Here we go…
1. WISE BLOOD- John Huston
2. ODD MAN OUT- Carol Reed
3. HAROLD & MAUDE- Hal Ashby
4. THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS-Orson Welles
5. HOTEL DU NORD- Marcel Carne
6. THE ISLAND OF LOST SOULS- Erle C. Kenton
7. THE LOST ONE- Peter Lorre
8. PIEGES- Robert Siodmak
9. LA CHIENNE- Jean Renoir
10. LE DERNIER TOURNANT- Pierre Chenal
I’ve been seeing films at the Detroit Film Theatre for a good thirty years now. DFT curator Elliot Wilhelm has done an outstanding job of bringing quality films to our attention over the years. They’ve recently restored the auditorium, including the seats, which is a godsend since they used to murder my buttocks, and by extension the rest of me. My only complaint is that they show less of the older classic films than they used to. Still and all, they’re the best (not to mention the only) game in town.
MOONMASTER 9000: I recommend the following…
THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT- Great shots of trucks pulling up at roadside diners in the wind and rain. Ernest Thesiger (Pretorius from BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) as a serial killer is great fun.
NIGHT AND THE CITY- Jules Dassin, Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie Withers, Francis L. Sullivan, Herbert Lom, Mike Mazurki, how can you go wrong?
IT ALWAYS RAINS ON SUNDAY- Again, Googie Withers. May be her greatest performance in a film.
BRIGHTON ROCK- Exceedingly noir, Attenborough’s Pinky is a truly nasty piece of work. Great cinematography. Written by Graham Greene.
THE FALLEN IDOL- Not strictly as noir as the others, still an outstanding film. One of three films made by Carol Reed in the late Forties, the other two being ODD MAN OUT and THE THIRD MAN. Speaking of which…
THE THIRD MAN- One of the greatest noirs ever, and it should be said one of the greatest films ever. Orson Welles’ Harry Lime is one for the ages, and the rest of the cast is equally outstanding.
I’ve spent the last ten years watching as many noir and noir-related films as I can get my hands on. You can only watch so many classic American noirs so many times. Anyone with an interest in broadening their horizons when it comes to the subject owes it to themselves to gaze across the pond. Check out the French Poetic Realists, Carne, Duvivier, Renoir, Becker, etc. I find some of their classic films just as satisfying as if not more so than more than a few of America’s most-recognized classic noirs. Evidently someone at the Film Forum seems to think these films are worthy of our attention, otherwise why should they bother? The word “noir” is French, we have them to thank for the origin of the term, they were the first to discern and pinpoint the core sensibility of these films. And despite the fact that Borde and Chaumeton were focused on American films, they were no strangers to their own native product. Their groundbreaking work was published in 1955, a great many others have spent a great many hours pondering the subject since then, Ginette Vincendeau and Andrew Spicer are two prime examples. If you don’t know who they are then I suggest you do your homework. Anyone with a true love of cinema should pick and choose, but no one should “forget” about anything. Not unless they wish Alzheimer’s upon themselves. And God Bless Jean-Pierre Melville.
For those with an interest and appreciation for film noir there are those American films that can be considered masterpieces, even for those filmgoers disinterested in what is specifically considered noir. However, I’ve never found any film endlessly repeatable or endlessly enjoyable. There’s just too much out there to be discovered to limit one’s self to the “classics”. Seems I detect a bit of self-centered chest-thumping re. that which is American. You should try to adopt a more global outlook in your appreciation of films. You may have initiated this thread, but you don’t own it.
Definitely Godard, I’ve found his films either boring or painful to sit through (WEEKEND was indeed painful). I concur with many of the names in previous posts, Burton (overrated), Truffaut (BRIDE WORE BLACK=bland), Cameron (eye candy, short on substance), Allen (not as funny as others would have me think), Spielberg (the name says it all), Lucas (again, the name says it all)……….
Yves Allegret’s DEDEE D’ANVERS. Simone Signoret never looked better than in this late forties entry into the French Poetic Realist/ film noir catalogue. I’ve owned a very poor copy of this on VHS in years past and would love to see this become available on DVD, a nice print with subtitles.
I concur with those who have brought up Michael Mann’s THE KEEP. I saw it years ago when it was released, and would like to see it again. I’ve read comments elsewhere that state that the film isn’t very good, or leaves a lot to be desired. My memories of it are favorable, and I’d appreciate seeing it again to decide for myself as to whether or not it holds up to the test of time.
