An in-depth look at “The Choppers,” a 1961 movie about the downfall of five teens who strip cars and sell the parts for cold, hard cash. And for kicks, daddy-o. Continue reading
Category Archives: Movies
Did Truman Capote have a photographic memory?
Did the author of “In Cold Blood” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” have an incredible memory? Or did he fabricate the quotes in his famous interviews? Continue reading
Fun with Explosives
The 1957 film “Blasting Cap Danger” would have you believe blasting caps littered the mid-century American landscape.
But what are blasting caps? Continue reading
Cool moms, bad mothers: When teens go bad, who’s to blame?
In the 1930s, Hollywood zeroed in on someone to blame for the country’s collective delinquency: bad mothers. Continue reading
Sessue Hayakawa: the most famous actor you’ve never heard of
Buried within an obscure silent film that hit movie theaters more than 100 years ago is a brilliant performance by Hollywood’s first Asian movie star. He was nominated for an Oscar, he was one of the highest-paid actors of his time, he was world famous—and you’ve never heard of him. Continue reading
