Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread - Blu-ray Forum

MifuneFan · 01-22-2014, 08:30 PM

By popular demand, we now have a thread dedicated to Film Noir on Blu-ray. Film noir is a rather broad category, so it shouldn't surprise anyone one that it isn't easily defined (see our section on Defining Film Noir). As such, what constitutes a film noir open to interpretation

There may be certain additions and/or omissions on here that everyone won't agree with. There are some that might be considered "quasi-noir", or perhaps a hybrid of genres including film noir. The merits of whether such films belong on the list is entirely up to this community. I'm merely the curator the list, the contributions of the people here are what will truly determine what ultimately makes the cut. I thank you in advance for understanding this, and I hope everyone appreciates the contributions of everyone involved.

About the Formatting:

The list will be categorized by year, and broken into sections by decade. There will be a list for Classic noir, as well as one for Neo-Noir titles. Because of the iconic artwork usually found with Film noir titles, cover art will be presented here, as well as a text-link to the database entry and/or review from this site. Additionally an A-Z list will be created.

Noir Sub-genres: While Film noir is generally considered an American convention, there are also sub-genres of noir that include British, and International Noir. Because of this, there has been some debate as to whether those titles should be included in the general list or not. I don't feel there are enough titles to justify making a separate category, so I will designate those films with their respective flags in the A-Z listing. So for instance, the British film noir Brighton Rock will feature the UK flag (

) next to the title in the A-Z list. I hope that's a fair compromise to everyone.

International releases: As this list is meant to be available to as many peopel as possible, the A-Z list will provide other countries where the Blu-ray is also available. This will be designated by the country's initials in parentheses. For Instance, Boomerang is available in the US and UK so it is written as (US / UK).

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Index:

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Film Noir A-Z

Classic Film Noir

[Show spoiler]

Classic Film Noir: Late Period

[Show spoiler]

Modern/Neo-Noir

[Show spoiler]

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Classic Film Noir
(Categorized by Year)

Classic Period: The 1940's

Note: The John Alton Film Collection set has absolutely no extras. The individual releases have commentary tracks, among other extras, as well as booklets.

MifuneFan · 01-22-2014, 08:30 PM

Classic Period: The 1950's

Editor's note: Rope of Sand is from 1949, so technically not a 1950's film, but it is part of a Film Noir boxset released by Olive Films where everything else included is from the 50's, so rather than splitting it up, I included it here.

Arrow's Film Noir Box set released in the UK is region free

MifuneFan · 01-22-2014, 08:31 PM

The Late Period: The 1960's
Classification: The Later period consists of films that don't quite fit into the Classic film noir category, but aren't neo-noir either. They're in the transition period between the two.

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Neo-Noir

Editor's note: As neo-noir is even harder than classic noir to define, I had a difficult time trying to decide what should be and shouldn't be on the list. So I encourage those more knowledgeable on the subject to chime in on what they feel belongs there, and what doesn't.

MifuneFan · 01-22-2014, 08:31 PM

Film Noir Defined

In 1995, the late, great film critic, Roger Ebert created a Guide to Film noir. He listed 10 characteristics of the category that sums it up pretty well:

Film noir is . . .

A French term meaning "black film," or film of the night, inspired by the Series Noir, a line of cheap paperbacks that translated hard-boiled American crime authors and found a popular audience in France.
A movie which at no time misleads you into thinking there is going to be a happy ending.
Locations that reek of the night, of shadows, of alleys, of the back doors of fancy places, of apartment buildings with a high turnover rate, of taxi drivers and bartenders who have seen it all.
Cigarettes. Everybody in film noir is always smoking, as if to say, "On top of everything else, I've been assigned to get through three packs today." The best smoking movie of all time is "Out of the Past," in which Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas smoke furiously at each other. At one point, Mitchum enters a room, Douglas extends a pack and says, "Cigarette?" and Mitchum, holding up his hand, says, "Smoking."
Women who would just as soon kill you as love you, and vice versa.
For women: low necklines, floppy hats, mascara, lipstick, dressing rooms, boudoirs, calling the doorman by his first name, high heels, red dresses, elbowlength gloves, mixing drinks, having gangsters as boyfriends, having soft spots for alcoholic private eyes, wanting a lot of someone else's women, sprawling dead on the floor with every limb meticulously arranged and every hair in place.
For men: fedoras, suits and ties, shabby residential hotels with a neon sign blinking through the window, buying yourself a drink out of the office bottle, cars with running boards, all-night diners, protecting kids who shouldn't be playing with the big guys, being on first-name terms with homicide cops, knowing a lot of people whose descriptions end in "ies," such as bookies, newsies, junkies, alkys, jockeys and cabbies.
Movies either shot in black and white, or feeling like they were.
Relationships in which love is only the final flop card in the poker game of death.
The most American film genre, because no society could have created a world so filled with doom, fate, fear and betrayal, unless it were essentially naive and optimistic.

I also reached out to some fellow members here to ask how they would define film noir. Here's what they had to say..

The Great Owl says...

"According to AMC Filmsite, “Film noir”, translated as “black film”, is a term that was coined in the late 1940s by French critics to describe the dark themes and images of American crime dramas that emerged during World War II and continued into the postwar era. I personally associate the term with 1940s and 1950s movies, mostly black-and-white, that reflect the uneasy years when America was struggling with post-World War II trauma and beginning to experience early Cold War tensions as the threat of nuclear destruction was becoming apparent and as the typical characteristics of heroes and villains were becoming increasingly elusive. Thematically, film noir movies are often characterized by undercurrents of pessimism and shady character complexities in a world where best-laid plans are cruelly derailed by the hands of fate, where disenchanted antiheroes fall prey to weaknesses and worldly desires with disastrous results, and where beautiful women and handsome men conceal tarnished or twisted inner moralities. Visually, film noir movies are often characterized by shadowy claustrophobic settings, striking contrasts of darkness and light, disorienting camera angles, tendrils of cigarette smoke, men wearing fedoras and overcoats, and seductively dressed femme fatales.

The defining parameters of film noir are not written in stone, because the term evokes specific moods more than it evokes a specific genre. Many 1930s films that are rooted in German Expressionism are included on film noir lists because of their influence on later releases, many foreign movies are acknowledged as film noirs because of visual and thematic similarities to the American titles of the era, and several movies that are not overtly crime-related may nonetheless be counted as works of film noir. In the decades following the classic film noir era of the 1940s and 1950s, countless “neo-noir” movies have effectively captured the spirit of their predecessors while adding contemporary sensibilities to the equation."

noirjunkie says...

"By its very nature, film noir's defining parameters are somewhat flexible, as French film critics--the first to see noir's patterns developing organically as the films were initially released--didn't begin to identify and analyze the films we now label as noirs (a French term that translates as "black" or "dark") until the end of the cycle in the mid-to-late 1950s. (It took American critics a couple of decades to catch up.) At the time the films were being made, none of the filmmakers were saying, "we're making a noir." Therefore, while the genre is held together by a set of structural, thematic and stylistic identifiers, these identifiers are read back into the films, making the creation of a definitive noir "canon" difficult.

However, despite this obstacle, a reasonably clear set of guidelines for understanding what is and is not a noir has developed in the ensuing decades since the noir cycle came to a close. Stylistically, many noirs (especially those of DP John Alton) implement the bold lighting techniques of chiaroscuro and German Expressionism, combining deep shadows with off-kilter Dutch angles to heighten the tension and suspense of the stories they tell. However, more important than the visuals is noir's dark, often cynical subject matter that frequently explores the underside of human nature and the cold indifference of fate. Noirs often feature doomed protagonists, men and women (the femme fetale) who cannot be trusted, who double-cross their partners in crime when it suits them, and whose actions ruin both themselves and those around them, including unlucky innocent bystanders. These films sometimes feature dark, unhappy and fatal conclusions, providing a stark contrast to the hopeful, upbeat films that often played before them on double bills."

Recommended Literature:

Helpful Links:
Filmsite.org in-depth look at Film Noir
Film Noir of the Week
Film Noir Encyclopedia Film List

I want to graciously thank everyone who has contributed to the making of this thread. I hope it can be a great resource to fans of film noir, and newcomers wanting to learn more about Film noir.

SilentDawn · 01-22-2014, 08:33 PM

Awesome!

jetthead · 01-22-2014, 08:35 PM

Tremendous job MifuneFan!

BouCoupDinkyDau · 01-22-2014, 08:36 PM

Cool! I love noir! From the Maltese Falcon to Chinatown to Dark City to Drive...it's ALL good!

MifuneFan · 01-22-2014, 08:37 PM

Thanks guys. So exhausted right now lol. I did all of this in a few marathon hours ;faint:

baheidstu · 01-22-2014, 08:39 PM

Thanks for your efforts! I think this will be a popular thread.

BluPat · 01-22-2014, 08:39 PM

Yay!!!

BouCoupDinkyDau · 01-22-2014, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Thanks guys. So exhausted right now lol. I did all of this in a few marathon hours ;faint:

A worthy endeavor! Thank you for starting it!

Subscribed!!

Supernaut · 01-22-2014, 08:47 PM

Excellent! Truly a thread to subscribe to. Now I can get on board with most of these being labelled noir, but Looper? Really?

The Great Owl · 01-22-2014, 08:54 PM

Thanks for putting this thread together! I like how the Blu-rays are indexed.

Scottie · 01-22-2014, 08:55 PM

Excellent thread!

Tech-UK · 01-22-2014, 09:03 PM

Great thread MifuneFan.

Only God Forgives must be added!

I actually think its more neo-noir than Drive. But Drive certainly deserves to be listed, as you have done.

frittscs · 01-22-2014, 09:08 PM

Great work! It's interesting that most of my favorite movies are listed here, what does that say about my mental state?

MifuneFan · 01-22-2014, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech-UK

Great thread MifuneFan.

Only God Forgives must be added!

I actually think its more neo-noir than Drive. But Drive certainly deserves to be listed, as you have done.

Thanks, I actually made a note at the top of the Neo-noir list requesting some inputfor it, because I had a harder time figuring out what belonged and what didn't (except for the well-known ones like Blade Runner, Chinatown, etc..)

So keep the suggestions coming guys (both adding and subtracting if necessary)! In a little while I'll post a list of titles that made my "maybe" list so that everyone here could chime in on whether they think it should be there or not. But now I need to take a little break

BouCoupDinkyDau · 01-22-2014, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frittscs

Great work! It's interesting that most of my favorite movies are listed here, what does that say about my mental state?

That you see life as a never-ending series of betrayals that will only end sadly for everyone involved?

rockinrick · 01-22-2014, 09:15 PM

Being a Noir-Addict I have to say this a great idea ! Thanks for the effort to put this all together. Fantastic job.

Rick

NoirFan · 01-22-2014, 09:29 PM

Good job, except that Rififi, not being an English-language film, shouldn't count. Noir (as Ebert is quoted noting), at least in its purest form, is strictly an American genre. (The Third Man excepted.)

