Tag Archives: movies

A handful of good old-fashioned thrillers

Posted on April 10, 2025 by I.M. Baytor

Last time I did one of these lists of crime movie recommendations, I focused on offbeat thrillers, as I felt the current crop on offer felt too formulaic (at the time, I still hadn’t watched – and loved – Anora, … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, movies, politics | Leave a comment

If you like O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Posted on February 27, 2025 by I.M. Baytor

It was quite a break, but I’m back to the project of recommending movies and comics for fans of the Coen Brothers’ filmography. Let’s see how long I can stick to it this time! Following the rollicking misadventures of a … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Chris Schweizer, Coen brothers, Kyle Starks, movies, Rock Candy Mountain | Leave a comment

A handful of offbeat thrillers

Posted on January 30, 2025 by I.M. Baytor

I haven’t written about films in 2025, although I’m putting together a couple of ambitious lists that should come out later in the year… In the meantime, if, like me, you feel the current offer of crime movies, no matter … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Coplan, espionage, movies, noir | Leave a comment

No-frills crime films

Posted on November 21, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

At the risk of making Gotham Calling look like a Letterboxd account, this week I’m turning back to movies, spotlighting half-a-dozen stripped down crime thrillers that, in the grand tradition of classics like The French Connection, make the most out … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged movies, noir | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (18 November 2024)

Posted on November 18, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

I’m a huge sucker for subgenres, niche branches of cultural production that are quite specific in their parameters but nevertheless spur a fair share of outputs, with variations that are mostly of interest to devoted experts/fans, usually capturing a momentary … Continue reading →

Posted in ART OF HORROR COMICS | Tagged Adam Kubert, Anthony Tollin, Arthur Suydam, Bob Budiansky, Bob McLeod, Captain Britain, covers, Dick Giordano, Doom Patrol, Dracula, Erik Larsen, Fantastic Four, Gaspar Saladino, Ghost Rider, horror, Joe Sinnott, Legion of Super-Heroes, Metal Men, Mike Sekowsky, movies, Nikos Koutsis, Ron Frenz, Savage Dragon, Spectre, Steve Lightle, Stuart Immonen, Thor, Todd Doney, Tom Mandrake, Tom Taggart, Wolverine | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (28 October 2024)

Posted on October 28, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

First, some housekeeping: I’m still struggling to conciliate the blog with other commitments, but instead of going on yet another hiatus, I’m shifting into a biweekly rhythm, so the longer Thursday posts will now appear only every other week (the … Continue reading →

Posted in ART OF HORROR COMICS | Tagged Artie Simek, Bill Everett, Christopher Rule, covers, D. Bruce Berry, Dick Ayers, Dr. Mabuse, George Klein, horror, Jack Kirby, Journey into Mystery, Kamandi, movies, politics, Stan Goldberg, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Strange Tales, Tales of Suspense, Tales to Astonish | Leave a comment

Even more Batman movies without Batman – cult movies edition

Posted on October 24, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

I get a huge kick exploring various connections within pop culture, including the thematic and stylistic links between Batman comics and cinema. To be fair, many of the comics are quite open about their influences, to the point that one … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Cold War, espionage, horror, movies, noir | Leave a comment

80’s-style action comics

Posted on October 3, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

Predator: Concrete Jungle #2 With its foul-mouthed, sweaty badass men (and women), anti-government attitude, and casualty-heavy set pieces, the 1980s’ wave of outrageous action movies had a specific vibe that has become affectionately known in some circles as ‘absurd macho … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Alien, Chris Chanelor, Chris Warner, Denis Beauvais, Diana Schutz, Evan Dorkin, John Arcudi, Mark A. Nelson, Mark Verheiden, movies, politics, Predator, Randy Stradley, Ron Randall, Sam Kieth, science fiction, Terminator | Leave a comment

Third Gotham Calling Manifesto

Posted on September 19, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

Detective Comics #483 I started this blog a decade ago in the spirit of entertainment – for others as much as for myself. I spent much of my life reading and thinking about Batman comics, so I wanted to share … Continue reading →

Posted in MANIFESTO | Tagged Brendan McCarthy, David Lopez, Erica Henderson, espionage, movies, politics, science fiction, western, Will Pfeifer | Leave a comment

Even more Batman movies without Batman – mainstream action edition!

Posted on September 12, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

Every once in a while, I like to spotlight films that, although they don’t feature the Dark Knight himself, share enough of Batman comics’ quirky vibe to be of interest for fans of that sort of stuff. This time, my … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Chuck Dixon, movies, politics | 2 Comments