Silver Screen Sleuths

Finishing up Season One of Silver Screen Sleuths, guest Lawerence Allan and host Emily J. Edwards are bringing you a jumbo-length discussion of Shane Black's 2016 cult classic, THE NICE GUYS starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Kim Basinger, Margaret Qualley, and Angourie Rice. Two longtime Angelenos wax poetic about the role of crime in the city of Angels, noir fiction, and the existential dillemias of sitting in traffic.

Love Lawrence's take on crime fiction? Find his books online!

https://lawrenceallanwrites.com/

Buy DAYDREAM BELIEVER from Shotgun Honey: https://shotgunhoney.com/books/catalog/daydream-believer/

Follow him on social media:

https://bsky.app/profile/writelarrywrite.lawrenceallanwrites.com

Colin Harker, author of THE FEAST OF THE INNOCENTS and THORNS, joins us for an early dip into Spooky Season with the 1944 adaptation of Vera Caspary's LAURA, directed by Otto Preminger. Starring the incomparable Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson, and Clifton Webb, the supernatural story of a police officer falling in love with a murdered woman is only a quarter of the story. At best.

Find Colin online:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lordsteerpike.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinharkerauthor/

Books: https://a.co/d/066IR5sO

Chapters

• 00:00 Exploring the Genre Blend
• 10:08 The Influence of Classic Literature
• 19:57 Character Dynamics and Psychological Themes
• 28:59 Exploring Sexuality and Power Dynamics
• 30:01 Gender, Sexuality, and Vulnerability
• 50:54 The Haunting and Supernatural Elements of the Film
• 57:41 Exploring Gothic Elements in Film Noir
• 01:00:05 The Relationship Between Genre and Literary Fiction
• 01:11:21 The Dark Coming of Age in Laura
• 01:20:00 Realistic Handling of Romance in Laura

The incredible Jackie McMahon, author of THE CLOAK AND DAGGER CLUB, joins host Emily J. Edwards to discuss a Robert Altman classic starring almost every great British actor who tread the boards: GOSFORD PARK. The Julian Fellows-penned, Oscar-winning film takes the classic closed-loom, country-mansion mystery and turns it on its head, as the upstairs/downstairs dynamic dissolves when no one really cares that a man met a violent end in his home.

Find Jackie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackiereadsandwrites/

Chapters

• 00:00 Setting the Stage: 1930s London and Gosford Park
• 04:05 Character Interactions and Social Dynamics
• 32:29 Challenges of Classic Detective Novels
• 33:07 Balancing Authenticity and Sensitivity
• 36:29 Representation of Marginalized Groups
• 59:24 Justice and Social Order in Mystery Fiction

The phenomenal, Anthony Award-nominated author Mindy Carlson joins Emily again to discuss THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER, a flawless addition to the world of crime cinema... and puppets. Charles Grodin is the second-best ever human love interest for Miss Piggy (we wax nostalgic about Tim Curry at the top), while Diana Rigg plays the perfect foil to our fuzzy friends.

Find Mindy online: https://mindycarlson.com/

Find Mindy's short story AITA: in the anthology Myopic Duplicity: https://a.co/d/0iKvarZU

Chapters

• 00:00 Nostalgia and Humor in the Great Muppet Caper
• 02:23 Tim Curry's Impact and Legacy
• 04:33 The Muppets' Cross-Generational Appeal
• 06:21 Intelligent Writing and Genre Subversion
• 10:34 The Muppets' Subversive and Political Commentary
• 26:13 The Muppets' Influence on Children's Media
• 28:36 The Legacy of Jim Henson and Frank Oz
• 29:22 Miss Piggy: A Symbol of Female Empowerment
• 30:02 Meta Jokes and Visual Humor in Muppet Movies
• 33:25 The Evolution of Villain Characters in Storytelling
• 54:56 Exploring the Art of Mystery Movies
• 57:32 The Impact of Iconic Films on Society
• 58:02 The Significance of Honesty and Integrity
• 01:01:12 The Role of Everyday People in Solving Mysteries
• 01:04:08 The Influence of Classic Movies and the Importance of Reading with Intention

