Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[5150z]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Speaking of what is and isn't noir, I'm curious why people think Dassin's The Naked City is noir. Seems to me to be more of a straightforward police procedural than a noir.

Agreed, IMO, it's not Noir. I had the Criterion DVD and sold it after one viewing. Not because it's not Noir, but the narration was tedious and the story just didn't do it for me. Love the day-time shots of NYC though.

[Feiereisel]

I've been digging around for more noir resources. Here are a few that I found after some light googling:

ON FILM NOIR:

Paul Schrader's "Notes on Film Noir" (1972)

A historical overview of film noir that explores the catalysts, psychology, and visual motifs of the movement. Schrader cites many films and places them in a historical context. A good read, especially for noir neophytes, but the age of the piece means it preempts over forty years of subsequent criticism.

ON NEO-NOIR:

The table of contents, acknowledgements, and introduction to Ronald Schwartz's Neo-Noir: The New Film Noir Style from Psycho to Collateral (2005)

The introduction, which features short explanations of the noir and neo-noir movements, begins on page six of the document. Another good, albeit extremely brief, primer that could be viewed as a revision/continuation of the Schrader piece.

Though the essays on the included films are not accessible, the table of contents allows a peek at films Schwartz considers examples of neo-noir.

"Space, Time, and Subjectivity in Neo-Noir Cinema" by Jerold J. Abrams, from The Philosophy of Neo-Noir, ed. Mark T. Conrad. (2007)

The densest of the three pieces, this looks the evolution of neo-noir as well as the neo-noir protagonist's seach for self. Abrams divides neo-noir into three categories, citing examples for each: Past Neo-Noir (The Ninth Gate, Angel Heart, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and, breifly, Pulp Fiction), Future Neo-Noir (Blade Runner, Minority Report, The X-Files, Dark City), and Present Neo-Noir (Memento, The Bourne Identity, Fight Club, Pi: Faith in Chaos). It's the most challenging and radical piece, offering some interesting (and arguable) ideas as to how neo-noir works and its relation to film noir-proper.

(All links live as of 1/20/2015)

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the noir room!.

[Andrew Tom]

Friends of Eddie Coyle should be added to the list though, right?

[Old Geezer]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the noir room!.

But, but, the best fights start here! I know this isn't going to end well.

[deltatauhobbit]

I like Watchmen but I don't think I would classify it as neo-noir by looking at the overall picture. If the majority of the film stuck with Rorschach, that might be a different story. Many of his scenes do scream noir, in the way he's presented, doing his detective work, giving inner monologues, but I think the film needs to be looked at collectively and in my gut it doesn't feel noir-enough.

If you want to see what a Watchmen noir film would have been like with Rorschach as the main lead throughout, give the film Franklyn a watch. I honestly think that film is more deserving of being called a neo-noir than Watchmen.

As for others that are being contended right now, I also wouldn't classify Heat as neo-noir, I've always considered that a straight up cops and robbers flick, albeit with great style and cinematography. Looper is more of a maybe from me, even though it's set in present day many of the scenes and dress style seem like it's from the 40's and 50's, but even still, way too many scenes during the day, kind of kills most of the noir vibe.

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Big fan of both the Watchmen film & the comic series the movie is based on. I think the comic is far superior, and I was a fan of the series long before the movie came out...I do think the Watchmen film definitely has elements of noir, but not sure I'd actually classify is as a neo-noir...

Franklyn is a superb, underrated flick -

[Show spoiler]I saw it once, years ago - and I liked the huge mind-^%$ of having the entire film be a figment of the main character's imagination - as seen @ the end...

. And, yes, I do see elements of sci-fi noir here..

Looper is another great movie; the time-travel aspect kind of leads me away from classifying this as a noir, but the fedoras/old-skool feel/vibe definitely gives it an element of noir...

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Last night, I watched Robert Altman's 1973 version of Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye. If you want to see an uncanny, yet surprisingly effective post-classic-era noir, then this one is a good pick.

Altman's The Long Goodbye is excellent; have seen this several times over a years since I'm a huge Altman fan. I like how this film updates the Philip Marlowe detective character to the hip/swinging CA of the 1970's, while still keeping a definite noir atmosphere - not an easy dichotomy to achieve, but done very well here. Also liked how several different versions of the song "The Long Goodbye" were played throughout the film...

