Noirvember Challenge (Official, November 2019)

[morrison-dylan-fan]

FTV:16:The Good Liar (2019) 6.



"(Hey god) can this world really be as sad as it seems?,Terrible lie,Terrible lie."

With director Bill Condon working with the actor for the 4th time, Sir Ian & Dame Helen set sparks flying on the screen in their snappy, thickly sliced hammy turns as Roy and Betty. Making his first encounter with Betty after double crossing on a big money deal, Sir Ian breezily presents Roy initially as a jolly old gent, whose polite manner Sir Ian cuts into a Noir prickliness when doubts are made about his real image. Welcoming Roy into her home from their first meeting, Dame Helen clearly takes great delight in darting Betty round as a silly old dear, until she takes a hard turn which Dame Helen plays with relish.

For the establishing of the biggest twist in the film, director Bill Condon reunites with cinematographer Tobias A. Schliessler,and they both disappointingly miss the mark in creating a atmosphere of anticipation to the revelations,with the only hint as to what awaits that Condon offers being two jump-cuts that come off not as suspenseful,but end of the reel leftovers. Bringing a Noir viciousness out of Roy on lingering close-ups to his scared face, which is wiped for a teatime TV Mystery atmosphere in glossy panning shots round the couple round Betty's home. Introducing Roy as a unknown guests,Jeffrey Hatcher's adaptation of Nicholas Searle's novel at first houses a slick Noir mystery,where the ruthlessness of Roy's backstabbing is neatly paired up with the false warmth he gives Betty. Leaving the lone sliver of foreshadowing being off the cuff remarks the couple make on their first date, Hatcher aims the major twists for the wow,but instead hits the "Huh!",due to them dumped in absurdly random moments,with Condon and Hatcher having failed to lay the groundwork to what makes a good liar.

[jeroeno]

48. The Trap (1959)
49. Riffraff (1947)
50. Tightrope (1984)
51. Wanted for Murder (1946)
52. The Big Easy (1986)

[72aicm]

76. Dillinger (1945)
77. Female Jungle (1955)

Spoiler

1. Too Late for Tears (1949)
2. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)
3. You Only Live Once (1937)
4. The Devil Thumbs a Ride (1947)
5. The Hoodlum (1951)
6. Classe tous risques (1960)
7. Bodyguard (1948)
8. Experiment in Terror (1962)
9. Blood on the Moon (1948)
10. The Glass Wall (1953)
11. Whispering Footsteps (1943)
12. Fall Guy (1947)
13. No Man of Her Own (1950)
14. The Whistler (1944)
15. La belle équipe (1936)
16. The Mark of the Whistler (1944)
17. The Power of the Whistler (1945)
18. Fury (1936)
19. Akai satsui (1964)
20. Pushover (1954)
21. Caged (1950)
22. Voice of the Whistler (1945)
23. Le septième juré (1962)
24. Strangers in the Night (1944)
25. Two O'Clock Courage (1945)
26. Un maledetto imbroglio (1959)
27. Lady in the Death House (1944)
28. Highway Dragnet (1954)
29. Bewitched (1945)
30. Quai des Orfèvres (1947)
31. Sudden Danger (1955)
32. The Man Is Armed (1956)
33. Strange Impersonation (1946)
34. Strange Triangle (1946)
35. Strange Bargain (1949)
36. The Threat (1949)
37. The Clay Pigeon (1949)
38. The Big Bluff (1955)
39. The Lady Confesses (1945)
40. They Made Me a Killer (1946)
41. Jukgeona hokeun nabbeugeona (2000)
42. Bury Me Dead (1947)
43. Across the Bridge (1957)
44. It Always Rains on Sunday (1947)
45. The Glass Alibi (1946)
46. Destiny (1944)
47. Escape in the Fog (1945)
48. The Gambler and the Lady (1952)
49. Jigsaw (1949)
50. Bluebeard (1944)
51. Appointment with a Shadow (1957)
52. Circumstantial Evidence (1945)
53. Undertow (1949)
54. Jail Bait (1954)
55. Sapphire (1959)
56. Jealousy (1945)
57. Jiokhwa (1958)
58. Inside Job (1946)
59. Key Witness (1947)
60. La chienne (1931)
61. Stolen Face (1952)
62. Apology for Murder (1945)
63. Parole, Inc. (1948)
64. Shed No Tears (1948)
65. Chinatown at Midnight (1949)
66. Crime Against Joe (1956)
67. Blackmail (1947)
68. Shoot to Kill (1947)
69. Man in the Dark (1953)
70. The House Across the Lake (1954)
71. Night Editor (1946)
72. Violence (1947)
73. The Pretender (1947)
74. Blind Spot (1947)
75. Blonde Ice (1948)
76. Dillinger (1945)
77. Female Jungle (1955)

[morrison-dylan-fan]

FTV:17:Branded to Kill (1967) 10.



“We're beasts! Beasts! Beast needs beast. That's the best way. You and I are beasts.”

Getting the role thanks to being the only actress comfortable appearing naked, Mariko Ogawa gives a buoyant turn as Femme Fatale Hanada. A burlesque dancer off-screen, Ogawa brings withering body language moves to Hanada, which along with casting brittle Noir vines across the screen, also gives Hanada a seductive temptress appearance. Driving in as a number, not a free man,Jo Shishido gives a magnetic performance as Noir loner Number Three Killer,whose sniffing of rice and black glasses-wearing Shishido plays with chic glamour, which Shishido pairs with a rumbling anxiety on relisation that all the other number killers have his number on their kill list.

Mentioned later by the director that he wanted Killer Number 3 to be a quintessentially Japanese killer by having a rice sniffing habit,since "If he were Italian, he'd get turned on by macaroni, right?" the screenplay by Hachiro Guryu/Mitsutoshi Ishigami/ Chusei Sone and Atsushi Yamatoya boils up cracking, hip New Wave-flavoured Noir dialogue, served up in Killer Number 3’s laid-back remarks, brimming with confidence over fulfilling the easy job. Missing a target which causes him to become a target to his old underworld bosses, the writers rub Killer Number 3’s status with raw paranoia, fuelled by obsessive love for Nakajo, (a devilishly seductive Annu Mari) and all the other numbers who had links to him,wanting to cut his number off.

Working for the 6th and final time with Jo Shishido on a production that left him with one day for editing and a decade blacklisted from making films, directing auteur Seijun Suzuki flies in on a astonishing Japanese New Wave Noir (JNW) creation. Taking the experimental corners of his past works, Suzuki and his regular cinematographer Kazue Nagatsuka gloriously twist the JNW and Film Noir inside out with a Acid Jazz atmosphere, sliding across the screen in drawn pelts of rain and whistling birds hitting the screen in Suzuki’s continuing to expand his surrealist flourishes. Backed by a brassy Jazz score from Naozumi Yamamoto, Suzuki pulls the Killer glasses off with ultra-JNW stylisation, getting the number down in steamy Noir low-lighting, struck by fluid JNW whip-pans/zoom-ins to burning bullet holes, and fractured daring wide-shoots diced with brooding shadowed close-ups leaving Killer Number 3 branded to kill.

[morrison-dylan-fan]

FTV:18:Farewell Scarlet (1975) 9.



Unmasking the scene of the crime in the opening orgy sex toy murder co-star/co-writer/(with James Vidos and Cecil Howard)editor/directing auteur Chuck Vincent & his occasional cinematographer Stephen Colwell slide into the Golden Age of Adult cinema with a riff on the glamour of the era, via Vincent panning down the mansion rooms filled with the lust of beautiful people, chocked out by a kinky killing. Attempting to strip bare what really happened at the party, Vincent opens up a cheeky Noir atmosphere that follows Dexter Sleuth interviewing suspects in low-lighting which dissolves into misty flashbacks on what the former guests are covering up.

Greeting the audience with the carnal delight orgy intro, Vincent balances close-ups to the sleaze,whilst continuing to build on his motif of criss-crossing the comedic with the sensual, as Vincent and Colwell break into Scarlet’s past with a glorious breaking of the 4th wall turning Scarlet “method” on a film set, which allows Vincent to take Scarlet’s film past to a absurdest level with a Nazi 3 sum! Displaying a excellent eye for keeping the comedy and the sex scenes grounded in Film Noir, Vincent gives the passionate flashbacks from the guests to the mansion frolics a steamy erotic atmosphere in sensual close-ups on the upper-bodies of the partners, wrapped in classical music.

Rubbing up against the surviving guests memories of the night, the writers brilliantly party on a theme that Vincent would explore in a serious style with Deranged- the unreliability of memory, in this case intentionally due to the guests using funny euphemisms to cover their true saucy memories. Whilst flashing back to comedic set-pieces, the writers hold the laughs and the sex together with a exciting Film Noir thread spinning round Dexter Sleuth’s interviews and and shaking hands with a slippery politician, in the hope of learning who waved farewell to Scarlet.

[klaus78]

Spoiler

1. Fatal Attraction (1987) 7/10
2. Whirlpool (1949) 6/10
3. No Way Out (1950) 8/10
4. House of Strangers (1949) 6/10
5. A Kiss Before Dying (1956) 6/10
6. Viele kamen vorbei (1956) 7/10
7. Nightfall (1956) 7/10
8. Cry Danger (1951) 7/10
9. Sleep, My Love (1948) 6/10
10. Strangers in the Night (1944) 5/10
11. Dead Reckoning (1947) 8/10
12. Bound (1996) 7/10
13. Red Rock West (1993) 7/10
14. I Want to Live! (1958) 6/10

15. Dark City (1950) 6/10
16. Man in the Dark (1953) 7/10
17. Too Late for Tears (1949) 8/10

[sol]

Out of the Past

1. Marked Woman (1937)
2. Bullets or Ballots (1936)
3. The Price of Fear (1956)
4. Memories of Murder (2003)
5. City Across the River (1949)
6. Chinatown at Midnight (1949)
7. Footsteps in the Night (1957)
8. Walk East on Beacon! (1952)
9. Walk a Crooked Mile (1948)
10. Take One False Step (1949)
11. Step Down to Terror (1958)
12. The Killer Inside Me (1976)
13. The Amazing Mr. X (1948)
14. The Housemaid (1960)
15. I Saw the Devil (2010)
16. I Love Trouble (1948)
17. Spellbound (1945)
18. Storm Fear (1955)
19. Finger Man (1955)
20. Oldboy (2003)
21. 'C'-Man (1949)
22. The Trap (1959)
23. Cop Hater (1958)
24. The Unseen (1945)
25. Hit and Run (1957)
26. Hell's Island (1955)
27. Liebestraum (1991)
28. The Silk Noose (1948)

29. Money Madness (1948)



This noir is a little too reliant on its female protagonist being too scared to say or do anything, which renders her a pretty lifeless character, having to rely on an alternate love interest to solve her problems for her, and Frances Rafferty is bland in the role. Fortunately, Hugh Beaumont is in superb form as the cunning male protagonist here, with several memorable moments, including one with a little friend that may have inspired De Palma's Scarface.

On a semi-unrelated note:
I am now inside the Top 200 users for the TSP 1000 Noir List. It did take a lot of mediocre noirs to get there though.

[clemmetarey]

17. Railroaded! (1947) 6/10
18. Kansas City Confidential (1952) 6/10
The influence this film had on Tarantino is quite obvious.

19. Criss Cross (1949) 5/10

Spoiler

1. Fallen Angel (1945) 5/10
2. Hollow Triumph (1948) 5/10
3. He Walked by Night (1948) 4/10
4. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) 5/10
5. Body and Soul (1947) 7/10
6. Leave Her to Heaven (1945) 7/10
7. Blonde Ice (1948) 5/10
8. Dalkomhan insaeng (2005) 7/10
9. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) 7/10
10. Thieves' Highway (1949) 5/10
11. White Heat (1949) 7/10
12. The Woman in the Window (1944) 6/10
13. Undertow (1949) 5/10
14. The Killers (1946) 7/10
15. Nora inu (1949) 6/10
16. The Glass Alibi (1946) 5/10
17. Railroaded! (1947) 6/10
18. Kansas City Confidential (1952) 6/10
19. Criss Cross (1949) 5/10

[sol]

Out of the Past

1. Marked Woman (1937)
2. Bullets or Ballots (1936)
3. The Price of Fear (1956)
4. Memories of Murder (2003)
5. City Across the River (1949)
6. Chinatown at Midnight (1949)
7. Footsteps in the Night (1957)
8. Walk East on Beacon! (1952)
9. Walk a Crooked Mile (1948)
10. Take One False Step (1949)
11. Step Down to Terror (1958)
12. The Killer Inside Me (1976)
13. The Amazing Mr. X (1948)
14. The Housemaid (1960)
15. I Saw the Devil (2010)
16. I Love Trouble (1948)
17. Spellbound (1945)
18. Storm Fear (1955)
19. Finger Man (1955)
20. Oldboy (2003)
21. 'C'-Man (1949)
22. The Trap (1959)
23. Cop Hater (1958)
24. The Unseen (1945)
25. Hit and Run (1957)
26. Hell's Island (1955)
27. Liebestraum (1991)
28. The Silk Noose (1948)
29. Money Madness (1948)

30. Good-Time Girl (1948)



This film is a little too obvious as a message movie to fully click with the framing device feeling both extraneous and distracting, though it is neat to see a young Diana Dors as a teenager in the wraparound segment. As for the central tale, bits and pieces play out like a soap opera, however, Jean Kent's performance is generally down-to-earth and her brief experiences in a 1940s reform school are engaging. Some of her sexual harassment as minor too.

And that's it for me this month. Thanks for hosting, clem!



Top 4 films seen this month (excluding Challenge Doubles):

Spellbound (1945) xxxxxxxxxxxxxx The Amazing Mr. X (1948) xxxxxxxx Step Down to Terror (1958) xxxxxx The Unseen (1945)

[jdidaco]

Just a quick note to the hosts of the three challenges - I am currently out of town with very limited (and shaky) access to Internet and will not be able to post my final progress lists before late Sunday 1st (maybe early Monday). Hope I am not too late (and nothing to worry the leaders)...

[flavo5000]

136. Anatomy of a Psycho (1961)
List: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir: The Essential Reference Guide


137. Footsteps (2006)
List: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir: The Essential Reference Guide


138. They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
List: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir: The Essential Reference Guide


139. Double Indemnity (1973)
List: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir: The Essential Reference Guide


140. The Yakuza (1974)
List: The 20 Best Neo-Noir Films Of The 1970s (Taste of Cinema)


141. The Fast and the Furious (1955)
List: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir: The Essential Reference Guide


142. Ddongpari a.k.a. Breathless (2008)
List: CrimeReads' Korean Noir: A Guide to the Classics


143. City Streets (1931)
List: TSPDT 1000 Noir Films #484


144. Jackson County Jail (1976)
List: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir: The Essential Reference Guide

Spoiler

1. Appointment with Danger (1950)
2. Rope of Sand (1949)
3. The Tall Target (1951)
4. The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
5. Take Aim at the Police Van (1960)
6. Storm Warning (1951)
7. Violent Cop (1989)
8. Le silence de la mer (1949)
9. The Burglar (1957)
10. A Double Life (1947)
11. Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)
12. Crashout (1955)
13. The Unsuspected (1947)
14. Edge of the City (1957)
15. One False Move (1992)
16. L'humanité (1999)
17. Bad Blonde (1953)
18. Alias Nick Beal (1949)
19. In the Bedroom (2001)
20. Panique (!946)
21. They Made Me a Fugitive (1947)
22. Nadie hablará de nosotras cuando hayamos muerto a.k.a. Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead (1995)
23. Frantic (1988)
24. Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949)
25. Deception (1946)
26. Dalkomhan insaeng a.k.a. A Bittersweet Life (2005)
27. Smoking Tar (2017)
28. Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
29. Each Dawn I Die (1939)
30. Sex Wish (1976)
31. Double Cross (1941)
32. Maniac (1963)
33. Ore wa matteru ze a.k.a. I Am Waiting (1957)
34. San Quentin (1937)
35. Johnny Gunman (1957)
36. Time Table (!956)
37-46. Fargo S3E1-10 (2017)
47. Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie (2017)
48. State of Grace (1990)
49. Liebe ist kälter als der Tod a.k.a. Love Is Colder Than Death (1969)
50. Thérèse Raquin (1953)
51. Whirlpool (1949)
52. The Clay Pigeon (1949)
53. Payback (1999)
54. Mine Own Executioner (1947)
55. Guncrazy (1992)
56. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
57-61a. Môryô no Hako a.k.a. Box of Goblins E1-14(2008)
61b. Martin Kane, Private Eye: Trouble on Board (1951)
62. Cast a Deadly Spell (1991)
63. Over-Exposed (1956)
64. Jiokhwa a.k.a. Flower in Hell (1958)
65. The Capture (1950)
66. One Girl's Confession (1953)
67. Sabita naifu a.k.a. Rusty Knife (1958)
68. La sirène du Mississipi a.k.a. Mississippi Mermaid (1969)
69. The Shadow on the Window (1957)
70. Götter der Pest a.k.a. Gods of the Plague (1970)
71. Julie (!956)
72. Cover Girl Killer! (1959)
73. Specter of the Rose (1946)
74. The Well (1951)
75. Janggunui adeul a.k.a. General's Son (1990)
76. The Offence (1973)
77. Deux hommes dans Manhattan a.k.a. Two Men In Manhattan (1959)
78. Broken City (2013)
79. The Beat Generation (1959)
80. Nightblade (2016)
81. Sleep, My Love (1948)
82. Shattered (1991)
83. Under the Silver Lake (2018)
84-87. Kami sama no memo chô a.k.a. Heaven's Memo Pad S1E1-12 (2011)
88. Young and Innocent (1937)
89. Kenjû zankoku monogatari a.k.a. Cruel Gun Story (1964)
90. The Big Sleep (1978)
91. Igla a.k.a. The Needle (1988)
92. My Name Is Julia Ross (1945)
93-95. Cyber City Oedo 808 OVA 1-3 (1990)
96. River's Edge (1986)
97. Hickey & Boggs (1972)
98. Seung sing a.k.a. Confession of Pain (2006)
99. Slam Dance (1987)
100. Cash on Demand (1961)
101. Un detective a.k.a. Detective Belli (1969)
102. A Simple Favor (2018)
103. L'aveu a.k.a. The Confession (1970)
104. Le dernier tournant a.k.a. The Last Turn (1939)
105. The Locket (1946)
106. Jeopardy (1953)
107. Carne trémula a.k.a. Live Flesh (1997)
108. Janggun-ui suyeom a.k.a. The General's Mustache (1968)
109. Feux rouges a.k.a. Red Lights (2004)
110. The Babysitter (1969)
111. The Limping Man (1953)
112. Sudden Impact (1983)
113. Something Wild (1961)
114. The Getaway (1972)
115-116. The Bourne Identity Part 1 & 2(1988)
117. Geudaewa yeongwonhi a.k.a. Forever with You (1958)
118. Die Halbstarken a.k.a. Teenage Wolfpack (1956)
119. The Small World of Sammy Lee (1963)
120. Der amerikanische Soldat a.k.a. The American Soldier (1970)
121. L'assassin habite... au 21 a.k.a. The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (1942)
122. Sur mes lèvres a.k.a. Read My Lips (2001)
123. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
124. Die xue jie tou a.k.a. Bullet in the Head (1990)
125. The Detective (1968)
126. Max Payne (2008)
127. Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960)
128. Body Fever (1969)
129. Chorok mulkogi a.k.a. Green Fish (1997)
130. 52 Pick-Up (1986)
131. 13 Tzameti (2005)
132. Choihui jeungin a.k.a. Last Witness (1980)
133. City That Never Sleeps (1953)
134. The Girl in Lovers Lane (1960)
135. Hustlers (2019)
136. Anatomy of a Psycho (1961)
137. Footsteps (2006)
138. They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
139. Double Indemnity (1973)
140. The Yakuza (1974)
141. The Fast and the Furious (1955)
142. Ddongpari a.k.a. Breathless (2008)
143. City Streets (1931)
144. Jackson County Jail (1976)

[ororama]

11. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) * 116 min.

Spoiler

1. The Crooked Way (1949) * 89 min.
2. Shield for Murder (1954) * 82 min.
3. The Narrow Margin (1952) * 71 min.
4. Hollow Triumph (1948) * 80 min.
5. Stolen Face (1952) * 72 min.
6. The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) 93 min.
7. Gambler and the Lady (1952) * 72 min.
8. 21 Bridges (2019) * 99 min.
9. Tension (1949) * 91 min.
10. The Flanagan Boy (1953) * 80 min.

*First time viewing.

[jeroeno]

My last post for this challenge. Thanks for hosting.

53. Le dernier tournant (1939)
54. A Woman's Face (1941)
55. Thunder Road (1958)

[Tarris1]

14. The Dark Corner (1946) 8/10
13. Born to Kill (1947) 6/10
12. Border Incident (1949) 7/10
11. Dark Passage (1947) 7/10
10. While the City Sleeps (1956) 7/10
9. Human Desire (1954) 6/10

Spoiler

8. Pitfall (1948) 7/10
7. Where Danger Lives (1950) 6/10
6. Desperate (1947) 7/10
5. Black Angel (1946) 7/10
4. The Glass Key (1942) 7/10
3. T-Men (1947) 7.5/10
2. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) 7/10
1. Blast of Silence (1961) 7/10

89/100

Didnt quite complete the list this month. Not as much motivation to watch movies lately unfortunately

[albajos]

I see others have added I Saw the Devil as well, so I'll be the sheep in this flock
06. Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da (2010) South Korea 2 official lists 6 037 checks [double] (saw it Nov 1st)
07. V.I. Warshawski (1991) USA 146 checks [double]

Thanks for hosting, clemmetarey.

Afraid of the Dark

01. Joker (2019) USA | Canada 3 official lists 3 346 checks
02. The Spider Woman (1943) USA 168 checks [double]
FILM NOIR - From Berlin to Sin City
03. The Happytime Murders (2018) USA | China 437 checks [double]
04. Fuck Up (2012) Norway 68 checks [double]
05. The Snowman (2017) UK | USA | China | Sweden | Japan 974 checks [rewatch] [double]
06. Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da (2010) South Korea 2 official lists 6 037 checks [double] (saw it Nov 1st)
07. V.I. Warshawski (1991) USA 146 checks [double]

!seen 7

[mightysparks]

14. The Stranger (1946) 6/10

Haven't had time to write comments for this so posting before I forget.

Previously Watched

1. Murder, My Sweet (1944) 6/10
2. The Hitch-Hiker (1953) 6/10
3. The Big Combo (1955) 6/10
4. Panic in the Streets (1950) 7/10
5. Crossfire (1947) 6/10
6. On Dangerous Ground (1951) 5/10
7. Criss Cross (1949) 6/10
8. D.O.A. (1949) 5/10
9. Detective Story (1951) 6/10
10. Raw Deal (1948) 5/10
11. I Wake Up Screaming (1941) 6/10
12. The Petrified Forest (1936) 7/10
13. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) 6/10
14. The Stranger (1946) 6/10

[AB537]

39-42. Bordertown Season 2, Episodes 1-4 (Yle TV/Netflix, 2018) 7/10
43. The Late Show (Robert Benton, 1977) 6.5/10

[72aicm]

No more noirs for me. Thanks for hosting Clem.

[allisoncm]

Spoiler

1. Manhandled (1949) 5/10
2. Cry Tough (1959) 5/10
3. Cosh Boy aka The Slasher (1953) 6/10 British Film Noir
4. Twilight Women aka Women of Twilight (1952) 6/10 British Film Noir
5. Someone to Watch Over Me (1987) 4/10 This aged so poorly.
6. The Human Jungle (1954) 2/10 This movie makes excuses for police brutality.
7. Key Witness (1947) 4/10
8. Her Kind of Man (1946) 5/10
9. The Threat (1949) 5.5/10
10. Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949) 5/10

11. The Houston Story 1956, in 0 top lists 5.5/10
12. Uncut Gems 2019, in 0 top lists 6/10
13. The Whistlers 2019, in 0 top lists AKA La Gomera 8/10

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

(Screenshots from Engel's engaging, romantic 'Unter den tausend Laternen' and from Sautet's tenderly poignant yet uncompromising 'Classe tous risques')



49. 'Pink String and Sealing Wax' / 1945, Robert Hamer / 7 or 7.5/10 / UK
50. 'D.O.A.' / 1949, Rudolph Maté / 8/10 / USA
51. 'Armored Car Robbery' / 1950, Richard Fleischer / 9/10 / USA
52. 'Unter den tausend Laternen' / 'Under the Thousand Lanterns' / 1952, Erich Engel / 8.5 or 9/10 / France | West Germany
53. 'Time Bomb' / 1953, Ted Tetzlaff / 5 or 5.5/10 / UK | USA
54. 'Classe tous risques' / 'The Big Risk' / 1960, Claude Sautet / 9/10 / France | Italy
55. 'Night of the Prowler' / 1962, Francis Searle / 4 or 4.5/10 / UK
56. 'The Man Who Finally Died' / 1963, Quentin Lawrence / 6.5/10 / UK
57. 'Ricochet' / 1963, John Llewellyn Moxey / 6.5 or 7/10 / UK
58. 'The Getaway' / 1972, Sam Peckinpah / 7.5 or 8/10 / USA




I have one closing round of viewings which I'll post on Sunday afternoon/evening.

[morrison-dylan-fan]

FTV:19:Farlig ungdom (1953) 8



Building a thick shell for himself from being caught committing crime then getting thrown into a juvenile delinquents home, Ib Mossin gives a great Noir loner turn as 17 year old Egon, whose early crime days Mossin plays with a underlying naive glint in the eyes, which Mossin pokes out at the delinquents home, hardening Egon into a detached, cold-minded criminal. Pulled into the centre of a gang Egon builds to lead,Klaus Nielsen gives a expressive performance as Ejnar, with the nervousness Nielsen hooks him in with, opening the possibly of Ejnar having doubts over following Egon’s cycle in life. Dancing off from the credits to Egon and his fellow gang members smashing a window in, director Lau Lauritzen richly blends the rebellious teenage Drama of the 50’s with the refine stylisation of Film Noir.

Running with Egon and his gang in rough-edge tracking shots down briskly lit streets rolling on a ruckus atmosphere, which is set by Lauritzen to simmering in-doors on striking close-ups of low-lit shadows casts across Egon’s face, hardening what little innocence remains. Throwing all the youth in the film around the system, the screenplay by Johannes Allen takes the young love, rebel outlook of the teens, and wonderfully dips them into the pessimism of Film Noir’s ruthless street crime and burnt-out state for Egon and his friends, leaving a small sliver of chance for Ejnar to turn away from the dangerous youth.

[PUNQ]

I actually managed to watch all the Noir related films I had available from the period I'm working (1944-45). And as a result of the Noir lists this managed to be the my most Official Check blessed months in half-a-decade.


76. The Strange Mr. Gregory (1945, Phil Rosen) - 5/10
--- Edmund Lowe might have taken a break from Hollywood after The Strange Mr. Gregory (1945), but he showed he still had it in him. A haunting death scheme with a mysterious magician almost hypnotizing the viewer. Solid B-picture.


77. Detour (1945, Edgar G. Ulmer) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (15 lists)
--- So I've finally come to Edgar G. Ulmer unlikely classic. The film which proved even the cheapest B-pictures could be great if you only had the right artistic eye for it. And Ulmer showed he had that. Snappy moving with the acting and mood in focus. Tom Neal showed his demons, and then Claudia Drake turns-up, and it got as raw as noir gets. I can't help think, if they had the budget for it, that tragedies would come in threes, with him finally meeting up with his love Ann Savage for the most tragic scene of all. But as we only got two.... still wonderfully tragic!


78. The Unseen (1945, Lewis Allen) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
--- While very predictable, there weren't exactly many suspects to choose from, The Unseen (1945) was a fine little screamer. Two leading gentlemen in Joel McCrea & Herbert Marshall and a young lady Gail Russell with a serial killer loose in the back alley. Simple and effective.


79. Bewitched (1945, Arch Oboler) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
--- Schizophrenian love story, Ends in death. I'm not sure it worked, but this is a Hollywoodian way to raise mental health awareness. Bewitched (1945) definitely created a different atmosphere with it's hypnotizing brainwash as evil takes over the mind. Phyllis Thaxter delivers a different kind of performance in which arouses curiosity. Becomes a little too educational toward the end, but this was a interesting take on madness.


80. The Spider (1945, Robert D. Webb) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
--- The Spider (1945) is a remake of a 1931 film by the same name. Not as fun as the original, but I guess it can be entertaining regardless of being a standard low budget mystery. One of those films which in retrospect has gotten slapped on a film-noir label only because if was made in the era of noir. No different to any of the countless of murder mysteries done in the 30s which are not considered noir.


81. My Name Is Julia Ross (1945, Joseph H. Lewis) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
--- My Name Is Julia Ross (1945) was very competently made by Joseph H. Lewis. A director who hadn't exactly impressed up to that point. He made solid programmers, but none of them had been anything remarkable. With this film he showed he was a director you could count on, for this was a tightly knitted thriller with Nina Foch kidnapped and posed as someone's mentally ill wife at a old dark house. This is only 65 minutes long, yet fits in all you need for such dark hostage dilemma. Not to mention elaborately shot. This really is a little gem.


82. The Brighton Strangler (1945, Max Nosseck) - 6/10
--- John Loder plays an actor who had starred in a successful stage play about The Brighton Strangler (1945). He decides he needs a break from the role, but while traveling gets a knock on the head and becomes The Brighton Strangler! Enchanting little killer story. Dark atmosphere and nice unsuspecting people in a serial killer's claws. Worked very well. Loved the applause twist!

PS: Oh, and this was the final film that featured Gilbert Emery before he died at the age of 70. He was one of the earliest grand old British gentlemen in Hollywood at the dawn of talking pictures. Got a few leads early on before he became a regular character actor.


83. Sensation Hunters (1945, Christy Cabanne) - 3/10
--- Sensation Hunters (1945) finally had something sensational going for it the final 30 seconds. But those 30 seconds were not enough to save us from the hour of boredom which came before it.


84. The Tiger Woman (1945, Philip Ford) - 4/10 - FIRST CHECK!
--- A cheap crime flick from Republic Pictures. Not to be confused with the serial of the same name which came out the previous year, in 1944, which it has nothing to do with this one, also from Republic Pictures! Didn't they have people in the office keeping control of titles and stuff?!

It's a very talky crime flick. Economic for the studio that way. So don't go expecting a great cinematic experience with this B-movie, but Kane Richmond smooth tough guy talking managed to elevate the pedestrian experience some. Adele Mara had her moments too.

Spoiler

1. The Woman in the Window (1944, Fritz Lang) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (7 lists)
2. Guest in the House (1944, John Brahm, John Cromwell, André De Toth & Lewis Milestone) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
3. The Falcon in Mexico (1944, William Berke) - 4/10
4. The Falcon in Hollywood (1944, Gordon Douglas) - 5/10
5. Lady in the Death House (1944, Steve Sekely) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
6. Voice in the Wind (1944, Arthur Ripley) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
7. Murder My Sweet (1944, Edward Dmytryk) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (6 lists)
8. The Mask of Dimitrios (1944, Jean Negulesco) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
9. Experiment Perilous (1944, Jacques Tourneur) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
10. Mordets melodi [Murder Melody] (1944, Bodil Ipsen) - 4/10
11. The Whistler (1944, William Castle) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
12. The Mark of the Whistler (1944, William Castle) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
13. When Strangers Marry (1944, William Castle) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
14. Strangers in the Night (1944, Anthony Mann) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
15. Seven Doors to Death (1944, Elmer Clifton) - 3/10
16. Shake Hands with Murder (1944, Albert Herman) - 4/10
17. Dark Waters (1944, André De Toth) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
18. The Suspect (1944, Robert Siodmak) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
19. Destiny (1944, Reginald Le Borg & Julien Duvivier) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
20. Bluebeard (1944, Edgar G. Ulmer) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
21. Christmas Holiday (1944, Robert Siodmak) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
22. The Hairy Ape (1944, Alfred Santell) - 5/10
23. Dangerous Passage (1944, William Berke) - 3/10
24. Dark Mountain (1944, William Berke) - 4/10
25. Port of 40 Thieves (1944, John English) - 4/10
26. Hotel Reserve (1944, Lance Comfort, Mutz Greenbaum & Victor Hanbury) - 5/10
27. The Scarlet Claw (1944, Roy William Neill) - 7/10
28. The Pearl of Death (1944, Roy William Neill) - 7/10
29. Crime by Night (1944, William Clemens) - 4/10
30. Enter Arsene Lupin (1944, Ford Beebe) - 5/10
31. The Missing Juror (1944, Budd Boetticher) - 5/10
32. Address Unknown (1944, William Cameron Menzies) - 6/10
33. One Mysterious Night (1944, Budd Boetticher) - 4/10
34. The Falcon in San Francisco (1945, Joseph H. Lewis) - 5/10
35. Confidential Agent (1945, Herman Shumlin) - 7/10
36. Circumstantial Evidence (1945, John Francis Larkin) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
37. Dangerous Intruder (1945, Vernon Keays) - 3/10
38. The Man in Half Moon Street (1945, Ralph Murphy) - 4/10
39. Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion (1945, Arthur Dreifuss) - 4/10
40. Boston Blackie's Rendezvous (1945, Arthur Dreifuss) - 5/10
41. Pillow of Death (1945, Wallace Fox) - 5/10
42. The Great Flamarion (1945, Anthony Mann) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
43. Escape in the Fog (1945, Budd Boetticher) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
44. Two O'Clock Courage (1945, Anthony Mann) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
45. Cornered (1945, Edward Dmytryk) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
46. Dillinger (1945, Max Nosseck) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
47. Crime, Inc. (1945, Lew Landers) - 4/10
48. Apology for Murder (1945, Sam Newfield) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
49. Johnny Angel (1945, Edwin L. Marin) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
50. The Power of the Whistler (1945, Lew Landers) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
51. Voice of the Whistler (1945, William Castle) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
52. Hangover Square (1945, John Brahm) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
53. Danger Signal (1945, Robert Florey) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
54. Spellbound (1945, Alfred Hitchcock) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (8 lists)
55. Leave Her to Heaven (1945, John M. Stahl) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (9 lists)
56. Mildred Pierce (1945, Michael Curtiz) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (14 lists)
57. Main Street After Dark (1945, Edward L. Cahn) - 3/10
58. Strange Illusion (1945, Edgar G. Ulmer) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
59. Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945, Robert Hamer) - 6/10
60. Scarlet Street (1945, Fritz Lang) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (9 lists)
61. The Phantom of 42nd Street (1945, Albert Herman) - 4/10
62. The House on 92nd Street (1945, Henry Hathaway) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
63. The House of Fear (1945, Roy William Neill) - 7/10
64. Fallen Angel (1945, Otto Preminger) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
65. The Lost Weekend (1945, Billy Wilder) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (16 lists)
66. The Lady Confesses (1945, Sam Newfield) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
67. Allotment Wives (1945, William Nigh) - 5/10
68. Dick Tracy (1945, William Berke) - 5/10
69. Jealousy (1945, Gustav Machatý) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
70. The Fatal Witness (1945, Lesley Selander) - 4/10
71. Grissly's Millions (1945, John English) - 4/10 - FIRST CHECK!
72. Midnight Manhunt (1945, William C. Thomas) - 3/10
73. Lady on a Train (1945, Charles David) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
74. Conflict (1945, Curtis Bernhardt) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
75. The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945, Robert Siodmak) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
76. The Strange Mr. Gregory (1945, Phil Rosen) - 5/10
77. Detour (1945, Edgar G. Ulmer) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (15 lists)
78. The Unseen (1945, Lewis Allen) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
79. Bewitched (1945, Arch Oboler) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
80. The Spider (1945, Robert D. Webb) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
81. My Name Is Julia Ross (1945, Joseph H. Lewis) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
82. The Brighton Strangler (1945, Max Nosseck) - 6/10
83. Sensation Hunters (1945, Christy Cabanne) - 3/10
84. The Tiger Woman (1945, Philip Ford) - 4/10 - FIRST CHECK!

[blocho]

9. Gumshoe (1971)

[Daviddoes]

10. Side Street (1950) 6/10

11. Murder, My Sweet (1944) 7/10

12. The Petrified Forest (1936) 7/10

13. Detective Story (1951) 7/10

14. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) 5/10

15. The Phenix City Story (1955) 4/10

16. Ride the Pink Horse (1947) 7.5/10

Spoiler

1. Angel Face (1953) 7.5/10
2. Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948) 7/10
3. Tamjung Hong Gil-dong: Sarajin Ma-eul/ Phantom Detective (2016) 7/10
4. Hollow Triumph (1948) 6/10
5. Suddenly (1954) 5/10
6. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) 710
7. Niagara (1953) 6/10
8. Dark Passage (1947) 6/10
9. Witness for the Prosecution (1957) 7.5/10
10. Side Street (1950) 6/10
11. Murder, My Sweet (1944) 7/10
12. The Petrified Forest (1936) 7/10
13. Detective Story (1951) 7/10
14. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) 5/10
15. The Phenix City Story (1955) 4/10
16. Ride the Pink Horse (1947) 7.5/10

[sebby]

06 The Petrified Forest (1936)

Spoiler

01 Thoroughbreds (2017)
02 A Bittersweet Life (2005)
03 Side Effects (2013)
04 Hammett (1982)
05 A Hard Day (2014)
06 The Petrified Forest (1936)

[nimimerkillinen]

1. Detour (1945)

[Cippenham]

I managed a few extra I forgot to record
4. lady in the Lake 1946
5. road House 1948
6. Cry of the City 1948

[flavo5000]

My last post of the challenge. Thanks clemmetarey for hosting! I ended up watching more than I expected to since I was off work this whole last week. Good stuff. On to the documentaries!


145. The Snorkel (1958)
List: British Film Noir Guide (369 Films 1937-1964)


146. Lost River (2014)
List: Taste of Cinema's The 20 Best Neo-Noir Movies of the Past 5 Years


147. Salón México (1949)
List: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir: The Essential Reference Guide

Spoiler

1. Appointment with Danger (1950)
2. Rope of Sand (1949)
3. The Tall Target (1951)
4. The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
5. Take Aim at the Police Van (1960)
6. Storm Warning (1951)
7. Violent Cop (1989)
8. Le silence de la mer (1949)
9. The Burglar (1957)
10. A Double Life (1947)
11. Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)
12. Crashout (1955)
13. The Unsuspected (1947)
14. Edge of the City (1957)
15. One False Move (1992)
16. L'humanité (1999)
17. Bad Blonde (1953)
18. Alias Nick Beal (1949)
19. In the Bedroom (2001)
20. Panique (!946)
21. They Made Me a Fugitive (1947)
22. Nadie hablará de nosotras cuando hayamos muerto a.k.a. Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead (1995)
23. Frantic (1988)
24. Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949)
25. Deception (1946)
26. Dalkomhan insaeng a.k.a. A Bittersweet Life (2005)
27. Smoking Tar (2017)
28. Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
29. Each Dawn I Die (1939)
30. Sex Wish (1976)
31. Double Cross (1941)
32. Maniac (1963)
33. Ore wa matteru ze a.k.a. I Am Waiting (1957)
34. San Quentin (1937)
35. Johnny Gunman (1957)
36. Time Table (!956)
37-46. Fargo S3E1-10 (2017)
47. Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie (2017)
48. State of Grace (1990)
49. Liebe ist kälter als der Tod a.k.a. Love Is Colder Than Death (1969)
50. Thérèse Raquin (1953)
51. Whirlpool (1949)
52. The Clay Pigeon (1949)
53. Payback (1999)
54. Mine Own Executioner (1947)
55. Guncrazy (1992)
56. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
57-61a. Môryô no Hako a.k.a. Box of Goblins E1-14(2008)
61b. Martin Kane, Private Eye: Trouble on Board (1951)
62. Cast a Deadly Spell (1991)
63. Over-Exposed (1956)
64. Jiokhwa a.k.a. Flower in Hell (1958)
65. The Capture (1950)
66. One Girl's Confession (1953)
67. Sabita naifu a.k.a. Rusty Knife (1958)
68. La sirène du Mississipi a.k.a. Mississippi Mermaid (1969)
69. The Shadow on the Window (1957)
70. Götter der Pest a.k.a. Gods of the Plague (1970)
71. Julie (!956)
72. Cover Girl Killer! (1959)
73. Specter of the Rose (1946)
74. The Well (1951)
75. Janggunui adeul a.k.a. General's Son (1990)
76. The Offence (1973)
77. Deux hommes dans Manhattan a.k.a. Two Men In Manhattan (1959)
78. Broken City (2013)
79. The Beat Generation (1959)
80. Nightblade (2016)
81. Sleep, My Love (1948)
82. Shattered (1991)
83. Under the Silver Lake (2018)
84-87. Kami sama no memo chô a.k.a. Heaven's Memo Pad S1E1-12 (2011)
88. Young and Innocent (1937)
89. Kenjû zankoku monogatari a.k.a. Cruel Gun Story (1964)
90. The Big Sleep (1978)
91. Igla a.k.a. The Needle (1988)
92. My Name Is Julia Ross (1945)
93-95. Cyber City Oedo 808 OVA 1-3 (1990)
96. River's Edge (1986)
97. Hickey & Boggs (1972)
98. Seung sing a.k.a. Confession of Pain (2006)
99. Slam Dance (1987)
100. Cash on Demand (1961)
101. Un detective a.k.a. Detective Belli (1969)
102. A Simple Favor (2018)
103. L'aveu a.k.a. The Confession (1970)
104. Le dernier tournant a.k.a. The Last Turn (1939)
105. The Locket (1946)
106. Jeopardy (1953)
107. Carne trémula a.k.a. Live Flesh (1997)
108. Janggun-ui suyeom a.k.a. The General's Mustache (1968)
109. Feux rouges a.k.a. Red Lights (2004)
110. The Babysitter (1969)
111. The Limping Man (1953)
112. Sudden Impact (1983)
113. Something Wild (1961)
114. The Getaway (1972)
115-116. The Bourne Identity Part 1 & 2(1988)
117. Geudaewa yeongwonhi a.k.a. Forever with You (1958)
118. Die Halbstarken a.k.a. Teenage Wolfpack (1956)
119. The Small World of Sammy Lee (1963)
120. Der amerikanische Soldat a.k.a. The American Soldier (1970)
121. L'assassin habite... au 21 a.k.a. The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (1942)
122. Sur mes lèvres a.k.a. Read My Lips (2001)
123. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
124. Die xue jie tou a.k.a. Bullet in the Head (1990)
125. The Detective (1968)
126. Max Payne (2008)
127. Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960)
128. Body Fever (1969)
129. Chorok mulkogi a.k.a. Green Fish (1997)
130. 52 Pick-Up (1986)
131. 13 Tzameti (2005)
132. Choihui jeungin a.k.a. Last Witness (1980)
133. City That Never Sleeps (1953)
134. The Girl in Lovers Lane (1960)
135. Hustlers (2019)
136. Anatomy of a Psycho (1961)
137. Footsteps (2006)
138. They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
139. Double Indemnity (1973)
140. The Yakuza (1974)
141. The Fast and the Furious (1955)
142. Ddongpari a.k.a. Breathless (2008)
143. City Streets (1931)
144. Jackson County Jail (1976)
145. The Snorkel (1958)
146. Lost River (2014)
147. Salón México (1949)

[Lonewolf2003]

16. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946, Lewis Milestone): 6.5 - While the title and introduction are about Martha Ivers, it makes the poor decision to switch the POV to the Heflin character in the main part of the movie. Therefor wasting time on the less interesting love story with Lizabeth Scott and we aren't as left in the dark about what happened on that fatal night decades ago as the Heflin himself is, making Martha less mysterious for us than for him. The whole cast is strong. But Douglas is miscast, he would been better in the Heflin part, but hey it was his first role so can't blame for not knowing how to use him properly yet.
17. They Drive by Night (1940, Raoul Walsh): 7.5- The first part is more a hangout movie about the truck driving brothers than a noir, which moves along on a leisurely pace but nothing really suspenseful happen. The second part shifts to a noir about a jealous woman with a show stealing Ida Lupino. Unfortunate Bogey takes a backseat in the second part.
18. Dead Reckoning (1947, John Cromwell): 6.8 - Overal well made, Bogey does his thing well, and enjoyable, but the murder mystery isn't substantial enough to sustain the movie and the banter just not good and the love story not interesting enough to make up for it.
19. Desperate (1947, Anthony Mann): 6.8 - another okay enjoyable noir. But Steve Brodie doesn't have enough charisma to carry the picture and the pacing is off with the plot skipping months ahead at times.
20. Crossfire (1947, Edward Dmytryk): 7.8 - The murder mystery is intriguing, it gives an good depiction of the post-war mindset of soldiers and has a good, although unsubtle, message about the dangers of xenophobia. Gloria Grahame steals the few scenes she’s in as a sassy "showgirl" (well for the smart viewer it's clear what her job really is).

That's it for me. Saw 20 noirs for this. I enjoyed almost all of them, only Niagara stands out negatively, and made three new all-time favs: They Live by Night, In a Lonely Place and Odds Against Tomorrow. Thanks clemm for hosting.

Spoiler

1. The Woman in the Window (1944, Fritz Lang): 8.0
2. Boomerang! (1947, Elia Kazan) (rewatch): 7.0 > 7.2
3. They Made Me a Fugitive (1947, Alberto Cavalcanti): 6.8
4. Force of Evil (1948, Abraham Polonsky): 7.5
5. The Big Clock (1948, John Farrow): 7.8
6. No Orchids for Miss Blandish (1948, St. John Legh Clowes): 6.8
7. Cry of the City (1948, Robert Siodmak): 7.5
8. Criss Cross (1949, Robert Siodmak): 7.5
9. They Live by Night (1948, Nicholas Ray): 8.8
10. In a Lonely Place (1950, Nicholas Ray) (rewatch): 8.0 > 8.5
11. Niagara (1953, Henry Hathaway): 5.5
12. Time Without Pity (1957, Joseph Losey): 7.8
13. Odds Against Tomorrow (1959, Robert Wise): 8.5
14. The Long Goodbye (1973, Robert Altman) (rewatch): 7.5 > 8.0
15. Gumshoe (1971, Stephen Frears): 7.5

[AB537]

39-42. Bordertown Season 2, Episodes 1-4 (Yle TV/Netflix, 2018) 7/10
43. The Late Show (Robert Benton, 1977) 6.5/10

I was going back through some of my old posts and discovered that I accidentally listed Mr. Arkadin twice, so my final total should actually be 42. Apologies for any confusion/inconvenience.

[OldAle1]

Noir is the New Black

Day 1 - Whistle in the Night

1. The Whistler (William Castle, 1944)
2. The Mark of the Whistler (William Castle, 1944)
3. The Power of the Whistler (Lew Landers, 1945)
4. Voice of the Whistler (William Castle, 1945)

Day 2 - More Whistling in the Night

5. Mysterious Intruder (William Castle, 1946)
6. The Secret of the Whistler (George Sherman, 1946)
7. The Thirteenth Hour (William Clemens, 1947)
8. The Return of the Whistler (D. Ross Lederman, 1948)

Day 3 - The Low Rent World of Hugo Haas Pt 1

9. The Girl on the Bridge (Hugo Haas, 1951)
10. Pickup (Hugo Haas, 1951)

Day 4 - The Low Rent World of Hugo Hass Pt 2 + Interlude, with Bowling

11. Strange Fascination (Hugo Haas, 1952)
12. The Big Lebowski (JoelEthan Coen, 1998) (re-watch)

Day 5 - The Don't Make Them Like They Used To

13. Against All Odds (Taylor Hackford, 1984)
14. Mirage (Paul Williams, 1995)

Day 6 - Old Guys Still Got It

15. Twilight (Robert Benton, 1998)

Day 7 - Money and Murder in a Modern Way

16. Croupier (Mike Hodges, 1998)
17. Freeway (Matthew Bright, 1996)

Day 8 - More Gambling, the Modern Way

18. The Cooler (Wayne Kramer, 2003)

Day 9 - Back to the Classics, With Cages and Spies

19. Caged (John Cromwell, 1950)
20. 5 Fingers (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1952)

Day 10 - Peak Noir, but Low on the List

21. Second Chance (James Tinling, 1947)
22. Unmasked (George Blair, 1950)

Day 11 - The Low Rent World of Hugo Haas Pt 3, and a Korean detour

23. One Girl's Confession (Hugo Haas, 1953)
24. Bait (Hugo Haas, 1954)
25. The Other Woman (Hugo Haas, 1954)
26. Ajeossi / The Man From Nowhere (Jeong-Beom Lee, 2010)

Day 12 - The Low Rent World of Hugo Haas Pt 4

27. Hold Back Tomorrow (Hugo Haas, 1955)
28. Hit and Run (Hugo Haas, 1957)

Day 13 - Clown Noir, Ghost Noir, Musical Noir

29. Joker (Todd Phillips, 2019)
30. The Unseen (Lewis Allen, 1945)
31. Casbah (John Berry, 1948)

Day 14 - a rest from noir in the cinema
Day 15 - Between Noir and Neo - two films from 1960

32. Hell Is a City (Val Guest, 1960)
33. Key Witness (Phil Karlson, 1960)

Day 16 - Murder and Blackmail in 80s LA

34. Cutter's Way (Ivan Passer, 1981)
35. 52 Pick-Up (John Frankenheimer, 1986)

Day 17 - Late 50s Obscurities

36. Pier 5, Havana (Edward L. Cahn, 1959)
37. Step Down to Terror (Harry Keller, 1958)
38. Hidden Fear (André De Toth, 1957)

Day 18 - Los Angeles Plays It's Noir Self, 1947/97

39. The Unfaithful (Vincent Sherman, 1947)
40. City of Industry (John Irvin, 1997)

Day 19 - A Break from the Darkness

Day 20 - Lawrence Tierney Two-Pack

41. Bodyguard (Richard Fleischer, 1948)
42. The Hoodlum (Max Nosseck, 1951)

Day 21 - The Most Boring Cop in the World

43. Footsteps in the Night (Jean Yarbrough, 1957)

Day 22 - A Respite from the Night

Day 23 - 4 films for 4 hours for the 40s

44. The Madonna's Secret (William Thiele, 1946)
45. The Spider (Robert D. Webb, 1945)
46. The Lady Confesses (Sam Newfield, 1945)
47. Behind Green Lights (Otto Brower, 1946)

Days 24-40 - Amidst turkey & kids & lights: just a little more darkness

48. Bewitched (Arch Oboler, 1945)

Interesting and I'd imagine fairly early drama about multiple personality disorder - a young woman is about to enter a happy marriage, but her Dark Side takes over and compels her to leave the small town she's living in for the big evil city (New York, naturally), and essentially wrecks her chances at happiness at every turn. I liked this a lot at first, it seemed to be going in interesting, if not necessarily "noir" directions, rather like one of the Whistler films I saw earlier in the month, but it doesn't play out quite as well as I'd hoped, and the conclusion - involving a death house reprieve and a genius psychiatrist played by Edmund Gwenn - is pretty silly. Still overall rather different from most and worth a look I think. Phyllis Thaxter - Lois Lane in the Superman TV show - plays the troubled young woman with ace noir femme fatale Audrey Totter doing the bad girl voiceover.

