Mysterious Pages – the hardboiled thrills of Hard Case Crime

My last two postings on this blog have touched on the topics of music and film, so it seemed only appropriate that this post should be something book-related, to round out the content of the blog. Music, film, and books being the main subject matter of The Mysterious Vault, after all. In selecting exactly what to write about this time around, the most obvious choice was to discuss the last book that I'd read; this option proves very fitting, as it ties into a larger subject which I'd planned on covering. The book is entitled Straight Cut, an unusual crime novel by Madison Smartt Bell, which is an enjoyable read, and an original, nuanced approach to the crime thriller/noir genre (usually lumped into the "Mystery" category in your local bookstore). Straight Cut is published by the Hard Case Crime imprint, a relatively new publisher in this field who have really impressed me with their offerings over the past few years, giving new life to the pulp paperback.

Anyone who is into mystery, detective, crime, or noir fiction, as I am, will no doubt have noticed the arrival of Hard Case Crime titles on their local bookseller's shelves. I was immediately struck by the design of these paperbacks, being a sucker for a great book cover (or record sleeve). Hard Case Crime created something unique and "new" by going back to the look of classic pulp paperbacks from the '40s and '50s. Their books are small and very portable, which is the essence of the pocket book (I love trade paperbacks, but they don't fit in your pocket, which is very handy when you commute to work every day like I do). And the covers of their books all feature wonderful paintings in the tradition of pulps and early crime paperbacks – lusty, scantily-clad femmes fatales and damsels in distress, action shots, moody noir-esque urban street scenes, and lots of imagery of gambling and guns to add spice and danger. Alot of care has gone into these covers, and bios of the cover artists (including the formidable Robert McGuinnis, William George, and other acclaimed illustrators, painters, and comic book artists) are included on the Hard Case Crime website. The design of the books is very slick and uniform, and hey, they even have a cool flashy logo!

In hearkening back to something old, Hard Case Crime have managed to jump out of the crowd, their covers alone being distinctive in an era where the bulk of covers are highly digital creations. I love it when someone does something right, really well, and it doesn't happen very often. Hard Case Crime hit the hardboiled nail right on the head – I was sold before I even read a word. So far, they've been running strong for almost four years (their first title came out in September, '04), and I'm hoping that their run continues for a long time to come. Right now, they have titles listed on their site going into Spring, 2009, so that's a good sign. Now, back to the book that prompted this post...

Straight Cut is the third Hard Case Crime novel that I've read, all three so far being quite good, and very different from each other. The first two were Stephen King's The Colorado Kid (2005), and Ed McBain's The Gutter and the Grave (2005), King's contribution being the lesser of the three (pretty much a glorified novella, but still ok). Straight Cut is not a murder mystery, a cop or P.I. novel, or a typical gangster or crime story. The main character, Tracey Bateman, is a film editor who has on occasion gone over to the dark side, collaborating with his film-making partner Kevin on elaborate drug running schemes. Tracey & Kevin have a love/hate relationship, stemming from some shady dealings in their past, complicated by an unusually intimate three-way relationship involving Bateman's estranged wife, Lauren. 

The storyline follows Bateman on an international journey, from New York City, where he is drawn back into Kevin's deceptive web, to Rome, where he accepts a film editing job that turns out to be a front for a dangerous drug trafficking deal. Lauren is inadvertently involved in the proceedings, and consequently reunited with Bateman, who takes on the burden of completing the deal. The action moves across the continent, from Rome to London, then Brussels, and finally back across the ocean to New York City. Danger and suspense slowly build throughout the novel to an unpredictable climax, but Straight Cut is not your typical action-packed, fists swinging, guns firing, bodies piling up knockout of a crime novel. The book is full of internal and interpersonal struggles and conflicts, and while there are a few incidents of actual violence (and some amusing Bulgarian heavies, by the names of Yonko and Grushko), an atmosphere of escalating tension and impending doom is sustained throughout the book without resorting to the standard heavy-hitting plot devices. Straight Cut is not your typical thriller, but an original take on the genre, well worth the read. I'd never read anything by Bell before, so this was a nice introduction to the author's work.

A few final words about Hard Case Crime. As a publisher, Hard Case Crime is both an outlet for old and new books, preserving a past legacy with an eye to the future. While they have unearthed forgotten hardboiled and pulp noir novels, they are also bringing new work in this tradition to print, a welcome addition to mystery bookshelves everywhere. I was impressed to see titles by revered authors such as Mickey Spillane, Cornell Woolrich, David Goodis, Robert Bloch, and Erle Stanley Gardner in their catalogue. Hard Case Crime are A-OK in my books, and I will post reviews of other Hard Case Crime titles on The Mysterious Vault as I read them, so you can expect this to be an ongoing topic on the blog. I encourage lovers of this kind of fiction to visit the Hard Case Crime website and check out their impressive catalogue. For the true enthusiast, there exists a Hard Case Crime Book Club, whereby the newest books in print will be automatically shipped to your door every month. Who could ask for a more tempting offer?

