Classic Crime Movie: The Case Against Brooklyn

 

As a classic film noir junkie, I’m always prowling for new material. I came across this and was hooked from the get-go. A rookie cop looking to climb the ranks and doing whatever it takes to make it happen—oh hell yes! The plot is solid. The acting is outstanding—Darren McGavin, as the new recruit, takes it to the hilt. McGavin is one of those forgotten actors, good in every damn role he played (Christmas Story and The Natural are his most notable). The supporting cast is right up there as well.

“The Case Against Brooklyn” (1958) is a new favorite and provides insight into what I'm working to achieve in my writing. Check it out—you’ll dig it.

Don't Chase the Rabbit

The rabbit being comparable titles recently published. I'm unwilling to fall into this chasm of nothingness. I read older books—masters who paved the way. Most crime writing today is watered-down bullshit meant not to offend. Writing pure doesn't cause offense. Instead, it offers a more accurate snapshot of how life was and is—not how we would like it to be to make ourselves feel justified and superior and enlightened. Do we really believe that someone living on the fringes wants to read some whitewashed dribble? Do you think they cannot handle the language involved—the language which is theirs, to begin with?

Ignorance is one thing. Naivete is another.