cigarjoe
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Posts posted by cigarjoe
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A Gun, a Car, a Blonde (1997) New Age Noir
Directed, produced and written by Stefani Ames (along with Tom Epperson The Gift (2000), One False Move (1992). The cinematography was by Carlos Gaviria and the excellent melodious jazz score was by Harry Manfredini and Frank Palmieri. The film is sort of a tongue-in-cheek riff on The Singing Detective (1986), Hammett (1982), also possibly a pinch of Slaughterhouse Five (1972), and an homage to Classic Film Noir like The Woman in the Window (1944), and a few others, with a pinch of TV's The Twilight Zone thrown in for good measure.
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"RIFIFI" (love that title but still not quite sure what the appropriate English translation is: "rough and tumble"? "pitched battle" ?))
Original title Du rififi chez les hommes, so you could directly translate it as "The rough and tumble house of men" but I would say a simpler one word title could be Roughnecks.
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Cats don't normally have storylines in movies (Breakfast at Tiffany's is an exception) and are easily forgotten about once the plot kicks in....particularly outdoor cats.
Harry and Tonto (1974)
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Le Corbeau (1943) directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, small town French village doctor becomes target of poison-pen letters sent to village leaders, accusing him of having various affairs and practicing abortion. 7/10
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Jigsaw 1949 agree a dissapointment
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Flesh and Lace (1965) Kinky Dive Bar NoirA cheap masterpiece of the sleazy side of Noir, in what could not be more appropriate, an independent "B" feature, shot somewhere in the bowels of NYC.
Go Go Dive Bar
Flesh and Lace has been pigeonholed into the genre of film dubbed Sexploitation and it's small sub genre "The Roughie". But now, looking back on it, through the lens of time, you will see that it will easily surpass in feel and cinematic style most modern Film Noir trying to achieve that very zeitgeist of the late 50s early 60s. The real deal is always better than an imagined recreation of the past, rough edges, warts and all.What stood out as exploitive then, is commonplace R fare now, today's films just have bigger budgets better actors and are more polished. Other than T&A there is no sex in Flesh and Lace and just like during the Classic Noir era, it's what's implied that's more effective than what is shown. It doesn't get any noir-er than this, even the "hero" is a warped sleazeball.Flesh and Lace would make a good double bill with Aroused (1966) another great New York City late Noir. 7/10A P.S., One thing you have to keep in mind when exploring the Sexploitation catch all genre, especially when searching for reviews is that reviewers reviewing Sexpliotation are usually looking for just that sexploitation, films that are rated low, are so sometimes because they don't quite fit into this pigeonhole, those are the films that may be Noirs that just went over the edge. You can keep in mind the same when searching the Horror Genre for lost Noirs. A recent good example is the recently reviewed Stark Fear and Fright the first labeled on IMDb as a Drama/Thriller and the second labeled as a Horror.*The full NSFW review with Screencaps from Something Weird Video's release here http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/02/flesh-and-lace-1965-kinky-dive-bar-noir.html
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Flesh and Lace (1965) Kinky Dive Bar NoirA cheap masterpiece of the sleazy side of Noir, in what could not be more appropriate, an independent "B" feature, shot somewhere in the bowels of NYC.Flesh and Lace has been pigeonholed into the genre of film dubbed Sexploitation and it's small sub genre "The Roughie". But now, looking back on it, through the lens of time, you will see that it will easily surpass in feel and cinematic style most modern Film Noir trying to achieve that very zeitgeist of the late 50s early 60s. The real deal is always better than an imagined recreation of the past, rough edges, warts and all.What stood out as exploitive then, is commonplace R fare now, today's films just have bigger budgets better actors and are more polished. Other than T&A there is no sex in Flesh and Lace and just like during the Classic Noir era, it's what's implied that's more effective than what is shown. It doesn't get any noir-er than this, even the "hero" is a warped sleazeball.Flesh