Comics

Blue Beetle (1967) #1 W: D.C. Glanzman, Steve Ditko. A: Steve Ditko. Fun first issue for BEETLE; however, the QUESTION backup ends up overshadowing it. The feature’s fun, with some great art–Ditko’s doing a ballet–but the much shorter QUESTION has more plot and more character. Even with the new BEETLE’s origin in question in the feature. The art’s downright delightful even if the typeset word balloons don’t play.

Blue Beetle (1967) #2 W: D.C. Glanzman, Steve Ditko. A: Steve Ditko. BEETLE’s secret origin involves killer robots, mad scientists, secret islands, and the original Blue Beetle. There’s not much more to it, except the framing device, which has his love interest in danger as well. It’s fine, but nothing special (other than Ditko doing a pin-up). The Question backup is similarly ho-hum. Just fighting a science criminal.

Blue Beetle (1967) #3 W: D.C. Glanzman, Steve Ditko. A: Steve Ditko. BEETLE gets back on track with a strong feature. The formula seems to be basic science hero plot. The bad guys steal Beetle’s gun and use it to rob banks, even if they can’t figure out how to shoot it. Gorgeous movement in Ditko’s visual ballet. The Question backup’s better, too. Okay mystery, no subplots, implied politics, excellent art.

Blue Beetle (1967) #4 W: Steve Ditko, Steve Skeates. A: Steve Ditko. And off again… when the BEETLE feature doesn’t just have Ted after science crooks, it flops. Worse, there’s not the action ballet. Here, he’s tracking the original BB to a remote island on an archelogical expedition and there’s an evil cult. Yawn. The Question backup’s weird, too. Office infighting, bland villains. All Ditko’s energy seems spent (four issues in).

Blue Beetle (1967) #5 [1968] W: D.C. Glanzman, Steve Ditko. A: Steve Ditko. Self-parody about how the squares will inherit the Earth. In the feature, Beetle and guest star Vic Sage battle evil, nihilistic young artists. Ted and Vic are mad they don’t love [white supremacist dog whistle] enough. Oof. The QUESTION backup has Vic torturing the bad guy to radicalize him into psychosis, thereby requiring apprehension. Middling (for Ditko) art.

Blue Beetle (1967) #6 [1974] W: D.C. Glanzman, Steve Ditko. A: Steve Ditko. Leadenly portentous but solid “issue” (unpublished until a fan publication did so) has Ted Kord once again in trouble with the law, while the court of public opinion is condemning scientists, science, and Blue Beetle! The villain’s a mostly invisible man, so even without the best Ditko ballet, the physical stuff is still great. It’s just also incredibly goofy.

Movies

Barton Fink (1991) D: Joel Coen. S: John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Steve Buscemi, Tony Shalhoub. Newly successful New York playwright Turturro goes to Hollywood, quickly discovering his “common man” hotel is a dump and he’s got writer’s block. Plus, there’s something a little odd about neighbor Goodman. Throw in a famous author, Pearl Harbor, and some murder, and… the Coen Brothers don’t find the movie. Some great filmmaking and good acting, but it misses.

Crime Doctor’s Man Hunt (1946) D: William Castle. S: Warner Baxter, Ellen Drew, William Frawley, Ivan Triesault, Claire Carleton. Despite an interesting mystery–albeit not a mysterious one–the entry can’t overcome Castle’s repetitive, rote direction. Yes, it’s soundstage after soundstage but it’s always the same shot during the endless expository scenes. Excellent Baxter with a flashlight sequence, and both the photography and music have their moments. If any of the supporting cast worked out, it might’ve clicked.

Just Before Dawn (1946) D: William Castle. S: Warner Baxter, Adele Roberts, Martin Kosleck, Marvin Miller, Robert Barrat. Banal (but lethal) entry involves Baxter happening upon a poisoning ring and a plastic surgery for wanted criminals concern. They’re barely connected (but still less contrived than Baxter’s entry into the case), which means the mystery isn’t particularly involving. Baxter’s more an adventurer this time around; it doesn’t play. Even with the thin parts, the performances are okay enough.

Millennium (1989) D: Michael Anderson. S: Kris Kristofferson, Cheryl Ladd, Daniel J. Travanti, Robert Joy, Maury Chaykin. Too high concept, too low budget sci-fi about the correlation and not causation of time travelers and airplane crashes. Kristofferson’s a no-nonsense flight investigator, Ladd’s a mystery woman who’s sometimes a sex kitten, other times a badass future warrior. They do not appear to enjoy kissing each other; Kristofferson makes his adject disinterest obvious. Ladd’s eventually appealing.

Movies

36 Hours to Kill (1936) D: Eugene Forde. S: Brian Donlevy, Gloria Stuart, Douglas Fowley, Paul Fix, Jonathan Hale. Relaxed cheapie thriller about gangster Fowley taking a cross-country train to escape a dragnet, only to run into somewhat nosy reporter Donlevy. They then get into a love triangle with mystery woman Stuart. It’d be a lot better if at least ten minutes (of a sixty-five-minute runtime) weren’t dedicated to crappy racist jokes at Fetchit’s expense.

