The MoFo Top 100 Neo-noir Countdown

[Thief]

https://i.imgur.com/nsvSywh.png

Welcome to the MovieForums Top 100 Neo-noir Countdown!

The OFFICIAL one-stop spot for your dose of violent, lurid, and revenge-filled list of films in the Neo-noir realm, as voted for by our violent, lurid, and revenge-filled members.

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47 ballots were submitted, almost all of them at full capacity (25 entries), which doesn't put us at the top of the MoFo countdowns, but rather where we need to be; in the darker recesses of the forum, in the gutters scraping our way through, so thanks to each and every one of you that has pushed us and kicked us into that gutter because, trust me, you're gonna be in that gutter with us for the next months.

The Voters: John W Constantine, Holden Pike, Balor, seanc, Allaby, GulfportDoc, Tugg, MovieFan1988, Citizen Rules, Diehl40, mrblond, Harry Lime, Miss Vicky, Thursday Next, Fabulous, Yoda, Cobpyth, Torgo, Frightened Inmate No. 2, PHOENIX74, Wigram, stillmellow, SpelingError, LAMb EELYAK, Hey Fredrick, John-Connor, beelzebubble, CosmicRunaway, ScarletLion, culliford, Little Ash, crumbsroom, WHITBISSELL!, Siddon, Ash TheStrangeOne, cricket, honeykid, Kaplan, edarsenal, KeyserCorleone, rauldc14, Sedai, Wyldesyde19, ApexPredator, CaptainT, Thief, Iroquois

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284 movies were voted for, some sure-shot choices, some puzzling choices?, and some really great choices that were left off. But rather than piss and argue about how X or Y film "isn't really neo-noir!", let's focus on "WHY someone saw it as neo-noir". Like I said in the preliminary thread, all of the films complied with our eligibility requirements, which means that somebody – here or there – saw some flavor of "neo-noir" in it. So let's use this as an opportunity to both read what others have to say and write what we have to say, but in a respectful manner. Use it as an opportunity to catch up on great films, regardless of their classifications and see why someone else loved it enough to vote for it.

So as we get ready for the countdown to begin, feel free to chime in with any prediction, comment, trivia, tidbits and reviews as we reveal each film, or any healthy discussion about it. Just DON'T share your full list until the end.

So, without further ado...


https://i.imgur.com/Brtwrc4.gif

Let's Go!

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Acknowledgment: As usual, I want to thank all the voters for choosing to put up with me, but I also wanna thank Citizen Rules for spearheading this interesting parallel experiment. Finally, I want to thank Yoda for once again holding our hands through the process.

[Thief]

The Neo-list


100. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2443492#post2443492) (35 points)
99. The American Friend (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2443493#post2443493) (36 points)
98. In the Heat of the Night (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2443741#post2443741) (36 points)
97. The Manchurian Candidate (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2443742#post2443742) (36 points)
96. The Talented Mr. Ripley (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2443999#post2443999) (37 points)
95. Shallow Grave (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2444000#post2444000) (38 points)
94. Purple Noon (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2444246#post2444246) (38 points)
93. The Hustler (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2444247#post2444247) (39 points)
92. Fireworks (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2444482#post2444482) (39 points)
91. Infernal Affairs (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2444483#post2444483) (40 points)

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/b9Asm0okdbPt4MRhcre4d0ownx.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/4Q0ofXN58bSNEpiqGZu0caWHPa5.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/fvqHTabYej3LwzKRRZCm6jV3g0O.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/h0mkK00GjBCJoBYm3yvPdkzlIyV.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/k68qyuNGGiBgZ34ozlA9B6eNLGE.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5t0mGiFlj5GBrZ7ggvvkMdFJ7fV.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/7n1KNXs4OFfeVLjJ3g10M8oK1fM.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/n2zbi9ePKNkCgguCTeurdwP40Ax.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/8rEfuvkzDHfOrsZDxRsKWIw4Bnd.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/r2FDFM1evJiNS9wpJgd0oDHZXZJ.jpg

90. Dead Again (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2444912#post2444912) (40 points)
89. La Haine (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2444913#post2444913) (41 points)
88. Red Rock West (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2445023#post2445023) (41 points)
87. The Man from Nowhere (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2445024#post2445024) (42 points)
86. Shutter Island (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2445385#post2445385) (43 points)
85. The Hot Spot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2445386#post2445386) (43 points)
84. Following (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2445698#post2445698) (45 points)
83. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2445699#post2445699) (45 points)
82. Blue Ruin (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2446059#post2446059) (46 points)
81. Brick (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2446060#post2446060) (46 points)

