Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[drb124]

Is there a good place to find a deal on the film detective noirs? I am hesitant to pay a lot for a BD-R, but I wouldn't mind around $8 or so. Also, I just picked up Possessed from the DVD Planet Warner Archive sale.

This is is very helpful thread btw. I use it a lot as a reference and as a source for information about the films themselves in addition to the blu-ray or dvd releases.

[tallrichard]

In the Criterion noirs, I would rank Sweet Smell of Success very high....

I would rank it above Kiss Me Deadly which I own and enjoy....

I would put it on a level of Ride the Pink Horse or Gilda...

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by drb124

Is there a good place to find a deal on the film detective noirs? I am hesitant to pay a lot for a BD-R, but I wouldn't mind around $8 or so. Also, I just picked up Possessed from the DVD Planet Warner Archive sale.

This is is very helpful thread btw. I use it a lot as a reference and as a source for information about the films themselves in addition to the blu-ray or dvd releases.

Blowitoutofhere! (ebay) has it for 12.70 (free shipping) . Not sure if it can go any lower.

[buffetfroid]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

How would y'all ruffians and ne'er-do-wells rank the Sweet Smell of Success among the great film noirs?

I'm thinking about adding it to my list of blind buys for July.

...along with Kiss Me Deadly.

I don't think of Sweet Smell of Success a film noir but I don't think of Night of the Hunter as one either. But don't worry about adding it to your blind buy list. Pretty safe purchase.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by buffetfroid

I don't think of Sweet Smell of Success a film noir but I don't think of Night of the Hunter as one either. But don't worry about adding it to your blind buy list. Pretty safe purchase.

I just noticed that Criterion doesn't include Sweet Smell of Success on its list of noirs and neo-noirs.

I have often seen it described and/or labeled as film noir.

Ironically, there seems to be a lot of gray area when it comes to what is and isn't considered "noir."

I agree with you about Night and the Hunter.

...I don't view it as noir either.

[buffetfroid]

Yeah there is a lot of debate about "what is noir" and that's fine but I fall more in the "Maltese Falcon to Touch of Evil" camp

[DJANGO]

These might be too far afield, but a couple of the films in Arrow's Blu-ray/DVD NIKKATSU DIAMOND GUYS VOLUME 1 seem to be quite noir influenced . . . they are VOICE WITHOUT A SHADOW and RED PIER. The third movie THE RAMBLING GUITARIST is fun, but it ain't noir.

[ArnoldLayne56]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

RIP Kristine Miller

WOW [wolf whistle]...

exhale

thanks

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Just noticed the cover has been updated on the Amazon product page.

I prefer the cover they first showed. I know this recreates one of the original movie posters, but they cut Lauren's arm off. That bothers me.

[Reddington]

If you're in the Boston area April 22-24, the Somerville Theatre is showing Vertigo in 70mm.

http://somervilletheatre.com/70-mm-presentations/

Fantastic venue. Saw the 70mm Roadshow of The Hateful Eight there.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

How would y'all ruffians and ne'er-do-wells rank the Sweet Smell of Success among the great film noirs?

I'm thinking about adding it to my list of blind buys for July.

...along with Kiss Me Deadly.

I rank it as a BUY IT!

One of my favourite films.

[Namuhana]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

How would y'all ruffians and ne'er-do-wells rank the Sweet Smell of Success among the great film noirs?

I'm thinking about adding it to my list of blind buys for July.

...along with Kiss Me Deadly.

Sweet Smell of Success is a must-buy. It has a fantastic script, and one of my favorite lines from any movie: "I'd hate to take a bite out of you. You're a cookie full of arsenic."

Kiss Me Deadly is equally awesome, just in a different way. You couldn't go wrong with either. In fact, you could go right with both of them.

[EVERYONE LIES]

On a related note and keeping with the journalism theme, does anyone have the German release of Deadline U.S.A.? It should probably be added to the master list.

[tallrichard]

My idea of a noir seems to be a little more lax than some from reading here.

I have more than a dozen movies from Criterion which I consider noir...

The Third Man
Odd Man Out
Gilda
Ride The Pink Horse
Sweet Smell of Success
The Killing
The Killers (46)
Night of the Hunter
Rififi
Night And the City
Kiss Me Deadly
Ace In the Hole
Riot in Cell Block 11

Now I do not have them exactly in a rank order, more like three tiers, first 8 are one tier, next 4 are a second tier and Riot is the worst in the group so it would be a 3rd tier about 5 levels below Ace In the Hole.

