Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[Richard--W]

Barbara Loden's WANDA (1970) has been restored by Criterion from original
16mm elements. I like this micro-budget indy noir very much. I wish she had
been enabled to direct more films like it.

[Jobla]

What qualifies WANDA as being noir? I've never seen it.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by Jobla

What qualifies WANDA as being noir? I've never seen it.

To put it kindly, he has an overly generous conception of what constitutes a noir. Does this look like a noir to you?

WANDA 4K Restoration - YouTube

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by noirjunkie

To put it kindly, he has an overly generous conception of what constitutes a noir. Does this look like a noir to you?

Not noir....not good, either.

[nitin]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

Barbara Loden's WANDA (1970) has been restored by Criterion from original
16mm elements. I like this micro-budget indy noir very much. I wish she had
been enabled to direct more films like it.

This would have been a great April fool’s joke

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by Jobla

What qualifies WANDA as being noir? I've never seen it.

The character-driven story about an alienated woman's descent into and
acceptance of crime. By the end she has no hope and no where to go but down.
The trailer isn't very good, doesn't emphasize the noir aspect of the story at all.
The film doesn't look like a noir anymore than The Friends of Eddie Coyle does.
Why don't you watch the blu-ray when it comes out and decide for yourself
instead of letting noirjunkie do your thinking for you.

See post #7 :
WANDA

[tomkatholic]

Wanda is as much a Noir as Houseguest with Sinbad is: a duplicitous man on the run from criminals takes the identity of a successful man’s long lost friend and infiltrates his home and personal life. You can describe just about anything in such a way that fits your thesis. It’s absurd to pretend that anyone has ever considered Wanda a Noir

[Richard--W]

That is a false analogy.

I don't "pretend that anyone has ever considered WANDA a noir."

I'm offering it up as one. There's no harm in that.

[tomkatholic]

Why is it a false analogy?

[Hoke Moseley]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

No.
It has the right ta-ta but the wrong ho-ho.

Outstanding psychological thriller that is right up a noir buff's alley.

2/25/19.

Remember the day.

The day that Richard--W proclaimed that a possibly noir-ish movie wasn't a noir.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

The character-driven story about an alienated woman's descent into and
acceptance of crime. By the end she has no hope and no where to go but down.
The trailer isn't very good, doesn't emphasize the noir aspect of the story at all.
The film doesn't look like a noir anymore than The Friends of Eddie Coyle does.
Why don't you watch the blu-ray when it comes out and decide for yourself
instead of letting noirjunkie do your thinking for you.

See post #7 :
WANDA

You've just described the plot of Thelma and Louise.

Seriously, it has been years since I've seen Wanda (I caught it on PBS back in the 70s, before I had heard the term noir), but I remember it more as a social issue women's picture along the lines of Diary of a Mad Housewife. I do agree that the trailer doesn't do it justice, high-lighting the low budget and bad acting of the supporting characters rather than the story and the main performance of Barbara Loden.

Anyway, I don't think it's a noir. Just my opinion.

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by belcherman

You've just described the plot of Thelma and Louise.

Hmm. There's a lot more to Thelma and Louise than what I've said
about Wanda. Thelma and Louise is an infinitely more ambitious
film in every aspect and to restrict it's plot to my description of Wanda
would be a disservice to both films.

Originally Posted by belcherman

Seriously, it has been years since I've seen Wanda (I caught it on PBS back in the 70s, before I had heard the term noir), but I remember it more as a social issue women's picture along the lines of Diary of a Mad Housewife. I do agree that the trailer doesn't do it justice, high-lighting the low budget and bad acting of the supporting characters rather than the story and the main performance of Barbara Loden.

Anyway, I don't think it's a noir. Just my opinion.

Fair enough. There is no violation or offense in my offering up WANDA as a noir,
but I don't insist that everyone agree with me. There are a couple of titles in
the OP that don't belong there, but I don't insist on that either.

As I recall Diary of a Mad Housewife came out at the same time and was
about spousal abuse. That's not analogous to Wanda, if my memory is correct.

[silverlakephil]

I watched Arrow's release of The Possessed and I quite enjoyed it. It does have Film Noir tendencies like flashbacks & evocative B&W cinematography, but it's also been described as Proto-Giallo, so you be the judge. Fans of Last Night at Marieband, Hiroshima, Mon Amour , & 8 1/2 take note

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

As I recall Diary of a Mad Housewife came out at the same time and was about spousal abuse. That's not analogous to Wanda, if my memory is correct.

Diary of a Mad Housewife is about more than spousal abuse. While the title character suffers mental and emotional sadism from her husband, the man she starts an affair with treats her no better. It's really about alienation and quiet desperation.

Whether it's analogous to Wanda, I'll leave as an exercise for the viewer.

[Richard--W]

I don't doubt your word for an instant. No doubt you're better acquainted with Diary of
a Mad Housewife than I am. I take your point about alienation and quiet desperation.
Neither state-of-being is exclusive to either film. Hundreds of films work that same
alloy. I mean, Arthur Hiller's Loving came out at the same time as Wanda and Diary of
a Mad Housewife and it has plenty of alienation and quiet desperation in a domestic
drama that has nothing to do with robbing the cash register in a bar or robbing the bank
or descending into the world of crime, which Wanda does.

All I'm saying is that people who enjoy film noir should give Wanda a look. Even if you
don't agree that it's a neo-noir it's still a dark story you'll find much to like in it.

[Jobla]

Irvin Kershner directed LOVING (1970). What did Arthur Hiller have to do with it?

[silverlakephil]

This film is listed in the Neo-Noir section of the Film Noir Encyclopedia:

Coming May 14th on DVD and Blu-ray!

THE BEDROOM WINDOW (1987) with optional English subtitles
• Audio Commentary by Film Historian and Critic Peter Tonguette
• Theatrical Trailer

Color 112 Minutes 2.35:1 Rated R
Upwardly mobile architect Terry Lambert (Steve Guttenberg, The Day After) has it made—until his boss’s wife, Sylvia (Isabelle Huppert, Elle), witnesses an attempted murder through his bedroom window. In order to keep their affair a secret, Terry reports the crime in her place. When the authorities find that Terry’s account of the incident is flawed, he becomes the prime suspect in a string of mysterious murders. Terry is now trapped in a web of deceit and is desperate to reveal the killer’s identity before it is too late. Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle) wrote and directed this Hitchcockian thriller which masterfully delivers one shocking plot twist after another. The stellar cast includes Elizabeth McGovern (The Favor), Paul Shenar (Man on Fire), Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride), Maury Chaykin (Unstrung Heroes) and Mark Margolis (Hannibal).

[Hoke Moseley]

Steve Guttenberg has always been my favorite noir actor.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by Hoke Moseley

Steve Guttenberg has always been my favorite noir actor.

Mine too. It used to be Edward G. Robinson, but as soon as I discovered The Gute, I was like "Edward G. WHO?!"

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Hoke Moseley

Steve Guttenberg has always been my favorite noir actor.

Steve Guttenberg will go down in history as the Police Academy guy, but he's an honest-to-goodnessly fine actor, as evidenced by Diner, The Day After, The Boys from Brazil, and several other dramatic roles.

The Bedroom Window looks like a solid flick.