A Blueprint for Murder (1953) D: Andrew L. Stone. S: Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters, Gary Merrill, Jack Kruschen, Barney Phillips. Visiting brother-in-law Cotten begins to suspect Peters, step-mom to his niece and nephew, has malicious intent. Half the movie is Cotten and the supporting cast trying to catch her, half is the aftermath. The procedural stuff’s a drag. Cotten’s okay, but Peters only gets to show personality in the finale. Too low budget, too thin script.

Crime Doctor (1943) D: Michael Gordon. S: Warner Baxter, Margaret Lindsay, John Litel, Bess Flowers, Ray Collins. Densely plotted origin story has amnesiac Baxter becoming a renowned psychiatrist who used to be some kind of crook, but he avoids finding out until the last twenty minutes (of sixty-six). Occasionally inventive, usually competent, always efficient. Baxter and love interest Lindsay lack chemistry. Collins’s the mentor, Litel’s the villain. Also fun is spotting the THIN MAN alums. Adapted from the Philip Morris-sponsored radio show created by Max Marcin; first of ten CRIME DOCTOR films starring Baxter. Followed by THE CRIME DOCTOR’S STRANGEST CASE.

The Crime Doctor’s Courage (1945) D: George Sherman. S: Warner Baxter, Hillary Brooke, Jerome Cowan, Emory Parnell, Anthony Caruso. Baxter’s on vacation in sunny Los Angeles and quickly gets involved with a case of newlywed Brooke discovering husband Crane was cleared of his first two wives’ suspicious deaths (days after marrying them). There’s not much mystery to this one, just red herrings and a bunch of supernatural intimations to pack the runtime. Baxter’s game enough, but COURAGE’s thin. Followed by CRIME DOCTOR’S WARNING.

The Crime Doctor’s Warning (1945) D: William Castle. S: Warner Baxter, John Litel, Dusty Anderson, John Abbott, Miles Mander. Overlong installment has Baxter trying to clear rich kid turned wannabe artist Irwin, who may be murdering his models. There are plenty of faces to spot in the supporting cast–Mander’s the most fun of the credited, J.M. Kerrigan of the uncredited–but their scenes are always short. It’s mostly Baxter investigating alone in dark sets. Definitionally middling. Followed by JUST BEFORE DAWN.

The Crime Doctor’s Strangest Case (1943) D: Eugene Forde. S: Warner Baxter, Lynn Merrick, Gloria Dickson, Lloyd Bridges, Sam Flint. Very efficient programmer has Baxter investigating a rich guy’s murder by poison. Bridges is the prime suspect, and a fellow Baxter saved from a previous charge involving a poisoned rich guy. The mystery itself’s solid, and director Forde does well with suspense. The actors not as much. The finish needs to be better, but it nearly works out. Followed by SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT.

Seconds (1966) D: John Frankenheimer. S: Rock Hudson, Salome Jens, John Randolph, Richard Anderson, Murray Hamilton. Incredibly intense, meticulously photographed (gorgeous James Wong Howe black and white) and edited (Ferris Webster and David Newhouse) sci-fi thriller about two painters, lapsed amateur Randolph and successful but lost Hudson, and their dealings with a peculiar services company. Great performances from Randolph and Hudson. Excellent Frankenheimer direction. The third act whiffs a bit, but not too much.

Shadows in the Night (1944) D: Eugene Forde. S: Warner Baxter, Nina Foch, George Zucco, Lester Matthews, Ben Welden. Baxter’s out of his element at a seaside estate trying to figure out patient Foch’s nightmares, except he’s having them, too. The first half drags but once the reveals get started, it’s a fine enough mystery. Foch’s wanting. Welden’s very nearly Baxter’s sidekick, providing sorely needed rapport. The series’s brutal efficiency rarely allows time for the numerous red herrings. Followed by CRIME DOCTOR’S WARNING.

Shoeshine (1946) D: Vittorio De Sica. S: Franco Interlenghi, Rinaldo Smordoni, Annielo Mele, Emilio Cigoli, Bruno Ortenzi. Stark, compassionate rendering of postwar Roman boyhood. Best friends Interlenghi and Smordoni luck into a financial windfall only it comes with devastating consequences. Fantastic performances, particularly from the mostly young cast. De Sica’s direction is superb. Sublime pacing and plotting, the editing is outstanding. Relentlessly depressing, but never quite despondent. The film finds the humanity everywhere it looks.

Sweet Smell of Success (1957) D: Alexander Mackendrick. S: Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, Martin Milner, Sam Levene. Amoral New York press agent Curtis will do anything to stay in also amoral gossip columnist Lancaster’s good graces. Determining who’s more amoral and how many lives can be ruined in the continuous thirty-six hour present action is the relentless, often mortifying character study. Fantastic performances, photography, and direction. Great location shooting. Spectacular, rapid fire dialogue and pace.