[Namuhana]

Originally Posted by tallrichard

Now I do not have them exactly in a rank order, more like three tiers, first 8 are one tier, next 4 are a second tier and Riot is the worst in the group so it would be a 3rd tier about 5 levels below Ace In the Hole.

I wasn't a fan of Riot in Cell Block 11, either. The acting was (obviously) poor and I can't say I especially liked any of the characters or cared about what happened in the story. I was honestly bored throughout it.

[spencergo]

I would like to join this thread...I think that there is a need to make yet another division as the term ("Film Noir") Film Noir originally referred to Hollywood ( American) film.
I clearly see a division between the films shot in Hollywood and films shot elsewhere. This was clearly an American style that influenced others. I see the need for a division not only by sequence and dates but also by Country. In other words the division should be American Film Noir and Foreign Film Noir.
I think lumping it all together is a mistake and it is easier and clearer to discuss the American films separately from the Foreign films. I remember in the late 1980's discussions about wether or not Foreign films should even be called "Film Noir", some thought anything dark, and shot in black and white should be called "film noir". The general consensus seemed to be in order to be "film noir" the film should be shot in black and white, the film should involve a crime, and the conclusion or ending should be dark ( no happy endings). There was always the discussion that Hollywood was responsible for this genre and films not made in Hollywood simply copied the genre. Some called films outside of Hollywood "noir" but did not agree they belonged in the "Film Noir" category. I feel there should be separation between American and Foreign but both are in fact the same genre, by separating it makes these films easier to understand. Historically Film Noir is an American genre.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by tallrichard

My idea of a noir seems to be a little more lax than some from reading here.

I have more than a dozen movies from Criterion which I consider noir...

The Third Man
Odd Man Out
Gilda
Ride The Pink Horse
Sweet Smell of Success
The Killing
The Killers (46)
Night of the Hunter
Rififi
Night And the City
Kiss Me Deadly
Ace In the Hole
Riot in Cell Block 11

Now I do not have them exactly in a rank order, more like three tiers, first 8 are one tier, next 4 are a second tier and Riot is the worst in the group so it would be a 3rd tier about 5 levels below Ace In the Hole.

I personally don't consider Night of the Hunter to be film noir.

Even Ace In The Hole seems like a stretch in the noir category.

Didn't love the movie either.

Didn't dislike it, but didn't love it.

...not one of Billy Wilder's better films imo.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by spencergo

I would like to join this thread...I think that there is a need to make yet another division as the term ("Film Noir") Film Noir originally referred to Hollywood ( American) film.
I clearly see a division between the films shot in Hollywood and films shot elsewhere. This was clearly an American style that influenced others. I see the need for a division not only by sequence and dates but also by Country. In other words the division should be American Film Noir and Foreign Film Noir.
I think lumping it all together is a mistake and it is easier and clearer to discuss the American films separately from the Foreign films. I remember in the late 1980's discussions about wether or not Foreign films should even be called "Film Noir", some thought anything dark, and shot in black and white should be called "film noir". The general consensus seemed to be in order to be "film noir" the film should be shot in black and white, the film should involve a crime, and the conclusion or ending should be dark ( no happy endings). There was always the discussion that Hollywood was responsible for this genre and films not made in Hollywood simply copied the genre. Some called films outside of Hollywood "noir" but did not agree they belonged in the "Film Noir" category. I feel there should be separation between American and Foreign but both are in fact the same genre, by separating it makes these films easier to understand. Historically Film Noir is an American genre.

Would would you consider to be a good example of foreign film noir?

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Even Ace In The Hole seems like a stretch in the noir category.

Didn't love the movie either.

Didn't dislike it, but didn't love it.

...not one of Billy Wilder's better films imo.

Ray, Ray, Ray! Say it ain't so! Maybe on a revisit it will open itself up to you, because it IS one of Wilder's best, and Wilder's bests are better than most!

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

Ray, Ray, Ray! Say it ain't so! Maybe on a revisit it will open itself up to you, because it IS one of Wilder's best, and Wilder's bests are better than most!

It's not in the same league as Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard imo.

Both of those are as close as you can get to a perfect film.

I also prefer Witness for the Prosecution and Lost Weekend.

I'm not a big Kirk Douglass fan and that may have something to do with it.