01-22-2014, 08:30 PM	#1
MifuneFan Blu-ray Grand Duke Top contributor Member since:Mar 2012 Location:New York City Blu-ray collection:609 Trading Score:58	Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread By popular demand, we now have a thread dedicated to Film Noir on Blu-ray. Film noir is a rather broad category, so it shouldn't surprise anyone one that it isn't easily defined (see our section on Defining Film Noir). As such, what constitutes a film noir open to interpretation There may be certain additions and/or omissions on here that everyone won't agree with. There are some that might be considered "quasi-noir", or perhaps a hybrid of genres including film noir. The merits of whether such films belong on the list is entirely up to this community. I'm merely the curator the list, the contributions of the people here are what will truly determine what ultimately makes the cut. I thank you in advance for understanding this, and I hope everyone appreciates the contributions of everyone involved. About the Formatting: The list will be categorized by year, and broken into sections by decade. There will be a list for Classic noir, as well as one for Neo-Noir titles. Because of the iconic artwork usually found with Film noir titles, cover art will be presented here, as well as a text-link to the database entry and/or review from this site. Additionally an A-Z list will be created. Noir Sub-genres: While Film noir is generally considered an American convention, there are also sub-genres of noir that include British, and International Noir. Because of this, there has been some debate as to whether those titles should be included in the general list or not. I don't feel there are enough titles to justify making a separate category, so I will designate those films with their respective flags in the A-Z listing. So for instance, the British film noir Brighton Rock will feature the UK flag () next to the title in the A-Z list. I hope that's a fair compromise to everyone. International releases: As this list is meant to be available to as many peopel as possible, the A-Z list will provide other countries where the Blu-ray is also available. This will be designated by the country's initials in parentheses. For Instance, Boomerang is available in the US and UK so it is written as (US / UK). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index: Film Noir Defined Film Noir: A-Z Classic Film Period: 1940's Classic Film Perioid: 1950's The Late Period: 1960's Modern Noir ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Film Noir A-Z Classic Film Noir [Show spoiler] Classic Film Noir: Late Period [Show spoiler] Modern/Neo-Noir [Show spoiler] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Classic Film Noir (Categorized by Year) Classic Period: The 1940's Note: The John Alton Film Collection set has absolutely no extras. The individual releases have commentary tracks, among other extras, as well as booklets. Last edited by MifuneFan; 09-18-2018 at 04:59 PM.

01-22-2014, 08:30 PM	#2
MifuneFan Blu-ray Grand Duke Top contributor Member since:Mar 2012 Location:New York City Blu-ray collection:609 Trading Score:58	Classic Period: The 1950's Editor's note: Rope of Sand is from 1949, so technically not a 1950's film, but it is part of a Film Noir boxset released by Olive Films where everything else included is from the 50's, so rather than splitting it up, I included it here. Arrow's Film Noir Box set released in the UK is region free Last edited by MifuneFan; 09-13-2018 at 02:39 AM.

01-22-2014, 08:31 PM	#3
MifuneFan Blu-ray Grand Duke Top contributor Member since:Mar 2012 Location:New York City Blu-ray collection:609 Trading Score:58	The Late Period: The 1960's Classification: The Later period consists of films that don't quite fit into the Classic film noir category, but aren't neo-noir either. They're in the transition period between the two. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neo-Noir Editor's note: As neo-noir is even harder than classic noir to define, I had a difficult time trying to decide what should be and shouldn't be on the list. So I encourage those more knowledgeable on the subject to chime in on what they feel belongs there, and what doesn't. Last edited by MifuneFan; 07-18-2018 at 02:33 PM.