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/irEnDVtxox6gnRJuwtEZuxvl2vZ.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/7OilKRWLppqXyTFaobgJ1IqOiH5.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/wI6CalCMdSKXgx10gzfHY3vwyzf.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/nau2js915blJhOFjKk9AYRbsydg.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/kve20tXwUZpu4GUX8l6X7Z4jmL6.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/iQCP69183K1QZo8bb23nkcLap3W.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5giub1nKK3sFRvZxmebe31scQOo.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/vbLedKc1BUF4FOH1GyHW62FulCc.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/rZzbEi1w2J8NWmrCG57PrbGTrLz.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/yrJnpaXYSWsW8J8nE2WaduN6YrP.jpg

80. Dirty Harry (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2446437#post2446437) (47 points)
79. The Driver (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2446438#post2446438) (47 points)
78. Mona Lisa (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2446753#post2446753) (48 points)
77. Manhunter (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2446757#post2446757) (51 points)
76. Under the Silver Lake (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2446945#post2446945) (52 points)
75. The Silence of the Lambs (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2446946#post2446946) (54 points)
74. Cape Fear (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2447128#post2447128) (55 points)
73. One False Move (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2447129#post2447129) (55 points)
72. Point Blank (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2447413#post2447413) (55 points)
71. Branded to Kill (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2447414#post2447414) (56 points)

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/UHxxkYe9tRdiPu0JFgcEL5hmQ4.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/bd175Fmt3Web3j0qXahSKmdZPOe.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/8VuPD8ZKAqxT6F1HaH9sFFURmsi.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/mv1DISpwWOOJqAyPTEqDrnnAna2.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/cJ9aKlEgTLYtpYjNqin06YqJRUl.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/rplLJ2hPcOQmkFhTqUte0MkEaO2.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/iIZPRGPJMc6MIYwMibG5T4KRhZh.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/vOnQZPvMH05ecW4OgAUcO6VhKqT.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/EWfMmW9nsTrHZPd7qKdSlsHch6.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/asiSCq1SFrCV4gy7PJzw8c3m0yL.jpg

70. Basic Instinct (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2447707#post2447707) (56 points)
69. Body Double (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2447709#post2447709) (57 points)
68. Mystic River (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2448063#post2448063) (57 points)
67. Mother (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2448064#post2448064) (57 points)
66. Killer Joe (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2448333#post2448333) (59 points)
65. Strange Days (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2448334#post2448334) (60 points)
64. Gone Baby Gone (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2448581#post2448581) (60 points)
63. Klute (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2448582#post2448582) (60 points)
62. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2448896#post2448896) (61 points)
61. The Dark Knight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2448897#post2448897) (62 points)

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/76Ts0yoHk8kVQj9MMnoMixhRWoh.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/xnDf3UZPiDLiIwFWvvAQHDXxGA9.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/e2VNohx5jb7I6HUamCuGhKvzXDR.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/reAEOWk7UA14V1LMKWlK5pzsJui.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/pMhvfyOHGJ5r5ssz0elqXjqApzo.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/rY5BrDRcYAKE0BYmmT66YG6Uy5Q.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/rm3Dl8DWYGO3UQ3w2kju62L9rkn.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5Aga8KYz40o7dK1DZKQZp2yPSRV.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/clQgmbmBOxvA2NepvijoL7YUCvr.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/qJ2tW6WMUDux911r6m7haRef0WH.jpg

60. True Romance (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2449045#post2449045) (63 points)
59. Bound (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2449046#post2449046) (63 points)
58. The French Connection (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2449293#post2449293) (65 points)
57. Alphaville (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2449294#post2449294) (66 points)
56. Thelma & Louise (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2449527#post2449527) (67 points)
55. Lost Highway (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2449528#post2449528) (67 points)
54. Pale Flower (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2449830#post2449830) (71 points)
53. The Departed (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2449831#post2449831) (74 points)
52. Oldboy (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2450315#post2450315) (75 points)
51. The Naked Kiss (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2450316#post2450316) (77 points)

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/AqlPzcILRi0IW0JodKp7pMMNEFt.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/uBgdSluw1RioTOkMrlvfTuFVgEI.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5XSGvIKl2yPvOkieFjc3rzLw7x0.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/fFJP3D5fJDFxN7ChqSye1DZ0fTL.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/cQaqpwN5Nq0GNNKE1hIgYLpLlca.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5POhfNeFPIi4VUNwCTaK85sh98r.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/tYG4fjaGaC3HyOwI1iG1XvzCdO3.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/p3tmqqwFPHFdu1oVpcgKGfcPCMZ.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/cvvF42ALBMJMNFQvB5y9L9FTnI7.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/i4caIAgsZAubg6G50gyqIAuXpVl.jpg

