tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post6109693014548870244..comments2024-01-11T05:02:32.321-05:00Comments on Goodfella's Movie Blog: Film Noir Wrap UpDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-68668403098411035442010-04-30T15:56:29.345-04:002010-04-30T15:56:29.345-04:00All of these above nominations would appear in my ...All of these above nominations would appear in my list of all time favourites,so what I have decided to do is to have a series of films which could be considered to be "neo -noir". <br /><br />All are worthy of your serious consideration, so in no particular order :-<br /><br />The Manchurian Candidate<br />Repulsion<br />Point Blank<br />The Parallax View<br />Angel Heart<br />Kiss Kiss Bang Bang<br />The Last Seduction<br />King Of New York<br />London To Brighton<br />13<br />Arlington Road<br />Blood Simple<br />Minority Report<br />Hickey And Boggs<br />L.A Confidential<br />Cotton Comes To Harlem<br />Devil In A Blue Dress<br />Fallen<br />Oldboy <br />Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia<br />The Naked Kiss<br />No Country For Old Men<br /><br />The overriding theme is one of utter bleakness.<br /><br />"Happy-ever-afterwards" doesn't appear to be<br />evident in any of this selection. Just like any of the classic film noir.....Rob Jnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-50114671147317245012010-04-28T05:12:27.096-04:002010-04-28T05:12:27.096-04:00Well done, well done...
Anyway I quickly made up ...Well done, well done...<br /><br />Anyway I quickly made up my own list, but didn't give it that much thought, really. I just wrote down all the noirs I could think of I've seen and ordered them into something I can live with.<br /><br />For me it would be more something like this:<br /><br />1. Sunset Blvd.<br />2. Double Indemnity<br />3. Touch Of Evil<br />4. The Night Of The Hunter<br />5. Kiss Me Deadly<br />6. The Big Heat<br />7. Kansas City Confidential<br />8. The Third Man<br />9. Detour<br />10. Sweet Smell Of Success<br />11. The Big Combo<br />12. Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes<br />13. In A Lonely Place<br />14. The Maltese Falcon<br />15. Stray Dog<br />16. Criss Cross<br />17. Raw Deal<br />18. Les Diaboliques<br />19. Out Of The Past<br />20. The Glass Key<br />21. Stranger On The Third Floor<br />22. The Asphalt Jungle<br />23. Force Of Evil<br />24. T-Men<br />25. Caught<br />26. The Killing<br />27. Gilda<br />28. The Stranger<br />29. Railroaded!<br />30. The Naked City<br />31. The Woman In The Window<br />32. The Lady From Shanghai<br />33. Ace In The Hole<br />34. Crime Wave<br />35. Secret Beyond The Door<br />36. Gaslight<br />37. Journey Into Fear<br />38. Mildred Pierce<br />39. Pickup On South Street<br />40. The Locket<br /><br />... and as for 'not really noirs because of whatever reason':<br /><br />1. Chinatown<br />2. Vertigo<br />3. M <br />4. L.A. Confidential<br />5. Blue Velvet<br />6. Blade Runner<br />7. The Long Goodbye<br />8. The Conversation<br />9. Angel Heart<br />10. Sin City <br /><br />Keep up the blog, Dave, it's really great and I enjoy reading it whenever I swing by! Already recommended it to some fellow cinephiles.<br /><br />cheers, Davidtommorellohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15611559993184965569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-73138444286290753892010-04-27T18:26:25.419-04:002010-04-27T18:26:25.419-04:00Noir is an area that I'm sadly lacking in view...Noir is an area that I'm sadly lacking in viewing (hence why I could never really comment throughout this countdown)...and yet thanks to this awesome countdown I've already submerged myself into a handful of these wonderful films. Most recently, I was absolutely blown away by Ulmer's <i>Detour</i>, and have also greatly enjoyed <i>Criss Cross</i>, <i>Out of the Past</i>, and <i>Scarlet Street</i>. I am now officially hooked, and like others have said, I'll be referencing this list over and over for great noir gems. <br /><br />This was truly some staggering blogging Dave, just incredible work. Your dedication to this genre is inspiring!Drew McIntoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07054307044280470117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-5658583025000351652010-04-27T03:13:49.181-04:002010-04-27T03:13:49.181-04:00Must just add my congratulations on completing thi...Must just add my congratulations on completing this great countdown, Dave. I haven't seen enough noirs to post a list, but will definitely be checking out many of those you have highlighted in the future. I'm awed by your in-depth knowledge of this genre, and of film in general.Judyhttp://movieclassics.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-6190365727473230942010-04-27T00:30:19.210-04:002010-04-27T00:30:19.210-04:00Dave, here's my shot:
Odds Against Tomorrow (...Dave, here's my shot:<br /><br />Odds Against Tomorrow (see it!)<br />The Third Man<br />Criss-Cross<br />Kiss Me Deadly<br />The Killers<br />The Asphalt Jungle<br />Touch of Evil<br />The Killing<br />Le Deuxieme Souffle (Melville)<br />The Big Heat<br /><br />While the City Sleeps is also a must-see for you, Dave, while His Kind of Woman deserves some kind of honorable mention as easily the best comedy noir ever made.Samuel Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-32209710805804988732010-04-26T23:14:51.570-04:002010-04-26T23:14:51.570-04:00Congrats Dave, this was a magnificent trip. My to...Congrats Dave, this was a magnificent trip. My top 10 are in order of preference . The remaining 15 are alphabetical. I have only listed U.S. films.<br /><br />1-Double Indemnity- Wilder <br />2-Out of the Past- Tourner <br />3-Sunset Boulevard- Wilder <br />4-Night and the City- Dassin (a little liberty here since this can be considered Brit Noir by an American Director) <br />5-Scarlet Street- Lang <br />6-Ace in the Hole- Wilder <br />7-The Killers (1946)- Siodmak <br />8-In a Lonely Place- Ray <br />9-The Maltese Falcon- Huston <br />10-Asphalt Jungle,The- Huston <br /><br /><br />....and 15 more<br /><br />Big Combo,The- Lewis<br />Big Heat,The- Lang<br />Big Sleep,The- Hawks<br />Criss Cross- Siodmak<br />Detour- Ulmer<br />Force of Evil- Polonsky<br />Gun Crazy- Lewis<br />Killing,The- Kubrick<br />Night of the Hunter- Laughton<br />On Dangerous Ground- Ray<br />Setup,The- Wise<br />They Live By Night- Ray<br />Touch of Evil- Welles<br />Where the Sidewalk Ends-Preminger<br />White Heat- WalshJohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-339279569953512382010-04-26T22:02:10.549-04:002010-04-26T22:02:10.549-04:00Great responses, everyone! Love seeing everybody ...Great responses, everyone! Love seeing everybody list their favorite noirs as well, using whatever definition they like. Interesting to see that, even approaching things from a slightly different angle, there are some films that rise to the type regardless of definition.<br /><br />Rich - Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate the praise and hopefully some of these will get folks to dive into noir.<br /><br />M.Roca - Great list, I think I only see three films in your top 50 that weren't in my own list - two because I chose not to (Night of the Hunter and The Wrong Man) and only one (Panic in the Streets) that I'm just not personally a fan of.<br /><br />R.D. - I really went back and forth on whether or not to include Pepe le Moko and Le Jour se Leve. Particularly with Le Jour, because I adore that film. If it was included, it probably would have been in the Top 20. I like Pepe le Moko a lot as well, if slightly less than the Carne. The one film I have struggled with, but plan on watching again in the future, is Shoot the Piano Player. Really, I have struggled with most Truffaut that I have tried for whatever reason.<br /><br />Nostromo - I agree with you, two movies each for Siodmak and Wilder is incredibly impressive! Thanks for the compliments!<br /><br />Quirky Character - This is a great point. I'm not completely sure where I fall in the genre vs. style debate, as arguments for both sides have merit. I guess I ultimately think that a noir for me has to contain some of the traditional "genre elements" or noir along with at least some of the stylistic touches. But it's still a fine line trying to separate many movies.<br /><br />Ed - If this gets folks to watch any of the movies I went over then it will have been worth it. Some of them may not be well received by those that don't already have an interest in noir, but I enjoy all of them to some degree.<br /><br />Doniphon - I actually have never been a big fan of Angel Face. I went into both Angel Face and Fallen Angel expecting to like it based on my love of Laura and Where the Sidewalk Ends, but for whatever reason neither ever really hit for me. Woman on the Beach I have not seen but obviously need to. Nightfall I now own and have watched (and like it), but my copy of it arrived just after the countdown had already begun and I didn't want to have to weed out a film already slotted into the list in order to make room for it. Again, oversights that are my fault but still don't ruin everything I don't think.<br /><br />Retro Hound - No worries, you can check out all of the entries at any point! Glad you did join us though before the countdown ended.<br /><br />ThatQuebecGuy - Great to hear! Definitely check out as many of them as you can, as the more you watch the more you will be sucked into noir!<br /><br />Shubhajit - I like your list. Even though I don't include something like Casablanca, I completely understand that it does have noirish elements. Thanks again for following the whole way!<br /><br />Sam - A wonderful list here as well... I love seeing The Reckless Moment pop up on somebody else's list! Big thanks to you Sam for your tireless encouragement and participation in this countdown (and the annual one as well)... regulars like yourself, Samuel, John, Judy, Shubhajit and others that have been around since the early days of the blog have always kept things interesting and entertaining.