- John Hansen
- May 9, 2021
Christie gets theatrical in ‘Murder in Three Acts’ (1935)
There are two types of mystery readers: Those who view the book as a puzzle they must solve, and those who read it for the
Christie gets theatrical in ‘Murder in Three Acts’ (1935)
READ MORE
- John Hansen
- May 5, 2021
Nostalgic ‘Broadway Danny Rose’ (1984) doesn’t tug at heartstrings
“Broadway Danny Rose” (1984) is Woody Allen’s love letter to his standup comedy days. He plays the titular manager of has-been and never-was stage acts
- John Hansen
- April 28, 2021
‘Stardust Memories’ (1980) shows absurdities of fame
“Just deal with it” is my knee-jerk response to celebrities who complain about the price of fame. But in “Stardust Memories” (1980), Sandy Bates –
- John Hansen
- April 25, 2021
‘Boomerang Clue’ (1934) a better romance than mystery
In “The Boomerang Clue” (1934), as with the 1922 Tommy and Tuppence novel “The Secret Adversary,” Agatha Christie uses the mystery format to write a
- John Hansen
- April 15, 2021
‘Broken Flowers’ (2005) a slow-burn travelogue
I’ve been reading a fair amount of old books lately (as readers of my Sleuthing Sundays series know) and I notice characters often pause for
- John Hansen
- April 14, 2021
Allen’s theater background shows in ‘What’s New Pussycat’ (1965)
I can tell from “What’s New Pussycat” (1965) that Woody Allen has a background in stand-up comedy and theater. His knack for peppering set-ups and
- John Hansen
- April 11, 2021
Poirot takes swing at ‘Murder on the Links’ (1923)
“The Murder on the Links” (1923) might seem like the perfect Agatha Christie book to pair with a weekend in front of the TV watching
- John Hansen
- April 4, 2021
‘Mysterious Mr. Quin’ (1930) toys with supernatural
Without peeking ahead at the reviews, I’m guessing “The Mysterious Mr. Quin” (1930) inspires a wide range of opinions among Agatha Christie fans. It’s certainly
- John Hansen
- March 31, 2021
‘Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy’ (1982) an amusing riff
“A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy” (1982) is a good example of how Woody Allen’s B-game is better than most writer-directors’ B-game, but it also makes
- John Hansen
- March 25, 2021
‘Lost in Translation’ (2003) is exquisitely sad
From the early shot of Bill Murray’s Bob Harris riding through Tokyo in a cab while Girls’ “Death in Vegas” plays, “Lost in Translation” (2003)