Historical mystery author Olesya Lyuzna joins Silver Screen Sleuths this week to discuss the 1957 Billy Wilder-directed screen adaptation of Agatha Christie's short story and stage play of the same name, WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION. Starring Marlene Dietrich and Tyrone Power as the married Leonard and Christine Vole, who stand both together and at odds when Leonard is accused of murdering a wealthy spinster, while real-life married couple Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester play an ill barrister and his nurse, who stand both at odds and together, in their desire to defend both the guilty and innocent.

Follow Olesya online on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olesyaisonline/

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Book Series
• 02:54 Exploring the 1920s
• 07:02 Historical Parallels and Reflections
• 11:00 Witness for the Prosecution: Movie Selection
• 17:02 Characterization and Pacing in Witness for the Prosecution
• 21:48 Marlene Dietrich's Commanding Presence
• 23:16 The Psychological Depth of the Movie
• 43:07 The Intriguing Characters and Their Complexity
• 44:20 The Blend of Screwball and Noir Elements

#classicfilm #oldhollywood #tyronepower #marlenedietrich #elsalanchester #charleslaughton #oscarnominees #greatperformances #billywilder #noir #screwball #oldmovies #classicmovies #blackandwhite #agathachristie

In this episode, Danny Cherry, Jr., author of THE PIKE BOYS and owner of Big Easy Press, joins me to discuss Rian Johnson's sophomore outing in the KNIVES OUT series, THE GLASS ONION. With a bigger budget and more eyes on his homage to Agatha Christie, Benoit Blanc takes on corruption in out-of-this-world orders of magnitude with a very human price: the lives of innocent people he once considered friends.

Follow Danny Online:

https://www.instagram.com/deecherrywriter

https://books2read.com/thepikeboys/

https://bsky.app/profile/deecherrywriter.bsky.social

Chapters

• 00:00 The Glass Onion: A Sequel Review
• 03:05 Influence of Agatha Christie
• 04:10 Journey to Becoming a Writer
• 05:46 The Role of Sleuth Characters
• 09:55 Character Dynamics and Nuanced Portrayals
• 13:09 Exploring Genre Fiction and Character Archetypes
• 17:01 Evolution of Sleuth Characters
• 23:01 Class Divide and Character Relationships
• 28:48 Class Portrayal in Literature
• 29:28 Personal Experiences as Personal Assistants
• 31:19 The Process of Ghostwriting
• 32:33 The Impact of Deadlines on Writing
• 40:10 The Appeal of Crime Fiction to Journalists and Writers
• 36:13 The Significance of Constraints in Storytelling
• 44:06 Portrayal of Humanity in Crime Fiction
• 53:22 Character Dynamics and Performances in 'Glass Onion' (Knives Out 2)

The incomparable Keith Roysdon joins host Emily J. Edwards after his episode on ZODIAC to discuss another film classic: Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 thriller, REAR WINDOW. We get into the dog days of summer and discussing the impact of this brilliant film, between Jeff's (played by Jimmy Stewart) reliance on being a man behind the camera, Lisa's (played by Grace Kelly) truly adventurous spirit, and Stella's (played by Thelma Ritter) incredible work as the audience stand-in. New York City was a very different place in 1954, and we get into how the vertical "town" of NYC apartment complexes replace the cozy nature of small towns, the politics of fashion and clothing, and what Robert Moses did to ruin the community of NYC.

