cigarjoe

Seconds (1966) A Rat Race Reboot Daliesque title sequence Bizarre Noir, directed by John Frankenheimer (The Young Savages (1961), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Seven Days in May (1964), The Train (1964)), written by Lewis John Carlino (The Mechanic (1972)) based on the novel by David Ely. The excellent cinematography was by James Wong Howe (Nora Prentiss (1947), Body and Soul (1947). He Ran All the Way (1951), Sweet Smell of Success (1957)) and the music was by Jerry Goldsmith (Seven Days in May (1964), The Satan Bug (1965)). The film stars Rock Hudson (Undertow (1949), One Way Street (1950), ) as Antiochus "Tony" Wilson, Salome Jens (Angel Baby (1961)) as Nora Marcus, John Randolph (The Naked City (1948), Fourteen Hours (1951), Serpico (1973), ) as Arthur Hamilton, Will Geer (The Tall Target (1951), In Cold Blood (1967)) as Old Man, Jeff Corey (The Killers (1946), Brute Force (1947), The Gangster (1947), Fourteen Hours (1951), In Cold Blood (1967), ) as Mr. Ruby, Richard Anderson (The People Against O'Hara (1951), Forbidden Planet (1956)) as Dr. Innes, Frances Reid as Emily Hamilton, Khigh Dhiegh (The Manchurian Candidate (1962)) as Davalo, and Murray Hamilton (The Twilight Zone TV Series (1959–1964), Naked City TV Series (1958–1963). The Untouchables TV Series (1959–1963), The Graduate (1967), The Drowning Pool (1975)) as Charlie Evans. Arthur Hamilton (Randolph) Second Chance Inc. Candidate Arthur Hamilton (Randolph). Banker burnout. Suburban somnambulist. Rolex rat racer. Wife, Emily (Reid). Empty nesters. Lovelife on low. New York Central commuter. Scarsdale - Manhattan - Scarsdale. Day in day out. Over and over. Late night call. Charlie Evans (Hamilton). Who? Charlie, best friend, tennis buddie, a voice from the dead. Artie can't wrap his head around this. He thinks it's a prank. He's sweating. He can't sleep. Day two. Artie heading home. Grand Central Terminal. He picks up a tail. The tail follows him across the main concourse and down a ramp to track 24. Just as Artie gets on his train the tail calls out his name and hands him a piece of paper with an address 34 Lafayette Street. That night Charlie calls again, he describes Artie's fireplace mantel, their tennis picture, the tennis trophy with the crude inscription they scratched in its base "fidelis eternis". Charlie tells Artie to show up it's a new chance at life and he's to tell them his name is Wilson. 34 Lafayette St. The address is a rat hole dry cleaner. They send Artie to a meat packer. They put him in the back of a truck and take him to loading dock at the back of a nondescript building. "The Company." It's a warren of bleak corridors that finally lead to a secretary who then gives him a drink and leaves him in an empty office, sitting on a sofa. In a surreal sequence, Artie stumbles into a room and approaches a girl on a bed, he falls on her and she screams. He wakes up and he's back on the sofa. It was a dream. A Mr. Ruby (Corey) enters, gives him the details of the contract. $30,000 will get him a fake death and a new life with a new identity a second life. They tell him that his wife will be generously provided for. When Artie seems hesitant Ruby asks him what does he have now? To force the issue and coerce Artie, Ruby shows him a movie of Artie's assault on the woman, it wasn't a dream. Artie signs. Artie next meets "The Old Man" (Geer) who comes off as the folksie "Colonel Sanders" of re-birth. They tell him that they'll arrange his death in a hotel fire, they have a "fresh" corpse ready to take his place. Mr. Ruby (Corey) Artie transformed into Tony (Hudson) They give Artie, through plastic surgery, a new face, new teeth, new fingerprints, a new body with the identity of Antiochus "Tony" Wilson (Hudson) and they eventually drop him off in a "Peace Love Dove" schtick, bacchanalian, hedonist, cliché, left coast community in, where else? Malibu, California. East meets West, meets Crazy. He's now an rich artist, with a manservant. He meets Nora (Jens) and they begin a relationship. They changed him on the outside but not on the inside. Things are a bit too "Far Out" for Tony/Artie in the Age of Aquarius. <spoilers ahead> The community he's in, he realizes too late, is full of "reborns." At a cocktail party Tony/Artie gets smashed and begins to talk too much, revealing who he actually is. This was a big no, no. He also finds out that Nora and his manservant where employees of the company. Tony/Artie heads back to New York accompanied by his manservant, he wants a different rebirth, but he firsts goes to visit Emily as a painting acquaintance of Artie. Emily Hamilton: You see, Arthur had been dead a long, long time before they found him in that hotel room. After the reunion with Emily he goes back to the company and told that he must recommend a new client for them. He tells Ruby that he can't think of anyone. Ruby then tells him to wait until they can provide a new identity. In the "waiting" room he meets his old friend Charlie. Tony/Artie: I couldn't help it, Charlie. I had to find out where I went wrong. The years I've spent trying to get all the things I was told were important - that I was supposed to want! Things! Not people... or meaning. Just things. And California was the same. They made the decisions for me all over again and they were the same things, really. It's going to be different from now on. A new face and a name. I'll do the rest. I know it's going to be different. I suppose you do too. Tony/Artie doesn't have long to wait for his trip to Noirsville. Both John Randolph and Rock Hudson are excellent. The rest of the cast, some with Classic Film Noir creds, provide some cinematic memory to the film. The film does an excellent job right from the get go in the Daliesque title sequence of providing the Surrealistic tone for the whole film. Experimental POV camera shots disorient the viewer and draw you fully into the bizarre riff on Murder Incorporated. Paned at the time of release the film was just too ahead of it's time. A new Criterion release is available. 8/10 Full review with NSFW screencaps here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/04/seconds-1966-rat-race-reboot.html

Congratulations, your re programming seems to have gone well.

The Savage Eye (1960) Experimental "Dramatised Documentary" Noir A passion project, directed and produced by a triumvirate of Ben Maddow who was also a prolific screenwriter and documentarian noted for (Framed (1947), Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948) (adaptation), The Asphalt Jungle (1950)), film director and editor Sidney Meyers (The Quiet One (1948)), and director, producer and screenwriter Joseph Strick (The Big Break (1953), Tropic of Cancer (1970), Road Movie (1974)). They worked on this project, both writing and editing it in the city of Los Angeles, California, over a number of years in the late 50's strictly on their weekends for roughly $65,000. The music was by Leonard Rosenman. The outstanding cinematography was by Jack Couffer, Helen Levitt and Haskell Wexler. The Savage Eye is a feast for Noir eyes. Barbara Baxley, as the moderately depressed woman seems to absorb her surrounding situations without coming off as being too desperate despite her personal tragedy. She and Gary Merrill trade the lines of narration. Herschel Bernardi making his moves, is convincing as the straying husband out to score. What makes The Savage Eye special is that practically every frame of the film could grace the walls of a photographic art gallery in Noirsville. Full review with mucho screencaps (some NSFW) from Image Entertainment October 10, 2000 DVD here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-savage-eye-1960-experimental.html

The Savage Eye (1960) Experimental "Dramatised Documentary" Noir A passion project, directed and produced by a triumvirate of Ben Maddow who was also a prolific screenwriter and documentarian noted for (Framed (1947), Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948) (adaptation), The Asphalt Jungle (1950)), film director and editor Sidney Meyers (The Quiet One (1948)), and director, producer and screenwriter Joseph Strick (The Big Break (1953), Tropic of Cancer (1970), Road Movie (1974)). They worked on this project, both writing and editing it in the city of Los Angeles, California, over a number of years in the late 50's strictly on their weekends for roughly $65,000. The music was by Leonard Rosenman. The outstanding cinematography was by Jack Couffer, Helen Levitt and Haskell Wexler. The Savage Eye is a feast for Noir eyes. The film stars Barbara Baxley (Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV Series (1955–1962), Naked City TV Series (1958–1963), The Twilight Zone TV Series (1959–1964), No Way to Treat a Lady (1968)) as Judith McGuire, Herschel Bernardi (Mike Hammer TV Series (1958–1959), Stakeout on Dope Street (1958), Murder by Contract (1958), Peter Gunn TV Series (1958–1961)) as Kirk, Jean Hidey as Venus the Body, Elizabeth Zemach as The nurse and narrated in part by Gary Merrill (Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950), A Blueprint for Murder (1953), Witness to Murder (1954), The Incident (1967)). The Savage Eye is the dramatized documentary of a year in the life of a young divorcée Judith McGuire who has recently relocated to Los Angeles, California after a bitter separation from her husband. He dumped her for another woman. Judith McGuire (Barbara Baxley) The somewhat absurd and outlandish strangeness of her new surroundings in tinseltown is juxtaposed against the discarded broken dream lives of the disenchanted, the down and out disillusioned, and the lost and aged waiting to die. The film is a beautiful and poignant snapshot in time, giving us a neo realist, cinema vérité feel. pet cemetery Dive Bar Venus the Body (Jean Hidey) Judith is a fish out of water, both in her new surroundings and in the changing mores of the time, the sexual revolution train is definitely coming. She lives between the alimony paychecks on "bourbon and cottage cheese", in a Murphy bed furnished apartment. She survives her depression through beauty treatments, body spas, bingo/poker parlors, yoga classes, and boozing it up, sometimes starting as early as 2PM in the afternoon in an L.A. dive. She gets the Dutch courage to call her ex but only finds out that he's getting married again and couldn't be happier. When Judith finally decides to start dating she agrees to go out with Kirk, a married man. She tells herself it's revenge. Kirk takes her to movies, to dinner, to a prize fight, wrestling match, to a roller derby match, to a burlesque strip show. Judith and Kirk (Herschel Bernardi) Near 'N Far Burlesque Her relationship with Kirk comes to its culmination after a New Year's Eve party and a degrading session on her pull down mattress. Quaintly she feels very "fifties" soul tortured, dirty,and unclean. She washes herself, her sheets, her car. She "goes to Jesus" to wash her sins in the form of an evangelical church service, but decides she isn't going to confess to **** with a married man in front of a huckster faith healer. She tries to commit suicide by automobile but survives. During her recovery she does a self reboot and embraces life and all its absurdities. Barbara Baxley, as the moderately depressed woman seems to absorb her surrounding situations without coming off as being too desperate despite her personal tragedy. She and Gary Merrill trade the lines of narration. Herschel Bernardi making his moves, is convincing as the straying husband out to score. What makes The Savage Eye special is that practically every frame of the film could grace the walls of a photographic art gallery in Noirsville. Screencaps are from Image Entertainment October 10, 2000 DVD. Full review with mucho screencaps (some NSFW) here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-savage-eye-1960-experimental.html

I love film noir post about them all the time, the main reasons I haven't posted is I'm working on weekends one, and two, I've seen all of these before and have discussed them before on other boards, it's not as if they are long lost or rarely seen gems which would be of more interest. I've become very interested in what B&W noirs were made between 1958 and 1968 when they were in flux and transitioning between Noir and Neo Noir. I'm actually finding a lot of interesting films in the 1960-67-68 range with some new talented and innovative directors that emerged after the demise of the Motion Picture Production Code, the rise of TV, and the end of B unit Studio Production. The 1958/59 years usually given for Film Noir style cut off was just arbitrary. There are still a few B&W Film Noir up to 1968. I think what's going on is as the Motion Picture Production Code weakened and independent film creators were allowed more artistic freedom, so those Film Noir that went too far over the line depicting violence started getting classified as Horror, Thriller (even though they were just say, showing the effects of a gunshot wound, or dealing with weird serial killers, maniacs, etc.), those that went too far depicting sexual, drug, torture, etc., situations were being lumped into or classed as various Exploitation flicks, (even though they are relatively tame comparably to today's films), the noir-ish films that dealt with everything else, except Crime, concerning the human condition were labeled Dramas and Suspense. Those that tried new techniques were labeled Experimental. With nothing really giving some of some of these directors & producers some parameters, or putting the brakes on, there was no speed limit they just shot past common sense and good taste and eventually they just dispensed with almost all plot at all and just followed the easy money into hardcore. Shame cause you can clearly see artistic talent in these early "Grindhouse" features. P.S. I just watched Reflections In A Golden Eye (1967) the other day again (on TCM) and without a doubt it's a Film Noir in the vein of the psychological type noir, but everyone is distracted by its "sensationalism" and maybe some of the atrocious accents and the mumbling of Marlon, lol.

Guns, Girls, And Gangsters (1959) Mamie Van Doren, Gerald Mohr, Lee Van Cleef. Ex con Chuck Wheeler gets out of the Pen and sets up a armed car robbery of a Las Vegas casino. Van Cleef is his hot headed nut job best, Van Doren is the eye candy. 7/10

a few from both genders Gian Maria Volonte as El Indio in For A Few Dollars More Richard Boone as Cicero Grimes in Hombre Robert Mitchum as Max Cady in Cape Fear Raymond Burr in various Noirs William Smith as Terry in Darker Than Amber Lena Olin in Romeo Is Bleeding M. Emmet Walsh in Blood Simple Kathleen Turner in Body Heat Linda Fiorentino in The Last Seduction Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth in Blue Velvet Robert DeNiro in Angel Heart

Il Grido (1957) Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, starring Steve Cochran, Alida Valli, Dorian Gray, and Lynn Shaw. Depressing film about a man losing his bearings in life and doomed to wander the countryside alienated and depressed. Nice cinematography. 7/10

R.I.P, he was very Noir-ish as the Dime A Dance Hall operator in The Rat Race (1960)

The Thrill Killers is undeniably a lot of fun. I'm finding a lot of interesting films in the 1960-67 range with talented and innovative directors that emerged after the demise of the Motion Picture Production Code. The 1958/59 years usually given for Film Noir style cut off was just arbitrary. There are still a few B&W Film Noir up to 1968. I think what's going on is as the Motion Picture Production Code weakened and independent film creators were allowed more artistic freedom, so those Noir that went too far over the line depicting violence started getting classified as Horror, Thriller (even though they were just say, showing the effects of a gunshot wound, or dealing with weird serial killers, maniacs, etc.), those that went too far depicting sexual, drug, torture, etc., situations were being lumped into or classed as Exploitation (even though they are relatively tame comparably to today's films), the noir-ish films that dealt with everything else, except Crime, concerning the human condition were labeled Dramas and Suspense. Those that tried new techniques were labeled Experimental. With nothing really giving some of some of these directors & producers some parameters, or putting the brakes on, there was no speed limit they just shot past common sense and good taste and eventually they just dispensed with almost all plot at all and just followed the easy money into hardcore. Shame cause you can clearly see artistic talent in these early "Grindhouse" features. P.S. I just watched Reflections In A Golden Eye (1967) the other day again (on TCM) and without a doubt it's a Film Noir in the vein of the psychological type noir, but everyone is distracted by its "sensationalism" and maybe some of the atrocious accents and the mumbling of Marlon, lol .

Now you got to watch the car chase scene and the film The Seven-Ups (1973) with the same stunt driver, but this time on the streets of New York City

Its implied, if I remember right, that once Quimby told Barney about Claire's M.O., i.e., how she tells him that she is going off to watch a film but actually trolling for more men, that Barney probably confronted her and in the ensuing fight she shot him.

Just finally reading through this thread. For those interested it's actually in the Bible - Ephesians 6:5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear, trembling, and sincerity, as when you obey the Messiah.

Check out the Thompson based Hit Me (1996), and The Kill-Off (1989) also. I found that I liked Susan Tyrrell in the 1976 version of The Killer Inside Me better than Jessica Alba though.

The Thrill Killers (1964) SoCal Film Soleil - Fringe Noir - Horror Here's a film that's got to be seen by my fellow noiristas and aficio-noirdos. For not having a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of, working with an extremely low budget, director and cult film auteur, Ray Dennis Steckler (The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (1964)) and crew, crafted a delightfully over the top work of aesthetically camp art. Yea, it's chock full of C&D list actors most of whom never really went anywhere in show biz. And yea, the story is about not one, not two, not three, but four homicidal maniacs. And when it was shown in theaters it was not only promoted by Ormond (Ormond Dale McGill), a hypnotist, who before the feature would "hypnotise" the audience with a Twilight Zone like spinning spiral allegedly to induce "Hallucinogenic Hypno-Vision", but apparently they also, with a William Castle type gimmick, placed paid actors, to play homicidal maniacs sprinkled amongst the theater audience. Don't expect much and you'll be amazed at what can be done for peanuts. Shriek Show 2004 DVD. Also known as The Maniacs Are Loose! 7/10 More screencaps with full review in Film Noir /Gangster page and here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-thrill-killers-1964-socal-film.html

The Thrill Killers (1964) SoCal Film Soleil - Fringe Noir - Horror Here's a film that's got to be seen by my fellow noiristas and aficio-noirdos. For not having a pot to **** in or a window to throw it out of, working with an extremely low budget, director and cult film auteur, Ray Dennis Steckler (The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (1964)) and crew, crafted a delightfully over the top work of aesthetically camp art. Yea, it's chock full of C&D list actors most of whom never really went anywhere in show biz. And yea, the story is about not one, not two, not three, but four homicidal maniacs. And when it was shown in theaters it was not only promoted by Ormond (Ormond Dale McGill), a hypnotist, who before the feature would "hypnotise" the audience with a Twilight Zone like spinning spiral allegedly to induce "Hallucinogenic Hypno-Vision", but apparently they also, with a William Castle type gimmick, placed paid actors, to play homicidal maniacs sprinkled amongst the theater audience. The film was written by Ron Haydock, Gene ****, and Ray Dennis Steckler. The film contains some really innovative and incredibly up to date feeling cinematography by Joseph V. Mascelli and Lee Strosnider. Film editing was by Austin McKinney. The music, a sort of bongo beat jazz score was by André Brummer. The film stars Ray Dennis Steckler credited in the film as Cash Flagg played Mort "Mad Dog" Click, and Liz Renay (The Sound of Fury (1950), The Naked and the Dead (1958), Date with Death (1959), Desperate Living (1977)), as Liz Saxon. Mad Dog Click (Ray Dennis Steckler ) Liz Saxon (Liz Renay) The rest of the cast has Joseph Bardo credited as Brick Bardo (The Beverly Hillbillies TV Series (1962–1971)) playing Joe Saxon, Carolyn Brandt as Carol, Gary Kent (Hells Angels on Wheels (1967)) as Gary Barcroft, Herb Robins (Convoy (1978)) as Herbie Click, Keith O'Brien as Keith Rogers, Laura Benedict as Linda, Ron Burr as Ron, Titus Moede (The Twilight Zone TV Series (1959–1964)) as Motorcycle Officer / Yes Man at Party, Erina Enyo as Erina Devore, Atlas King as Dennis Kesdekian, Nancy Crawford as Mrs. Kesdekian, George J. Morgan as himself, and Gene **** as the Detective. <Spoilers ahead> A typed title card tells us that the story is supposedly based on true events occurring "back" in 1965. We get a voiceover by actor, director, and writer Coleman Francis (The Tattooed Stranger (1950), Stakeout on Dope Street (1958), The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)), about struggling actor Joe Saxon (Bardo). Coleman tells us that Joe lives in a world of "non-reality". He's trying to break into tinseltown showbiz. He spends money throwing wild parties trying to impress Hollywood phonies. His wife Liz (Renay), an ex actress now an artist, is worried about making payments. We cut to ridiculously bouffant haired Greek immigrant Dennis Kesdekian (King) he lives in a world or "reality," he's got a wife and kids and responsibilities. Heading through the San Gabriel Mountains towards Mojave on what looks like the Sierra Highway, Dennis stops to pick up a hitchhiker, Mort "Mad Dog" Click (Steckler). Bad Idea. Mad Dog shoots Dennis dead and steals his '53 Plymouth Plaza Wagon. That evening Joe throws another shindig trying to impress movie producer George J. Morgan. He's hoping to get a part in his next feature, while down on Main St. in Los Angeles Mad Dog picks up a taxi dancer/hooker Miss Devore (Enyo) for quickie at her flop. She turns on a cheap plastic radio to set the mood, she pulls out some glasses and a bottle of booze. When the woman starts to get physically friendly Mad Dog goes berserk. Slapping her around. Miss Devore:What did you do that for? Mad Dog: You're cheap. Miss Devore: Cheap! What's so cheap about fifty dollars. "Cheap! What's so cheap about fifty dollars." Mad Dog grabs a pair of scissors and repeatedly stabs her. Meanwhile a radio bulletin breaks into the music and we hear that three lunatics Keith (O'Brien), Herbie (Robbins) and Gary (Kent), have escaped from the Camarillo State Mental Hospital and are on the loose. The same bulletin is broadcasting on the radio in Joe and Liz's bedroom. Liz: At least we didn't have all the lunatics at our party tonight The next day, Liz decides to leave Joe. She drives up Topanga Canyon to her cousin Linda's (Benedict) rustic, roadside, greasy spoon, diner the Pleasant Inn. In the diner are an engaged couple Ron (Burr) and Carol (Brandt). They get in their '61 Ford F100 and drive up to see the nearby house they just bought, but their love nest is infested with lunatics, their handyman is decapitated. Mayhem ensues and soon both Ron and Carol meet the same fate. Note, a few of these sequences are quaintly cheesy by today's horror standards, which add to the films charms. Joe and producer Morgan arrive at the Pleasant Inn soon joined by the three lunatics Keith, Herbie, and Gary who drive up in Ron and Carol's pickup looking for a cup of coffee after a hard morning's "work." Herbie calls up his brother on the phone to tell him to come quick and pick him up, he wants to get away from these "nuts" that he's with. Herbie tells to come to the Pleasant Inn at the bottom of Topanga Canyon. His brother turns out to be surprize, surprize, Mad Dog. Of course everything goes beautifully and chaotically Noirsville, with some exciting and exceptionally well choreographed action sequences. Noirsville Ray Dennis Steckler does an amazing job as director, writer and actor. It surely helps that he actually looks crazy, perhaps it's his beady eyes which seem to be set just a tad too close together, or his close cropped haircut, which gives him a bit of a pinhead appearance. The combination bestows upon him the aura of sewer rat. A rat who is a few cards short of a full deck. His stunt work during the final chase is excellent. He started making films with an 8mm camera, he was an Army photographer serving in Korea. He also spent a year at the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Astoria, Queens with the Army Pictorial Service of the Signal Corps before driving to Hollywood to try and break into the "Big Time". He worked on Timothy Carey's The World's Greatest Sinner becoming director of photography. He ended up in the B and independent film circuit working for Arch Hall Sr.'s Fairway Pictures. In 1963 he co-produced his first solo film, The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies, co-starring his then wife, Carolyn Brandt. Filmed for a budget of $38,000, the film was photographed by cinematographer Joseph V. Mascelli with at that time newcomers László Kovács and Vilmos Zsigmond as camera operators. Liz Renay is the films eye candy. As the ex movie star now artist/housewife she'll remind you of a more voluptuous Ginger (Tina Louise) from Gilligan's Island, however at 38 this Ginger is nearing the end of her starlet shelf life. Liz admirably provides the films hints of T&A. She is also excellent doing her own stunt work scrambling barefoot over the grass, sage scrub, and chaparral mountain sides during the films final chase sequences. When she gets all that she got going for her in motion, in a barely concealing slinky sheath dress it's hard to take your eyes off Liz, you expect her to fall out that dress at any moment. Renay was born Pearl Elizabeth Dobbins, to "evangelical parents." She broke bad running away from home and won a Marilyn Monroe lookalike contest. She then became a showgirl during World War II. Liz eventually became a squeeze to Los Angeles hoodster Mickey Cohen. After his arrest she refused to sing to the cops and was sentenced to a trey in Terminal Island prison. Later she became a stripper, and performed a mother-daughter strip act. She wrote a tell all book titled "My First 2,000 Men." The rest of the cast of Hollywood castoffs are good enough to varying degrees. Watch for Titus Moede's ridiculous "Yes" man, he also plays the motorcycle cop at the final denouement. Joseph Bardo is convincing as the struggling actor though it probably wasn't much of a stretch for him ditto for George J. Morgan. Bardo, Liz Renay and Gary Kent have some exciting fight and flight sequences. Don't expect much and you'll be amazed at what can be done for peanuts. Screencaps are from the Shriek Show 2004 DVD. Also known as The Maniacs Are Loose! 7/10 More screencaps here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-thrill-killers-1964-socal-film.html

I Mobster (1959) Directed by Roger Corman stars Steve Cochran, Lita Milan, Robert Strauss, Lili St. Cyr, Grant Withers and Yvette Vickers. Could have been a lot better than it is, shot without much style till the end chase in the night time wrecking yard where it goes a bit noirs-ish. Lili St. Cyr does her famous bathtub strip, unfortunately it's 1959 and you just get the jist of what it was. Entertaining enough though 6/10.

The Iceman (2012) Bio Noir A Bio Noir film based on the true story of longtime New Jersey hitman Richard Kuklinski. The film was directed by Ariel Vromen. Based on the book by written by Anthony Bruno and the documentary by James Thebaut, the screenplay was written by Morgan Land and Ariel Vromen. The cinematography was by Bobby Bukowski (Arlington Road (1999)). The music was by Haim Mazar. It's Michael Shannon's film all the way, he plays a 180 from the somewhat dysfunctional alkie detective in The Missing Person. His is a powerful performance, he exudes dread, while displaying a normal perfectly composed exterior to his family and friends. If you saw this guy he plays on the sidewalk you'd cross to the other side ot the street. The rest of the cast is pretty much pitch perfect, with performances that punctuate the various sequences. The cinematography and production design recreates beautifully the grimey NY-NJ metro area of 60s,70s, 80s. 7/10 Full review with screencaps here onfilm noir board and with more screencaps here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-iceman-2012-bio-noir.html

The Iceman (2012) Bio Noir A Bio Noir film based on the true story of longtime New Jersey hitman Richard Kuklinski. The film was directed by Ariel Vromen. Based on the book by written by Anthony Bruno and the documentary by James Thebaut, the screenplay was written by Morgan Land and Ariel Vromen. The cinematography was by Bobby Bukowski (Arlington Road (1999)). The music was by Haim Mazar. The film stars Michael Shannon (The Missing Person (2009), Nocturnal Animals (2016)) as Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski, Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice (1988), Night on Earth (1991)) as Deborah Kuklinski, Chris Evans (Snowpiercer (2013)) as Robert "Mr. Freezy" Pronge, Ray Liotta (The New Mike Hammer TV Series (1984–1989), Something Wild (1986), Goodfellas (1990), Cop Land (1997), Hannibal (2001), Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)) as Roy DeMeo, James Franco as Marty Freeman, David Schwimmer (NYPD Blue TV Series (1993–2005),American Crime Story TV Series (2016– )) as Josh Rosenthal, John Ventimiglia (Cop Land (1997), The Notorious Bettie Page (2005), The Sopranos TV Series (1999–2007), The Missing Person (2009) ) as Mickey Scicoli, Robert Davi (Gangster Wars (1981), City Heat (1984), Die Hard (1988)) as Leo Marks and Stephen Dorff as Joseph Kuklinski. Kuklinsky (Shannon) Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski looks somewhat normal on the outside, but he's seriously bent, totally wacked, a nutjob, crazier than a **** house rat. He is a ****, I mean a real total ****, but he's a **** with principles, he doesn't kill women or children. He compartmentalised his life, a good principled family man in one slot, a dubber for bootlegged pornographic films (he tells his wife (Ryder) he's working on Disney cartoons) in another, and a cold blooded mob killer in the next. He had a Polish immigrant father who brutally beat both him and his brother (Dorff). The film barely touches on this. But we get the message and all it's implications quick. We see him cut the throat of a guy who just insulted his future wife after a game of pool. His own seriously **** up brother Joseph (whom he never tells his wife about and he himself basically disowns) is serving time for **** and murdering a twelve-year-old girl. Roy DeMeo (Ray Liotta), is a Jersey mob boss. DeMeo is **** because his dubbed pornfilm product is late. He decides to visit his operation to see what's what. He confronts Kuklinski who stands up for himself. It's never explained but the porn film biz is going down the tubes, perhaps DeMeo is seeing the future in VHS tapes. DeMeo is closing down his porn lab, Kuklinski is out of a job. DeMeo sees a bit of potential a bit of spark in this hard case ex employee. He gives him a test, he hands him a gun and tells him to kill a homeless man. Richard passes with flying colors. Mickey Scicoli (Ventimiglia) lt. and Kuklinsky Roy DeMeo (Liotta) Josh Rosenthal (Schwimmer) Richard begins a new career. It's basically Murder, Inc. All goes well until Kuklinski lets a teenage girl (who was hiding in a closet) live after he whacks a porn photographer. Killing women and children is against his principles. Interestingly this taboo against killing women led to the demise of Vince Edwards in the Classic Film Noir Murder by Contract (1958). Anyway letting this witness live puts his **** in the wringer. DeMeo, cuts him off, puts him "on suspension." Kuklinski, after a few months in dry dock begins to go bonkers (if that's even possible). He gets into fights with his wife, and gets a serious case of road rage when he get's into a fender bender. During his "active" period he'd met another hit for the mob Robert "Mr. Freezy" Pronge (based on Robert "Mister Softee" Pronge) who drives around in an ice cream truck. Pronge does contract assassinations for DeMeo's boss Leo Marks (Robert Davi). I remember the ice cream truck coming around to my neighborhood as a kid growing up in Astoria, Queens in the 50s and 60s. Mr. Softee eventually replaced the Bungalow Bar ice cream trucks. Bungalow Bar sold hard ice cream, while Mr. Softee sold twistie soft ice cream and the trucks were modern self contained soda fountains. Hell, for all I know, I may have bought some ice cream from Pronge, lol. Kuklinski remembers Pronge, seeks him out, and asks him if he could sub contract sort of "freelance" for him. Kuklinski will take all the chances on the hits and they'll split the disposal work and the profits. Part of the genius of the operation was that Pronge and Kuklinski would use the ice cream truck to transport the victims and the freezer at the ice cream warehouse to store the bodies for indefinite periods of time. ., Robert "Mr. Freezy" Pronge ( Evans) Of course it all goes even more Noirsville. DeMeo eventually finds out about Kuklinski's self employment. Kuklinski kills Marks when he threatens his family, and when Kuklinski's daughter is hit by a hit and run driver he suspects it was done by Pronge, who he kills. In 1986 Kuklinski is caught up in a sting operation and put out of business. Noirsville It's Michael Shannon's film all the way, he plays a 180 from the somewhat dysfunctional alkie detective in The Missing Person. His is a powerful performance, he exudes dread, while displaying a normal perfectly composed exterior to his family and friends. If you saw this guy he plays on the sidewalk you'd cross to the other side ot the street. The rest of the cast is pretty much pitch perfect, with performances that punctuate the various sequences. The cinematography and production design recreates beautifully the grimey NY-NJ metro area of 60s,70s, 80s. Screencaps are from the Millennium 2014 DVD. 7/10 Full review with more screencaps here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-iceman-2012-bio-noir.html

The Arnelo Affair (1947) A woman's Noir Directed by Arch Oboler with John Hodiak, George Murphy, Frances Gifford and Dean Stockwell. Entertaining enough though predictable. 6/10

John Hodiak and Anne Baxter going to a costume party

Tell Me In The Sunlight (1965) Sweet & Sleazy Directed by Steve Cochran. Writing Credits go to Steve Cochran, Jo Heims, and Robert Stevens. The cinematography was by Rod Yould and the music by Michael Andersen. In Nassau in the Bahamas, an American Supercargo on leave picks up a beautiful exotic dancer for a casual fling, but falls in love with her in spite of having just met her. She seems to feel the same way for him, but she already has a boyfriend. This leads to an awkward and unpredictable love triangle that could become dangerous. (from IMDb) A must see for Steve Cochran fans. 7/10 Complete review with NSFW screencaps here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/03/tell-me-in-sunlight-1965-sweet-sleazy.html

Tell Me In The Sunlight (1965) Sweet & Sleazy Tell Me In The Sunlight was Directed by Steve Cochran. Writing Credits go to Steve Cochran, Jo Heims, and Robert Stevens. The cinematography was by Rod Yould and the music by Michael Andersen. In Nassau in the Bahamas, an American Supercargo on leave picks up a beautiful exotic dancer for a casual fling, but falls in love with her in spite of having just met her. She seems to feel the same way for him, but she already has a boyfriend. This leads to an awkward and unpredictable love triangle that could become dangerous. (from IMDb) The film stars Steve Cochran (The Chase (1946), White Heat (1949), The Damned Don't Cry (1950), Highway 301 (1950), Storm Warning (1951), Tomorrow Is Another Day (1951), Private Hell 36 (1954), Il Grido (1957), I Mobster (1959), The Beat Generation (1959), ) is excellent, he's weathered and a bit rough around the edges and fits the part admirably. Shary Marshall (Panic in Year Zero! (1962), Your Cheatin' Heart (1964), The Street Is My Beat (1966)) is an eye opener, she's totally believable as the stranded beauty who uses her body to make a life for herself. She's a natural talent and you have to really wonder **** happened to derail her career. I wouldn't be surprised if the death of Cochran and the delay of the release of this film had something to do with it. The rest of the cast has some nice vignettes Jay Robinson plays a friendly Nassau Barber. Dave Bondu is the cheapskate club owner Alex, who fines his strippers for various infractions. Patricia Wolf is earthy as Julie's fellow stranded dance trooper Chata who does her strip to "Beautiful Dreamer." George Hopkins plays is one of Dave's laidback shipboard buddies Tony, along Rockne Tarkington who plays the black lothario Rocky. Jill Walden plays Carol the pregnant girl in the park who is thinking of committing suicide, and George Roberts is the young pickpocket. Dave (Steve Cochran) Julie (Shary Matshall) Screencaps are from the 2009 Televista DVD. A must see for Steve Cochran fans. 7/10 Complete review with more NSFW screencaps here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/03/tell-me-in-sunlight-1965-sweet-sleazy.html "Home....too far away... too far back."

The Friends Of Eddie Coyle (1973) New England Neo Noir With friends like these you don't need enemies. Directed by Peter Yates (Bullitt (1968)). Screenplay by Paul Monash based on the book by George V. Higgins. Cinematography by Victor J. Kemper and Music by Dave Grusin (The Long Goodbye (1973), The Nickel Ride (1974), Mulholland Falls (1996)). The film stars Robert Mitchum (veteran of eight Classic Noir, and, Cape Fear (1962)The Yakuza (1974), Farewell My Lovely (1975), The Big Sleep (1978), ), Peter Boyle (Crazy Joe (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), Hardcore (1979), Hammett (1982)), Richard Jordan (Naked City TV Series (1958–1963), The Yakuza (1974), Delusion (1991)), Alex Rocco (Motorpsycho! (1965), The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967), The Godfather (1972)), Steven Keats (Death Wish (1974), Black Sunday (1977)), Mitchell Ryan (Dark Shadows TV Series (1966–1971)TV ), Electra Glide in Blue (1973), and Joe Santos (Flesh and Lace (1965), The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Blue Thunder (1983), The Sopranos TV Series (1999–2007)). Eddie "Fingers" Coyle Eddie "Fingers" Coyle (Mitchum). A small time wiseguy. Lives in an older, rundown, Dorchester, Boston neighborhood. He's got a wife and three kids. Eddie's got loads of "friends." Currently he's a middleman supplying untraceable guns to a bunch of freelance goomba bank robbers Jimmy Scalise (Rocco) and Artie Van (Santos). The gunrunner is Jackie Brown (Keats). Jackie runs around in a muscle car a 1971 Plymouth Road Runner. Jackie gets his goods from a junkie who boosts what Jackie needs from gun shops up in New Hampshire. When Eddie gets anxious about the next "package" Jackie asks Eddie why he's in such a hurry? Eddie 'Fingers' Coyle: One of the first things I learned is never to ask a man why he's in a hurry. All you got to know is I told the man that he could depend on me because you told me I could depend on you. Now one of us is gonna have a big fat problem. Another thing I learned. If anybody's gonna have a problem, you're gonna be the one. Jackie Brown: You finished? Eddie 'Fingers' Coyle: No, I am not finished. Look, I'm gettin' old, you hear? I spent most of my life hanging around crummy joints with a buncha punks drinkin' the beer, eatin' the hash and the hot dogs and watchin' the other people go off to Florida while I'm sweatin' out how I'm gonna pay the plumber. I done time and I stood up but I can't take no more chances. Next time, it's gonna be me goin' to Florida. Dillon (Boyle) Eddie Coyle is also a stoolie. He feeds lawman Dave Foley (Jordan) underworld table scraps hoping to get out of doing time for a truck jacking job he got pinched for up in New Hampshire. That job was supposed to be "a pipe", easy money. Coyle did it for for another mobbed up hood named Dillon (Boyle). Dillon runs a downtown bar, but he doesn't have the liquor license. That license is held by a third party. Dillon is also a freelance hit man and he's passing info to Foley too. Eeh, forgedaboudit, this outfit is the "gang that couldn't shoot straight." There is no honor among these thieves. When it comes down to the wire for his date at court, Eddie Coyle tries to get some bargaining chips from Foley. Eddie 'Fingers' Coyle: I was thinkin' in terms of you maybe talkin' to the prosecutor up there, and havin' him drop a word to the judge how I been helpin' my Uncle like a bastard? Dave Foley: Well, I would. But then again you haven't been. Eddie 'Fingers' Coyle: What? I gave you a couple of calls. Dave Foley: Yeah, you give me some real stuff, too. You tell me about a guy that's gonna get hit, 15 minutes later he gets hit. You tell me about some guys on a job, but you don't tell me till their coming out the door with the money. That's not helping Uncle, Eddie. You gotta put your whole soul into it. Eddie in desperation feeds Foley a tip about a hippie couple who wants to buy machine guns. He rats out Jackie. When Foley tells him that it's not enough, Eddie then rats out Scalise and Van, but Foley has already arrested them from a tip he got through Dillon. Eddie 'Fingers' Coyle: I shoulda known better than to trust a cop. My own **** mother coulda told me that. Dave Foley: Everybody oughta listen to his mother. A mob enforcer meets with Dillon who tells him that Scalise thinks Eddie Coyle fingered them to the cops. Dillon isn't going argue since that will take the heat off him. The mob wants Eddie dead and Dillon is picked to do the hit. Mitchum eyes perpetually at half mast now gives off a look more world weary than that of a cool nonchalance of his earlier roles. He's very convincing as the two time loser faced with doing some serious time. Boyle is good as the unassuming, under the radar, hit man. Rocco is believable as the lead bank robber, Santos equally as his second banana. Keats steals all the scenes he's in, and Jordan plays the manipulating lawman well. The film really captures the ambiance of the dives and dumps of the South end of Boston in the early 1970's. Screenshots are from the Criterion DVD. 7/10 Full review with more screenshots here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-friends-of-eddie-coyle-1973-new.html

Check out The Yakuza (1974) also