The Big Apple on the Big Screen

For my first foray into the world of film on this blog, I've selected a rare title that is truly suitable for The Mysterious Vault. The film is entitled Only One New York, a documentary about New York City made in 1964 by obscure French director Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau. This lost gem was screened in Toronto last week courtesy of local film collector Dion Conflict, as the main attraction of an evening billed as "Midweek Mondo Madness". I hadn't heard of Only One New York before this screening came up, but that's not really too surprising. The film is not available on home video, and it apparently hasn't been shown for decades. In fact, according to Dion, his print may be the only copy in existence, so it is a true obscurity.

I've known Dion since the early '90's, and we've worked together on numerous projects and screenings over the years. He's been collecting unusual and neglected film and video for longer than I've known him, and he's developed a bit of a reputation for his oddball film nights, selecting strange trash and treasures from his "Conflict Archives". These screenings range from feature length films, such as Only One New York, to programmes of short subjects, such as his infamous "Hunka Junk" series (a mix of vintage educational films, commercials, trailers, shorts, etc.), "Trailer Trash" (film trailers), and "Christmas Kitsch-A-Roo" (bizarre Christmas films). As a graphic designer, I've put together posters and promotional material for quite a number of Conflict Archives screenings, and I was asked to help out with a poster for "Midweek Mondo Madness" (see below). It turned out quite well, despite the tight deadline.

"Midweek Mondo Madness" took place at my neighbourhood repertory movie theatre, The Revue Cinema. The evening opened with a short performance by local paranormal sensation Mysterion the Mind Reader (adding to the thrill-seeking "Mondo" vibe), followed by some shorts, and then the feature. Before I get into the film, I should just note that Mysterion's big stunt for the evening involved the potential risk of hanging himself by the neck, unless he could use his mental powers to select the one "safe" noose from a group of lethal ones. Needless to say, he is still with us – the show must go on...

Only One New York is a joyful and entertaining film to behold, a time capsule that transports the viewer to another era, a somehow more optimistic and simple time. Indeed, there is almost a naive quality to some of the voice-over narration in the film, but this is also a product of the time, which adds an element of humour for present-day audiences. While Only One New York is perhaps loosely associated with the whole "Mondo" film sub-genre, the similarities are mostly on a surface level. Mondo films are generally more lurid and sensationalistic, offering a glimpse into the unusual and shocking (Mondo Cane, Mondo Topless, etc.). Only One New York is quite tame by contrast, being more of a look at the great metropolis and its people from the point of view of a fascinated outsider, as opposed to a thrill-seeking celluloid joyride.

What emerges in Only One New York is a portrait of both the physical structures of the city, and a sampling of the many diverse cultures living within the great melting pot. As someone who loves New York City, I am always happy to look at images of the city on film, and there were a great many stunning shots throughout Only One New York to please any viewer. The buildings of downtown Manhattan are presented in long, poetic shots, filmed at odd angles and gracefully edited to some great swingin' Hammond organ music. The glass fronted skyscrapers are awe-inspiring spectacles on the big screen, reduced to almost abstract dancing geometric shapes by the inspired cinematography. The physical structure and architecture of NYC is one theme running through the film, and scenes of buildings being constructed and demolished provide some memorable imagery. The narrator reflects, "How beautiful these shining towers are. Architecture expresses an attitude. It reveals the psychology of the builder. It occurs to me that people who expect a bomb to fall don't build their walls of glass. A city of glass is like a declaration of peace." These words certainly possess an unintentional poinancy for a post-9-11 audience.

Within this considerable setting, the viewer is taken on a multi-cultural journey, and a portrait of the residents of NYC is painted, captured on film for future generations to look back on. For the most part, different ethnic groups are shown in some sort of distinctive celebration or gathering. Several weddings, parades, banquets, and religious ceremonies are shown, along with more candid and intimate footage. Hence, the Irish St. Patrick's Day parade, a religious gathering in Harlem complete with gospel choir, a Japanese Buddhist celebration, a gypsy wedding, a traditional Jewish meal and religious practises, Ukrainian sword dancing, a voodoo ceremony, and much more along these lines. This study in cultural diversity is balanced out by some other colourful footage – Playboy bunnies playing football (and a glimpse inside the famed Playboy nightclub), a parade of elephants walking down the street, native Indian construction workers relaxing at their local watering hole during their off-hours, an art world happening (complete with action painting), and more.

In retrospect, it all seems a bit wide-eyed and overly optimistic (particularly in a post 9-11 world), but perhaps this is part of the charm of Only One New York. The world is a much smaller place in 2008, thanks to advances in transportation and communications, and the 'Global Village' is in a way almost a worldwide equivalent of the metropolis presented in Only One New York, although certainly not living in harmony. This celebratory survey of one of the world's greatest cities is something of a breath of fresh air in today's cynical, war-torn, scandal and disaster ridden world. Sometimes the past looks brighter than the future, even in black and white.