The MoFo Top 100 Neo-noir Countdown

Mu-Tant

4 weeks ago

Originally Posted by SpelingError

I think we should cancel Thief. This is unacceptable.

Seconded.
Crime families > Real families

WHITBISSELL!

Registered User

4 weeks ago

Thief

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

Master of None

4 weeks ago

Me, opening MoFo to find this rebellion...

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4 weeks ago

6lists61points

Director

John Cassavetes, 1976

Starring

Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel, Robert Phillips

4 weeks ago

5lists62points

The Dark Knight

Director

Christopher Nolan, 2008

Starring

Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman

Thief

Master of None

4 weeks ago

TRAILERS

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie - When a proud strip club owner ends with a gambling debt with the mob, they offer him one alternative instead of paying: to kill a pesky bookie.

The Dark Knight - When the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on Gotham, Batman must fight him with the help of Commissioner Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent.

Thief

Master of None

4 weeks ago

I haven't seen The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. Cassavetes is a bit of a blindspot for me; I've only seen one film from him.

As for The Dark Knight, it is a film that I really liked when I saw in theaters, but have liked less and less every time I revisit it. Sure, there's great craft from Nolan, it's an entertaining film, and Heath Ledger owns the role of the Joker. However, the third act is massively problematic and sticks out like a sore thumb the more I think of it. It's too rushed and frantically executed. And that's without getting into how much neo-noir it is (or isn't)

SEEN: 22/40
MY BALLOT: 5/25

My ballot

Citizen Rules

Noir Time

4 weeks ago

Not seen either. Not seen many of these so far actually.

Torgo

Mu-Tant

4 weeks ago

At the risk of earning crumbs' ire, I admit I have yet to see a single Cassavetes. Is Bookie a sufficient gateway movie?

Allaby

Guy who likes movies

4 weeks ago

The Dark Knight is excellent, but just missed my ballot. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is very good too.

Seen: 30/40

Thief

Master of None

4 weeks ago

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE

RT – 79%, IMDb – 7.3

Sven Mikulec, from Cinephilia & Beyond, said:

"In Cassavetes' unique vision of a film noir, the plot and action surrender the stage to characters. The handheld camera follows the protagonist around the club, at the bar, in his girlfriend’s house, in the limo. The story of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is the story of Cosmo’s inner struggle." (read full document here)

Nitehawk Cinema said:

"In [Cassavetes]' stylistic noir vision, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, the city becomes a landscape where morals and masculine identity are tested after the unhealthy appetite of gentleman's club owner, Cosmo Vitelli, puts him in an impossible situation." (read full review here)

@Takoma11 said:

"For me, the film stumbles a bit as it moves into its final third. What had been mainly a drama kicks into more of a thriller mode, and certain sequences just didn't feel as realistic as what had come before. And by bringing more of the focus to the thriller/logistical part of the story, the moral struggle that Cosmo experienced gets slightly displaced, which is a shame." (read full review here)

Thief

Master of None

4 weeks ago

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... THE DARK KNIGHT

RT – 94%, IMDb – 9.0

Roger Ebert said:

"Nolan has freed the character to be a canvas for a broader scope of human emotion. For Bruce Wayne is a deeply troubled man, let there be no doubt, and if ever in exile from his heroic role, it would not surprise me what he finds himself capable of doing." (read full document here)

Christopher Nolan said:

"The biggest thing about noir is moral ambiguity, characters who are not easy to pin down — who is good, who is evil. In the greatest film noir there is this continuing pressure being put on the character, and I was looking back to a film like Double Indemnity. There is a spiraling sense of doom in these films, the characters are under pressure, and you see how they react." (read full review here)

@mark f said:

"Batman seems to force himself to have to believe in what he stands for, but the Joker has no problem whatsoever in letting you know that he believes in Anarchy and the vileness of human nature, but it still has to be demonstrated with a maximum amount of 'fun'." (read full review here)

WHITBISSELL!

Registered User

4 weeks ago

1 for 2.

I consider having never seen The Killing of a Chinese Bookie as one of the more significant gaps in my movie watching experience. I've seen The Dark Knight of course but would never have identified it as noir. That speaks more of my unrefined palate than anything. Neither made my ballot.

Have seen 22 of the 40.

cricket

Msg

Registered User

4 weeks ago

I liked The Dark Knight ok but it was my least favorite of the series.

Chinese Bookie made my ballot. I really like the director and the lead actor.

1. Killer Joe (#66)
3. Gone Baby Gone (#64)
9. Mona Lisa (#78)
11. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (#62)
12. Body Double (#69)
15. The Driver (#79)
21. Manhunter (#77)

Harry Lime

BANNED FROM VIENNA

4 weeks ago

The Dark Knight is a great movie. One of the best blockbusters so far this millennium? Probably. I'm a bit surprised it's not higher but that's also a good thing. And that's nothing against the film.

Some of you need to catch up on your Cassavetes! This is one of, if not his best. Excellent performance by Ben Gazzara. I'll admit that Cassavetes films, and this one in particular, might not be for everyone but for me he's really moved up my directors ladder as I get older. I think it's ahead of its time. I think he was. Almost as if this and his other films influenced a whole generation of independent filmmakers. I had it at #4.

4. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
17. Hana-bi (1997)
22. The American Friend (1977)
25. S�rie noire (1979) - One pointer

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Sedai

A system of cells interlinked

4 weeks ago

24/40 seen

Another head-scratcher with The Dark Knight appearing. I love the film, and it is easily one of my favorite hero flicks, simply because it is also a fantastic crime thriller. Noir though?

Putting today's other entry on my watch list...

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Miss Vicky

MoFo's Resident Bitch

4 weeks ago

I loved The Dark Knight the first few times I saw it, but liked it less and less after that. At this point the only thing I like about it is Ledger�s performance. It did not get my vote.

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Kaplan

A genuine idiot!

4 weeks ago

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie was truly my last cut. And for the record I very much prefer the re-edited version. I kinda regret not including it, but I�m very happy to see it. I love the Dark Knight. For me it�s not just the best superhero movie, but a really great movie on its own. However I stayed away from any mixed noirs, so no science fiction noir, no parody/comedy noir, and no Dark Knight.

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SpelingError

AKA Popcorn Reviews

4 weeks ago

Originally Posted by Torgo

At the risk of earning crumbs' ire, I admit I have yet to see a single Cassavetes. Is Bookie a sufficient gateway movie?

I'd say A Woman Under the Influence is the best place to start. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie should be saved till the end.

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