Comics

Masters of the Universe The Motion Picture (1987) #1 W: Ralph Macchio. A: Art Nichols, Dennis Janke, George Tuska, Mike Zeck. Rote movie adaptation is only of note–barely–for the use of the HE-MAN toy designs instead of the movie costumes (except for the cheap-o new movie creatures). George Tuska’s pencils are hurried, but he gives the book more than it deserves. Not enough to make it worth a look, but at least there’s some bare competence.

Movies

Big Driver (2014) D: Mikael Salomon. S: Maria Bello, Ann Dowd, Will Harris, Olympia Dukakis, Joan Jett. Tonally concerning, poorly written adaptation of Stephen King novella about cozy murder mystery novelist Bello surviving a sexual assault and attempted murder. Way too many exploitation vibes for a Lifetime TV movie, especially how it objectifies Bello’s trauma for audio-video fodder. She does better than the project deserves, though even a tense third act can’t overcome the writing.

Man Wanted (1932) D: William Dieterle. S: Kay Francis, David Manners, Una Merkel, Bess Flowers, Elizabeth Patterson. Girlboss Francis can’t find a good secretary until she hires recent Harvard grad Manners. Except he’s only good at it because he moons over her the whole time. Too bad she’s married to philandering Thomson (and Manners is engaged to annoying Merkel). Manners is lousy, so the precisely shot lusty moments don’t work. Francis’s solid, good production, wanting script.

A Night in Casablanca (1946) D: Archie Mayo. S: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Paul Harvey, Charles Drake. Groucho takes over the Hotel Casablanca, unaware he’s in the crosshairs of escaped Nazi Ruman, who’s hiding stolen treasure in the hotel. Very choppy, with whole subplots disappearing. A handful of decent moments, but the low budget and Mayo’s iffy handle on directing the picture hurt. Verea’s the fatale (she’s solid). Harpo gets to play a very pretty song.

Project Hail Mary (2026) D: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. S: Ryan Gosling, James Ortiz, Sandra Hüller, Milana Vayntrub, Meryl Streep. Amnesiac Gosling wakes up on a spaceship far from Earth and has to remember why he’s there. The audience learns through pointlessly expository flashbacks. Drew Goddard’s script or Lord and Miller’s direction are both profoundly flat, with no dramatic tension, even in disaster sequences. Daniel Pemberton’s unceasing muzak doesn’t help either. Gosling and Ortiz do okay, for zero reward.

The Racketeer (1929) D: Howard Higgin. S: Robert Armstrong, Carole Lombard, Roland Drew, Paul Hurst, Kit Guard. Languid romantic melodrama about semi-legit gangster Armstrong falling hard for fallen woman Lombard, who can’t shake her devotion to drunken violinist Drew. Guard Armstrong’s right-hand man, Hurst, is the cop out to get them. Very talky, very slow (at an hour and change); no one can pace their dialogue. Perhaps notable as an early talkie, otherwise not.

Solarbabies (1986) D: Alan Johnson. S: Richard Jordan, Jami Gertz, Jason Patric, Lukas Haas, James Le Gros. Dismal post-apocalyptic kids movie about a bunch of rollerskating orphans (don’t worry, it doesn’t make sense) finding a magic orb. Top-billed Jordan’s the vicious cop after them, Durning (who hopefully enjoyed his trip to Spain for filming at least) is the weary orphanage warden. Nothing good about it, though many elements are worse than others. Terrible music.

Welcome to Collinwood (2002) D: Anthony Russo. S: Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy, Isaiah Washington, George Clooney, Gabrielle Union. Often funny remake of BIG DEAL ON MADONNA STREET relocates the action to an impoverished Cleveland neighborhood and its desperate denizens. Nice performances all around, with standouts from Rockwell, Macy, Washington, and Clarkson. It’s short, breezy, and amusing, but the writing and directing Russo Brothers don’t have anything other than excellent actors performing an adequate screenplay. Simultaneously tries too hard and not enough.

Comics

Action Comics (1938) #592 [1987] W: John Byrne. A: John Byrne, Keith Williams. Big Barda comes to Metropolis and is almost immediately captured by one of Darkseid’s previously unknown ex-minions. Meanwhile, Clark Kent visits a clinic treating victims of an unknown radiation poisoning. The two things are connected, leading to a rescue and a fight. While multi-hyphenate John Byrne canonically loves Kirby, you couldn’t tell from the story or art.

Action Comics (1938) #593 [1987] W: John Byrne. A: John Byrne, Keith Williams. John Byrne’s attempt to make Superman relevant again to readers now includes brainwashed Supes and Big Barda doing pornos together. Darkseid sends Mister Miracle to the rescue for dumb reasons. Some implied sexual assault (again), bland Byrne art, and tedious writing round out the issue. It’s further example of Byrne sapping the life out of Kirby characters, nothing more.