Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[leonmarks]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Criterion have officially announced the long overdue High Sierra (1941), releasing October 12th. It kind of tows the line between late gangster film, and early noir, but I'll add it to the list unless there's objection.

https://www.criterion.com/films/29019-high-sierra

Since High Sierra is Warner Brothers, does anyone know if this is a good sign that Criterion (or anyone else) might be planning to release other Warner's titles on BD soon? (Act of Violence is my top priority, but there are many others)

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by leonmarks

Since High Sierra is Warner Brothers, does anyone know if this is a good sign that Criterion (or anyone else) might be planning to release other Warner's titles on BD soon? (Act of Violence is my top priority, but there are many others)

Criterion semi-regularly released Warner-owned titles and I'm sure plenty more to come. A few they've released that at least somewhat fit into the noir category:

The Asphalt Jungle
The Breaking Point
Cat People
Klute
Mildred Pierce
They Live By Night

and they've probably released a few dozen non-noir WB titles.

I too hope for Act of Violence (which I just re-watched recently). Otherwise, I don't know why WAC hasn't gotten to it yet. Pretty big star, big director, popular genre, all around great film.

In fact, not a single Warner-owned Fred Zinnemann film has received a Blu-ray. Most of his non-WB-owned films have.

[The Sovereign]

I didn't see this mentioned, but for fans of Eddie Muller, a revised & expanded edition of his OOP book Dark City is being released next week:

https://www.runningpress.com/titles/...9780762498970/

It's an interesting twist on the standard noir reference book, with lots of great photos, and of course Muller's extensive insights.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

The noir world needs more Florida tales.

I don't think the movies or television have ever genuinely tapped into any of John D. MacDonald's novels, many of which are noir and most of which take place in Florida.

Similar to his non-related namesake, Ross MacDonald, it's a mystery to me why so much ripe noir literature has never been tapped into as much in the cinema. We see a lot of retreaded tropes nowadays in modern noir films from writers and directors who think they are inventing the wheel, but most of it was already paved by guys like Ross MacDonald decades ago.

[usuallee]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

The noir world needs more Florida tales.

That's why I keep hoping Palmetto (1998) will get released on Blu-ray or at least some sort of HD streaming option (it's SD only on Amazon).

Its tomatometer is uninspiring, but the one time I watched it 20+ years ago, I remember being riveted. Great cast too: Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Shue, Gina Gershon, Chloe Sevigny, Michael Rappaport. I'd be intrigued to see how it holds up all these years later. But not intrigued enough to suffer through in SD :-D

[checkerboard]

The John D. MacDonald novel A Flash of Green was adapted into an excellent film in 1984 by Victor Nunez, with Ed Harris, Blair Brown, and Richard Jordan. It's really good and it needs a blu ray release.

I think there were TV adaptations of Condominium and Darker Than Amber but I haven't seen those.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by usuallee

That's why I keep hoping Palmetto (1998) will get released on Blu-ray or at least some sort of HD streaming option (it's SD only on Amazon).

Its tomatometer is uninspiring, but the one time I watched it 20+ years ago, I remember being riveted. Great cast too: Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Shue, Gina Gershon, Chloe Sevigny, Michael Rappaport. I'd be intrigued to see how it holds up all these years later. But not intrigued enough to suffer through in SD :-D

Palmetto is, in my mind, the most underrated neo-noir of the 90s. It's nice to see someone else appreciates it, too.

[jayrobb9]

Not Noir, so rather off-topic, but I would LOVE to see Criterion get their hands on the original Poltergeist.

That movie is just begging for some HD respect!

[SeanJoyce]

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by checkerboard

The John D. MacDonald novel A Flash of Green was adapted into an excellent film in 1984 by Victor Nunez, with Ed Harris, Blair Brown, and Richard Jordan. It's really good and it needs a blu ray release.

I think there were TV adaptations of Condominium and Darker Than Amber but I haven't seen those.

CONDOMINIUM is one of the best "best seller" novels I've ever read and convinced me how good of a writer John D. McDonald is. Sadly, it can now be considered as being quite prophetic given the tragic news out of Florida lately. It's not a Noir though, just a great read and I highly recommend it as a beach book, which is where I originally read it (in Florida no less!). Note that the TV mini-series adaptation was abysmal.

A FLASH OF GREEN is a good neo-noir film, but kind of forgotten these days, unfortunately. DARKER THAN AMBER is a 1970 theatrical film I've always wanted to see, but it's apparently tied up in litigation from what I heard. At the time it was considered one of the most violent films ever made. There was also a forgotten TV movie pilot for a series based on the adventures of John MacDonald's famous "salvage expert" Travis McGee, who worked like a noir private eye. I believe it starred Sam Elliott as McGee, but it wasn't good and didn't lead to a series.

Ross MacDonald lucked out with a couple of good films based on his long running private investigator protagonist, Lew Archer, with Paul Newman portraying him in the classic HARPER and the underrated THE DROWNING POOL. There was also an 80's adaptation of his novel BLUE CITY, but it was too hard for me to take Jud Nelson as a noir character so I skipped it. A very short lived TV series in the mid-70's called ARCHER starred Brian Keith as MacDonald's private eye, but I don't think it lasted past 4 episodes.

