Blog Carnival of Crime

Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 11:19 am

This edition is known as the Blog Carnival of Crime, and we’ll be taking a look at 10 websites featuring content about crime movies. Some of these are entirely devoted to the concept of crime cinema, while others may specialize in fiction or movies in general. Whatever the case, fans of crime (both true and fictional) will have a field day wading through the lurid tales of death, deceit, and lust.

And please be sure to support the sites by clicking on the links below and visiting them. I’m sure most of those listed are simply a labor of love for someone, so taking a minute to pop in and leave a comment could really make their day. In other cases, the sites are maintained by professional writers, and I’ve included Amazon links to their books (yes, we do get a commission if you buy something).

Not Just Movies – Jake, a journalism student at Auburn, offers his insights on Fritz Lang’s M, one of the works responsible for the film noir movement. If you’re a fan of well-written critical assessments, you won’t be disappointed by this piece. The rest of his content is wide-ranging, delving into both television and film (everything from Iron Man 2 to Orson Welles’ F for Fake).

Thrilling Days of Yesteryear – Taking a look back at what he calls “Pidgeon Noir” the author examines The Sellout and The Unknown Man, both 50’s crime films starring actor Walter Pidgeon. Around in one form or another since 2003, this blog is overflowing with topics ranging from “classic movies” and “Academy Awards” to “comic strips” and “TV on DVD.”

My Year in Crime – Author Dan Fleming, the writer and co-creator of indie comics anthology Warrior Twenty-Seven, reviews 44 Inch Chest, a recent crime drama starring Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson. A trailer for the film is included, as is a trailer for the excellent Sexy Beast, which was penned by the same writing team. The rest of the site, by the way, is devoted to all manner of crime stories, whether they take place on the small screen or the big one.

Crime Culture – A massive resource dedicated to all forms of crime-based entertainment, with categories ranging from “Female Detectives” to “Neo Noir.” The section I’ve linked to has plenty of crime film reviews such as Night of the Hunter, Touch of Evil, White Heat, Scarface, and Miller’s Crossing. The site even has a section called the Rogue’s Gallery, where crimes from as early as the medieval period are documented and discussed. Fascinating reading.

Victor Gischler’s Blogpocalypse – The personal website of Victor Gischler, the author of four hard-boiled crime novels (as well as Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse and Vampire a Go-Go). Victor talks about all aspects of crime and horror, from the X-Men taking on vampires to his early work being available on Kindle. If you want a peek inside the mind of an author, this is the place to visit.

Dusk in Autumn – While the whole site is worth your time, the article that really stood out to me was entitled “Top-Rated Crime and Noir Movies Created During Peaceful Times.” In this entry, the author points out that the majority of top-rated crime movies have been produced in the U.S. when the nation’s crime rate was actually falling. Strange but true, and I always love posts that tell me something new. Don’t expect a lot of articles about crime cinema, but this one is worth a look.

Noir of the Week – Updated regularly since the summer of 2005, this blog is maintained by Steve-O. Each and every week, the site recommends a different film noir selection, and their archive is literally packed with forgotten treasures from this era. Be sure and stop by if you’re a fan of movies like The Big Heat, Chinatown, and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse.

Fisheye Lens – A look at the guys who seem to show up in every mob movie ever made. While attention is paid to the Pacinos and De Niros of the world, the real focus is on men like Vincent Pastore, Mike Starr, and James Russo. I’m a big fan of character actors to begin with, so this post is right up my alley.

Crime Always Pays – Declan Burke, a writer of Irish crime fiction, takes a look at Perrier’s Bounty, a crime film starring Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson that recently debuted on the Emerald Isle. In the post entitled “Irish Crime Cinema: Now in Gigglevision,” he also writes about how most films involving hoods and crooks made in Ireland these days are filled with black humor, thus eliminating them from the category of “serious crime flick.” Plenty of crime fiction is also discussed on the site, and you can check out news and reviews on such Burke books as Crime Always Pays, The Big O, and Eightball Boogie.

Jotter of a Rotter – In the post titled “The Top 20 Mafia/Mob Movies of All Time,” author Dan Berry takes a look at films featuring the mob. While most devoted fans of the genre will have viewed most of these already, it’s an excellent resource for those looking to learn more about goombahs and goodfellas.

If you’re a fan of blog carnivals, check out some of the others hosted by Only Good Movies:

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 at 11:19 am and is filed under Cinematic Potpourri. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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