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The 1940s are credited as the height of classic film noir, initially gaining notoriety with iconic movies such as The Maltese Falcon, Out of the Past, and D.O.A. Throughout the decade, countless noir movies were released and are considered to be some of the best film noirs of all time, but titles like The Dark Corner and The Locket are of equal caliber but oftentimes fail to receive the recognition they genuinely deserve.

[Editor’s note: The following essay contains spoilers for both “Hit Man” and “The Dark Corner”]

It’s always been clear from watching Richard Linklater films that the auteur — who rose to fame during the independent film movement of the ‘90s and stands as one of the modern masters of American cinema — is fascinated by time. Not just the practical application of it, nor just the passage, but the true essence of it. How does one capture childhood? What about the teen years and college? What does it look like to compress these into one vs. focusing in on one moment? These are questions Linklater has answered, but a question the audience should be asking in return is why does Linklater use his films to make these studies?

I believe the answer lies in the history of film itself and what it has given Linklater, in terms of inspiration and influence, but also in terms of how the art form...

Lucille Ball was not just known for "I Love Lucy" but also had a successful movie career with roles in several genres. "The Facts of Life" in 1960 earned Ball her first Golden Globe nomination, showcasing her ability to excel in roles beyond comedy. Films like "The Big Street," "Lured," and "The Dark Corner" allowed Ball to showcase her versatility as a comedic and dramatic actress.

Legendary actress Lucille Ball was responsible for the hit sitcom I Love Lucy but also had a great career as a movie actress. Throughout her career, Lucille Ball started her career in the late 1920s as a model but eventually got her first acting gig as an uncredited extra in the 1933 movie Roman Scandals. Up until her death in 1989, Ball was a celebrated comedian, actress, singer, dancer, and producer and is still remembered to this day. In fact, Desilu Productions, Lucille Ball's company, launched Star Trek and Mission: Impossible,...

The New York Film Festival has established itself as a haven for film purists, a place where the masters of cinema are treated like titans and auteurism supersedes all other other religions. In keeping with that spirit, the fest has always made sure to steer an uncommon (and greatly appreciated) degree of attention towards the history of the medium, complementing their roster of contemporary films with in-depth retrospectives and well-curated revival screenings.

Read More: Nyff Announces Retrospective Selections Inspired By Bertrand Tavernier’s ‘My Journey Through French Cinema’ – Exclusive

Nyff 54 is no exception. In fact, this year’s retrospective section offers two programs for the price of one — centering on director Bertrand Tavernier, the wonderfully expansive sidebar doesn’t just appreciate its subject as a filmmaker, but as a film thinker as well. Only showing one of Tavernier’s narrative features, the retrospective focuses instead on his unmissable new cinematic essay,...

The already-incredible line-up for the 2016 New York Film Festival just got even more promising. Ang Lee‘s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk will hold its world premiere at the festival on October 14th, the NY Times confirmed today. The adaptation of Ben Fountain‘s Iraq War novel, with a script by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire), follows a teenage soldier who survives a battle in Iraq and then is brought home for a victory lap before returning.

Lee has shot the film at 120 frames per second in 4K and native 3D, giving it unprecedented clarity for a feature film, which also means the screening will be held in a relatively small 300-seat theater at AMC Lincoln Square, one of the few with the technology to present it that way. While it’s expected that this Lincoln Square theater will play the film when it arrives in theaters, it may be...

The Film Society of Lincoln Center has announced the Retrospective section of the 54th New York Film Festival, an ambitious two-part lineup that is both headlined and directly inspired by Bertrand Tavernier’s documentary “My Journey Through French Cinema.” Nyff will screen Tavernier’s doc — which clocks in at a hefty and informative 190 minutes — along with a selection of French classics that feature prominently in the film. Additionally, Nyff will play home to a 12-film exploration of the films of Henry Hathaway, one of Tavernier’s favorite American directors. What follows is a feast of French cinema and a crash course in the works of Hathaway.

Read More: New York Film Festival Announces James Gray’s ‘The Lost City of Z’ As Closing Night Selection

Highlights of the “A Brief Journey Through French Cinema” section, as it’s being quite charmingly billed, include Jean Renoir’s revolutionary epic “La Marsellaise,...

Alfred Hitchcock's true-life saga of a man wrongly accused may be Hitchcock's most troublesome movie -- all the parts work, but does it even begin to come together? Henry Fonda is the 'ordinary victim of fate' and an excellent Vera Miles is haunting as the wife who responds to the guilt and stress by withdrawing from reality. The Wrong Man Blu-ray Warner Archive Collection 1956 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 105 min. / Street Date January 26, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle, Harold J. Stone, John Heldabrand, Doreen Lang, Norma Connolly, Lola D'Annunzio, Robert Essen, Dayton Lummis, Charles Cooper, Esther Minciotti, Laurinda Barrett, Nehemiah Persoff. Cinematography Robert Burks Art Direction Paul Sylbert Film Editor George Tomasini Original Music Bernard Herrmann Written by Maxwell Anderson and Angus MacPhail Produced and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

The Wrong Man sees Alfred Hitchcock at the end of...

