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Originally published December 15th, 2015 Maybe it’s the forced togetherness and spirit of brotherhood that makes the holidays so perfect for the noir genre. Whether it’s the glittery Hollywood pulp of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) or the nightclubs and trains in Lady on a Train, the subgenr read more

Originally published December 24th, 2015 The 1950s were a comfortable time for the Walt Disney Company; they knew how to cater to 1950s audiences. Their movies are perfect representations of the decade. By the time the 1960s rolled around Disney was starting to lose their footing (before completing read more

Originally published December 2nd, 2011 This is an odd one to group with Marilyn movies as she’s literally in it for a minute (I’d say less but I didn’t time it).  O. Henry’s Full House an anthology film of adapted stories from the works of O. Henry.  It’s certainly not read more

The last in my series of reviews on the three adaptations of Little Women is the 1933 George Cukor version.  This one is widely considered the de facto interpretation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel, and watching it after seeing the ’49 version I realized that the latter is simply a remake read more

Originally published December 8th, 2014 I was wary of watching any versions of A Christmas Carol this year after I did an entire month of various adaptations for my old podcast.  Let’s just say after you watch four of those in a row you get bored with the story.  Interestingly, in looking back read more

I gave my thoughts on 1947’s Miracle on 34th Street in a previous review which you can peruse here before reading my thoughts on the remake. I was rather harsh regarding this remake in my original review, if only because I’ve grown to accept this film’s faults and praise what it do read more

The studio era had a way of doing things with genres that weren’t unique but, in execution, make all the difference in the world. Director Henry Koster was adept at star-studded features that would commonly be referred to as “faith-based” today; 1947’s The Bishop’s Wife read more

How appropriate that our 31st episode comes out on Halloween night. In the last of four special Halloween episodes I talk to writer Kimberly Pierce about William Castle’s House on Haunted Hill (1959). Want to support the podcast? Consider leaving an iTunes rating and review, or becoming a read more

“Last night I dream of Manderlay again…” The first words spoken in Alfred Hitchcock’s American debut conjure up a dreamworld that could only exist in the imagination, and yet it’s meant to exist. With such a dreamy, fairy tale world placed in front of audiences, it̵ read more

It’s October which means it’s all about Halloween at Ticklish Biz HQ. In the first of four special Halloween episodes I talk to Karie Bible, author and tour guide at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Karie talks about the cemetery’s storied history, the graves, and maybe some ghostly read more

Director John Brahms was best known for his sumptuously decorated murder mysteries, 1944’s The Lodger and 1945’s Hangover Square. Before he was getting A-list talent to go alongside his beautifully decorated costume dramas he crafted this mystery, itself a bizarre amalgamation of the dyi read more

Light up the cauldron and get a mug of witches’ brew because October is upon us. Can we really say September was anything else other than the month before Halloween? (Okay, September is my birthday month but even I was counting down to October.) TCM at Halloween time is a double-edged sword be read more

In 1859 author Wilkie Collins published The Woman in White, considered the first mystery novel with an actual detective-esque structure. Imitated in numerous films since, from serious drama to animated films like Tim Burton’s The Corpse Bride, The Woman in White remains a thoroughly engrossing read more

A camera points to the ground, gliding along to show the chaos of a recent event, the ground littered in detritus. Has the house been looted? Is this the scene of a raucous party? The camera stops on a pair of shoes, panning up to introduce the audience to the exhausted Stanley Banks (Spencer Tracy) read more

With a wealth of biographies out there it’s often difficult to differentiate yourself from the herd by finding someone new to say. A figure like Alfred Hitchcock, outside of being analyzed from a filmic standpoint, is an open book – pun intended – when it comes to research and info read more

Visit the lovely town of Morgan’s Creek as guest Adam Kautzer talks with me about director Preston Sturges and his work, as well as 1944’s The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek. Want to support the podcast? Consider leaving an iTunes rating and review, or becoming a Patron via Patreon. ht read more

Describing the Florida Keys always sounds as if a Dashiell Hammett-esque noir voice should be speaking the words aloud: “An isolated strip of land as beautiful as it is hot.” Comprised of several islands the most recognizable is also the title of this John Huston noir, Key Largo. The six read more

Flicker Alley debuts two brand-new restorations this week with the DVD/Blu-ray combo release of Too Late for Tears (1949) and Woman on the Run (1950). Public domain victims whose copies have proliferated on YouTube and other sites, Flicker Alley shows why, at least in the case of Woman on the Run, w read more

The 1960s have come represent a decade in turmoil, and that’s true.  With Vietnam, political and racial unrest, it doesn’t appear too far removed from our current times; but in the heart of the sixties, Beatlemania took over and defined the decade.  A Hard Day’s Night was the Beatles’ first read more

Out of all the on-screen teams the studio system created, none endures as strongly as the teaming of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The two made nine films together, and had a strong romantic relationship off-screen, and nearly every film they made is magic distilled in some form. Their first read more