The Criterion Collection

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I was surprised by the choice for the number one spot. I agree that it's a fantastic film noir, and that it's one of the greats of the genre, but I never would have expected it to take the top spot, especially since a film that the director made the following year usually earns much higher accolades as a noir.

Going against the grain I prefer the earlier one rather than the one made the following year, but that said, neither of them should be anywhere near the top 10.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Edward Dmytryk's Obsession and Soderbergh's The Limey in there, both somewhat forgotten but great films. The former is a real gem, Criterion should dig it up like they did Ride The Pink Horse.

[octagon]

Best credit sequence would probably go to Anatomy of a Murder. Saul Bass and Duke Ellington? Pretty hard to top.

Best opening sequence? 12 Angry Men, maybe. I really love the way the camera moves from grandiose images of the courthouse exterior and marble halls to progressively more mundane, everyday images until finally coming to the chipped paint on the door of the courtroom itself.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by jmclick

I've seen 76 of the films on list, including all the films that I would consider genuine films noir (and the list is mis-titled, I think ... the proper pluralization is films noir, not film noirs).

Okay, I've now seen 77 of the films on the list. Tonight I watched my DVD-R of Red Rock West. Let me just say that I don't imagine we'll be seeing this one added to The Criterion Collection anytime soon. It's beautifully acted by Nicolas Cage, J. T. Walsh, Lara Flynn Boyle, Dwight Yoakum and especially Dennis Hopper (in a quirky, over-the-top performance); but the sum is definitely less than the total of its parts. The cast tries hard, but they can't quite overcome the deficiencies in the script and the direction. And whoever imagined that a film noir would ever feature a twangy country-western soundtrack? Worth watching overall, but hardly a film that belongs on any "Top 100 List" ... unless that list involves all the films in which Nicolas Cage does one-armed pushups on an asphalt road in the middle of nowhere.

[jw007]

Owl:

You may be the biggest film noir fan I've ever encountered in my voyages.

Can you name me 5 modern (post-1967) noir films that are essential viewing?

thanks.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by jw007

Owl:

You may be the biggest film noir fan I've ever encountered in my voyages.

Can you name me 5 modern (post-1967) noir films that are essential viewing?

thanks.

I'll start with two:

-Chinatown
-LA Confidential

...as good as any film noirs ever made.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I'll start with two:

-Chinatown
-LA Confidential

...as good as any film noirs ever made.

I prefer the sequel.

[Edward J Grug III]

If you are on Letterboxd, I made a list of the Paste.com list.

http://letterboxd.com/tedprior/list/...st-film-noirs/

I am on exactly 50%. Guess I better get to work!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

If you are on Letterboxd, I made a list of the Paste.com list.

http://letterboxd.com/tedprior/list/...st-film-noirs/

I am on exactly 50%. Guess I better get to work!

37% for me. Film noir is one of those genres I gotta watch more of.

[mja345]

Five good neo-noir films I've seen:
"Body Heat"
"The Spanish Prisoner"
"Devil In a Blue Dress"
"Bound"
"Night Moves" (1975, not the piece of shit from last year)

Couple other good ones that heavily dabble in other genres are "Angel Heart" (horror) and "Miami Blues" (comedy).

[jw007]

I recently viewed Blade Runner again and finally realized it qualifies greatly as a neo-noir film...perhaps a "sci fi noir" film? I'd like to see a good anti-dystopian sci fi noir film though. I wonder if such a film exists?

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by jw007

Owl:

You may be the biggest film noir fan I've ever encountered in my voyages.

Can you name me 5 modern (post-1967) noir films that are essential viewing?

thanks.

Not sure what Owl will tell you, but the first titles that come to my mind would be:

• Memento
• Fight Club
• Se7en
• Drive
• Sin City (why does this one feel so wrong in a Criterion thread? )

Yeah, I seem to like the newer noirs better, that's just me. Just rewatched Nightcrawler, and I think it has a slight film noir vibe to it. You also can't go wrong with Bound, The Driver, and Collateral. Only God Forgives is a favorite of mine too, but I would recommend caution with that one; it's weird.

[PipesDonatello]

The Man Who Wasn't There is a solid neo-noir flick.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by jw007

I recently viewed Blade Runner again and finally realized it qualifies greatly as a neo-noir film...perhaps a "sci fi noir" film? I'd like to see a good anti-dystopian sci fi noir film though. I wonder if such a film exists?

