Month: September 2016

Book Review – DUMMY (1974) by Ernest Tidyman

DUMMY by ERNEST TIDYMAN (1974, W.H. Allen, 210pp) ∗∗∗∗ Blurb: First there was Ernestine Williams, a prostitute found murdered in a Chicago alleyway on November 12, 1965. She had last been seen leaving a bar with a young black mute. Donald Lang, “The Dummy” was arrested. It was the beginning of one of the most bizarre murder…

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Film Review – BRIDGET JONES’ BABY (2016)

Bridget Jones’ Baby (2016; UK/Ireland/France/ USA; Colour; 123m) ∗∗∗½  d. Sharon Maguire; w. Emma Thompson, Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer; ph. Andrew Dunn; m. Craig Armstrong.  Cast: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Gemma Jones, Jim Broadbent, Neil Pearson, Emma Thompson, Shirley Henderson, Sarah Solemani, James Callis, Celia Imrie, Sally Phillips, Nick Mohammed, Joseph Harmon, Jill…

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Film Review – TAKEN (2008)

Taken (2008; France/USA/UK; Colour; 93m) ∗∗∗  d. Pierre Morel; w. Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen; ph. Michel Abramowicz; m. Nathaniel Méchaly.  Cast: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Goran Kostic, Katie Cassidy, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky, Holly Valance, Xander Berkeley, Olivier Rabourdin, Gerard Watkins, Arben Bajraktaraj, Nathan Rippy, Camille Japy. A retired CIA…

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Film Review – RUN ALL NIGHT (2015)

Run All Night (2015; USA; FotoKem; 114m) ∗∗∗  d. Jaume Collet-Serra; w. Brad Ingelsby; ph. Martin Ruhe; m. Alan Silvestri.  Cast: Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Ed Harris, Vincent D’Onofrio, Genesis Rodriguez, Boyd Holbrook, Common, Holt McCallany, Malcolm Goodwin, James Martinez. A hit man has one night to figure out where his loyalties lie: with his…

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Film Review – SHAFT IN AFRICA (1973)

SHAFT IN AFRICA (1973, USA, 112m, 18) ***½ Action, Crime, Thriller dist. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (USA), MGM-EMI (UK); pr co. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) / Shaft Productions Ltd.; d. John Guillermin; w. Stirling Silliphant (based on characters created by Ernest Tidyman); pr. Roger H. Lewis; ph. Marcel Grignon (Metrocolor | 2.39:1); m. Johnny Pate; ed. Max Benedict; pd….

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Book Review – ABSOLUTE ZERO (1971) by Ernest Tidyman

ABSOLUTE ZERO by ERNEST TIDYMAN (1971, The Dial Press, 182pp) ∗∗∗ Blurb: Adam True Blessing’s father was a financial genius; in the words of Bernard Baruch, “thirty-five inches of raw courage the day of the Crash.” Adam’s mother was even shorter. Together they gave their normal-sized son a human maximum of love, moral upbringing, and education, until one…

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Film Review – SHAFT’S BIG SCORE! (1972)

SHAFT’S BIG SCORE! (1972, USA, 105m, 15) ***½ Action, Crime, Thriller dist. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (USA), MGM-EMI (UK); pr co. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) / Shaft Productions Ltd.; d. Gordon Parks; w. Ernest Tidyman; pr. Roger H. Lewis, Ernest Tidyman; ph. Urs Furrer (Metrocolor | 2.39:1); m. Gordon Parks; m/l. Gordon Parks, Isaac Hayes; ed. Harry Howard; ad….

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Film Review – PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971)

Play Misty for Me (1971; USA; Technicolor; 102m) ∗∗∗∗  d. Clint Eastwood; w. Jo Heims, Dean Riesner; ph. Bruce Surtees; m. Dee Barton.  Cast: Clint Eastwood, Jessica Walter, Donna Mills, John Larch, Jack Ging, Irene Hervey, James McEachin, Don Siegel, Clarice Taylor, Duke Everts, Tim Frawley, Brit Lind, George Fargo, Mervin W. Frates, Otis Kadani….

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Film Review – THE NAKED CITY (1948)

Naked City, The (1948; USA; B&W; 96m) ∗∗∗∗ d. Jules Dassin; w. Albert Maltz, Malvin Wald; ph. William H. Daniels; m. Miklós Rózsa, Frank Skinner.  Cast: Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart, Don Taylor, Frank Conroy, Ted De Corsia, House Jameson, Anne Sargent, Adelaide Klein, Grover Burgess, Tom Pedi. New York City film noir about…

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