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by AnamorphicWidescreen

Altman's The Long Goodbye is excellent; have seen this several times over a years since I'm a huge Altman fan. I like how this film updates the Philip Marlowe detective character to the hip/swinging CA of the 1970's, while still keeping a definite noir atmosphere - not an easy dichotomy to achieve, but done very well here. Also liked how several different versions of the song "The Long Goodbye" were played throughout the film...

I love the Long Goodbye. Forgive me, but this is the type of film I call neo-noir. If any of you have seen the recently released Inherent Vice - I thought it had a lot of its roots in this film and noir troupes. I need to see it again because as much as I thought I'd love it and it has been in my head, I feel like it fell flat on its ass and had some really awful scenes. Also, my own unofficial noir rule: it can't be 2 1/2 or 3 hrs long!

Back to the true blue.. watched my This Gun for Hire dvd last night on a whim. While I never thought this film was as great as it has been cracked up to be, I would pick a blu of it up in a heart beat. Im surprised theres not more Veronica Lake on Bd.

[deltatauhobbit]

Another film for consideration of neo-noir is A Simple Plan. Not released in the States yet but there is a region free release out of Germany. It's a shame Bridget Fonda quit acting, I always liked her.

And what the heck! Germany also has Mulholland Drive too!

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by deltatauhobbit

Another film for consideration of neo-noir is A Simple Plan. Not released in the States yet but there is a region free release out of Germany. It's a shame Bridget Fonda quit acting, I always liked her.

I would certainly place A Simple Plan squarely in the neo-noir category.

The source novel by Scott Smith is fantastic, and the film adaptation is nearly spot-on.

[Danny4]

A simple plan is a definitely a neo-noir movie. great movie aswell.

I'm also wondering why Seven, Reservoir Dogs, Millers crossing and The crow are in the neo noir list.

And also Cape Fear, the original isn't considered a film noir, so i do not think the remake is a neo-noir then.

[noirjunkie]

The UK version of The Long Goodbye can swapped out with Kino's US release.

[Vlad Draculi]

Originally Posted by Danny4

A simple plan is a definitely a neo-noir movie. great movie aswell.

I'm also wondering why Seven, Reservoir Dogs, Millers crossing and The crow are in the neo noir list.

And also Cape Fear, the original isn't considered a film noir, so i do not think the remake is a neo-noir then.

Seven is debatable, but yeah, I definitely wouldn't say Dogs is a noir.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the noir room!


Last night, I watched Robert Altman's 1973 version of Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye. If you want to see an uncanny, yet surprisingly effective post-classic-era noir, then this one is a good pick.

Excellent quote and excellent movie! A movie we discussed at length in the film class a friend of mine used to teach, "Survey of Narrative Film." Quite a fun class in which we talked a lot about noir and neo-noir. I wrote a short paper for that class titled "The Neo-Noir Pulp Fiction."

[WalterNeff]

Originally Posted by Vlad Draculi

Seven is debatable,

How so?

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I would certainly place A Simple Plan squarely in the neo-noir category.

The source novel by Scott Smith is fantastic, and the film adaptation is nearly spot-on.

I agree that this film fits nicely in the neo-noir category. It's an unjustly forgotten gem.

[MifuneFan]

Thanks, I've added a the German release for A Simple Plan

[The Great Owl]

Sad news for all of us film noir fans. Lizabeth Scott passed away on January 31.

Film Noir Actress Lizabeth Scott Dies At 92

Lizabeth Scott was one of my personal favorite actresses of the classic film noir era, because of her roles in films like The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Pitfall, Dark City, The Racket, The Weapon, Two of a Kind, and Dead Reckoning. She had perhaps the sexiest voice in cinema history.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Sad news for all of us film noir fans. Lizabeth Scott passed away on January 31.

It's always sad to lose another star from Hollywood's golden age, especially since there are so few left. She was a true noir icon.

[murphywmm]

I finally got to watch "Out of the Past" - now I understand why it's so revered among noir fans. Jane Greer must be one of the most evil and best femme fatales ever.