Tag Archives: noir

If you like The Big Lebowski…

Posted on October 12, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these! After the critically acclaimed maturity and sensitivity of Fargo, Joel and Ethan Coen pulled yet another switch by delivering a stoner crime comedy packed with profanity (it was as if … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Big Lebowski, Coen brothers, Fred van Lente, Guiu Vilanova, Janwillem van de Wetering, movies, Murder by Remote Control, noir, Paul Kirchner, politics, Stephen Bissette | Leave a comment

Ed Brubaker’s mature Batman

Posted on September 8, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

Ed Brubaker is one of the most critically acclaimed comic book writers of the 21st century. Heavily influenced by crime fiction and by the superhero revisionist turn of the 1980s, he has continually sought to imbue American comics with a … Continue reading →

Posted in WRITERS OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, Brian K. Vaughan, Brian Michael Bendis, Cameron Stewart, Catwoman, Daredevil, Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, Javier Pulido, noir, Paul Gulacy, Quentin Tarantino, Scott McDaniel, Sean Phillips, Tom Strong | 2 Comments

If you like Fargo…

Posted on June 16, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

The film. Not the show. It’s easy to see why Fargo (1996) became the Coen brothers’ most acclaimed picture. The devastating story of a frustrated car salesman (an unnervingly anxious William H. Macy) who hires a couple of thugs to … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Coen brothers, David Lapham, Maria Lapham, movies, noir, Sam Raimi, Stray Bullets | Leave a comment

A few loose thoughts on Matt Reeves’ The Batman

Posted on March 24, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

So, I finally went to see The Batman… Overall, I thought the movie was a baffling mess, although not entirely without merit. I kept trying to like it, but it kept fighting back. I’m not going to write a cogent … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Batman's personality, Gotham City, movies, noir, Penguin, politics, Riddler | Leave a comment

If you like Miller’s Crossing…

Posted on March 17, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

I still haven’t seen The Batman, but here is a great crime movie that I can wholeheartedly recommend: For fans of film noir, like me, few experiences can be more delightful than watching – and endlessly rewatching – Miller’s Crossing … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Blue Note, Coen brothers, Mathieu Mariolle, Mikaël Bourgouin, movies, noir, politics | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (17 January 2022)

Posted on January 17, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

Your ‘true crime’ reminder that comic book covers can be awesome:

Posted in AWESOME COVERS | Tagged All-True Crime Cases, Authentic Police Cases, Charles Biro, covers, Crime and Punishment, Crime Detective, Crime Does Not Pay, Crime Must Pay the Penalty, Dan Zolnerowich, Jack Kirby, Jim McLaughlin, Joe Simon, John Prentice, Johnny Craig, Justice Traps the Guilty, Matt Baker, noir, Real Clue Crime Stories, Stan Goldberg, The Perfect Crime, War Against Crime | Leave a comment

If you like Blood Simple…

Posted on January 6, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

Earlier in this blog’s life, I did a series of posts recommending comics for fans of specific Batman films and, later, another couple of lists with suggestions for fans of Quentin Tarantino’s work. Over the years, I’ve been getting such … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Coen brothers, Eric Skillman, horror, Jhomar Soriano, Joe R. Lansdale, movies, noir | Leave a comment

Top 12 foreign-language film noirs

Posted on October 21, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

When I ranked my top 50 noir thrillers last month, I only included movies spoken in English. It was an easy way to curb the size of the list. However, this type of gritty, atmospheric crime stories has found an … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Cold War, movies, noir, politics, World War II | Leave a comment

Gotham Calling’s top 50 film noir

Posted on September 15, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

Today is Gotham Calling’s seventh anniversary! I usually mark these occasions with a compilation of fifty images from Batman comics, showcasing the Dark Knight kicking people in the head or breaking through windows. Since the blog’s identity has been shifting … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, Cold War, Frank Miller, Graham Greene, movies, noir, politics, The Spirit, World War II | 4 Comments

Another 12 cool sci-fi short stories

Posted on July 15, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

This year there was no entry into Gotham Calling’s winter tradition of spotlighting sci-fi war comics. I’ll compensate with yet another list of short stories that similarly treat science fiction, not so much as a challenging, head-scratching experience, but as … Continue reading →

Posted in FANTASTIC ADVENTURES | Tagged 2000 AD, Al Feldstein, Alan Moore, Bernie Krigstein, Bill Gaines, Christian Gossett, Cold War, David Lloyd, Del Close, Dezi Sienty, Edmond Hamilton, Epic Illustrated, Frank Frazetta, Gardner Fox, Geoff Johns, Harvey Kurtzman, Howard Nostrand, Jack Potter, Jerry Grandenetti, Jim Wroten, Joe Giella, John Higgins, John Ostrander, Jordie Bellaire, Lee Mars, Marie Severin, Martin DeMuth, Metal Hurlant, Mystery in Space, Nat Barnett, noir, politics, science fiction, Sid Greene, Snakebite, Steve Craddock, Strange Adventures, The Spirit, Time Warp, Tom Fowler, Tom King, Wasteland, Weird Fantasy, Weird Science, Will Eisner, Witches Tales | Leave a comment