Film-Noir Discussion/DVD Review Thread

[cigar joe]

On Dangerous Ground (1952) dir: Nicholas Ray, with Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Ward Bond, Charles Kemper, Anthony Ross, Ed Begley, Ian Wolfe, Sumner Williams, and Nita Talbot.

Just about every time I've caught this its been from the manhunt in the country sequence to the end. One time I saw the very beginning and never knew how it segued from the city to the countryside, I always assumed Ryan was chasing a crook.

Now I finally know the story, brutal cop with inner turmoil, get shipped to the rurales to help with a manhunt. Ends up seeing himself reflected in Ward Bond's revenge filled father character. Woman, Ida Lupino, soothes the savage beast. A pretty good noir with a nice juxtaposition of city/country images. Watch Nita Talbot's prostitute character in the bar as she looks Ryan up and down. 8.5/10. 

[dave jenkins]

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/dvd_reviews53/99_river_street.htm

[cigar joe]

 

[dave jenkins]

Best Blu-ray news of the year so far: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/308835/criterion-press-release-pale-flower-dvd

Not only is this in what I like to call Ultra-Noir (b&w in 'scope), it has that fabulous Takemitsu score.

Now, the wait.

[titoli]

The Big Steal (1949) Of course this is not a noir, but apparently somebody considers it to be, so here we are. This is one of the best chase movies I saw, it starts at 110 and keeps it until the end.  The end is a little awkward, overcomplicated and the episode of the mexican road workers idiotic. Still is vert enjoyable. 8\10

Review discussion continues here............: http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/forums/index.php?topic=1822.msg151132#msg151132

[Jill]

Odd Man Out (1947) - 8/10

Oh my, James Mason is beautiful in this! And he looks even better when suffering. And the athmosphere... perfect noirness.

I loved all those weird supporting characters - they aren't seen in movies lately. But they were somehow there in the French poetic realist films too. It's very close to those.

One thing that keeps it from 10: the ending could have been more dramatic if we'd actually see them on the ground from closer.

[T.H.]

The Big Steal (1949) Of course this is not a noir, but apparently somebody considers it to be, so here we are. This is one of the best chase movies I saw, it starts at 110 and keeps it until the end.  The end is a little awkward, overcomplicated and the episode of the mexican road workers idiotic. Still is vert enjoyable. 8\10

I love this movie but haven't seen it in a while. It is perfectly paced and a lot of fun.

Best Blu-ray news of the year so far: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/308835/criterion-press-release-pale-flower-dvd

Not only is this in what I like to call Ultra-Noir (b&w in 'scope), it has that fabulous Takemitsu score.

Now, the wait.

I never would have thought this would receive a bluray release. I love this movie so much I might not even wait for a sale.

[dave jenkins]

I never would have thought this would receive a bluray release. I love this movie so much I might not even wait for a sale.

You're all right, T.H. I don't care what titoli and Groggy say about you.

[Groggy]

You're all right, T.H. I don't care what titoli and Groggy say about you.

I've never said anything about T.H. He has an awesome signature anyway.

[T.H.]

My sig is pretty cool. Modesty be damned.

[cigar joe]

I remember seeing as a kid a Noir where the Noir Hero is a bad guy turned good at the end and the the film does take place around Christmas, but the Hero gets shot in a snowstorm and he dies outside on a set of stairs, I really remember liking it, but don't remember anything else about it though I did see it in a theater and it was B&W so it had to be late 50's early 60's. If it rings any bells give me a shout.

I finally think I may have tracked this one down I think it was back in 2006 that I posted this lol, It may be Sam Fuller's "Underworld U.S.A." 1961

Anybody seen this one lately?

[T.H.]

I saw it a few years ago but I remember that scene (something similar) occurring in the first five minutes of the movie. Don't quote me though.

[cigar joe]

Its coming on Netflix so I guess I'll find out.

[cigar joe]

Underworld U.S.A. (1961) Dir Sam Fuller, with Cliff Robertson. I think I actually saw this in the theater back in 61 and remembered liking it but was fuzzy on some of the details, i.e. the end happens in a wet alley and instead of Christmas music its a music box "Auld Lang Syne" that plays, close. I think over the decades I may have cross wired this with James Cagney's death in "The Roaring Twenties" but I'm still not 100% positive its the film.

Anyway, as a 14 year old Robertson sees his father beaten to death in an alley and as the years pass he finally gets his sweet revenge on the four culprits, some nice sequences but not up to "Pickup On South Street" budget standards. It keeps you entertained and Robertson is great, some of the rest of the cast are recognizable but not names you have on the tip of your tongue, its on the cusp of the Film Noir era closer in look to "Shock Corridor" and "The Naked Kiss" than "Pickup On South Street" still a 7/10

A trio of NYC based Noir revisited recently.

Kiss Of Death (1947) dir Henry Hathaway with Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, Coleen Gray, Richard Widmark, and Carl Malden, a classic, real New York City and environs backgrounds, Mature shines, and Widmark's deranged Tommy Udo is unforgettable 10/10.

Where The Sidewalk Ends (1950) dir Otto Preminger over zealous cop Dana Andrews brutally relies on his fits to persuade suspects into confessions he goes one step too far killing a small time hood while trying to frame Gary Merrill
Gene Tierney becomes a love interest, again great New York City location work 9/10

The Dark Corner (1946) dir Henry Hathaway with Mark Stevens, Lucile Ball, Clifton Webb, Cathy Downs, Kurt Kreuger, and William Bendix. Again great NYC background shots of the long gone 2nd Avenue El and the approach vault of the Queensboro Bridge, this little Noir is a detective story revolving around an art dealer Webb and his unfaithful wife Downs and his attempt to frame Stevens for murder of his wife's lover Kreuger. Lucile Ball plays it straight as the "Velma" girl Friday detective secretary who falls for Stevens. Bendix is the out of town mussel hired by Webb to do the dirty work. 8/10

[cigar joe]

Johnny Eager (1941) dir by Mervyn LeRoy with Robert Taylor, Lana Turner, Edward Arnold, Van Heflin, and Robert Sterling I sort of caught most of this on TCM while doing some inside outside the house maintenance on the wood stove chimney so I really couldn't put all my attention into watching, I'll probably have to see it again. The jist of it is Taylor an ex-con racketeer working as a legit cab driver while still on parole secretly is still running his outfit using figurehead investors to mask his involvement and his second in command Van Heflin to keep them in line . He needs official permission to open his dog track from Arnold the DA and when he meets Lana Turner he figures out a way to get it, Turner is stunning BTW. Its got just a bit more love triangle than a normal Noir, but Heflin puts in an Oscar winning performance and the end gun battle in the streets is great. Again no rating until I can watch this again with undivided attention.