Albino Alligator (1996)

Famous boy lover, Kevin Spacey, apart from being a good actor, made one good movie. It revolves around group of thugs who, trying to steal money from some place, chased by the police, seek hideout in bar and eventually take siege of it. But they are also very quickly surrounded by the police. Then trouble begins. Matt Dillon, in his usual role, act crazy, but so are all the others. And after long night strange thing happens : one of the prisoners in the bar, taken as a hostage, knows something about one criminal. And he knows something about her too. So they make a deal. And when they all come out, news reporter asks thug, Matt Dillon, how it feels to be a hero? 

Diego Gambetta - Codes Of The Underworld

Diego Gambetta, sociologist and one of the authority on the subject of Sicilian Mafia, who moved to United States to teach at Princeton University, since in his homeland he would probably get killed or fired, tells us in this great book how criminals, who by their very nature are accustomed to dumping and cheating each other, form trust in each other. Well, as he explains, they always find a way, or they get things done. Either by using violence as capital, or money, or dependence on others, or incompetence, this book covers numerous examples all around the globe, from American-Italian mafia, to Russian mafia, to Yakuzas, and even to some obscure places. One interesting thing he wrote appealed to me, when he wrote about Russian prisons and behaviour of inmates. One Russian prisoner said : We don't need to watch American gangster movies. We have that right here. And one other anecdote is very funny, even if it isn't true : some Italian mafiosi claimed they have nine bars of uranium and are willing to sell them. Of course, Italian police overheard this, and at the meeting place, when the exchange was about to happen, mafiosi didn't brought nothing. Then, one yakuza tells : if you have even half the brain, you wouldn't join yakuzas at all. Much of the book is centered about famous undercover agent, Joe Pistone, who infiltrated Boston mafia, and by researching this he developed theory of signalling. For example, someone could put a paper with skull before your door, and other examples. Then there is part about mimicry, how successful it is, and in what circumstances. One part is dedicated to life in prison, why inmates are forced to fight and is very insightful. Second part is about meaning of tattoos and scars on one's body, then there are insightful chapter about meaning of nicknames. Lastly there are chapters about how art imitates low life and vice versa how low life imitates art. One part that struck me is Gambetta claim that most, if not all mafiosi, or shall I put it, pentitos, meaning mafiosi who are in prisons, tell what they know to the police. Book is also chokeful of examples from crime fiction and therefore for lovers of crime fiction this should be an interesting read.

Salvatore Giuliano (1962)

 

In this movie shot in poor Neo-Realist style we can follow adventure of bandit and scum called Salvatore Giuliano, who worked with Sicilian Mafia and with the government, and his death and cover-up of it by corrupted Italian state. Movie is bit annoying with all those Italian peasants and their cows and mountains, but it has some charm to it.

John Dickie - Cosa Nostra - History Of The Sicilian Mafia

In this horrible book we can see hundred years of wretched Italian history, full of incompetence, corruption, corroboration with the Sicilian Mafia and many other insidious activities. Of course, it took English author to enlighten us about state and mafia relations in Italy, but whatever. Every chapter sounds like some murder mystery, but in the most darkest and funny way. Book is very rich with photographs of Italian mafiosi, and one can't help showering after reading it. Of course, if Judge Falcone didn't dig too much, he wouldn't be sent to pieces like that, but it is on his own conscience to ruminate about. And one thing comes to mind and that is, as Lucky Luciano once said : We Italians aren't human.

Nicolas Freeling - Gun Before Butter

Dutch detective Van Der Valk after brief encounter with young girl whose father had died in a car crash stumbles upon deserted white Mercedes with open door and a key in lock. Curious about that, he crosses the street and enters into house where he finds dead body. Nothing whatsoever points to dead man's identity, nor there are any clues in the house. After some investigation he finds that house was rented from some baron. Then he find dead man's name and also that he was spending time in some cottage up the hills. But again no clue comes to what this man was or who killed him. So he decides to cross the border to Germany where he find that he was a smuggler. He was smuggling butter. And he was living in Belgium under another name. So, Van Der Valk thinks, this man had two identities, one in Holland and another in Belgium. He finds his wife who runs a hotel in Brussels but she proves too hard nut to crack. Eventually it comes to light that this man assumed identity of a dead man, who died in Germany during the war, and therefore he was free of his Belgium identity, free to smuggle butter in Holland. He was a criminal. But his mistake was falling in love with a silly girl, girl who worked as a mechanic in an automobile repair shop. The same girl Van Der Valk encountered when her father died in a car crash. She found about his wife, and madly jealous, went to the house in Mercedes and knifed him, as she later told to Van Der Valk. He tried to confort her, telling her he was a criminal, and let her go free. Very good crime novel, and somewhat exotic, being set in Holland and Belgium.

