The Criterion Collection

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by RalphoR

After reading these comments let's hope they never remake Jaws

I was just going to say don't give Hollywood any ideas. The last thing society needs is a Jaws remake directed by Roland Bay with 150% more explosions and cgi.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I was just going to say don't give Hollywood any ideas. The last thing society needs is a Jaws remake directed by Roland Bay with 150% more explosions and cgi.

Michael Bay or GTFO.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

this might sound like sacrilege in this neck of the woods, but I've come to realize that I'm not particularly fond of the noir genre. it seems to me that the great ones are few and far between and so many of them are marred by ridiculous dialogue and labyrinth plots that are complicated solely for the sake of being complicated.

I'd like to see Odd Man Out and Ride The Pink Horse - especially since they have been discussed a lot here, but I've been underwhelmed by quite a few others that have great reputations.

it sometimes feels like their directors were holding clipboards marking off checklists of noir genre conventions while making them.

come to think of it, I think it is the American noirs that I'm not especially fond of

Agree that crime noirs tend to be a little too formulaic at times--to the point where it feels difficult to distinguish one from another. A lot of it just comes down to whether they're well written and well acted.

Double Indemnity and Out of the Past are just beautifully written, beautifully acted and beautifully photographed.

I'm still trying to decide whether to unwrap my copy of Odd Man Out. A lot of the feedback I've received is along the lines of "Good...but not nearly as good as The Third Man."

A significant number of people seem to not like it at all.

...so I'm stumped.

[Ray Jackson]

Also a lot of it comes down to what do you consider to be film noir?

I don't believe there's any definition set in stone and some of it is based on personal criteria.

I don't view Night of The Hunter as a film noir, even though it's often included on lists of the greatest film noirs of all time.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Agree that crime noirs tend to be a little too formulaic at times--to the point where it feels difficult to distinguish one from another. A lot of it just comes down to whether they're well written and well acted.

Double Indemnity and Out of the Past are just beautifully written, beautifully acted and beautifully photographed.

I'm still trying to decide whether to unwrap my copy of Odd Man Out. A lot of the feedback I've received is along the lines of "Good...but not nearly as good as The Third Man."

A significant number of people seem to not like it at all.

...so I'm stumped.

Open it damnit! Its amazing!

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Agree that crime noirs tend to be a little too formulaic at times--to the point where it feels difficult to distinguish one from another. A lot of it just comes down to whether they're well written and well acted.

Double Indemnity and Out of the Past are just beautifully written, beautifully acted and beautifully photographed.

I'm still trying to decide whether to unwrap my copy of Odd Man Out. A lot of the feedback I've received is along the lines of "Good...but not nearly as good as The Third Man."

A significant number of people seem to not like it at all.

...so I'm stumped.

I'll be honest, I was underwhelmed with "Odd Man Out". I expected to really love it and I thought it was fine, but it's well into the lower half of the Criterion titles I've seen/own. Put it this way, I liked "Night and the City", "Kiss Me Deadly", and "Ride the Pink Horse" a fair bit more than "Odd Man Out", just as a reference point.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

Open it damnit! Its amazing!

Originally Posted by mja345

I'll be honest, I was underwhelmed with "Odd Man Out". I expected to really love it and I thought it was fine, but it's well into the lower half of the Criterion titles I've seen/own. Put it this way, I liked "Night and the City", "Kiss Me Deadly", and "Ride the Pink Horse" a fair bit more than "Odd Man Out", just as a reference point.

These two posts are EXACTLY what keeps me up night.

...amazing that they came back to back.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

These two posts are EXACTLY what keeps me up night.

...amazing that they came back to back.

If you're holding it up to film noir masterpieces ("Double Indemnity", "The Third Man", "Out of the Past"), then I think it's going to be a letdown. I'm a big film noir fan, so when I watch a noir title from Kino or Olive, for example, my expectations aren't that high. When I watch a good, solid noir (i.e. "Cry Danger" or "The Crooked Way"), I'm satisified because I'm not expecting a masterpiece. I'm expecting a good, solid film noir. But, with "Odd Man Out", given that it was billed as Carol Reed's other film noir masterpiece, I was expecting something that blew me away. It didn't, so that's just my own reference point. It obviously blew some other members here away. Truthfully, I watched it about 4 months ago one morning after a heavy night of drinking, so I may have to give it a rewatch soon.