Dark Corner

Written by Bernard C. Schoenfeld and Jay Dratler

Directed by Henry Hathaway

USA, 1946

Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens) is a private investigator with a modest office in Manhattan. His only help is in the shape of his trusty and charismatic receptionist Kathleen (Lucille Ball). One evening after a day’s work, Brad convinces Kathleen to spend the evening with him, not too difficult a feat given that she fancies her employer. When perusing the games at a carnival, it comes to their attention that a tough-looking man dressed in a shiny white suit (William Bendix) is tailing them. One thing leads to another (including an attempt on Brad’s life) until the private dick gets his tail to fess up his employer. It turns out Brad’s former partner and now lawyer Tony Jardine (Kurt Kreuger) is keeping tabs on him. What neither Brad nor Tony know, however, is...

The Hangover Part III is a bad comedy, and not bad like The Hangover Part II's ridiculous in-your-face rehashing of the first film's inventive and hilarious plot. It's as if Todd Phillips, writer/director of the series, got so fed up with complaints of the second film's copy-and-past attitude that he's gone in a completely different direction, to the point that The Hangover Part III isn't really even a comedy. The dark corner the second film took begins turning even harder from scene one. Full scenes go by without attempts at a laugh. What started out as fun has turned deep, dark and depressing...kind of like a bachelor party. And there's very little blaming Phillips for taking this approach to following up a film that, in my uneducated belief, he had no interest in following up in the first place. The Hangover was a breath of fresh air...

The Dark Corner of the Toy Box is a column at Dtb that focuses on collectibles, action figures, statues, and memorabilia based around the types of movies, books, and video games we cover here on the site.

The line between beauty and the grotesque has always been blurred in film but more importantly in horror. It’s amazing how we can be as equally repelled and yet drawn in by an image that is so disturbing that it starts to become alluring. In the Silent Hill video games and films, the “Nurse” demonstrates this more than anything. With deformed facial features that practically hide their true gender, the “Nurses” fetishisized bodies and outfits are the only indication that maybe they are women. But are they really women or just a sex-less creature made to seduce us? It’s a disturbing thought that is brought to reality in the form of...

All of Bruce Campbell’s goofy charm as the iconic character Ash will be returning to plastic form once again thanks to the talented team over at Neca. Next year, fans will be able to rejoice as Neca will finally release figures from their highly anticipated line of Evil Dead 2 figures. Combining more laughter and campy one-liners than the original, Evil Dead 2 expands the story first told in the original and shows off a bigger budget with some elaborate special effects scenes. The laughing furniture sequence still amazes me. If you love Ash as much as the next dead-head, keep reading to get a look at these great upcoming figures.

Neca has previously released two versions of Ash from the third film in the series Army of Darkness. One of the figures shows him in his traditional garb from the film which was featured in Series 5 of the “Cult Classics...

In the mid 90′s, Todd McFarlane reached new heights of fame with his iconic comic character Spawn. Though the series had been around for a little while, by 1994 the anti-hero who made a pact with the Devil had finally grown popular enough to warrant a line of collectibles. Thus, McFarlane Toys was created. At first the company simply released figures from the Spawn comics. Then as popularity grew, the company branched out creating new lines of figures; one of which caught the eyes of rabid horror collectors. In ’98, “Movie Maniacs” was released giving fans figures from such films as Species, The Thing, Psycho, and many more. After an amazing 7 series run, multiple boxed sets, and deluxe figures, it seemed McFarlane had closed his door on the world of horror. Now, with the highly popular The Walking Dead, it seems the man has returned to the blood-drenched toy shelves that have been long abandoned.

After seven successful seasons, Buffy the Vampire S layer’s creator Joss Whedon and his talented cast and crew put a spike in the popular TV show. The 90′s hit show not only introduced the world to one of the most creative minds working in TV, comics, and movies (Firefly and the upcoming The Avengers), but gave us iconic characters that were always treading the fine line between horror and comedy. Forget the dull movie from the 80′s that gave birth to Buffy Summers, Sarah Michelle Gellar will always be the true Buffy for fans. Her quirky innocence was balanced out with her strong skills as a vampire slayer. In Season 3 of the show, fans were introduced to another slayer that stood in stark contrast to Buffy. More spontaneous, vicious, careless, and a lot more sexual, Faith represented a girl that not only had to perform the role of the...

The Dark Corner of the Toy Box is a new column here at Dtb that will focus on collectibles, action figures, statues, and memorabilia, based around the types of movies, books, and video games we cover here on the site.

Moebius Models is a new company in comparison to some of the long-standing model companies, like Polar Lights, who have made an impression on kit-builders. Yet their young age is in stark contrast to the old, classic companies they see as their major inspiration. In 2005, Frank Winspur saw an opportunity to expand the industry he loved after his Florida store unfortunately closed. After re- releasing a “Dr. Jekyll as Mr. Hyde” model kit from the now defunct but legendary company Aurora, Moebius took its first step in the competition ring with fan favorite Polar Lights. After unleashing model kits from such Universal Monsters as Frankenstein and The Invisible Man, Moebius...

The Dark Corner of the Toy Box will be a new column at Dtb that will focus on collectibles, action figures, statues, and memorabilia based around the types of movies, books, and video games we cover here on the site.

Neca has been a company that has certainly filled the action figure void left behind by Todd McFarlane. Following the absence of McFarlane’s “Movie Maniac” line, Neca provided fans with “Cult Classics”; a figure line that encompassed everything from McClane from Die Hard to the Tall Man from Phantasm. As Neca’s popularity grew, so did the amount of licenses for characters they could sculpt figures from. At this year’s Toy Fair event, Neca unveiled new figures from the original Terminator film and the first four Nightmare on Elm Street films. Now, Neca head Randy Falk has just announced a new license that they just acquired: Evil Dead...