50. You Were Never Really Here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2450520#post2450520) (79 points)
49. Get Carter (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2450521#post2450521) (80 points)
48. Blast of Silence (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2450785#post2450785) (81 points)
47. The Player (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2450786#post2450786) (81 points)
46. A Simple Plan (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451036#post2451036) (84 points)
45. The Grifters (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451037#post2451037) (86 points)
44. Blade Runner 2049 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451401#post2451401) (92 points)
43. To Live and Die in L.A. (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451402#post2451402) (92 points)
42. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451690#post2451690) (96 points)
41. Inherent Vice (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451692#post2451692) (96 points)

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/ktPbjD6nYg5NxmeTt72Iqaw5GD0.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/6cg0bIu9uHIBitzyvFayVnjeSE1.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/nHbUIcIogKUByyHA87efM0BOYZ1.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/p4ys4a4yASjKuWzsNWY1B7xP5kZ.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/pXadgs6JrySiqHwJ4Xd2etiLx6O.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/zMpGfkiDIdg5bB7WGcAT3Fdrfpt.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/gajva2L0rPYkEWjzgFlBXCAVBE5.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/2iW3pSihBIhXjnBQmUJ0mAiZbB5.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5cPk7YIEP6Uj9tV0mKZSsI9MGbF.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/hyan5Uc0lGpPuad94DM1pLxneiP.jpg

40. Night Moves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2452020#post2452020) (100 points)
39. The Nice Guys (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2452021#post2452021) (103 points)
38. The Big Lebowski (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2452602#post2452602) (104 points)
37. Pulp Fiction (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2452315#post2452315) (104 points)
36. Dog Day Afternoon (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2452601#post2452601) (106 points)
35. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2452602#post2452602) (112 points)
34. Gone Girl (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2452752#post2452752) (114 points)
33. Collateral (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2452753#post2452753) (115 points)
32. Heat (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2452951#post2452951) (125 points)
31. Angel Heart (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2452952#post2452952) (129 points)

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/lSrSLMNZl0AcGJcoJfUPUrfDLx8.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/clq4So9spa9cXk3MZy2iMdqkxP2.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/d4J7GotCjvDJBAYayZBTc5nLbbP.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/d5iIlFn5s0ImszYzBPb8JPIfbXD.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/mavrhr0ig2aCRR8d48yaxtD5aMQ.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/lYfRc57Kx9VgLZ48iulu0HKnM15.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/tQf4DUygWo64AOuqgk4jEDCE3Ws.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/iOpi3ut5DhQIbrVVjlnmfy2U7dI.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/obpPQskaVpSiC9RcJRB6iWDTCXS.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/h5v3wjJQNB7q2RntEnKDLhKtTFE.jpg

30. Zodiac (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2453228#post2453228) (129 points)
29. Thief (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2453229#post2453229) (132 points)
28. The Conversation (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2453537#post2453537) (137 points)
27. The Man Who Wasn't There (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2453538#post2453538) (137 points)
26. Sin City (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2453752#post2453752) (140 points)
25. Memories of Murder (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2453753#post2453753) (141 points)
24. Dark City (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2453997#post2453997) (143 points)
23. Le Cercle Rouge (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2453998#post2453998) (146 points)
22. Body Heat (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2454284#post2454284) (152 points)
21. Nightcrawler (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2454284#post2454284) (155 points)

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/6YmeO4pB7XTh8P8F960O1uA14JO.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/bpjRGwfYJ71bU0hNhLIz7g3t6Oy.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/dhgW1uGaRj8vIgq54VnCP96X7Sv.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5ecDOWpNoYJfrQ4Epxx8vYXKUcQ.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/8qGW691AOyqbKsEhpe7nHwMEbRe.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/dVZJByLhVpbKp4YKAChM12MxSNn.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/AdBe2ow8hdlT2aLBYuUjs0Xkqkw.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/3X1EqovVKNpHoYHAhPznWDwQmqB.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/7DCPOgW3m0o2pxhErvl4bkMtJos.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/gYPIRu0jX2CGYdeO422cq3N78ju.jpg