Colin Watson - Bump In The Night

Some may argue if women or men are better crime writers, but it sure is true that England had made killing a sport of their own. Which is certainly true in this off-beat, humoresque and almost parodic crime novel set in some village full of creeps and freaks, in which explosion after explosion happens, often on some public monument and nobody knows who done it or why. But however misanthropic and funny this novel seems to be, in the end, where criminal is found, true tragedy uncovers.

Dorothy Unhak - The Investigation

Who killed Kitty Keeler's two sons in the dead of night and dumped them in nearby park? That is the question for police department to decide. While detectives are fighting over positions in the police hierarchy, one man genuinely tries to solve the case and help poor mother, and in the process become infatuated with her. However, as it turns out, Kitty Keeler is not the woman she seems to be. Superficially cold, inside warm, no one knows what she is or what she is thinking. Many factors are involved in the case, for instance Kitty's involvement with underworld figures, curious acting of her husband, relentless assault by detectives on Kitty, unscrupulous lawyer, manipulation of events, time of death, phone calls in the middle of the night, shameless journalist, all that which doesn't need to surprise unlike in other crime novels because Dorothy Unhak herself was a cop, and at the end of her career died of drug overdose, which is rather less painful than other suicides in police profession. Good crime novel, but maybe too long.

Maigret (2022)

So little movies have been made about famous detective created by Georges Simenon, that this one is actually worth watching if you are desperate for old school detective movies. Gerard Depardieu makes good performance and somehow catches the spirit of Maigret, in this tale of murder of aspiring actress. Maigret often leaves culprits alone, and is non-judgmental character. However he has keen eye and is disgusted by prudity and hypocrisy. In brilliant scene where one of dead girl neighbour shows dressed like the dead girl murderers are terrified, not knowing what to say, since they killed her. However Maigret leaves them alone with their guilty conscience and in the end say goodbye to his helper who leaves on the train.

Exposed (1983)

Poor Nastassja Kinski leaves her home and comes to New York only to be robbed of her little cash she had. So to pay her rent in run down motel she has to work as a waitress. There she encounters mysterious figure who seduces her and make her a model for fashion magazines. But as it turns out it was only a trap for her to become involved with a terrorist group. Movie itself doesn't have much sense, but is interesting and not too long.

John Creasey - Gideon's March

In London, that criminal hell hole, a Visit is expected by presidents of United States, France and Germany. So Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard, Gideon, has many problems on his hands to deal with in forthcoming weeks. From keeping local criminals from Manchester, Liverpool and other towns in control, and at the same time solving the death of troublesome young girl. But in meantime curious character prepares attack on the president of France for his own personal reasons which would prove fatal in the end. All in all, interesting police procedural with funny characters.

The Breaking Point - Mary Roberts Rinehart

Dick Livingstone lives happily with his brother David and is in love with Elizabeth. But something about his past disturbs him, and he soon finds out that he isn't the man he thought, but quite another, and sinister one at that. Long ago, he lived as Judson Clark, who was in love with singer named Beverly Carlysle. There was some quarrel between Judson Clark and some man over Beverly and in the process he killed the man. So to escape conviction David changed his identity and made him into another person, general practitioner Dick Livingstone. But Dick/Judson had to go through that again, and find Beverly Carlysle. After much trouble and abandoning poor Elizabeth he eventually finds Beverly but realizes that bringing up the subject again would only cause trouble for Beverly, and he returns as a free man to find peace and happiness with Elizabeth. Whole story is somewhat reminiscent of Bible, as all good crime novels are, and is very atmospheric, especially in Dicks effort to find his former self. But than again, it is too long and reader gradually loses interest in the story. Modern reader may find it old fashioned and too rosy, but it was enjoyable read for me in this cynical times.

