Created by Michael Schur Winging its way from The Land of HUH? is Netflix' 2024 mini-series A Man on the Inside, an unexpected delight for those tired of grimmer-and-bloodier-than-thou "noir" and phoned-in cosplay detective dramas. It stars Ted Danson (who's almost eighty) as CHARLES NIEUWENDYK, a quietly retired engineering professor and recent widower from Oakland, … Continue reading Charles Nieuwendyk (A Man on the Inside)
Tag: Documentary
Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light
DOCUMENTARY (2006) The 2006 documentary Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light, from director and film historian Gary Leva, was originally tucked away on various DVD film noir collections from Warner Bros. (it's on Film Noir Classic Collection Vol. 3, and still shows up occasionally as a "bonus feature"), but it's also available separately. It's billed as … Continue reading Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light
Pulp Fiction: The Golden Age of Storytelling
This cheesy 2009 documentary offers a brief but fascinating overview of the writers who sweated out stories for the pulps from the 20s right through to the early 50s, across all genres, although it leans heavily towards sci-fi and fantasy -- in fact, its alternate title is "Pulp Fiction: The Golden Age of Sci Fi, Fantasy … Continue reading Pulp Fiction: The Golden Age of Storytelling
Pulp Fiction Art: Cheap Thrills & Painted Nightmares
This 2005 documentary by filmmaker Jamie McDonald is the first documentary I've heard of dedicated exclusively to the world of pulp art: those gloriously tawdry two-fisted illustrations of sneezing roscoes, hulking ghouls, granite-jawed dicks, slimy space monsters, scantily clad babes in distress and other wild and wonderful miscreants that graced the covers of the pulps … Continue reading Pulp Fiction Art: Cheap Thrills & Painted Nightmares