Category Archives: Books

“Rosebud was his sled!” – Random Notes on Orson Welles

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Ted Hicks

*************************************************************************************** The first time I saw Citizen Kane — an experience I’ll never forget — was in a film class at the University of Iowa in 1964 or ’65. The class was held in a long, narrow room with rows of … Continue reading →

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“Tracks” – On the Road with Camels and a Dog

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Ted Hicks

In April of 1977 a young woman named Robyn Davidson set out walking from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia on a 1,700 mile trek through Western Australia, much of it desert, to the Indian Ocean on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film | 3 Comments

On the Radio – Monsters & Noir Podcasts!

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Ted Hicks

Podcasts are now available for the two interview shows I did earlier this year for “Talk Art Radio” on WSOU, the campus radio station at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ, not far from Manhattan. I wrote about doing … Continue reading →

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Barry Gifford on Film Noir – A Way with Words

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Ted Hicks

As a writer, Barry Gifford definitely gets around. Born in Chicago in 1946, Gifford’s hefty  output (over 40 titles to date) includes fiction, non-fiction, biographies, poetry, and screenplays. I first became aware of his name as the author of the 1989 … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Film, Home Video, TV | 3 Comments

“A Most Wanted Man” & “Double Indemnity” – Top of the Line

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Ted Hicks

A Most Wanted Man – Sunday, August 3 at AMC Loews Lincoln Square. I love spy stories in films, TV shows, novels & non-fiction, but I’m sure my most immediate reason to see A Most Wanted Man was to watch Philip … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Film, Home Video, TV | 5 Comments

Film Noir & Everything Else – Too Many Movies

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Ted Hicks

Today is my birthday. Ta da! Birthdays can be a time of reflection, so maybe I should reflect on the fact that I’ve only put up one new post so far this month, yet more evidence of my constant struggle … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Home Video, TV | 2 Comments

Movie Poster Art – Foreign Versions

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Ted Hicks

When searching online for posters and stills for English-language films, I often stumble upon foreign posters for those films. Many of these simply re-purpose the original poster art, but the ones that really get my attention are re-imagined in ways … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Home Video, TV | 3 Comments

Washroom Attendant to the Stars: My Technicolor Years

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Ted Hicks

When I graduated from the University of Iowa in the summer of 1973 (with an awesome “General Studies” degree), I moved to Minneapolis. Not long after arriving I managed to land a job with a motion picture lab that did … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Home Video, TV | 14 Comments

Al Feldstein — Seriously Mad

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Ted Hicks

Al Feldstein died the week before last on Tuesday, April 29. The obituaries I’ve  seen since then focus mainly on his association with Mad magazine, which he edited for 29 years, from 1956 to 1985. Mad is likely to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Comics, Fiction | 2 Comments

On the Radio — Movies, Zombies & “Homecoming”

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Ted Hicks

Two weeks ago I traveled to New Jersey with Mark Svenvold, a published author of non-fiction and poetry who teaches creative writing and literature courses at Seton Hall University. Mark, who I’ve known for many years, also co-hosts a half-hour … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Film, Home Video, TV | 1 Comment