The main news in this post: my new story at CrimeReads on the crime films of Elaine May went live late last month. Swing on over and check it out.
My Substack experiment continues, and is looking more and more like a success. Exhibit A: Cocktails and Crime was singled out in a Drawing Media interview at Kottke.org with polymath Michael Sharp, the man behind Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle, the pulp fiction blog Pop Sensation, and the Twitter account The Lamps of Film Noir. Drawing Media’s Edith Zimmerman even transformed the C&C welcome screen into a gorgeous illustration. If you’re at all interested in my ramblings, subscribing to C&C is your best bet. I give you my solemn oath that I won’t spam you. You’ll receive a newsletter approximately every seven to ten days, with rare exceptions like my coverage of the Seattle International Film Festival. A look at those stories and what else you may have missed—
On murder clubs, death cleaning, and reaching the age of not bouncing back.
I finally read Steven Bach’s Final Cut, which meant finally watching Heaven’s Gate.
I rant about baseball, but actually about something even larger that has nothing to do with sports.
A history of Blaxploitation, Michael Keaton’s second hit-man movie, and more recommendations.
SIFF crime films, including an early look at Thelma, a terrific heist movie, and a questionable Hitchcock doc.
SIFF serves up food and drink fare, like documentaries on Spanish wine and Seattle beer.
Background on the Elaine May piece for CrimeReads, including the story of how I didn’t meet her.
Another round-up of recs, among them a history of the Village Voice.
The infamous Tinseltown P.I. Fred Otash in a biography, a novel, and his own words.
