Brief film noir reviews: 290 and counting
June 11, 2014 10:44 PM Subscribe
(The reviews, I mean - really great, thoughtful reviews. Wow.)
posted by koeselitz at 11:11 PM on June 11, 2014
posted by koeselitz at 11:11 PM on June 11, 2014
Woah. Amazing. Thank you!
They also have an essential list where the films are organised by rating, if you need a way to somehow start in ondownloading watching these.
I'm gonna need more bourbon.
posted by horopter at 12:23 AM on June 12, 2014 [5 favorites]
They also have an essential list where the films are organised by rating, if you need a way to somehow start in on
I'm gonna need more bourbon.
posted by horopter at 12:23 AM on June 12, 2014 [5 favorites]
Thanks MoonOrb and also horopter. Every movie I have seen in that essential list is one that I have loved so it is great to have further recommendations.
posted by vacapinta at 12:44 AM on June 12, 2014
posted by vacapinta at 12:44 AM on June 12, 2014
Looks like I was too excited perusing the list to close my strikethrough tags...
posted by horopter at 12:51 AM on June 12, 2014
posted by horopter at 12:51 AM on June 12, 2014
That's as noir as it gets my friend.
posted by Taft at 1:00 AM on June 12, 2014 [5 favorites]
I went straight to the review for Detour and it soured me on bothering with the rest.
posted by fairmettle at 3:22 AM on June 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by fairmettle at 3:22 AM on June 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
Cool. I'll have to check this out when I've got more time.
posted by dortmunder at 4:01 AM on June 12, 2014
posted by dortmunder at 4:01 AM on June 12, 2014
What a great selection - I look forward to watching some of these.
posted by rebent at 6:20 AM on June 12, 2014
posted by rebent at 6:20 AM on June 12, 2014
I've been a huge fan of Double Indemnity for years (I live down the street from the actual Dietrichson House) but never knew about the alternate ending, apart from a few fleeting references in other reviews. This was quite a breakthrough! Also some hard-hitting but ultimately accurate criticism of a bona fide classic in the genre. Writer definitely knows his stuff.
posted by ShutterBun at 6:43 AM on June 12, 2014
posted by ShutterBun at 6:43 AM on June 12, 2014
> ... and they're really good!
(The reviews, I mean - really great, thoughtful reviews. Wow.)
Seconded. I'm impressed and will pass this on to my film-crazed brother.
posted by languagehat at 7:18 AM on June 12, 2014
(The reviews, I mean - really great, thoughtful reviews. Wow.)
Seconded. I'm impressed and will pass this on to my film-crazed brother.
posted by languagehat at 7:18 AM on June 12, 2014
I *just* rewatched "Pickup on South Street" (kind of by mistake), and like his review of it. Maybe it's time to print out his list and start crossing things off, as opposed to my rather haphazard "what's on the shelves today" approach.
posted by benito.strauss at 10:26 AM on June 12, 2014
posted by benito.strauss at 10:26 AM on June 12, 2014
I went straight to the review for Detour and it soured me on bothering with the rest.
I don't know. I think he's onto something. Film noir as a genre has some deliberate, even voluntary limitations, which in many cases resulted in great art but in many other results in simplistic, pessimistic stories about protagonists who went someplace they should have known better not to. I think it's one of the pitfalls of the genre, especially (or even essentially) when viewed through a post-modern lens.
One of the tensions of our contemporary era is a disconnect between the optimistic self-actualization of the latter 20th century and a more constrained and pessimistic outlook that deepens in cynicism as time goes on. Whether it's true or not, people no longer simply believe the modern, or American, mythos and film noir is a direct attack on that mythos -- so may appear so obvious as to not need observation or analysis. It is dated because the worldview has changed so very much.
posted by dhartung at 10:27 AM on June 12, 2014 [3 favorites]
I don't know. I think he's onto something. Film noir as a genre has some deliberate, even voluntary limitations, which in many cases resulted in great art but in many other results in simplistic, pessimistic stories about protagonists who went someplace they should have known better not to. I think it's one of the pitfalls of the genre, especially (or even essentially) when viewed through a post-modern lens.
One of the tensions of our contemporary era is a disconnect between the optimistic self-actualization of the latter 20th century and a more constrained and pessimistic outlook that deepens in cynicism as time goes on. Whether it's true or not, people no longer simply believe the modern, or American, mythos and film noir is a direct attack on that mythos -- so may appear so obvious as to not need observation or analysis. It is dated because the worldview has changed so very much.
posted by dhartung at 10:27 AM on June 12, 2014 [3 favorites]
I caught In The Shadow a while back and it is so film noir it hurts. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to mix your detective stories with a dash of communism. "Frankly comrade, I don't give a damn!"
posted by flyingfox at 2:01 PM on June 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by flyingfox at 2:01 PM on June 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
In two months Taschen Books will be releasing a photography book called Film Noir. TASCHEN’s 100 All-Time Favorite Movies. The 688 page book is a film-by-film photography book of the 100 greatest Film Noir movies since 1920.
posted by hubs at 3:45 PM on June 12, 2014
posted by hubs at 3:45 PM on June 12, 2014
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posted by koeselitz at 11:11 PM on June 11, 2014 [1 favorite]