and Lace would make a good double bill with Aroused (1966) another great New York City late Noir. 7/10A P.S., One thing you have to keep in mind when exploring the Sexploitation catch all genre, especially when searching for reviews is that reviewers reviewing Sexpliotation are usually looking for just that sexploitation, films that are rated low, are so sometimes because they don't quite fit into this pigeonhole, those are the films that may be Noirs that just went over the edge. You can keep in mind the same when searching the Horror Genre for lost Noirs. A recent good example is the recently reviewed Stark Fear and Fright the first labeled on IMDb as a Drama/Thriller and the second labeled as a Horror.*The full NSFW review with Screencaps from Something Weird Video's release here http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/02/flesh-and-lace-1965-kinky-dive-bar-noir.html
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Stark Fear (1962) Hokie Okie Oil Patch Noir
Directed by Ned Hockman his only film. Written by Dwight V. Swain. The absolutely horrible music was by Lawrence V. Fisher and John Williams (Valley of the Dolls (1967), Images (1972), Star Wars (1977)). Cinematography was by Robert Bethar.Beverly Garland is very convincing as the confused, and conflicted wife who takes all the blame on herself for her failed marriage. Probably part of the confusion can be attributed to director Ned Hockman working on his first and only feature. Skip Homeier, to me anyway, in every thing I've ever seen him in, looks like a complete nut case, much like Lee Van Cleef always had an aura of evil in his beady eyed stare, Homeire emits a radiation of lethal lunacy. Kenneth Tobey's Cliff is decent as Ellen's paramour. He always played a second fiddle in "A" pictures, he's not really leading man material but with the whole film being set in Oklahoma we are not Hollywood after all, Dorothy, we are in "B" and "C" wood. Hannah Stone as Ruth also nails your typical homely MidWest busybody girlfriend, you could run into her type, typically as a waitress, in any beanery in the 50s, 60s and 70s. some of her lines are unintentionally hilarious.Stark Fear is also unique in that it may be the only noir to ever feature a Native American Pow Wow in it's plot. The score sounds like it should be the background music for a travelog of some Bavarian Oktoberfest. The film is a curiosity, a guilty pleasure, worth a watch but nothing essential 6/10.Released by Oldies.Com video, its part of a double bill with Fright. It is also available from Something Weird Video's Six Weird Noir DVD. Fuller review in Film Noir/Gangster thread and with screencaps here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/02/stark-fear-1962-hokie-okie-oil-patch.html
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Stark Fear (1962) Hokie Okie Oil Patch Noir
Directed by Ned Hockman his only film. Written by Dwight V. Swain. The absolutely horrible music was by Lawrence V. Fisher and John Williams (Valley of the Dolls (1967), Images (1972), Star Wars (1977)). Cinematography was by Robert Bethar.
The film stars Beverly Garland (D.O.A. (1950), The Glass Web (1953), New Orleans Uncensored (1955), The Desperate Hours (1955), Sudden Danger (1955)) as Ellen Winslow, Skip Homeier (Black Widow (1954), Cry Vengeance (1954)) as Gerald Winslow, Kenneth Tobey (He Walked by Night (1948), The File on Thelma Jordon (1950), Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950), Angel Face (1953), Cry Terror! (1958), Marlowe (1969) ) as Cliff Kane Hannah Stone as Ruth, and George Clow, Paul Scovil, Edna Newman, John Arville, Cortez Ewing, Barbara Freeman, Darlene Dana Reno.
Oklahoma City. Ellen Winslow (Garland) is unhappily married to abusive, sadistic, alcoholic, possible latent ****, momma's boy, total wacko, husband Gerry (Homeier). It's Gerry's birthday and Ellen has bought him a birthday cake and a new lace bra to spice up their relationship. Gerry is extremely ticked off that Ellen agreed to work for for is past business rival Cliff Kane (Tobey). Cliff develops oil fields with his senior business partner Joe Vincent. When Gerry sees the new bra he assumes she bought to to flirt with Cliff. Gerry makes Ellen call Cliff to tell him she's quitting her job.
Ellen (Beverly Garland)
Gerry (Skip Homeier) Gerry and Ellen then engage in some makeup sex only Gerry stops, coitus interruptus. Has he got "plumbing" problems? He announces to Ellen that he's getting a divorce for his birthday accusing her of being a tramp. After Ellen runs out of the house Gerry disappears. When Ellen inquires at Gerry's office as to his whereabouts, she discovers from his boss that he has taken a month’s unpaid vacation.
Ellen, trying to find Gerry before he gets himself fired traces, through their mutual friend Ruth, Gerry's old girlfriend Elizabeth "Liz" Cromwell. Liz Cromwell apparently operates what looks like a cat house for roughnecks. Liz gives Ellen the first big shock when she tells her that Gerry is not from Pennsylvania as he told her but from Quada, Oklahoma. Ellen also finds out that Gerry's best friend is Harvey Suggett. So now she has a place to look and a contact.
Unfortunately, Ellen, is taken for "new talent" by the leering Johns at Liz's Cat House. A fight breaks out and Chief, a half Cherokee, half Polack roughneck is the victor and Ellen becomes the spoils. Ellen is about to be "plowed" but resourcefully she breaks a handy bottle of booze in Chief's face and makes her escape.
fleeing the whorehouse
Ellen heads off to Quada hoping to find either Gerry or Harvey. She's a fish out of water in Quadda, a bit too sophisticated for the backwater flyspeck. She finds Harvey who, though married, is a drunk and a notorious womanizer. Harvey takes Ellen to the town graveyard to supposedly "show her something". He tries to seduce her.
That evening Ellen is surprised by an angry Gerry who again calls her a tramp and threatens her. She jumps out of her car and is chased by both Gerry and Harvey. It's Harvey who catches her. He forces her into his truck and takes her to a Cherokee Pow Wow, a "stomp dance" he calls it. Ellen escapes but is again caught in the nearby town graveyard and raped brutally by Harvey, while Gerry looks on from his mother's grave.
Harvey **** Ellen on a grave Ellen overcomes this traumatic experience by going full bore into her work for Cliff. This brings them very close together and a mutual attraction is very much evident when they take a break to visit Cliff's home town the resort /tourist trap Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Ellen however, cools the emotional embers down because she still feels that it's her fault that her marriage to Gerry failed.
Cliff (Tobey) and Ellen Everything of course all goes to Noirsville, when Gerry arranges a bit of deadly mischief at the El Nora Motel.
Noirsville
Gerry (Homeier) watching the rape of Ellen from his mother's tombstone
Beverly Garland is very convincing as the confused, and conflicted wife who takes all the blame on herself for her failed marriage. Probably part of the confusion can be attributed to director Ned Hockman working on his first and only feature. Skip Homeier, to me anyway, in every thing I've ever seen him in, looks like a complete nut case, much like Lee Van Cleef always had an aura of evil in his beady eyed stare, Homeire emits a radiation of lethal lunacy. Kenneth Tobey's Cliff is decent as Ellen's paramour. He always played a second fiddle in "A" pictures, he's not really leading man material but with the whole film being set in Oklahoma we are not Hollywood after all, Dorothy, we are in "B" and "C" wood. Hannah Stone as Ruth also nails your typical homely MidWest busybody girlfriend, you could run into her type, typically as a waitress, in any beanery in the 50s, 60s and 70s. some of her lines are unintentionally hilarious.
Stark Fear is also unique in that it may be the only noir to ever feature a Native American Pow Wow in it's plot. The score sounds like it should be the background music for a travelog of some Bavarian Oktoberfest. The film is a curiosity, a guilty pleasure, worth a watch but nothing essential 6/10.
Screencaps above are from thre Oldies.Com video, its part of a double bill with Fright. It is also available from Something Weird Video's Six Weird Noir DVD. Full review with screencaps here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/02/stark-fear-1962-hokie-okie-oil-patch.html -
Hey CigarJoe, did you know that "The Panic In Needle Park" was adapted from a two-part February 1965 Life Magazine story about two young addicts named Karen and John? I grew up in that neighborhood, read that article and started hanging around "Needle Park"
which was at 71Street and Broadway, officially known as Verdi Square.
I Had a girlfriend that lived on 72nd Street just down the block from The Dakota.