01-22-2014, 08:31 PM	#4
MifuneFan Blu-ray Grand Duke Top contributor Member since:Mar 2012 Location:New York City Blu-ray collection:609 Trading Score:58	Film Noir Defined In 1995, the late, great film critic, Roger Ebert created a Guide to Film noir. He listed 10 characteristics of the category that sums it up pretty well: Film noir is . . . A French term meaning "black film," or film of the night, inspired by the Series Noir, a line of cheap paperbacks that translated hard-boiled American crime authors and found a popular audience in France. A movie which at no time misleads you into thinking there is going to be a happy ending. Locations that reek of the night, of shadows, of alleys, of the back doors of fancy places, of apartment buildings with a high turnover rate, of taxi drivers and bartenders who have seen it all. Cigarettes. Everybody in film noir is always smoking, as if to say, "On top of everything else, I've been assigned to get through three packs today." The best smoking movie of all time is "Out of the Past," in which Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas smoke furiously at each other. At one point, Mitchum enters a room, Douglas extends a pack and says, "Cigarette?" and Mitchum, holding up his hand, says, "Smoking." Women who would just as soon kill you as love you, and vice versa. For women: low necklines, floppy hats, mascara, lipstick, dressing rooms, boudoirs, calling the doorman by his first name, high heels, red dresses, elbowlength gloves, mixing drinks, having gangsters as boyfriends, having soft spots for alcoholic private eyes, wanting a lot of someone else's women, sprawling dead on the floor with every limb meticulously arranged and every hair in place. For men: fedoras, suits and ties, shabby residential hotels with a neon sign blinking through the window, buying yourself a drink out of the office bottle, cars with running boards, all-night diners, protecting kids who shouldn't be playing with the big guys, being on first-name terms with homicide cops, knowing a lot of people whose descriptions end in "ies," such as bookies, newsies, junkies, alkys, jockeys and cabbies. Movies either shot in black and white, or feeling like they were. Relationships in which love is only the final flop card in the poker game of death. The most American film genre, because no society could have created a world so filled with doom, fate, fear and betrayal, unless it were essentially naive and optimistic. I also reached out to some fellow members here to ask how they would define film noir. Here's what they had to say.. The Great Owl says... "According to AMC Filmsite, “Film noir”, translated as “black film”, is a term that was coined in the late 1940s by French critics to describe the dark themes and images of American crime dramas that emerged during World War II and continued into the postwar era. I personally associate the term with 1940s and 1950s movies, mostly black-and-white, that reflect the uneasy years when America was struggling with post-World War II trauma and beginning to experience early Cold War tensions as the threat of nuclear destruction was becoming apparent and as the typical characteristics of heroes and villains were becoming increasingly elusive. Thematically, film noir movies are often characterized by undercurrents of pessimism and shady character complexities in a world where best-laid plans are cruelly derailed by the hands of fate, where disenchanted antiheroes fall prey to weaknesses and worldly desires with disastrous results, and where beautiful women and handsome men conceal tarnished or twisted inner moralities. Visually, film noir movies are often characterized by shadowy claustrophobic settings, striking contrasts of darkness and light, disorienting camera angles, tendrils of cigarette smoke, men wearing fedoras and overcoats, and seductively dressed femme fatales. The defining parameters of film noir are not written in stone, because the term evokes specific moods more than it evokes a specific genre. Many 1930s films that are rooted in German Expressionism are included on film noir lists because of their influence on later releases, many foreign movies are acknowledged as film noirs because of visual and thematic similarities to the American titles of the era, and several movies that are not overtly crime-related may nonetheless be counted as works of film noir. In the decades following the classic film noir era of the 1940s and 1950s, countless “neo-noir” movies have effectively captured the spirit of their predecessors while adding contemporary sensibilities to the equation." noirjunkie says... "By its very nature, film noir's defining parameters are somewhat flexible, as French film critics--the first to see noir's patterns developing organically as the films were initially released--didn't begin to identify and analyze the films we now label as noirs (a French term that translates as "black" or "dark") until the end of the cycle in the mid-to-late 1950s. (It took American critics a couple of decades to catch up.) At the time the films were being made, none of the filmmakers were saying, "we're making a noir." Therefore, while the genre is held together by a set of structural, thematic and stylistic identifiers, these identifiers are read back into the films, making the creation of a definitive noir "canon" difficult. However, despite this obstacle, a reasonably clear set of guidelines for understanding what is and is not a noir has developed in the ensuing decades since the noir cycle came to a close. Stylistically, many noirs (especially those of DP John Alton) implement the bold lighting techniques of chiaroscuro and German Expressionism, combining deep shadows with off-kilter Dutch angles to heighten the tension and suspense of the stories they tell. However, more important than the visuals is noir's dark, often cynical subject matter that frequently explores the underside of human nature and the cold indifference of fate. Noirs often feature doomed protagonists, men and women (the femme fetale) who cannot be trusted, who double-cross their partners in crime when it suits them, and whose actions ruin both themselves and those around them, including unlucky innocent bystanders. These films sometimes feature dark, unhappy and fatal conclusions, providing a stark contrast to the hopeful, upbeat films that often played before them on double bills." Recommended Literature: Helpful Links: Filmsite.org in-depth look at Film Noir Film Noir of the Week Film Noir Encyclopedia Film List I want to graciously thank everyone who has contributed to the making of this thread. I hope it can be a great resource to fans of film noir, and newcomers wanting to learn more about Film noir. Last edited by MifuneFan; 09-22-2016 at 04:03 PM.

01-22-2014, 09:03 PM	#15
Tech-UK Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Sep 2010 Location:UK Home Theater Gallery:87 Blu-ray collection:720 Blu-ray reviews:18 Trading Score:23	Great thread MifuneFan. Only God Forgives must be added! I actually think its more neo-noir than Drive. But Drive certainly deserves to be listed, as you have done. Last edited by Tech-UK; 01-22-2014 at 09:08 PM.

01-22-2014, 08:33 PM	#5
SilentDawn Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Dec 2012 Location:Isla Nublar Blu-ray collection:400 DVD collection:58 Blu-ray reviews:5	Awesome!

01-22-2014, 08:35 PM	#6
jetthead Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Mar 2009 Location:Ohio USA Blu-ray collection:1940 DVD collection:36 UV collection:217 Trading Score:10	Tremendous job MifuneFan!

01-22-2014, 08:36 PM	#7
BouCoupDinkyDau Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jun 2010 Location:Zeta II Reticuli Blu-ray collection:277 DVD collection:7 Blu-ray reviews:11 Trading Score:7	Cool! I love noir! From the Maltese Falcon to Chinatown to Dark City to Drive...it's ALL good!

01-22-2014, 08:37 PM	#8
MifuneFan Blu-ray Grand Duke Top contributor Member since:Mar 2012 Location:New York City Blu-ray collection:609 Trading Score:58	Thanks guys. So exhausted right now lol. I did all of this in a few marathon hours ;faint:

01-22-2014, 08:39 PM	#9
baheidstu Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jun 2012 Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:36	Thanks for your efforts! I think this will be a popular thread.

01-22-2014, 08:39 PM	#10
BluPat Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Texas Blu-ray collection:848 Blu-ray reviews:72 Trading Score:2	Yay!!!

01-22-2014, 08:47 PM	#12
Supernaut Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Jan 2010 Home Theater Gallery:15 Blu-ray collection:3270 Trading Score:42	Excellent! Truly a thread to subscribe to. Now I can get on board with most of these being labelled noir, but Looper? Really?

01-22-2014, 08:54 PM	#13
The Great Owl Blu-ray Prince Member since:Dec 2012 Location:Georgia Blu-ray collection:3280 DVD collection:313 Blu-ray reviews: 255 Trading Score:4	Thanks for putting this thread together! I like how the Blu-rays are indexed.

01-22-2014, 08:55 PM	#14
Scottie Moderator Top contributor Member since:Oct 2010 Location:Rhode Island Trading Score:331	Excellent thread!

01-22-2014, 09:08 PM	#16
frittscs Member Member since:Jan 2014 Blu-ray collection:39 Trading Score:1	Great work! It's interesting that most of my favorite movies are listed here, what does that say about my mental state?

01-22-2014, 09:15 PM	#19
rockinrick Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Mar 2010 Location:North Georgia Mountains Blu-ray collection:2758 DVD collection:4 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:5	Being a Noir-Addict I have to say this a great idea ! Thanks for the effort to put this all together. Fantastic job. Rick

01-22-2014, 09:29 PM	#20
NoirFan Blu-ray Count Top contributor Member since:Aug 2009 Blu-ray collection:2442 Trading Score:29	Good job, except that Rififi, not being an English-language film, shouldn't count. Noir (as Ebert is quoted noting), at least in its purest form, is strictly an American genre. (The Third Man excepted.)

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