Too Late For Tears (1949)

Snake of a woman (great performance by Lizabeth Scott) got hold of a briefcase containing 50.000$ in cash which were stolen. Confident on keeping it for herself she resorts to all kinds of brutal deeds which only a woman of her kind is capable, going so far to kill girlfriend of her best friend and poisoning her criminal friend (good performance by Dan Duryea). Of course, we can't blame her, for femme fatales were always present in literature and art. As she finished those two she goes down to Mexico to enjoy life, but persistent party breaker tracks her down in hotel with mexican cops and confronts her. Poor woman, cornered, jumps of the balcony with stolen cash and kills herself.

T-Men (1947)

Another good film noir by Anthony Mann about Treasury Agents and their hunt for organized crime group specialized in counterfeited money. Two of the Treasury Agents infiltrate the gangsters hoping to expose them but unfortunately one of them dies. Good atmosphere and acting though, which is all noir film requires.

The Big Hoax

Woman in trouble comes to alcoholics hideout full of sluts and scum seeking help from ex-cop, now drinking himself to death. Apparently she got involved herself in some trouble about compromising photographs involving high ranking members of La Colonia, of which one is brother of ex-cop and they are sending cold blooded killer called Iguana to track her down and kill her. Depressed ex-cop reluctantly agrees to help her, and find himself in trouble too, but all the same hoping to destroy his corrupted brother and his crew (were authors thinking of Colonia Dignidad?). Story by Carlos Trillo is so-so, but artwork by Domingo Mandrafina is excellent as always. 

Atillio Micheluzzi

First time I stumbled upon this Italian comic artist is when I as a kid read one of Dylan Dog special edition and was immediately drawn by its grotesque, yet somehow elegant artwork. And now Croatian publisher released handful of his comic books, most notably Air Mail. Atillio Micheluzzi was from his childhood obsessed by airplanes since his father was a pilot, and it shows in his work (he was born in Umag, Croatia, which at the time was an Italian state). Nevertheless, his occupation as an architect proved worthy as comic book artist and story teller, what he became as some might say too late, in his forties. Unfortunately, his recognition as one of the greatest Italian comic book artists came too late and he is now almost completely forgotten, unlike some others, like Hugo Pratt and the like. One thing to consider about this man is his unique approach to visual storytelling, and his use of black and white colours, creating chiaroscuro atmosphere in both day and night, and as I previously mentioned, very grotesque and at the same time elegant artwork. In this book Air Mail we follow adventures of pilot delivering air mail on his air plane and encountering on his trips humorous characters, from prohibition era gangsters, to movie moguls and jazz era bandits. 

Scene of the crime (1986)

In a family countryside, troubled kid stumbles upon a fugitive from justice who is hiding from authorities in some shed. Taking kid in his hands, he treathens to him that he would kill him if he betrays his whereabouts to he police. Of course, fugitive from justice is all the same troubled as the kid, so he decides to choke life out of him with the help of his accomplice, but as it turns out, he saves the kid by killing his accomplice. Lost and not knowing what to do, he goes to reaustarunt by the river where mother of troubled child is working (great scene where some dirty frenchmen are singing some American song). There he encounters her and become familliar with poor mother, who is by that time unaware of what's happening. Soon afterwards psyphopatic girl turns up looking for her lover who is now dead, shoots the culprit and in her unstable frame of mind kills her by sppeding up to wall. Fortunately, young boy is kept alive, but her mother, still clinking to rescue of her son goes to hospital where he is staying, hoping that she will be reunited by him. One word come to mind, why does she do all that, unless she had some uncomfortable feeling in her own house, amplified by her notorious uncaring fother? As in all French movies there is some level of surrealism about it, and Catrin Denevues's performance is stiiil great after so many years.

Hillary Waugh - Pure Poison

 

Who put strychnine in a bottle of milk that morning when Mr. Chapman and his wife were setting for dinner? At that point no one knows, but as fate would have it. poor Mr. Chapman died of accute poisoning. Investigation takes place by the police and after some inquiry they find out that poor Mr. Chapman was not as exemplary specimen of his own society, even as he was respectable among his colleagues at high school staff. He often went around on field trips to interview possible candidates for jobs and applications that would drive out competition from other cities. After some time it turns out that he was quite a womanizer on those field trips and got some wretched girl pregnant. But as usual with these kind of novels, there is some other person who is even more guilty of the crime and that is brother of pregnant girl. Although these kind of crime novels can be discarded as anything but a fantasy, there is striking resemblance of actual police investigation. Hillary Waugh was pioneer of police procedurals and even as his novels are out of print and forgotten, there is everlasting immortality to his work.