Opening Statement

In 1958, seventeen years after Citizen Kane was released, Welles was finally poised to make a Hollywood comeback. He had big Hollywood names attached to a crackling film noir set in a border town boiling over with corrupt characters, including cops, politicians, and even hotel night managers – by Zachary Davis, January 30, 2017

Discussing Racism and the Canon

There is no room to simply let Welles’s mastery of the artform wash over you; it demands a conversation. It deserves to be criticized for its failures just as much as it should be celebrated for its technical and historic success – by Sarah Gorr, January 31, 2017

Orson Welles, Actor

A common thread among many of his acting turns is the very austere, often unlikable characters he plays—such as the corrupt, racist cop in Touch of Evil. In these roles, he takes full advantage of their shady characteristics, letting his eyes bulge, use his ever expanding body to their grotesque means, and completely dominate the screen – by Aaron Pinkston, February 1, 2017

Framing Borders

Touch of Evil’s exploration of the concept of a frame in the context of a story about the border is a relevant one today. Ultimately, the upshot of the film is that borders, like any frame, are artificial constructs that we use to anchor our view of things – by Patrick Brown, February 2, 2017

Related Review: Chimes at Midnight

Orson Welles once remarked that if he had to offer up one film in order to get into heaven, it would be Chimes at Midnight. Like Touch of Evil it decried the insensitive corruption of the modern world, but it has a depth and warmth that says more about Orson Welles himself than perhaps any of his other work – by Zachary Davis, February 3, 2017