First and foremost, I’m back at CrimeReads with another feature story, this time a look at what may be the most snakebit project in Hollywood history. The caper comedy The Comeback Trail has been made twice, almost fifty years apart, most recently with a cast brimming with Academy Award winners. But neither version received a proper release. I dig into the backstories of both movies and explain why.
Next up, a recap of the first third of 2025 at my Substack outpost Cocktails and Crime.
I take in a trio of Nicholas Hoult movies, including my pick for the best crime film of 2024, and recommend Alex Segura’s Alter Ego.
L.A. crime fiction from Nick Kolakowski and Scott Phillips.
New biographies of Johnny Carson and Dorothy Parker, plus the best movie night I’ve had in a while.
A rundown of my then-upcoming, now-recent appearances, and the movies Presence and Soundtrack to a Coup d’État.
A recap of Noir City Seattle, cohosted by yours truly.
I’m blown away by The Penguin, plus new books by Sara Gran and Bruce Vilanch.
Nothing but love for Christa Faust’s The Get Off, plus Laura Lippman’s latest sends me in search of more maritime mayhem.
Recent releases: September 5, Black Bag, and my favorite film of 2025 so far, Eephus.
I revisit David Lynch’s Dune on the big screen for the first time in forty years.
Background on my CrimeReads article about The Comeback Trail that focuses on the astonishing career of filmmaker Harry Hurwitz, which runs the gamut from Charlie Chaplin to disco vampires.