20. The Usual Suspects (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2454487#post2454487) (156 points)
19. High and Low (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2454488#post2454488) (164 points)
18. Jackie Brown (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2454675#post2454675) (183 points)
17. Blow Out (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2454676#post2454676) (188 points)
16. Reservoir Dogs (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2454938#post2454938) (191 points)
15. Miller's Crossing (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2454939#post2454939) (193 points)
14. Drive (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2455198#post2455198) (205 points)
13. Blue Velvet (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2455199#post2455199) (210 points)
12. No Country for Old Men (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2455397#post2455397) (229 points)
11. Fargo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2455398#post2455398) (242 points)

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/6Dr8vu5nvjp5x67QfohU1O7xKcO.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/tgNjemQPG96uIezpiUiXFcer5ga.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/ewbLUXvm4riZL0aepy90o0vMesn.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/weMW1wLzeagP3tw6BfmYf1iL7dz.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/g7spS2Y4SZoQoC6Hn7zoqEqdYqR.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/ab3pnsTKp3BgcAFy0FgWBFBg9FL.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/sRUAPNGYOF7OkNbvWbYDMQagkXt.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/1ngSOsdyYaI6hw6B9gEreWLQocf.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/spnMmUIi3AlocdB4XS2MPlN9k0G.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/k77A7dU8VcZpwCcrqDovOODkZ55.jpg

-

The Top 10

10. Mulholland Drive (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2455760#post2455760) (256 points)
9. Blood Simple (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2455973#post2455973) (288 points)
8. Memento (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2456129#post2456129) (308 points)
7. Le Samouraï (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2456355#post2456355) (310 points)
6. Seven (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2456578#post2456578) (319 points)
5. The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2456578#post2456578) (389 points)
4. Taxi Driver (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2457047#post2457047) (407 points)
3. L.A. Confidential (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2457363#post2457363) (440 points)
2. Blade Runner (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2457653#post2457653) (450 points)
1. Chinatown (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2457654#post2457654) (554 points)


https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/tVxGt7uffLVhIIcwuldXOMpFBPX.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/n8D1gVXUgmW4kkDzUzzoezAmUUa.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/uprP8rtOgMYJQ2h3ldDFvGsaBgH.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/axuBeLVBeXfVZPGg6ph2taWRDFq.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/6yoghtyTpznpBik8EngEmJskVUO.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/oBhUK54yBJ0aH6u9zCzSV5iV7OP.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/ekstpH614fwDX8DUln1a2Opz0N8.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/6w1tl5bvnMVc8qenSwqUPFF4MKr.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/63N9uy8nd9j7Eog2axPQ8lbr3Wj.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/iZQSbGtE9qJGRt4OUuUUrwMVqEu.jpg

[Thief]

https://i.imgur.com/WnlJ9h8.png

The MoFo tradition is to honor the One Pointers. What are those? Well, those are films that received exactly one point, meaning that a single person had them in their last spot of the ballot (25th), with no votes from anyone else.

In a countdown about films that lay in the darker recesses of films, these one-pointers are probably the darkest of the darkest. The scum that gets stuck in the sewer rust, but we shine our flashlight on to see what the heck they are; a rather obscure film? a "hidden gem"? or just a bizarre nomination just for kicks? For this countdown we ended up with only 16 one pointers, so we'll get over it quick!


Affliction (1997)
Blackhat (2015)
The Chaser (2008)
Johnny Handsome (1989)
Kill Me Again (1989)
The Laughing Policeman (1973)
The Little Things (2021)
Long Day's Journey into Night (2018)


https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/l9oAUV65U5p8olTBB0APW2s7E47.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/7zu6HPnKPjNA7NuR4DGRdaH0PdX.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/hy49xJiKN1nakkN1ZmKuOf6vQYR.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/kVlf4UhX5StsNQpMsjyueOECiv4.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/u5PKSIgK8ix5zY01yKWvnm11WjR.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5pBK26jzGirNthgIxCPNs4eVjIQ.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/tLO1aD1ghdtVMT32z2sRmzgYKYd.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/8wUxYW7v2sahnFwipwzjRo8Z3sP.jpg


Mirage (1965)
The Ninth Gate (1999)
Portrait in Black (1960)
Pulp (1972)
Reindeer Games (2000)
Série noire (1979)
Swoon (1992)
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)


https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/gvGVkg2zBbKaZNrQzxISE889jh.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/iFDtmA8Bg9zE4NcsjcmGfqFN01H.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/Aev5PXbTpOlNrat44ljgibZH8br.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/uNy4WK1pJFmOU1McKzNihyvuAWL.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/xWf2xrSKuYHm6vKvhrOAyxkCUWR.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/bmzGNNLAR95rKEW7cJipyPycY2h.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/hgbeuxyPhyde8jV8AvZEalZ4OsG.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/sUzmpu6WwRA7KdQvt0K2YVuE0by.jpg

Here's another funny game. Try to guess who voted for what, as people claim their one pointers :D

[Citizen Rules]

Great job co-host! I'm psyched for both countdowns. I even see some of my favorite neo noirs in your 1st post. Nicely done Thief!