You mean, like, a utopian film noir? Seems like it would be self-contradictory to me.

Unless you mean a dystopia where the characters fight back against the system or something. In which case, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brazil, and Equilibrium should qualify. I think they all have pretty dark imagery that makes them somewhat noir-ish (although F451 feels like such a drama to me).

Renaissance, the animated film with Daniel Craig, is a sci-fi noir film that was fairly interesting. The French film Chrysalis seemed good to me too, but I can never remember what it was about.

I think that's it though. Sadly, sci-fi and film noir haven't come together that often in movies. I wish they would make more.

[repulsed]

Anyone a fan of Dark Passage?
The person that told me about it before I was a Bogart fan basically said skip it after he made it sound really interesting by
describing it to me and the p.o.v.
aspect of it. Either way I think it's great

I am at about 40 seen on the list though many I don't feel are noir personally. I have at least 10 maybe closer to 20 that I have recently bought and plan on watching very soon

[hoytereden]

A neo-noir I really enjoy was a made-for-tv movie called Goodnight, My Love. It features Richard Boone and Michael Dunn as a odd couple detective duo, Victor Buono as a Sidney Greensteet type, and Barbara Bain as the femme fatale. It's a lot of fun to watch but I can only find it on Youtube in what looks like a VHS copy.

[hoytereden]

Watching Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? it's fun to see Maxine Cooper of Kiss Me Deadly in a small role and to see the beach and the iconic beach house from the same film during the end scenes with Bette and Joan.

[I KEEL YOU]

Thief
The Long Goodbye
The Conformist

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Not sure what Owl will tell you, but the first titles that come to my mind would be:

• Memento
• Fight Club
• Se7en
• Drive
• Sin City (why does this one feel so wrong in a Criterion thread? )

Yeah, I seem to like the newer noirs better, that's just me. Just rewatched Nightcrawler, and I think it has a slight film noir vibe to it. You also can't go wrong with Bound, The Driver, and Collateral. Only God Forgives is a favorite of mine too, but I would recommend caution with that one; it's weird.

Oh, I absolutely love Collateral along with many other Mann movies. I also agree that Nightcrawler is a bit of film noir for sure.

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

You mean, like, a utopian film noir? Seems like it would be self-contradictory to me.

Unless you mean a dystopia where the characters fight back against the system or something. In which case, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brazil, and Equilibrium should qualify. I think they all have pretty dark imagery that makes them somewhat noir-ish (although F451 feels like such a drama to me).

Renaissance, the animated film with Daniel Craig, is a sci-fi noir film that was fairly interesting. The French film Chrysalis seemed good to me too, but I can never remember what it was about.

I think that's it though. Sadly, sci-fi and film noir haven't come together that often in movies. I wish they would make more.

Yes, precisely that. a "utopian film noir"...something that is completely contradicting and probably near impossible. But I just love that oxymoronic counterpoint in there...of something positive and mentally bright but physically dark and mysterious at the same time... those other dystopic sci fi films you mentioned are all favorites of mine of course, but I want something more complex now. Maybe even Silent Running (1972) could be a type of utopian noir film, as the theme strives for a positive/natural reality but remains dark and shrouded in shadow being in space.

[Polaroid]

For someone that has only seen Mission Impossible (years ago) what would be the best blind buy in collection for a great heist film?

Only two I know are Rififi and Thief and not seen either.

Think it would be nice to branch out a bit and I would love a good tense heist film that's not predictable lol.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

Owl:

You may be the biggest film noir fan I've ever encountered in my voyages.

Can you name me 5 modern (post-1967) noir films that are essential viewing?

thanks.

There are quite a few noir fans on this forum who have me beat by a long mile, but I'll give this a go with six that come to mind...

Chinatown
Body Heat
To Live and Die in L.A.
No Country for Old Men
Thief
Blood Simple

I also heartily recommend Sharky's Machine, which is a loose remake of Laura (1944).

The Long Goodbye is a great flick that really captures the essence of Philip Marlowe as an outsider, even if it may not be what many noir films have in mind for the genre.

I've always wanted to see the 1975 film, Night Moves, but have sadly not seen it yet. I'd love for it to be announced on Blu-ray soon.