X-27 (1931)

X-27: Directed by Josef von Sternberg. With Marlene Dietrich, Victor McLaglen, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Warner Oland. The Austrian Secret Service sends its most seductive agent to spy on the Russians.

“Crime Story was a strange, hard and often inspired tv series from the mid-eighties. It was made by the producer of Miami Vice, Michael Mann, and the cast is stocked with Michael Mann regulars – Stephen Lang, Bill Smitrovitch, Ted Levine and Dennis Farina (all except Ted Levine are in Manhunter). u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAlthough Farina and his crew throughout the series chase after their arch nemesis, Ray Luca and his gang (Pauli Taglia, Frank Holman), the story comes in two parts. The first part, allegedly set in Chicago, the second set in Las Vegas. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThroughout the series, the director tries for a fifties, early sixties feel, even though thatu0026#39;s tough to maintain. Great music, every episode is introduced by Del Shannonu0026#39;s u0026quot;Runawayu0026quot;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enHowever, very often the focus is the psychological dynamic between Mike Torello (real-life Chicago cop Farina) and Ray Luca (played with a psychopathic coldness by Anthony John Denison). Torello may be on the right side of the law, but there is an equally uneasy quality about the doggedness with which he keeps going after Luca. What would his life be without him? Torello is also frequently tempted to cross the line and behave in a more effective, but illegal way himself.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enIf you havenu0026#39;t seen it, and you like Wise Guy, or the feel and look Michael Mann gives to his productions, donu0026#39;t miss this series. As this is a classic 80s series, there are also lots of cameos from familiar actors and actresses.”