Movies That Should Be In the Criterion Collection over 3 years ago
Here we go…
1. WISE BLOOD- John Huston
2. ODD MAN OUT- Carol Reed
3. HAROLD & MAUDE- Hal Ashby
4. THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS-Orson Welles
5. HOTEL DU NORD- Marcel Carne
6. THE ISLAND OF LOST SOULS- Erle C. Kenton
7. THE LOST ONE- Peter Lorre
8. PIEGES- Robert Siodmak
9. LA CHIENNE- Jean Renoir
10. LE DERNIER TOURNANT- Pierre Chenal
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What are your favorite "art houses" around the country? almost 3 years ago
I’ve been seeing films at the Detroit Film Theatre for a good thirty years now. DFT curator Elliot Wilhelm has done an outstanding job of bringing quality films to our attention over the years. They’ve recently restored the auditorium, including the seats, which is a godsend since they used to murder my buttocks, and by extension the rest of me. My only complaint is that they show less of the older classic films than they used to. Still and all, they’re the best (not to mention the only) game in town.
Go to Comment
CLASSIC FILM NOIR almost 3 years ago
MOONMASTER 9000: I recommend the following…
THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT- Great shots of trucks pulling up at roadside diners in the wind and rain. Ernest Thesiger (Pretorius from BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) as a serial killer is great fun.
NIGHT AND THE CITY- Jules Dassin, Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie Withers, Francis L. Sullivan, Herbert Lom, Mike Mazurki, how can you go wrong?
IT ALWAYS RAINS ON SUNDAY- Again, Googie Withers. May be her greatest performance in a film.
BRIGHTON ROCK- Exceedingly noir, Attenborough’s Pinky is a truly nasty piece of work. Great cinematography. Written by Graham Greene.
THE FALLEN IDOL- Not strictly as noir as the others, still an outstanding film. One of three films made by Carol Reed in the late Forties, the other two being ODD MAN OUT and THE THIRD MAN. Speaking of which…
THE THIRD MAN- One of the greatest noirs ever, and it should be said one of the greatest films ever. Orson Welles’ Harry Lime is one for the ages, and the rest of the cast is equally outstanding.
Go to Comment
CLASSIC FILM NOIR almost 3 years ago
I’ve spent the last ten years watching as many noir and noir-related films as I can get my hands on. You can only watch so many classic American noirs so many times. Anyone with an interest in broadening their horizons when it comes to the subject owes it to themselves to gaze across the pond. Check out the French Poetic Realists, Carne, Duvivier, Renoir, Becker, etc. I find some of their classic films just as satisfying as if not more so than more than a few of America’s most-recognized classic noirs. Evidently someone at the Film Forum seems to think these films are worthy of our attention, otherwise why should they bother? The word “noir” is French, we have them to thank for the origin of the term, they were the first to discern and pinpoint the core sensibility of these films. And despite the fact that Borde and Chaumeton were focused on American films, they were no strangers to their own native product. Their groundbreaking work was published in 1955, a great many others have spent a great many hours pondering the subject since then, Ginette Vincendeau and Andrew Spicer are two prime examples. If you don’t know who they are then I suggest you do your homework. Anyone with a true love of cinema should pick and choose, but no one should “forget” about anything. Not unless they wish Alzheimer’s upon themselves. And God Bless Jean-Pierre Melville.
Go to Comment
CLASSIC FILM NOIR almost 3 years ago
For those with an interest and appreciation for film noir there are those American films that can be considered masterpieces, even for those filmgoers disinterested in what is specifically considered noir. However, I’ve never found any film endlessly repeatable or endlessly enjoyable. There’s just too much out there to be discovered to limit one’s self to the “classics”. Seems I detect a bit of self-centered chest-thumping re. that which is American. You should try to adopt a more global outlook in your appreciation of films. You may have initiated this thread, but you don’t own it.
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Favorite Comedic Performance by a "Serious" Actor almost 3 years ago
Jerry Lewis in KING OF COMEDY. Oh wait, that’s my “favorite serious performance by a comedic actor”.
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an acclaimed movie/director that you really don't like? over 2 years ago
Definitely Godard, I’ve found his films either boring or painful to sit through (WEEKEND was indeed painful). I concur with many of the names in previous posts, Burton (overrated), Truffaut (BRIDE WORE BLACK=bland), Cameron (eye candy, short on substance), Allen (not as funny as others would have me think), Spielberg (the name says it all), Lucas (again, the name says it all)……….
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CLASSIC FILM NOIR almost 2 years ago
“Epic, tragic brilliance”? Epic perhaps, but tragic? Elaborate.
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Films That Need a Proper DVD release 8 months ago
Yves Allegret’s DEDEE D’ANVERS. Simone Signoret never looked better than in this late forties entry into the French Poetic Realist/ film noir catalogue. I’ve owned a very poor copy of this on VHS in years past and would love to see this become available on DVD, a nice print with subtitles.
Go to Comment
Films That Need a Proper DVD release 8 months ago
I concur with those who have brought up Michael Mann’s THE KEEP. I saw it years ago when it was released, and would like to see it again. I’ve read comments elsewhere that state that the film isn’t very good, or leaves a lot to be desired. My memories of it are favorable, and I’d appreciate seeing it again to decide for myself as to whether or not it holds up to the test of time.
Go to Comment