How I obsess for film noir and movies with a feel for mystery/suspense, characters that range from good folks gone suddenly bad, femme fatales, or an honest, realistic depiction of criminals and the underworld, but in a shadowy, dimly or strangely lit way. Sometimes, though, a non-conventional visual way can work (am thinking of Tavernier’s Coup de Torchon). Oh, and I suppose not all gangsters are as suave and commited to a kind of criminal ethic as seen in Melville’s films…………and maybe some of the old Hollywood noirs presented stereotypes and caricatures of what a thief, hood, wise guy and overall creep/social outcast was supposed to be. Some of those films I find to be a bit outdated and weak, as compared to the later flicks that deal with similar subjects. Yet, I do enjoy vintage HW noir for those first attempts to break the mold and present a more graphic and gritty look at life, albeit in a manner that was deeply artistic and required some visual thought. Besides that, I love many other kinds of films and genres (even westerns)…………..lest I forget, the name pulpwino comes from my love of authors such as Hammett, Chandler, Goodis, Thompson, & MacDonald.