Neo-Noir Films

Sick Boy

All about pride and egos
Oh, they sort of explain that in the introduction. They admit they are going off of a more broad definition of "noir." They provide these three quotes to give you an idea of their criteria:

"Film noir is not a genre....It is not defined, as are the western and gangster genres, by conventions of setting and conflict, but rather by the more subtle qualities of tone and mood. It is a film "noir," as opposed to the possible variants of film gray and off white." - Paul Schrader, Notes on Film Noir, Film Comment, 1972



"Film Noir is a historical, stylistic and thematic trend that took place primarily, but not exclusively, within the generic complex of the American crime film of the forties and fifties. The term was first introduced by French cinéaste Nino Frank in 1946. For many years it was known only to the French, who seemed to be the only ones equipped (critically or otherwise) to grapple with its definition and/or historical implications." - Spencer Selby (Dark City: The Film Noir; 1984)


"Film Noir is the flip side of the all-American success story. It's about people who realize that following the program will never get them what they crave. So they cross the line, commit a crime and reap the consequences. Or, they're tales about seemingly innocent people tortured by paranoia and ass-kicked by Fate. Either way, they depict a world that's merciless and unforgiving." - Eddie Muller
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Resurrecting this thread cos I"m watching Neo-noir called The Show and I remember that this is actually one of my favourite genres. Thie is a good one too - so far at least - it's actually written by Alan Moore, as opposed to adapted from one of his books, I read that he was sick of Hollywood getting him wrong so he decided to cut out the middleman, and, while it is noticeably cheaper looking than Watchmen or From Hell - plus it's set in Northampton - it's also a lot more enjoyable and much less po-faced. Loads of good one-liners and punning posters as our detective straight man wanders through an increasingly weird parallel dimension version of the town. This is the sort of thing I like and I like it.

Trailer here




Now a cameo from Alan Moore himself...
 

Clinamenic

Binary & Tweed
Have you watched any of the Perry Mason reboot miniseries on HBO @IdleRich ? I think its a great example of recent noir. Also a more contemporarily set one I'd recommend is Destroyer, with Nicole Kidman.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
I've not seen the Perry Mason remakes but I've heard people say they're good. I never really saw the original either. I have seen Destroyer though.
 

DLaurent

Well-known member
Have you seen Wim Wenders Hammett? Years since I have, so can't remember if it's decent or not.

Favourite is probably Farewell, My Lovely. Also don't mind Winner's The Big Sleep, it's not great but has Robert Mitchum as well.

Mitchum a favourite actor for me.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Have you seen Wim Wenders Hammett? Years since I have, so can't remember if it's decent or not.

Favourite is probably Farewell, My Lovely. Also don't mind Winner's The Big Sleep, it's not great but has Robert Mitchum as well.

Mitchum a favourite actor for me.

I have seen it now and agreed it's not as bad as you might think. Mitchum is one of those cool guys. Do you know that guy who was in Shameless and now The Bear? He looks so much like Mitchum.

Farewell, My Lovely is Chandler isn't it? I read it fairly recently but I've no idea if I've seen the film... but either way, what makes it neo-noir rather than noir, I mean his books are the kinda epitome of hardboiled noir, though I guess an adaptation can do what it wants with the style.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
I have seen it now and agreed it's not as bad as you might think. Mitchum is one of those cool guys. Do you know that guy who was in Shameless and now The Bear? He looks so much like Mitchum.

Farewell, My Lovely is Chandler isn't it? I read it fairly recently but I've no idea if I've seen the film... but either way, what makes it neo-noir rather than noir, I mean his books are the kinda epitome of hardboiled noir, though I guess an adaptation can do what it wants with the style.

Or wait, am I getting mixed up? I love this stuff but the titles are so generic... I'm actually in a bookshop now and looking at the hardboiled section... The Sweetheart of the Razors by Peter Chutney... why is it 15 euros for that tatty old paper back?
 

DLaurent

Well-known member
I get mixed up too. Last time I mentioned Farewell, My Lovely you recommended a good 40s Noir, Murder My Sweet.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Did I? I can't remember that either now... can you straighten this out for me?

a) Is Farewell, My Lovely by Chandler or am I just mixing it up with the Long Goodbye?

b) What happens in Farewell My Lovely?

c) What happens in Murder My Sweet? Anything that I once knew about that film is totally gone - I can't remember that title or what happens in it, who is in it etc etc
 

DLaurent

Well-known member
Farewell my Lovely is Chandler. Both films are very similar, as the remake pretty much follows the original. I can't recall the actors in the original but the remake is Mitchum. Both are just Marlowe being asked to find a missing wife for a rather large chap called Moose (I should find out who those large sized actors are as they're good). Marlowe gets into all sorts of trouble along the way but is his usual swaggering self.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Ah yeah, Farewell My Lovely - the book anyhow - is about a huge guy who has come out of jail or something and he's looking for an ex who has disappeared or died or something.

The Long Goodbye is when he helps a guy who has just been divorced from a rich woman. The guy goes to live in Mexico or something and it's reported that he's died.
 

DLaurent

Well-known member
I just ordered the Dennis Hopper directed film The Hot Spot on blu ray. Couldn't find it on the internet so thought I might as well.

Got the tagline 'Film Noir for the 90s.'. Will try and do a review when it arrives.
 

william kent

Well-known member
I just ordered the Dennis Hopper directed film The Hot Spot on blu ray. Couldn't find it on the internet so thought I might as well.

Got the tagline 'Film Noir for the 90s.'. Will try and do a review when it arrives.

That the new Radiance one?

THE_HOT_SPOT_2D_1.jpg
 

DLaurent

Well-known member
Never got round to fully watching The Hot Spot. Got half way through once but I wasn't in the mood, so will have to give it another go.

Red Rock West is one of my favourites, but I've just realised John Dahl has a Neo Noir Trilogy also including Kill Me Again and The Last Seduction. Anyone seen them?
 

DLaurent

Well-known member
Just read the first page. Found The Hot Spot didn't have a very noirish feel to it either. What I saw of it anyway.
 

william kent

Well-known member
Thief (1981)
Deep Cover (1992)
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
Blood Simple (1984)
Wild Things (1998)
Le Samourai (1967)
Blow Out (1981)
The Big Fix (1978)
Barb Wire (1996)
Strange Days (1995)
Light Sleeper (1992)
Body Double (1984)
 
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