[Thief]

It's gonna be a fun ride!

[John-Connor]

Reindeer Games = A Christmas movie, my guess = Moviefan88 or Tugg :D

Affliction = seanc

The Ninth Gate love it, my guess = pahaK

The Little Things = CaptainT

Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead = culliford

Long Day's Journey into Night = ScarletLion

Série noire = Little Ash

The Chaser = CaptainSpaulding

The Laughing Policeman = Gulfportdoc

[Citizen Rules]

Portrait in Black (1960) I was going to say, 'that sounds like something I'd vote for.' Then I checked my neo noir ballot, I did vote for it. A one pointer but a film I really like. I haven't seen it in a long time, I should check it again.

[Thursday Next]

I didn't have a one-pointer on this countdown, I went for something more popular in 25th place.

[CosmicRunaway]

I won't immediately say what my one-pointer was in case anyone else wants to guess which films belong to whose list while we wait for the first reveals. But I will say that it was one of the last films I watched for this Countdown, and while I really liked it, it was also quite depressing and put me into a rather sullen mood for a bit. I wanted it on my list somewhere, and knew I'd probably be the only one to vote for it, so I put it at the very end to give it a little nod in case it ended up on the one-pointers list - which it did.

[Holden Pike]

Johnny Handsome (1989) is mine!

97813

Being fans of both Walter Hill and Mickey Rourke, I dashed to the theater to see Johnny Handsome and I loved it from the get-go. In New Orleans a good-natured criminal (In the Heat of the Night's Scott Wilson) and his deformed friend (Rourke) with the ironic nickname of "Johnny Handsome" team up with a dangerous pair (Lance Henriksen & Ellen Barkin) for a jewelry store robbery. Things get bloody in a double cross, leaving Johnny for dead. But he lives! In jail a surgeon (Forest Whitaker) makes him an offer - let him try new, radical reconstructive procedures in an attempt to reverse his Elephant Man-like facial deformities, and in turn they will give him a new identity. The local detective (Morgan Freeman) suspects Johnny only wants this to track down the cohorts who murdered his friend and got away with the loot, but Johnny agrees and when he emerges from the bandages and prison, he looks like the Mickey Rourke we know and love. Of course he does go straight for the betrayers, who now don't recognize him. He also meets a straight woman (Elizabeth McGovern) and he must choose between the prospect of a truly new life or revenge.

97814

Released in 1989, it reminds me of a lot of a solid B-Picture from the '40s or '50s, populated with some top-flight character actors, led by Freeman and Whitaker whose careers had both started to take off already but still turn up in small, flavorful roles here. The immortal Ry Cooder supplied the music for just about every single movie Walter Hill ever made, and this blusey soundtrack is one of his very best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6-H1xrDxE4

Well-used New Orleans locations and everybody involved having a ball playing in this genre adds up to a pretty great little flick. The plot is very straightforward, which may be about the only negative thing I can say about Johnny Handsome. But knowing where this train is headed even before it leaves the station doesn't make the journey any less fun.


HOLDEN'S BALLOT
25. Johnny Handsome (DNP)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nq5er9hq9g

[Holden Pike]

*sorry, didn't see some were making a guessing game matching up the one-pointers to the MoFo

[Thief]

*sorry, didn't see some were making a guessing game matching up the one-pointers to the MoFo

You ruined it, Holden!!

https://c.tenor.com/sCdo8DW21XQAAAAC/tenor.gif

[Harry Lime]

Nevermind we got a game going on here.

[Harry Lime]

So I won't say which of the one pointers was mine...oh but that implies one of them is from my list. That's a clue.


And woohoo the countdowns have begun! What's better than a Mofo Countdown? Two Mofo Countdowns. Thanks for running the show, Thief. I'm sure it will be a good one.

[Thief]

Out of the one-pointers, I've only seen Affliction and Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead. It's been really too long since I saw them both, but Christopher Walken's performance as a quadriplegic crime boss always stuck with me. Should probably revisit it. I also get the feeling that I might have seen The Ninth Gate, but I tend to get that one confused with Secret Window (that's the one with Turturro, right?)