[AaronJ]

Sorry Oh well.

[WonderWeasel]

All this talk about films noir and neo-noir, and no one has mentioned the Coen brothers? Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, and The Big Lebowski aren't just great neo-noir films, they're some of my all-time favorites.

Ray, quit being a wuss.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

All this talk about films noir and neo-noir, and no one has mentioned the Coen brothers? Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, and The Big Lebowski aren't just great neo-noir films, they're some of my all-time favorites.

Ray, quit being a wuss.

Strong men also cry!!!!!!!

Strong men...also cry.

[BagheeraMcGee]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

All this talk about films noir and neo-noir, and no one has mentioned the Coen brothers? Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, and The Big Lebowski aren't just great neo-noir films, they're some of my all-time favorites.

Ray, quit being a wuss.

Personally, I'd add "The Man Who Wasn't There" to that list.

[AaronJ]

Oh man, this has gone off the cliff.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by mja345

If you're holding it up to film noir masterpieces ("Double Indemnity", "The Third Man", "Out of the Past"), then I think it's going to be a letdown. I'm a big film noir fan, so when I watch a noir title from Kino or Olive, for example, my expectations aren't that high. When I watch a good, solid noir (i.e. "Cry Danger" or "The Crooked Way"), I'm satisified because I'm not expecting a masterpiece. I'm expecting a good, solid film noir. But, with "Odd Man Out", given that it was billed as Carol Reed's other film noir masterpiece, I was expecting something that blew me away. It didn't, so that's just my own reference point. It obviously blew some other members here away. Truthfully, I watched it about 4 months ago one morning after a heavy night of drinking, so I may have to give it a rewatch soon.

Interesting thoughts.

I just bought and watched Night and The City.

Definitely liked it...but didn't exactly blow my skirt up in the air.

Odd Men Out would have to be as good or even a little better for me to be satisfied.

I don't know what to do.

I wish my Nanna was still alive.

She would slap in the face and tell me to act like a man.

...god I loved her.

[pedromvu]

Add me to the list who wasn't blown away by Odd Man Out, but while I liked The Third Man more I have never felt the urge to own that movie, I didn't liked it enough and have given it second chance with the same result.

[tallrichard]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Exactly. Take the film, It's a Wonderful Life ... it's a romantic comedy that veers into drama and contains some film noir sequences and fantasy elements, along with a holiday theme. So many of my favorites ... including The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Thin Man (and its lesser known cousin, Remember Last Night?), and many, many others ... also defy genre conventions.

I put it in my holiday film section....

Film Noir???

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by tallrichard

I put it in my holiday film section....

Film Noir???

The alternate reality of Pottersville was pretty noir-ish.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

this might sound like sacrilege in this neck of the woods, but I've come to realize that I'm not particularly fond of the noir genre. it seems to me that the great ones are few and far between and so many of them are marred by ridiculous dialogue and labyrinth plots that are complicated solely for the sake of being complicated.

I'd like to see Odd Man Out and Ride The Pink Horse - especially since they have been discussed a lot here, but I've been underwhelmed by quite a few others that have great reputations.

it sometimes feels like their directors were holding clipboards marking off checklists of noir genre conventions while making them.

come to think of it, I think it is the American noirs that I'm not especially fond of

OK, when I count three, we all put bwdowiak on our ignore list.

One...
Two...

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by KillaCam

Maybe I'll rent it and wait out a BD release. That is unless I spot the DVD this evening while I'm at B&N.

There's never been any indication it will come out on blu-ray.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

OK, when I count three, we all put bwdowiak on our ignore list.

One...
Two...

You like Odd Man Out?

Good?

Great?

...classic?