Like I said earlier, it's a shame that the two MacDonald's have not been represented more in the history of noir cinema. Their novels are largely first rate.

[edmonddantes]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

I don't think the movies or television have ever genuinely tapped into any of John D. MacDonald's novels, many of which are noir and most of which take place in Florida.

Similar to his non-related namesake, Ross MacDonald, it's a mystery to me why so much ripe noir literature has never been tapped into as much in the cinema. We see a lot of retreaded tropes nowadays in modern noir films from writers and directors who think they are inventing the wheel, but most of it was already paved by guys like Ross MacDonald decades ago.

just recently watched key largo, and made me confirmed my belief that the south is by far the most interesting setting in the US, and it has been underutilized. in fact a lot of the good films set in the south are by english filmmakers, like alan parker, which in a way makes sense because the south is the most english part of the US (while midwest is german, the east is itlaian-jewish, and the west only god knows what it is, but possibly scandinavian?). Feel free to correct this colombian whose knowledge of the US is mostly superficial and from movies and my few travels to the great USA.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by edmonddantes

just recently watched key largo, and made me confirmed my belief that the south is by far the most interesting setting in the US, and it has been underutilized. in fact a lot of the good films set in the south are by english filmmakers, like alan parker, which in a way makes sense because the south is the most english part of the US (while midwest is german, the east is itlaian-jewish, and the west only god knows what it is, but possibly scandinavian?). Feel free to correct this colombian whose knowledge of the US is mostly superficial and from movies and my few travels to the great USA.

Very interesting idea and I'll have to think about that. For me, Los Angeles remains the capital of the Noir world, not least of which because I lived there for decades and followed my own Noir path there at times. New York does nothing for me as a Noir location and I would suggest that Chicago is way more Noir in feeling and atmosphere; just look at how it vibrates in the vintage TV series M SQUAD or the excellent, but not so Noir 1965 classic, MICKEY ONE. Hammett immortalized San Francisco in the Noir canon and it always works well.

But your idea of the south as a prime Noir and other central location of the USA is very intriguing and certainly worthy of discussion.

[edmonddantes]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

Very interesting idea and I'll have to think about that. For me, Los Angeles remains the capital of the Noir world, not least of which because I lived there for decades and followed my own Noir path there at times. New York does nothing for me as a Noir location and I would suggest that Chicago is way more Noir in feeling and atmosphere; just look at how it vibrates in the vintage TV series M SQUAD or the excellent, but not so Noir 1965 classic, MICKEY ONE. Hammett immortalized San Francisco in the Noir canon and it always works well.

But your idea of the south as a prime Noir and other central location of the USA is very intriguing and certainly worthy of discussion.

definitely LA is noir's HQ, but SF and generally california are great noir locations too. where was anthony mann's raw deal set? thats one of my favorite noirs

I agree about new york not being much of a noir location. however taxi driver to me its a pure noir, and the lady from shanghai too, but overall I agree.

My comment about the south wasn't very precise. i meant the south as location for any type of genres I think has been greatly underused. I actually think the best genre for the south would be horror (dont make any joke here...), but because I find it both fascinating and scary, I think it lends to horror and noir. Also obviously to erotic thrillers (the hot spot was southern I think, right? so was body heat?)

The american south is something so rich, so unique, so fascinating, that if I were an american director, I dont think I'd ever made a movie in the north.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

Like I said earlier, it's a shame that the two MacDonald's have not been represented more in the history of noir cinema. Their novels are largely first rate.

Agreed. It's surprising that we've really only gotten two decent films out everything he wrote.

[mogwai_macabre]

Originally Posted by nitin

IMHO the new Steven Soderbergh movie No Sudden Move qualifies as neo-noir, the 1950s setting and some of the tone also reminded me of a Phil Karlson film.

Watched this last night, it's absolutely a neo-noir and worth watching.

[drb124]

Originally Posted by The Sovereign

I didn't see this mentioned, but for fans of Eddie Muller, a revised & expanded edition of his OOP book Dark City is being released next week:

https://www.runningpress.com/titles/...9780762498970/

It's an interesting twist on the standard noir reference book, with lots of great photos, and of course Muller's extensive insights.

I wonder what has been added. I have the previous edition.

[Modman]

Originally Posted by drb124

I wonder what has been added. I have the previous edition.

Go to 25:40 where he answers your question.

ASK EDDIE - March 11 2021 - YouTube

[drb124]

Originally Posted by Modman

Go to 25:40 where he answers your question.

[Show spoiler]ASK EDDIE - March 11 2021 - YouTube

Well, I probably have to get it now.

[jayrobb9]

Did anybody grab The Web and has seen it yet?

Seems to have sold out on Amazon sadly

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by jayrobb9

Did anybody grab The Web and has seen it yet?

Seems to have sold out on Amazon sadly

Yeah. It's a really good and fun movie. The transfer is pretty solid, considering it didn't go through any major restoration. I bet Kino's site and Best Buy has copies available.