Facts about the Universal Studios Fire
In the wake of the fire that swept through Universal Studios last Sunday, there are a lot of rumors, emails and the like concerning the damage to vintage film prints. Instead of playing Chicken Little, here is some information from my partner-in-noir, Eddie Muller...Mildred Pierce at the Million Dollar Theatre
After hosting the eighth annual Palm Springs Film Noir Festival, from May 29 – June 1, I made it back home in time for screenings of Mildred Pierce at the Million Dollar Theatre and The Damned Don’t Cry – the latest entry of my continuing Femme...A Bum Rap
Conventional critical wisdom long ago pegged Victor Mature as 100% Hollywood beefcake; a rare Tyrolean-Swiss steak from Louisville, Kentucky who was a graduate of the Cigar Store Indian Drama School. Replete with a toothy, Tyrannosaurus-like smile and sporting a wavy...As Time Goes By
The passage of time prepares one with a sense of acceptance for the death of admired personages; this musing is more of a personal “coming-to-grips” with the approaching finale to an era of popular culture that will shortly reside solely in films, books, the Internet...Beefing about Blood
Wildly praised, Oscar nominated film is a major disappointment I don’t know why I partially bought into the press release journalism that passes muster as legit movie criticism nowadays. There Will Be Blood has been lauded to the critical heavens as an all-time...Percy
No actor exemplified the downtrodden film noir schlemiel better than Percy Helton. If his hunched frame and marsupial-like features weren’t enough to convince audiences of his servile timidity, there was always the unique Helton voice which made his screen...A Trip Down a Darkened Memory Lane
Watching Horror and Science Fiction movies from the 1950’s is a serendipitous journey back to my boyhood. Yes, Virginia, before film noir, I was a Monster Kid. Growing up in the greater New York metro area during the pre-cable and video era, I feasted on scary fare...Forgotten Hollywood: The Masquers Club
WELCOME! THRICE WELCOME ALL -Behind these curtains, tightly drawnAre Brother Masquers, tried and true,Who have labored diligently, to bring to youA Night of Mirth – and mirth ‘twill be,But, mark you well, although no text we preachA little lesson, well defined,...The Seventh Annual Palm Springs Film Noir Festival
The temperature in Palm Springs, California during the first weekend of June was as warm as the ambience at Arthur Lyons seventh annual Film Noir Festival in this desert oasis. In returning for my fifth year at this festival, I always think of this event as film...Books
Blu-ray Discs
Alan contributed numerous commentaries and special feature appearances for a variety of Blu-ray© and DVD classic film releases.
Several recent releases include documentary featurettes produced by TVP Enterprises, Alan’s production company that he co-founded with filmmakers Steven C. Smith and Patrick Francis.