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-37697327417355152292010-04-26T20:12:50.173-04:002010-04-26T20:12:50.173-04:00This was surely one of the most accomplished feats...This was surely one of the most accomplished feats we've seen on the net, and one can only fathom the amount of time, and blood,sweat and tears that went into the compilation and the penning of these wonderful essays day in and day out. I've tip my cap to you many times, and now that you have crossed the finish line, i can tell you that for over three months you've held me in suspense, and each and every morning I woke up and did three things before leaving for school: shower, shave and check out Dave's new placement! In this sense there's a nostalgia associated with this routine, that has sadly reached its conclusion, but like others here I know after a rest you will tackle some other project, that needn't of course be this ambitious. We want you to maintain your sanity and health first and foremost. I tinkered with a prospective noir list over the past few days, and came up with avery rough and inconclusive list, which is 25, and NOT listed in any order of preference:<br /><br />Night and the City<br />On Dangerous Ground<br />Out of the Past<br />The Third Man<br />Le Circle Rouge<br />Double Indemnity<br />In A Lonely Place<br />Ace in the Hole<br />Sunset Boulevard<br />The Big Heat<br />Bob le Flambeur<br />Night of the Hunter<br />Criss Cross<br />The Killing<br />The Maltese Falcon<br />The Set-Up<br />The Big Sleep<br />Nightmare Alley<br />Force of Evil<br />They Live by Night<br />Detour<br />Touchez Pas Au Grisbi<br />The Reckless Moment<br />The KillersSam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-89401252708103205392010-04-26T15:19:43.993-04:002010-04-26T15:19:43.993-04:00Once again, my heartiest congrats Dave for the suc...Once again, my heartiest congrats Dave for the successful completion of this wonderful project. <br /><br />Just when one though the world couldn't get any worse, you came with your countdown of noirs and reaffirmed faith in humanity... Okay, that was cynical, but isn't that the point ;)<br /><br />Well, here's my top 15:<br /><br />1. Sunset Blvd<br />2. The Killers<br />3. Casablanca (yes, I consider it a noir)<br />4. In A Lonely Place<br />5. The Asphalt Jungle<br />6. Out of the Past<br />7. Night & the City<br />8. Touch of Evil<br />9. Double Indemnity<br />10. Laura<br />11. The Killing<br />12. Ace in the Hole<br />13. The Third Man<br />14. Kiss Me Deadly<br />15. Where the Sidewalk Ends<br /><br />And here are my 5 favourite neo-noirs (for the simple reason that they were made after the classic noir era):<br /><br />1. Shoot the Piano Player<br />2. Breathless<br />3. Kapurush (The Coward)<br />4. Chinatown<br />5. White<br /><br />So long for now. You certainly deserve a few days rest. But when you return, you better decide on your next countdown :)Shubhajithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02040495040897333606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-80790242111492712372010-04-26T13:03:41.810-04:002010-04-26T13:03:41.810-04:00A great countdown! If it means anything to you, kn...A great countdown! If it means anything to you, know that you got me interested in film noir more than anybody before. I watched six film noir during your countdown, it's not a lot, but studies take a large portion of my free time and if it wasn't for your reviews and the discussions that followed, I might have not seen a single one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-32339138588207542842010-04-26T11:52:00.620-04:002010-04-26T11:52:00.620-04:00I don't worry too much about what fits in genr...I don't worry too much about what fits in genre, but once in a while I have to say "What?" Once I saw One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest in comedy. <br /><br />I think it's a great list, and I'm sorry I came into it so late.Retro Houndhttp://www.retrohound.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-85622357379027786422010-04-26T09:15:07.946-04:002010-04-26T09:15:07.946-04:00Dave, my #1 would have been The Night Of The Hunte...Dave, my #1 would have been The Night Of The Hunter by a sizable margin if I considered it a noir, but like you I'm not sure it should be. As a film it's too complex. I'm somewhat surprised you don't like Fallen Angel, one I see as a cousin to Laura and Where The Sidewalk Ends. I also love Preminger's Angel Face, and was wondering if you've seen it (I know it divides people but it'd probably be in my top 10 noirs). I was also wondering if you've seen Nightfall and Woman On The Beach, two others that would rank high for me.Doniphonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02407443845368110678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-22602317628766327132010-04-26T08:28:13.978-04:002010-04-26T08:28:13.978-04:00Great job on this list, Dave. I'm definitely g...Great job on this list, Dave. I'm definitely going to be referencing this list for more great noirs to see for some time to come!Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-83123288607461289692010-04-26T05:42:07.161-04:002010-04-26T05:42:07.161-04:00Thank you for your countdown, Dave. It's amazi...Thank you for your countdown, Dave. It's amazing and will definitely serve me as a checklist, because there are still about 15 films there that I haven't seen.