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Panic In Needle Park (1971) Al Pacino, Kitty Winn, Raul Julia, Joe Santos, and Paul Sorvino. A slice of life of the heroin addicts who frequent "Needle Park" (Sherman Square at 72nd and Broadway) in New York City. Never caught it when it premiered, interesting film on Netflix streaming 7/10
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Along comes Netflix and... Surprise! SUBS! This Netflix streaming version displays subtitles for all non-English speech including: German and Russian dialog, Latin funeral rites, the play that Anna appears in, and even for characters in the movie in the theater where Holly and Anna are hiding! And these subs can't be turned off, so it's an altered version of the movie - The Third Man Netflix Version.
That s-u-x, you always had to just guess the intent of what the others were saying much like Holly Martins had too.
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Fright (1956) Fringe Noir - Lost Noir
We can call it a Psychological Noir, a Fringe Noir, a Tail Fin Noir "C" movie cheapo. Shot in Hunters Point and Long Island City, New York. It's a film mistakenly dumped into the horror genre, probably because it's director, (who BTW is the brother of director Billy Wilder), finished his career making SiFi and Creature Features.Directed by W. Lee Wilder (The Glass Alibi (1946), The Pretender (1947), Once a Thief (1950), The Big Bluff (1955)) and written by his son Myles Wilder. Music was by Lew Davies, cinematography was by J. Burgi Contner.The film stars Eric Fleming (Rawhide TV Series (1959–1965) as Dr. James Hamilton, Nancy Malone as Ann Summers, Frank Marth (Telefon (1977)) as George Morley, Norman McKay as Inspector Blackburn, Humphrey Davis as Prof. Charles Gore, and and Ned Glass (The Damned Don't Cry (1950), Storm Warning (1951)) as the Taxi Driver.Other Noirs that dealt with hypnotism, Fear in the Night (1947), and Whirlpool (1950), are better known but Fright, fits in nicely with them in a low budget sort of way. Another film that I just recently watched The Hypnotic Eye (1960), is also very noir-ish but it actually does cross over line into the horror genre, whereas Fright does not. Fright is part of a double bill DVD from Alpha Home Entertainment, worth a watch for real New York City location Noir aficionados. 6/10Full review with more screencaps in Film Noir/Gangster and complete review here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/02/fright-1956-fringe-noir-lost-noir.html
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Fright (1956) Fringe Noir - Lost Noir
We can call it a Psychological Noir, a Fringe Noir, a Tail Fin Noir "C" movie cheapo. Shot in Hunters Point and Long Island City, New York. It's a film mistakenly dumped into the horror genre, probably because it's director, (who BTW is the brother of director Billy Wilder), finished his career making SiFi and Creature Features.
Directed by W. Lee Wilder (The Glass Alibi (1946), The Pretender (1947), Once a Thief (1950), The Big Bluff (1955)) and written by his son Myles Wilder. Music was by Lew Davies, cinematography was by J. Burgi Contner.
The film stars Eric Fleming (Rawhide TV Series (1959–1965) as Dr. James Hamilton, Nancy Malone as Ann Summers, Frank Marth (Telefon (1977)) as George Morley, Norman McKay as Inspector Blackburn, Humphrey Davis as Prof. Charles Gore, and and Ned Glass (The Damned Don't Cry (1950), Storm Warning (1951)) as the Taxi Driver.
The tale starts with the escape of a mass murderer George Morley (Marth) from a Welfare (Roosevelt) Island mental hospital. Morley is able to evade the cops and gets across the small bridge to Long Island City.
Welfare (Roosevelt) Island escape
Making his way South along the East River he eventually gets to the Pennsylvania Railroad Powerhouse on 2nd Street and 50th Avenue in Hunters Point.
50th Avenue with Pennsylvania RR Powerhouse, Hunters Point, NY He runs East up to Vernon Blvd., then he backtracks North to the Queensboro Bridge. He's spotted, caught in a searchlight. Morley is cornered on the pedestrian walkway at night by NYPD. Police activity causes a massive traffic jam and a crowd of rubberneckers. In a standoff Morley threatens to jump. Police Inspector Blackburn (McKay) with a bullhorn tries to talk him out of it.
The corner of 50th Avenue and Vernon Blvd.