Find Keith Online!

https://keithroysdon.com/

https://bsky.app/profile/keithroysdon.bsky.social

https://www.instagram.com/keithroysdon/

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:11 The Magic of the Internet and Movie Memories
• 03:36 The Opulence of Old Movie Houses
• 05:09 Fashion, Joy, and Celebration
• 08:32 Hitchcock's Use of Color and Character Analysis
• 13:07 Thelma Ritter and the Nation of Peeping Toms
• 17:46 Urban vs. Rural Life and Political Reflections
• 25:13 Feminization and Cozy Mystery Analysis
• 26:27 Exploring Gender and Disability
• 27:51 Gender Presentation and Disability in 1954
• 28:52 The Role of Surveillance and Enjoyment
• 30:28 Gender Roles and Media Jobs
• 34:07 The Facade of Hypermasculinity
• 36:13 Jealousy and Frustration
• 37:26 Social Dynamics and Class Stratification
• 45:27 Ethnic Representation and Character Names
• 50:59 Raymond Burr's Transformation
• 51:46 Exploring Physicality in Film
• 52:56 Community and Urban Life
• 58:14 The Role of Tools in Journalism
• 01:02:25 Marriage and Gender Dynamics
• 01:06:34 Family Migration and Ghost Show

Few books and films have simultaneously upended the publishing and movie industry the way GONE GIRL did in 2012/2014. Celebrated thriller author, Jaime Lynn Hendricks, joins Emily J. Edwards this week on the podcast to discuss all the ways the story of Amy and Nick disrupted our understanding of happy marriages, suburbia, and what you can do in a domestic thriller.

Find Jaime Lynn Hendricks online:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaimelynnhendricksauthor/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@jaimelynnhendricksauthor

Pre-order THE WAY YOU LIE here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Way-You-Lie/Jaime-Lynn-Hendricks/9781613167717

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Book Discussion
• 01:40 Writing and Publishing Journey
• 03:19 Challenges and Rejections
• 10:33 Cinematic Adaptation
• 24:38 The Cathartic Experience
• 25:11 The Legacy of Gone Girl
• 26:16 The Real-Life Impact
• 33:38 The Ending: Book vs. Movie
• 48:27 The Duality of Good vs. Evil

In this episode, Ellen Byron (the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of the Golden Motel Mysteries, the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, and Cajun Country Mysteries), discusses the classic film 'Charade'. The conversation covers the journey of 'Charade' to the screen, the themes of comedy in mystery, the evolution of humor, and the oddly progressive elements of the movie. As always, we hypothesize about re-making the movie today and are left wondering: who would YOU cast in the roles of Reggie Lampert and Peter Joshua? Does any star working today have the chemistry, the dapperness, and the style of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn?

Find Ellen online and pre-order her new books!

• All Aboard for Murder: https://a.co/d/0cBIeeNH
• A Murderer's Guide to Mardi Gras: https://a.co/d/0aEeIDfD
• Follow Ellen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenbyronmariadirico/

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Book Discussion
• 02:57 The Journey of 'Charade' to the Screen
• 07:58 Complexity and Themes of 'Charade'
• 18:51 The Plot and Characters of 'Charade'
• 19:53 The Evolution of Humor and Comedy in Mystery
• 23:03 The Impact of 'Charade' and the Integration of A and B Plots
• 34:21 The Importance of Visual Elements in Storytelling
• 37:28 Progressive Themes in 'Charade'
• 38:49 The Unique Setting of 'Charade'
• 39:47 The Difficulty of Casting for a Remake
• 52:07 Chemistry and Elegance in Modern Actors

Mindy Carlson, author of the award-nominated mystery novel HER DYING DAY, joins host Emily J. Edwards to discuss two of the most famous adaptations of Agatha Christie's opus, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. The 1974, Sidney Lumet-directed vehicle starring Albert Finney, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, and Ingrid Bergman was nominated for, and won, countless Oscars. Oscar winner Kenneth Branagh boldly chose to launch his career as Poirot with a remake that was nominated for, uh, slightly less prestigious awards. We get into it in this week's episode!

Catch Mindy here:

https://mindycarlson.com/

https://www.instagram.com/mindycarlsonauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMindyCarlson