Audrey Kupferberg

From the beginnings of the modern detective story, there have been eccentric detectives. For instance, Sherlock Holmes never would have fit in with the typical late Victorian or Edwardian London population. I can’t imagine him bellying up to the bar at the neighborhood pub, shooting the breeze about the latest rugby match.

The years between the end of World War I and the rise of Hitler were tough times for the German people as they were recovering from a monstrous defeat. Still, aspects of German life were humming. 1919-1933 was a golden age for the arts.

When Fall Is Coming, Quand vient l’automne ,a multi-layered French film, directed and co-written by Francois Ozon, which opened in American theaters this spring, is the sort of film that a viewer can digest in several parts.

From the beginnings of mainstream film, men have dressed up at women to get laughs. In 1959, when Billy Wilder’s comedy feature Some Like It Hot hit big screens, it was greeted with great enthusiasm and loud applause.

The Erie Canal opened in 1825, and this summer from Albany to Buffalo there have been celebrations of this milestone in American history. From concerts to museum exhibits, upstate New York has been tributing the extraordinary advancement in modern transportation that the Canal provided.

The Friend, which features potent performances by Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, hit theater screens this spring and now can be streamed. The plot focuses on Murray’s character, Walter, a successful New York City-based writer, who left his beloved great dane behind when he chose to commit suicide.

From 2011-2018, fans of police procedurals were treated to a Nordic noir series called The Bridge (Bron/Broen).

So many writers are putting the emphasis on action or circumstances. What they fail to provide audiences with are proper introductions to their characters. The most successful shows-- whether on stage, films, TV shows, take the time to create interesting, riveting personalities.

Years ago, the late renowned film archivist David Shepard put together a restored version of Merry-Go-Round (1923) from two16mm reduction prints. Film historians and silent film enthusiasts applauded the opportunity to see this notorious film.

Local talent, writer/filmmaker John McCarty, has published many film books and a few mystery novels over the years. He also has made competent, exciting films, many through his studio Leering Buzzard Pictures. Several are available online on Amazon’s Prime Video and YouTube.