49. Sealed Lips (George Waggner, 1942)

And after the two personalities in one body, we get the much more common two separate individuals who could be twins, in this case we have a prisoner set to be released soon, a notorious mobster - or is he in fact an innocent guy taking the fall while the real bad man is out on the loose? John Litel does a credible job in a dual role, William Gargan as the detective on the hunt to solve the mystery of where the real gangster is does some fine work, but this is all pretty ordinary, predictable, and very cheap and visually uninteresting

50. Fall Guy (Reginald LeBorg, 1947)

First in an Elisha Cook Jr double-feature; in both films he has small but important roles but isn't around past the halfway point. Here he's a guy who leads protagonist Leo Penn to a party, in a flashback - Penn is found by cops unconscious, covered in blood, with a bloody knife in his hand, and the film reconstructs what happened as bits of his memory come back, a sympathetic cop friend and his girlfriend try to help him elude John Law and find out a) if someone was killed, b) who that someone was, c) whether Penn's character did it and d) who's really behind it all. Pretty well done and even vaguely believable, apart from cop Robert Armstrong, in his 50s and looking it, being described as 36.

51. Dark Mountain (William Berke, 1944)

Cook is the #2 man behind a gangster (Regis Toomey, who I don't think I've seen before in this kind of role) who has just married Ellen Drew, a naive woman who just doesn't realize where all his money's coming from. She shoulda married handsome forest ranger Robert Lowery, but they'll have a chance to repair things when Toomey, on the run from the cops after a heist and a murder, ends up along with Drew in the ranger's cabin in the woods. Some of the more homoerotic behavior and dialogue that you'll find in classic noir here, courtesy of "never married" Eddie Quillan as the ranger's sidekick, but outside of that, not a lot of interest here.

52. Backlash (Eugene Forde, 1947)

Pretty good little piece about a gangster who's broken out, his shady lawyer, the lawyer's wife who is suspected when the lawyer apparently gets bumped off, and the cops who are out to find the truth. John Eldredge, probably my find of this month, is great as the corrupt attorney whose malfeasances grow by the minute, and one of the interesting things about this film is a view of the law - or at least those who argue and try it - that is more negative than in almost any other noir from this period I've seen. The lawyer, his partner, and the D.A. all figure prominently and all seems to be pretty sleazy.

53. Playgirl (Joseph Pevney, 1954)

Beautiful young Colleen Miller comes to big bad NYC from Nebraska to stay for a while with best buddy,singer Shelley Winters and try to make it as a model. She soon catches the eye Winters' beau, married but "soon to be" divorced magazine published Barry Sullivan, and jealousy rears it's ugly head, and eventually...MURDER! There's nothing special about the story here, though it plays out perhaps a bit less cliched than it could have, but the three principal cast members and a solid supporting cast, especially Philip Van Zandt as a charming mobster, make it a fair bit of fun, and it's a little more overt about sex and what a girl has to do... or what a guy will do to get that girl, than most films of this period.

And that's it for me, thanks clem! I didn't even manage to tie my total for last year alas - family stuff intervened - and I didn't see any new masterpieces, but charting the poverty row stuff was pretty enjoyable. Maybe next year I'll get around to focusing on French or Japanese noir.

[jdidaco]

I'll have to make this very simple....

51. Cast a Dark Shadow (1955) 7.5/10
52. Eyewitness (1956) 7/10
53. Kuroi gashû: Aru sarariman no shôgen (1960) 8/10
54. La dénonciation (1962) 8.5/10
55. The Informers (1963) 8/10
56. Symphonie pour un massacre (1963) 9/10
57. Tænk på et tal (1969) 8/10
58. Zbrodniarz, który ukradl zbrodnie (1969) 8.5/10
59. Shiroi yubi no tawamure (1972) 8/10
60. Teppôdama no bigaku (1973) 8/10

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

Slightly later than promised due to an unplanned evening sleep but here's my closing batch of dark and wonderful delights.

(Screenshots from Neville's darkly captivating Barcelona-set 'Nada', Freda's stunning, heartbreaking, era-straddling 'Il tradimento', Miller's exquisitely-shot look at deceit and realisation, and the claustrophobic, heart-rending tragedy of Thompson's 'Yield to the Night')





59. 'Nada' / 'Nothing' / 1947, Edgar Neville / 9/10 / Spain | Italy
60. 'Il tradimento' / 'Double Cross' / 1951, Riccardo Freda / 8.5 or 9/10 / Italy
61. 'Sudden Fear' / 1952, David Miller / 8.5/10 / USA
62. 'Man in the Attic' / 1953, Hugo Fregonese / 6/10 / USA
63. 'Yield to the Night' / 1956, J. Lee Thompson / 8.5/10 / UK
64. 'The Man Who Was Nobody' / 1960, Montgomery Tully / 5/10 / UK
65. 'Signpost to Murder' / 1964, George Englund / 7/10 / USA
66. 'The Stoneman Murders' / 2009, Manish Gupta / 5.5/10 / India






Thanks for hosting, clemmetarey! Noirvember as always gave me so much to consider and explore and was once again an immensely rewarding and fun month to be a part of.

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

La dénonciation (1962) 8.5/10

Ecstatic that you saw this and liked it, jd! A film of captivating elision, uncertainty and ambiguity. I loved the imagination and fluidity of pasts resurfacing and these painful confrontations and examinations in a new light of changing times. A pretty remarkable and haunting film and one I would love to revisit one day!

[clemmetarey]

39-42. Bordertown Season 2, Episodes 1-4 (Yle TV/Netflix, 2018) 7/10
43. The Late Show (Robert Benton, 1977) 6.5/10

I was going back through some of my old posts and discovered that I accidentally listed Mr. Arkadin twice, so my final total should actually be 42. Apologies for any confusion/inconvenience.

No problem and thank you for your honesty.

Well I think everyone had time to list their viewings, so here's the final ranking:

Spoiler

Participants:

Noirvember Participants

Rank	Participant	Count
1	flavo5000	147
2	blueboybob	140
3	frbrown	105
4	PUNQ	84
5	72aicm	77
6	RogerTheMovieManiac1988	66
7	jdidaco	60
8	OldAle1	53
9	jeroeno	52
10	AB537	42
11	Nathan Treadway	41
12	sol	30
13	maxwelldeux	21
14	Lonewolf2003	20
15	clemmetarey	19
15	morrison-dylan-fan	19
17	klaus78	17
18	Daviddoes	16
19	Tarris1	14
19	mightysparks	14
21	allisoncm	13
22	Nopros	12
23	Coryn	11
23	ororama	11
25	vortexsurfer	10
26	peeptoad	9
26	blocho	9
28	albajos	7
28	cinephage	7
30	VincentPrice	6
30	Cippenham	6
30	sebby	6
33	RBG	5
34	hurluberlu	4
34	ChrisReynolds	4
34	ryebass	4
37	Ritesh	3
38	zzzorf	2
38	Obgeoff	2
40	3eyes	1
40	nimimerkillinen	1

Congratulations to flavo for his win ( ), and thanks to everyone for participating. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as i did!

[morrison-dylan-fan]

I'll have to make this very simple....

51. Cast a Dark Shadow (1955) 7.5/10
52. Eyewitness (1956) 7/10
53. Kuroi gashû: Aru sarariman no shôgen (1960) 8/10
54. La dénonciation (1962) 8.5/10
55. The Informers (1963) 8/10
56. Symphonie pour un massacre (1963) 9/10
57. Tænk på et tal (1969) 8/10
58. Zbrodniarz, który ukradl zbrodnie (1969) 8.5/10
59. Shiroi yubi no tawamure (1972) 8/10
60. Teppôdama no bigaku (1973) 8/10

Hi JD,I hope you are doing OK (esp with the internet service!) and I would really like to hear how you found Symphonie pour un massacre to be (that final shot- )