Into this scene walks Dr. James Hamilton (Fleming), a Park Avenue psychiatrist (who apparently was stuck in traffic). Hamilton offers to see if he can talk Morley down. Using the police spotlight shining in Morley's eyes and the power of suggestion Hamilton is able to diffuse the situation. While this is all going on a young woman Ann Summers (Malone) caught in a taxi finds herself equally affected by Hamilton's authoritative voice and the power of suggestion.
Ann Summers (Malone) lt.
Summers begins to stalk Hamilton, wanting him to take her case. She has frequent blackouts, not remembering where she goes during those periods. Hamilton, who finds himself attracted to her is reluctant at first. He caves. Under hypnosis he discovers that Ann has a split personality, her other self being the German speaking Austrian Baroness Mary Vetsera, who was involved in the Mayerling Incident. The Mayerling Incident was the apparent murder–suicide of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria and Vetsera. However, from a recording of his hypnosis session with Ann, Hamilton's friend and colleague European historian Prof. Charles Gore, who speaks fluent German tells Hamilton that she is speaking imperfect German, hardly what a reincarnation of the Baroness would speak.
Interestingly the whole Mayerling angle storyline is no doubt injected into the film through the Wilder family's Austrian roots.
When Ann disappears again Hamilton tracks down her guardian, who tells him that as a child Ann was taken care of by an Austrian governess. This governess related the story of the Mayerling Incident to an impressionable Ann.
In order to bait Baroness Vetsera/Ann back to reality, Hamilton feeds the tabloids the story that mass murderer Morley is the reincarnation of Crown Prince Rudolf. He hypnotizes Morley into believing he is Prince Rudolf with the cooperation of the NYPD .
Hamilton Hypnotising
Ann/Vetsera
Other Noirs that dealt with hypnotism, Fear in the Night (1947), and Whirlpool (1950), are better known but Fright, fits in nicely with them in a low budget sort of way. Another film that I just recently watched The Hypnotic Eye (1960), is also very noir-ish but it actually does cross over line into the horror genre, whereas Fright does not. Fright is part of a double bill DVD from Alpha Home Entertainment, worth a watch for real New York City location Noir aficionados. 6/10Review with more screencaps here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/02/fright-1956-fringe-noir-lost-noir.html
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Are you serious on this? That movie oriented website easily ranks among the top (3) on the entire net!
WHY ARE THEY NOW DESTROYING SOMETHING ELSE???
Which post are you replying to?
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The Fallen Idol (1948) Kid Noir
The Fallen Idol tells the story of Baines the butler through Philippe, the nine year old son of a French diplomat. Haines working in a foreign embassy in London falls under suspicion when his wife accidentally falls to her death, the only witness being an impressionable young boy.The cinematography of the flee in the night through the cobblestone streets of London will remind you of similar sequences in Vienna in The Third Man.The only other Kids Noir that readily comes to mind is The Window (1949), these two films would make great introductions to children to the Noir style. 8/10Review with screencaps in Film Noir Gangster thread and with even more screencaps from the Criterion DVD here:http://http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-fallen-idol-1948-kid-noir.html
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The Fallen Idol (1948) Kid Noir
Directed by Carol Reed (Odd Man Out (1947), The Third Man (1949), The Man Between (1953)) and based on the short story "The Basement Room", by Graham Greene. The Screenplay was by Graham Greene with additional dialogue by Lesley Storm and William Templeton. The excellent cinematography was by Georges Périnal (Blood Of A Poet (1932), and the music was by William Alwyn (The Long Memory (1953), A Night To Remember (1958).
The film stars Ralph Richardson (Our Man in Havana (1959)) as Baines, Michèle Morgan (Port of Shadows (1938) Le quai des brumes (original title)) as Julie, Sonia Dresdel (The Clouded Yellow (1950)) as Mrs. Baines, Bobby Henrey as Philippe, Denis O'Dea (Odd Man Out (1947), Niagara (1953)), as Chief Inspector Crowe, and Jack Hawkins (The Cruel Sea (1953)), as Detective Ames.
Philippe (Henrey) The Fallen Idol tells its story through Philippe, the nine year old son of a French diplomat. His mother has been very sick and with his father's diplomatic duties keeping him often away, Philippe has the run of a huge diplomatic embassy in the off hours. His fantasy world consists of a pet snake named MacGregor, which he carries with him in the private living area above the palatial great rooms.
