Film noir

[Theli]

When do we want to tackle the next meeting of minds? And what time works best?

[subie09lega]

I concur! Looking forward to next time. Night and the City is currently available on Youtube. Have you seen Sunset Boulevard yet Andrew? I'm hoping you save that one for movie night. I cannot watch that one enough times!

Sunset Boulevard is one of my favorites. It's great on Blu-ray.

[Tommy]

You should join in if you can Alan. It was a blast!

I can do later next time since I will be more prepared for it. I want everyone to join in that can.

[Theli]

You should join in if you can Alan. It was a blast!

I can do later next time since I will be more prepared for it. I want everyone to join in that can.

I prefer it around the same time to be honest. Like you I could go later, but I think 9CST worked well for a week day.

[bugen]

7 PST worked well for me, but I'd adjust for more people to join if necessary.

[subie09lega]

You should join in if you can Alan. It was a blast!

I can do later next time since I will be more prepared for it. I want everyone to join in that can.

Due to my work schedule, I'm a very early to bed, early to rise guy so I'm probably not going to be able to join y'all.

[bugen]

The Blue Dahlia (1946) - Directed by George Marshall, written by Raymond Chandler

“You got the wrong lipstick on, Mister.”

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Johnny Morrison (Alan Ladd), a solider dismissed from the war, returns home with two of his buddies to find his harlot of a wife (Doris Dowling) cheating on him with a local club-owner and gangster Eddie Harwood (Howard Da Silva). He also finds out the death of his son wasn't what he'd been led to believe. He leaves that night and heads uptown in the rain, where he meets the incredibly attractive Joyce Harwood (Veronica Lake). The next morning his wife is found murdered and he's the prime suspect.

Performances are great all around, from gangsters and cops to peepers and friends, and Ladd and Lake are excellent as the leads. But this picture is stolen by two actors—Doris Dowling and William Bendix. Dowling chews up the screen and leaves a lasting impression with her sexually aggressive, alcohol soaked devil-may-care attitude, throwing wrenches into as many gears as she can find. And Buzz Wanchek, Johnny Morrison’s veteran friend dismissed from the Navy with a head injury (Bendix), eats up the other side of the story as an injured, partially unhinged, ready to explode tough guy with a constrained war-machine personality clawing to get out.

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And there’s the wonderfully snappy, Academy Award nominated script by Raymond Chandler (his only original screenplay), providing the mystery and killer dialogue:

“It all blows up in your face sometimes, doesn’t it?”
“What does?”
“Whatever you’re doing.”

It’s a whodunit, and the leads aren’t quite as dark as we sometimes see, but it’s an undeniably effective, shady detective story. And again, the performance of Doris Dowling sticks.

Like a great drink the movie finishes long, giving you a lot to consider when you're done, and it belongs in the upper ranks of film noir.

“It’s tough to say goodbye.”
“Why is it? You’ve never seen me before tonight.”
“Every guy’s seen you before, somewhere.”

5- stars

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[bugen]

Criss Cross was an incredible film noir! I thought someone here had recommended it and was looking around to see who I needed to rep but couldn't find a post on it. A Blu-ray must be produced. LOVED this film.

5 stars

[Theli]

I haven't seen Criss Cross, but it will be added to my "To be watched" list. Glad you like Blue Dahlia too, I need to watch it again sometime.

[bugen]

I think you'll love Criss Cross. I know you really liked that scene at the Fisherman in D.O.A., and besides the normal noir stuff (some of it cranked to 11), this film has a scene that's a bit similar. There's a Latin band (Esy Morales and his Rhumba Band) featuring a flute player, and our femme fatale (Yvonne De Carlo) dances with an uncredited Tony Curtis to one of their tunes. The music is fast and exotic and the scene is strangely haunting.

Speaking of, when do you guys want to do the next noir night?

[Theli]

How about next Wednesday? But I am open to other suggestions. Busy over the weekend, but I can make most weekdays work.

[Tommy]

I can do any nights but Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. If those nights work better for the majority of participants then I can always catch the next Noir Night.

I don't think I've seen Criss Cross yet, looking forward to it though!

[bugen]

Next Wednesday's perfect for me. Same time (@7 pm PST)?

[Theli]

Next Wednesday's perfect for me. Same time (@7 pm PST)?

Sounds good to me! Just to clarify, not tomorrow, but next week.

Anyone that wants to join but hasn't yet, PM me and I will add you to our group chat in Google Hangouts.

[bugen]

My grandmother passed away yesterday, and I'm afraid I'll have to miss noir night this Wednesday. I hope it goes well for those who can make it and that people want to get together for another one soon--hate to miss a group viewing of the much anticipated Night and the City.

Here's a pic from Nightmare Alley to stand in for me:

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"Dreams are real as long as they last. Can we say more of life?"

-Havelock Ellis