This weeks Saturday morning 50s double bill maybe the best yet (I say that most weeks right enough)
The Asphalt Jungle - Part of the triumvirate of classic heist movies (The Killing, Rififi) and IMO the best. Everything is perfect here, from Marilyn Monroe radiant in a minor role, to Brad Dexter doing his trademark psycho, Sterlyn Hayden perfect as the hick bruiser - I could go through the whole cast. Every character is nuanced, even the worst have some humanity. It's the story that's king though, the remorseless way fate crushes everyone involved, even the peripheral figures, is masterfully done. A 10/10 classic.
99 River Street - we're in B territory here but it doesn't get better than this for entertainment. John Payne is an ex-pug with serious anger issues - not the man to cross as the assorted cheating dames and gangsters (Inc Brad Dexter doing another psycho!) here find out. Some first rate punch ups, plot twists and some unforgettable moments for Hollywood wild child Evelyn Keyes including a Mulholland Drive style audition scene. Said it a million times - David Lynch mainlined these movies. This is a great great little Noir, check it out.
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