<br /><br />I am not going to make a list of my own, as I've never been much into list-making. I mean, I can't even say who my favorite actor is! I love so many of them. But regarding noirs, I love to discover those that would probably not make into anybody's TOP 100 -- not crappy, still pretty solid, just less known, less popular or less good than the recognized classic ones.<br /><br />I think the reason why so many movies you list above didn't make it to the TOP-100 is that there's still a debate among fans on what noir actually is: a genre or a style. For me it's more like a style, so I consider many films to be noirs that you don't, like M, Vertigo, High Noon, Ox-Bow Incident, The Night of the Hunter, etc. And you're absolutely right, Citizen Kane positively has noirish elements.<br /><br />In Russia, there is a very popular serialized TV movie called "17 Moments of Spring" ("17 Mgnoveniy Vesny") -- about a Soviet agent inside the Nazi Germany top intelligence department. It was shot, I believe, in the 1970's, black and white. And, consciously or not, it was shot in the definitive noir style (shadows, lighting, atmosphere of fate and doom). Recently (last year, I think), it was colorized and shown on TV during the V-Day festivities. I didn't see the color version (I don't like even the BW one), but people say the movie lost in style very much, and prefer to buy DVD's with the original BW version.Quirky Characterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13590664018386916883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-87443740061268516742010-04-26T02:38:45.945-04:002010-04-26T02:38:45.945-04:00Thanks for your big effort. Now I have this big li...Thanks for your big effort. Now I have this big list with great movies from whom to choose. :)<br />I only want to mention that Robert Siodmak and Billy Wilder has two films in top 10 and this is significant by me.Nostromohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03018090776543484585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-31010765219602998412010-04-26T01:39:11.689-04:002010-04-26T01:39:11.689-04:00Dave, a great finish to what must have been a daun...Dave, a great finish to what must have been a daunting task--a very lucid roundup post that anticipated and answered lots of questions. Thanks for asking for your readers' own lists, something I really wanted to do but hesitated to so as not to co-opt your topic. Here goes (in roughly chronological order, using a fairly narrow definition of noir, and also sticking to your time period of pre-early 60s):<br /><br />Pepe le moko<br />Le Jour se leve<br />The Maltese Falcon<br />Double Indemnity<br />Laura<br />The Killers<br />The Big Sleep<br />Out of the Past<br />White Heat<br />The Third Man<br />The Asphalt Jungle<br />Strangers on a Train<br />Pickup on South Street<br />Touchez pas au grisbi<br />Bob le flambeur<br />Rififi<br />Kiss Me Deadly<br />The Killing<br />Touch of Evil<br />Shoot the Piano PlayerR. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-9036939485655674352010-04-26T01:29:09.932-04:002010-04-26T01:29:09.932-04:001. In A Lonely Place
2. Night And The City
3. Touc...1. In A Lonely Place<br />2. Night And The City<br />3. Touch Of Evil<br />4. Out Of The Past<br />5. Sunset Boulevard<br />6. The Night Of The Hunter<br />7. The Killers<br />8. The Third Man<br />9. The Killing<br />10. Sweet Smell Of Success<br />11. The Asphalt Jungle<br />12. Force Of Evil<br />13. Double Indemnity <br />14. The Big Sleep<br />15. Scarlet Street<br />16. Nightmare Alley<br />17. Kiss Me Deadly<br />18. Murder My Sweet<br />19. Laura<br />20. The Maltese Falcon<br />21. Ace In The Hole<br />22. The Lady From Shanghai<br />23. On Dangerous Ground<br />24. The Big Heat<br />25. The Postman Always Rings Twice<br />26. Raw Deal<br />27. They Live By Night<br />28. Gun Crazy<br />29. Criss Cross<br />30. The Big Combo<br />31. Act Of Violence<br />32. Gilda<br />33. Body And Soul<br />34. Brute Force<br />35. Crime Wave<br />36. The Wrong Man<br />37. He Walked By Night<br />38. Panic In The Streets <br />39. Pickup On South Street<br />40. Born To Kill<br />41. Thieves Highway<br />42. Where The Sidewalk Ends<br />43. Kiss Of Death<br />44. The Woman In The Window<br />45. White Heat<br />46, The Set Up<br />47. Key Largo<br />48. The Narrow Margin<br />49. Mildred Pierce<br />50. I Walk Alone................M.RocaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-52599710214472009952010-04-26T00:14:57.461-04:002010-04-26T00:14:57.461-04:00A magnificent effort. I've read some great fil...A magnificent effort. I've read some great film books on film noir, but I'd happily point a newcomer to this countdown for a definitive guide to noir by a passionate, knowledgeable expert. What a pleasure. Thanks. I promise to keep coming back to re-read your essays.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08600688674236630281noreply@blogger.com