His playhouse is the whole of the embassy with its many levels, rooms, and passageways. Philippe spies down upon all, from behind shadowy staircase banisters, through room high windows, and the private resident balconies. Secrets are learned from bits of conversations eavesdropped on phone calls and staying up past his bedtime.
Philippe idolizes Baines his father's butler. Baines keeps the boy entertained with tall tales of his harrowing exploits in Africa, shooting lions in hunting safaris, quelling restless natives, etc., etc. However, Baines is just a fanciful story teller who is unhappily married to a shrew of a wife who keeps the embassy household staff terrorised.
Julie (Morgan ) and Baines (Richardson)
Baines is in love with Julie another member of the embassy staff, and when Philippe follows Baines to a cafe after work and finds Baines and Julie together, Baines tells him that Julie is his niece. After Baines has a fight with his wife over Julie, she accidentally falls two stories to her death from a window sill at the end of a landing where she went to spy on Baines and Julie. Her body lays near the bottom of a staircase. Philippe witnessed the beginning of the fight at the top of the stairs, and assumes that Baines has murdered her by pushing her down the stairway. Philippe runs off into Noirsville
Noirsville
Mrs. Baines (Dredsel)
When the police investigations begin, Baines tries to keep Julie out of it, and Philippe attempts to help Baines, but all these clumsy evasions and lies only get Baines into hot water with Scotland Yard. It looks like murder.
Richardson's Baine is great as the likeable, efficient, head of the household staff, and he's sort of a surrogate father figure for Philippe. Dresdel as the jealous sourpuss wife is truly vile. Morgan plays Julie both sweet and weepy. Henrey plays the impressionable Philippe to perfection, he is both innocent and trusting, there are no false notes. The rest of the cast are equally enjoyable to watch, the two washer women of the household staff, a London bobby, a lady of the night, and the detectives of Scotland Yard.
The cinematography of the flee in the night through the cobblestone streets of London will remind you of similar sequences in Vienna in The Third Man.
The only other Kids Noir that readily comes to mind is The Window (1949), these two films would make great introductions to children to the Noir style. 8/10Review with more screencaps from the Criterion DVD here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-fallen-idol-1948-kid-noir.html
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It"s not overrated think about it, English, German, and Russian spoken no subs, a great International Noir if there ever was one. 10/10
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I am repeating the list of film noir and neo-noir characteristics (borrowings) we have been using to investigate neo-noir. Please use as many or as few characteristics as you like to discuss neo-noir. I started the discussion thread as a way to continue applying what we learned in Dr. Edwards’s course, TCM Presents Into the Darkness: Investigating Film Noir (aka Summer of Darkness: Investigating Film Noir).
And in contrast (for those interested and for discussion) here is a chronological list of the Neo Noirs that strongly emphasize the Visual and Stylistic aspects of Classic Noir. If they don't have these aspects they are NIPOs, Noir In Plot Only. I feel that Marianne's lineup weighs the characteristic list entirely too equally. What got noir noticed in the first place was it's Visual characteristics, hence my emphasis on the Visual. Almost none of the Hollywood remakes of Classic Noirs get this aspect right. i.e., compare The Narrow Margin (1952) with it's action jazzed up remake of 1990.
Visual NEO-NOIR Chronological film list (a work in progress, I'll add more as I come across them)Never let Go (1960)The 3rd Voice (1960)Blast Of Silence (1961)Underworld USA (1961)Something Wild (1961)Cape Fear (1962)Experiment In Terror (1962)Private Property (1962)Satan in High Heels (1962)The Manchurian Candidate (1962)Shock Corridor (1962)Stark Fear (1962)Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)The Naked Kiss (1964)The Pawnbroker (1964)Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)Lorna (1964)The Glass Cage (1964)Angel's Flight (1965)Brainstorm (1965)Once A Thief (1965)The Love Drug (1965)Flesh and Lace (1965)Harper (1966)Aroused (1966)Mr. Buddwing (1966)In Cold Blood (1967)The Incident (1967)In The Heat Of The Night (1967)The Pick-Up (1968)Marlowe (1969)The Honeymoon Killers (1969)Darker Than Amber (1970)Shaft (1971)Across 110th Street (1971)The Getaway (1971)Get Carter (1971)Hickey & Boggs (1972)Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974)The Nickel Ride (1974)Lenny (1974)Road Movie (1974)The Drowning Pool (1975)Farewell My Lovely (1975)Night Moves (1975)Seven Beauties (1975)Taxi Driver (1976)Dressed to Kill (1980)Union City (1980)Body Heat (1981)Thief (1981)Blade Runner (1982)Hammett (1982)Blood Simple (1984)Paris, Texas (1984)Tightrope (1984)To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)Blue Velvet (1986)Angel Heart (1987)Siesta (1987)Slam Dance (1987)Kill Me Again (1989)The Grifters (1990)The Kill-Off (1990)The Hot Spot (1990)Wild At Heart (1990)Impulse (1990)Dick Tracy (1990)Delicatessen (1991)A Rage In Harlem (1991)Delusion (1991)Reservoir Dogs (1992)Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)The Public Eye (1992)Red Rock West (1993)Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)True Romance (1993)The Wrong Man (1993)China Moon (1994)The Last Seduction (1994)Pulp Fiction (1994)Natural Born Killers (1994)Blink (1994)Se7en (1995)Fargo (1996)Mulholland Falls (1996)Hit Me (1996)Jackie Brown (1997)L.A. Confidential (1997)Lost Highway (1997)This World, Then the Fireworks (1997)Dark City (1998)A Simple Plan (1998)The Big Lebowski (1998)Payback (1999)Night Train (1999)The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)Mulholland Drive (2001)Sin City (2005)Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)The Black Dahlia (2006)36 Quai des Orfèvres (2006)No Country For Old Men (2007)The Lookout (2007)Dark Country (2009)The Missing Person (2009)The Killer Inside Me (2010)Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (2014)Too Late (2015) -
White Sands (1992) Andy of Mayberry meets Marv and Jules
Deputy Sheriff Ray Dolezal (Willem Dafoe) has a dead body and a half million dollars sitting at the edge of the Rio Grande Gorge in the New Mexico desert.Willem Dafoe puts in a good performance but there is a lot of hesitation evident in which way the director wanted to go. M. Emmet Walsh's character is built up nicely then disappears entirely from the rest of the film, Dolezal's wife and son are treated likewise. Later two apparent lesbian goons assault Dolezal in a motel room then also are never really part of the film except as background. There are a lot of dead ends. Expectations are dangled in front of us but never followed through. White Sands, New Mexico, BTW, makes a very brief appearance in the last 5 minutes, what's upwith that?It probably would have worked better if it would stayed a bit simpler. The sum is not as good as it's parts, there was a good film in there someplace. 6.5/10 Full review in Film Noir/Gangster thread and with more screen caps here: http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/01/white-sands-1992-andy-of-mayberry-meets.html
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White Sands (1992) Andy of Mayberry meets Marv and Jules
Deputy Sheriff Ray Dolezal (Willem Dafoe) has a dead body and a half million dollars sitting at the edge of the Rio Grande Gorge in the New Mexico desert.
So begins White Sands a Film Soleil Noir directed by Roger Donaldson (The Getaway (1994)) and written by Daniel Pyne (Miami Vice (TV Series)1984 - 1986)). Cinematography was by Peter Menzies Jr. (The Getaway (1994)), and music by Patrick O'Hearn.
The film stars Willem Dafoe (To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Wild at Heart (1990)) as Ray Dolezal, Mickey Rourke (Body Heat (1981), Angel Heart (1987), Barfly (1987), Sin City (2005), Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)), as Gorman Lennox, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Scarface (1983), Slam Dance (1987)) as Lane Bodine, Samuel L. Jackson (Ragtime (1981), Sea of Love (1989), Goodfellas (1990), True Romance (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994), Hard Eight (1996), Jackie Brown (1997), ) as Greg Meeker, M. Emmet Walsh (Midnight Cowboy (1969), Serpico (1973), Blade Runner (1982), Blood Simple (1984)) as Bert Gibson, with James Rebhorn as Agent Flynn, Maura Tierney as Noreen, Beth Grant as Roz Kincaid, and Mimi Rogers as Molly Dolezal.
The film is initially captivating, the body, discovered by an Apache helicopter pilot hauling two amateur archaeologists, is lying in an adobe ruin, with his brains blown out. Coroner Bert Gibson declares "It's a suicide," made even more probable with the discovery of a half million dollars in an attache case. The banter between Gibson and Dolezal about Dolezal's new cowboy hat is amusing. This reprises later at the autopsy where a phone number is discovered on a piece of wax paper as part of the undigested stomach contents. The dead man is named Spencer.
Dolezal (Dafoe) and Gibson (Walsh)Normally in Classic Noir the protagonist starts to make stupid decisions that propel the film down the road to Noirsville. In White Sands though there are way too many of these implausibilities to believe. Combined that with interesting but un important characters that appear then just vanish and unnecessary plot complications and you have a film that goes a bit off the rails.
Noirsville
Arms Dealer, (Fred Thompson) lt.
Dolezal, posing as Spenser, calls variations of surrounding area codes plus the number and when he finally gets a connection he is instructed to go to a meeting set up at a motel. So what does he do?
He leaves his wife and son and drives off in his highly conspicuous blue 1966 Chevrolet Corvette, with a half million bucks without any backup to the meeting, implausibility number 1.
At the motel he is robbed by two women and instructed to meet a man named Gorman Lennox at a restaurant. FBI agent Greg Meeker intercepts Dolezal and informs him that Spenser was an undercover agent, an FBI mule carrying money for a payment. Since Dolezal has carelessly lost the money, Meeker tells Dolezal to posing as Spenser to recover the money or help arrest Lennox.
Dolezal meets Lennox (Rourke in a "That's one fine coat you're wearing" long coat) and his deal broker Lane Bodine. Since Lane knew Spencer she knows that Dolezal is an imposter, but since she gets a percentage of the deal she lets him slide implausibility number 2.
The money is for illegal arms. Needing more money when the arms merchants renege on the original deal, Dolezal has to romance Lane so she will attract rich humanitarian donors to fund the increase asking price on the deal implausibility number 3.
Willem Dafoe puts in a good performance but there is a lot of hesitation evident in which way the director wanted to go. M. Emmet Walsh's character is built up nicely then disappears entirely from the rest of the film, Dolezal's wife and son are treated likewise. Later two apparent lesbian goons assault Dolezal in a motel room then also are never really part of the film except as background. There are a lot of dead ends. Expectations are dangled in front of us but never followed through. White Sands, New Mexico, BTW, makes a very brief appearance in the last 5 minutes, what's up
with that?
It probably would have worked better if it would stayed a bit simpler. The sum is not as good as it's parts, there was a good film in there someplace. 6.5/10 Full review with more screen caps here http://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/01/white-sands-1992-andy-of-mayberry-meets.html -
The best so far that I've seen of the 2016 films is Fences Directed by Denzel Washington starring Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jim Bono, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, and Saniyya Sidney. Another SAG Screener. This one is good sort of a The Honeymooners meet A Streetcar Named Desire. 9/10
followed by distantly by Manchester By The Sea about a 7/10 but which I'll never watch again, on par with Arrival. I'll never watch that again either.
The others
Jackie
La La LandMoonlightI didn't really care for, I especially don't care for musicals.-
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Aside from Marvin, Akins, and Dickinson I really didn't like any of the characters in the '64 version.Cassavetes again looks like a demented Jerry Lewis grinning and slightly cross-eyed. I just can't take his character seriously. The racing sequences are way too long (but I'm not a racing fan so it may be different strokes for different folks) and TV production values pale this film in comparison to the 46 version. Again for me the look of the stylized Noir lighting and sets just puts the original in another class, its worth a look to see Ronald Reagan playing a crook entertaining 7/10.
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I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the score, along the lines of Barry Lyndon the score grows on you as it builds to a climax in the snow. it's an integral part of "the bleakest finale offered by any '40s movie."
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Recently watched Noir
in Film Noir--Gangster
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