I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Best movie of this year hands down!

So much average

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Recently picking up the 1958 British Film Noir Chase a Crooked Shadow,I began looking for another Noir from '58 that I could watch it in a double bill with. Knowing Ed McBain for his classic novels and work with Hitchcock,I was intrigued to find a McBain Film Noir adaptation,which led to me hating cops!The plot:As the streets of New York get dried out during a long Summer,a stranger kills two police officers. Taking the murders personally, the 87th Precinct put two of their best cops on the case: Steve Carelli and Mike Maguire. Whilst the police officers struggle to pick up a lead, news reporter Hank Miller begins to hear gangs full of cop haters.View on the film:Set during long hot Summer nights, director William Berke & cinematographer J. Burgi Contner give their cop killer an evil under the sun atmosphere,with scorching hot white lights and dirty clothes signalling the burning hot Film Noir desire the cops have to grab the killer. While keep things strictly by the room, Berke finds side-streets for stylish quirks,from a deaf girlfriend to a gang of hip juvenile delinquency.Taking notes from McBain's first 87th Precinct novel,the screenplay by Henry Kane aims for the three cop killings to fire up the passions of their fellow officers. Killing the officers before they have been given any real depth, Kane's attempt to build a feeling of Film Noir urgency runs dry,due to it lacking any sign of the novel characterization/depth that was on offer to the police and the gangs. Oddly being named Steve Carelli instead of Carella, Robert Loggia gives a very good performance as the tough-talking Carelli,who wants to stop the hate on cops.

"Cop Hater" is an amazing film. After all, it's a cheap production from Allied Artists featuring complete unknowns at the time---and yet it's one of the best cop films I have seen. The film excels in realism, excitement and great twists--and it's a wonderful film for lovers of noir and those wanting to see future film and TV stars long before they were stars. In the film, you see lots of familiar faces from the 60s, 70s and beyond--such as Ralph Loggia, Gerald O'Laughlin (a VERY familiar face in cop shows), Vince Gardinia, Jerry Orbach and Glenn Cannon (the DA on "Hawaii Five-O"). I can't recommend this film strongly enough.Because of the title, it's not at all surprising that the film begins with the murder of a cop. This guy is off duty and shot repeatedly in the head with a .45--making the man very, very dead. Who did it and why? There just don't seem to be any leads. Then, when another cop is killed with the same .45, there is the same problem--there just aren't any leads. And, when a third cop is killed, it still isn't a lot clearer. How are they going to solve a crime that just seems so random?! I could say a lot more about the plot, but don't want to give any of it away--just see the movie yourself.The film is filled with great, realistic acting, wonderful and tough dialog and nice detail when it comes to forensics. It is just written masterfully and it came as a nice surprise. Why the film isn't more famous could only be because it slipped in under the radar when it appeared--with no big names and a paltry budget, it just didn't get noticed. Well, well worth your time.By the way, there is a deaf character. While she doesn't use a lot of sign language, what she does use I was able to understand--meaning they were real signs. I hated hearing words like 'dummy' in regard to her, but appreciated having a deaf character and one they tried to get right.

I believe these type of gritty police films started around ten years earlier with "Naked City." There is a lot of nice neo-realism. For example, a gang leader calls a police captain "Daddy" and he snaps, "Call me "daddy" again, and you'll be spitting teeth." However, there are also some really exploitative elements. For example, deaf-mute Teddy (Ellen Parker) stands around for about five minutes dressed only in a towel, while the bad guy threatens to kill/rape her.Robert Loggia is quite likable as the detective who becomes more and more frustrated when he can't quite solve his crime. Ellen Parker does a wonderful job playing his deaf-mute girlfriend. She had a very short acting career doing a few television shows in 1958 and two movies in which she played the fiancé of Robert Loggia in both. It is too bad she disappeared after that. Anybody know what happened to her? This is a fun little movie, much closer to the street-smart New York "Naked City" television series of the time than the hyper-straight Los Angeles "Dragnet." The film is about as lurid as mainstream films got in 1958.Check out the great posters. Google "Cop Hater" and search "images." Shirley Ballad looks great in both her leopard skin bathing suit and negligee.

Cop Hater (1958)This is no brilliant affair, but it's more enjoyable than you might expect. It centers around a precinct police station and a group of guys who are suddenly on a manhunt for a cop killer. While that part of the plot has its small moments, it's the interaction between these guys, including some honest fun banter (not tough guy stuff), that really works. And two or three of the main cops are good actors, holding their own.There are women on the side, one a searing beauty of some sort (a bit exaggerated and stiff, but you get the idea when she's on), the other a sharp and stylish deaf and mute woman played by Ellen Parker. These types are obviously meant to be opposites, one sympathetic and modest, the other full of herself and untrustworthy. There is a Latino gang that figures into play eventually, and that gets a little crazy in its own way. And the leader is Glenn Cannon, who went on to have a long career on t.v. This is his first movie and he's pretty terrific for his four minutes of fame.Otherwise this is a conventionally filmed crime film. Don't expect a gritty or moody film noir, because it's not that. But do expect a well paced plot with some nice interpersonal stuff. Probably has more honesty to it than most crime movies of the time, which are pumped up with types and drama.