Episode 294 - Devil in the Blue Dress

2026-02-06

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Welcome back to Not A Bomb! —the podcast where we resurrect cinema’s most infamous box office disasters and ask the burning question: was it really that bad? We’re celebrating five years of cinematic redemption.For the month of February, Not A Bomb is shining a spotlight on some of the greatest Black directors in cinematic history. And look — Brad and Troy fully acknowledge that two white guys aren’t exactly the cultural authorities here. But they are passionate about movies, a...

Welcome back to Not A Bomb! —the podcast where we resurrect cinema’s most infamous box office disasters and ask the burning question: was it really that bad? We’re celebrating five years of cinematic redemption.

For the month of February, Not A Bomb is shining a spotlight on some of the greatest Black directors in cinematic history. And look — Brad and Troy fully acknowledge that two white guys aren’t exactly the cultural authorities here. But they are passionate about movies, and they wanted to take time to celebrate a handful of incredible filmmakers and the films that deserve more love.

This week, the guys dive into one of the most underrated neo‑noirs of the ’90s: Devil in a Blue Dress (1995). Directed by the criminally overlooked Carl Franklin, the film follows Denzel Washington as Easy Rawlins, a WWII veteran navigating postwar Los Angeles who gets pulled into a mystery involving a missing femme fatale, political secrets, and the kind of corruption noir fans live for.

With a powerhouse cast, razor‑sharp direction, and a richly atmospheric take on the genre, Devil in a Blue Dress raises a big question: is this one of the greatest noir films ever made? Brad and Troy dig into the performances, the themes, the legacy, and why Carl Franklin deserves far more recognition than he gets.

Hard-boiled and sharp-edged, this soul-scarred noir doesn’t ask for the spotlight — it takes it. Press play and step into the night.

Devil in a Blue Dress is directed by Carl Franklin and stars Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle, and Maury Chaykin

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Cast: Brad, Troy

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