Retreats from Oblivion: The Journal of NoirCon
Noir, crime, and mystery short stories, scholarship, and so much more
BOOK REVIEW: “While not of the caliber of Chandler or Hammett, Keene’s working-class novels show his talent for telling intriguing mysteries at a breakneck pace.”
Read More “Dead Men Are My Business: Day Keene’s Mrs. Homicide, Naked Fury, and Murder on the Side” by William BlickFILM REVIEW: “Violent, sensual, and at times poetic Hong Kong neo-noir….”
Read More Preview – “Patrick Tam’s My Heart Is That Eternal Rose (1989)” by Thomas M. PuhrFILM REVIEW: “Soderbergh knows the genre terrain, soaking up the urban atmosphere through his typically crisp camerawork and editing….”
Read More “Soderbergh’s Neo-Noir Heist: No Sudden Move (2021)” by Anees ArefBOOK REVIEW: “As deadly serious as an infected a wound that Billy and people like him live with every day. No humorous anecdotes here. The novel is consistently tragic….”
Read More “Faith, Sport, and Tragedy: Don’t Know Tough” by William BlickREVIEW: “While the film is credited with bringing German Expressionism to French cinema and thus another step toward film noir, the film is notable for its sense of stillness….”
Read More “La Chienne: Renoir Begins (Preview)” by Christopher SharrettBOOK REVIEW: “Using a distinct setting, a complex anti-hero, a series of unsavory, as well as empathetic characters, and most notably, a social heartbeat, Dorothy B. Hughes’ Ride the Pink Horse offers an extremely compelling journey.”
Read More “Noir with a Social Conscience: Ride the Pink Horse (1946)” by William BlickREVIEW ESSAY: “Thieves should respect their elders, too.”
Read More “No stupid moves: Frank Oz’s The Score” By Anees ArefBOOK REVIEW: “Demonstrates a degree of mastery of plot, character, and structure as the mystery is solved with all twists and turns readers have come to expect from the genre….”
Read More “Jonathan Latimer, Skilled Artisan of the Crime Genre: Headed for a Hearse (1935)” by William Blick“You can’t forget the past…just as much as you can’t change it” –Jakes Gittes (Jack Nicholson) in The Two Jakes The Two Jakes almost never happened. The sequel to the legendary 1974 film Chinatown (directed by Roman Polanski and written by Robert Towne) was a project doomed from the start, with creative clashes behind the […]
Read More “Back to Troubled Grounds: The Two Jakes” By Anees ArefNONFICTION: “As the renown imprint presents the last unpublished novel by the author, it delivers one of his most unique and rewarding….”
Read More “Hard Case Crime, April 2022: It’s Westlake!” by Matthew Sorrento
