the occasional Bollywood musical, and the Twin Cities Arab Film Festival keeps me up to date on the Middle Eastern movie scene. I am pretty ignorant of what’s going on… Continue reading

Invisible Divisions: Post-War Provocations in Carol Reed’s The Man Between

|Chris Polley| Borders are fake, but people are real. Director Carol Reed knew this better than most others who have trafficked in spy thrillers and political noir over the years. And while The Man Between is typically less regarded than his prior masterpieces The Third Man… Continue reading

A Walk Through the Ruins with Love and Nihilism: The Third Man

|John Costello| For all its intrigue, racketeering, grift, occasional death, and rubble, The Third Man (1949) maintains a persistent optimism. Zither music strings us through chase scenes across Vienna’s war-damaged landscapes and down shadowy passages. The movie’s action includes… Continue reading

Bombed About A Bit: or, What’s a Little Misunderstanding Between Friends?

|Ian Taylor| Two gentlemen are sitting in a railway carriage, traveling through London. As the train slows down at a station, the first man looks out the window and says, “Is this Wembley?” The second man, gauging, replies, “No, it’s Thursday.” The first man nods thoughtfully and says… Continue reading