The Long Wait

"Losing your memory makes your mind work sharper. Now the average person remembers things, but half the time he remembers wrong. A guy with amnesia has nothing to fog his mind. He's got nothing to remember. So he makes deductions, like a detective." Can't argue with that! Some fairly vile Spillane machismo aside, this is an entertaining ride.

Amnesia is a goofy premise and rarely satisfying. This one doesn't do anything that original with the concept, and is riddled with unanswered questions, but at least it's done with some panache. Thanks to a cast of pulpy characters and terrific cinematography, it has the feel of classic noir. However, I don't care much for Spillane's misogynistic maschismo. This isn't Mike Hammer but it might as well be, with him throwing punches at every guy he meets, and every gal throwing themselves at him.