[cricket]

Some fun movies there, nothing I voted for.

[Miss Vicky]

Apparently I wasn't alone in voting for the movie I put at #25. No one-pointer for me.

Of the ones that did make the One-Pointers, I've only seen The Ninth Gate. I absolutely hated it.

[mrblond]

Obviously, I'm not alone supporting my #25, nevertheless, I don't have a hope it'll apear in top 100.

Out of the one pointers, I've seen:

Affliction (1997) - I like Nick Nolte a lot. It is a good film, need to rewatch it.

Johnny Handsome (1989) - I like Mickey Rourke a lot too but this film was a big disappointment for me back then and I put it into oblivion.

The Ninth Gate (1999) - This one was close not to be one-pointer since it strongly gravitated around my #25-30.
Saw it in theater when it was released and remember liking it a lot. Polanski is a master filmmaker. Mysterious, Thrilling, Interesting, moreover I'm heavily into that stuff of antiquarian collectables. I plan rewatching it.
4+
82/100
97817

[SpelingError]

Happy we're doing two lists at the same time. Have fun hosting!

[beelzebubble]

Guess mine! Guess mine!

[Little Ash]

I have reservations about reserving this spot, but I will do so regardless.

EDITED:
Current revealed ballot

Current Ballot

01. (#09) Blood Simple (1984)
02.
03. (#55) Lost Highway (1997)
04. (#54) Pale Flower (1964)
05. (#15) Miller's Crossing (1990)
06. (#13) Blue Velvet (1986)
07. (#71) Branded to Kill (1967)
08. (#07) Le Samouraï (1967)
09. (#11) Fargo (1996)
10.
11. (#27) The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
12.
13. (#72) Point Blank (1967)
14.
15. (#23) Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
16. (#10) Mulholland Drive (2001)
17.
18. (###) Naked Lunch (1991)
19. (#41) Inherent Vice (2014)
20.
21.
22.
23. (#76) Under the Silver Lake (2018)
24. (###) Down by Law (1986)
25.

[GulfportDoc]

[quote=John-Connor;2443248]...

The Laughing Policeman = Gulfportdoc
...
Heh, heh. Ya know, I don't believe I've ever seen that movie, although I was always an Anthony Zerbe fan. I was busy with my music career in those days, and rarely got to the pictures then. 'Preciate the thought, though.

[Little Ash]

None of the one pointers were mine. My 25th position is a pretty famous movie that I'm guessing will show up on the top 100. I haven't seen any of the 1 pointers, but I do apparently own a copy of Long Day's Journey into Night. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Wyldesyde19]

One of these are my one pointer.

Guess

[Wyldesyde19]

Guess mine! Guess mine!

Reindeer Games…..

[LAMb EELYAK]

Hey, my first ever one-pointer!


I've seen two of the others.

[LAMb EELYAK]

Just saw The Guilty (1947) in the Noir thread and wishing I had voted for The Guilty (2018) here.

[Thief]

While we wait for things to start, if there's one thing I want to reiterate from the opening post is this...


Rather than piss and argue about how X or Y film "isn't really neo-noir!", let's focus on "WHY someone saw it as neo-noir". Like I said in the preliminary thread, all of the films complied with our eligibility requirements, which means that somebody – here or there – saw some flavor of "neo-noir" in it. So let's use this as an opportunity to both read what others have to say and write what we have to say, but in a respectful manner. Use it as an opportunity to catch up on great films, regardless of their classifications and see why someone else loved it enough to vote for it.


If there was one challenging thing in this preliminary period was to take this incredibly vague style or movement and try to harmonize it into something that was more or less "tangible" for all of you to vote for. Take into consideration that even film experts and scholars don't always agree into what specifically "film noir" or "neo-noir" is, so what do we mere mortals know? Just have fun with it.

[beelzebubble]

Reindeer Games…..
Nope! Guess again!



You don't have to. I'm just playing.

[edarsenal]

Wow, got a one-pointer without trying for it, but glad to see it here. Mine is probably an easy one for folks who know my tastes.

I have seen 5 out of 16 and a few of the ones I haven't, have piqued my interest.

[SpelingError]

I haven't seen any of these one pointers either.

[PHOENIX74]

I thought I had a good 1-pointer going for this, but now I'm intrigued as to who also voted for the film I gave my point to - whoever it is, has my vote, so to speak.

I've seen :

Affliction - pretty good, I have it on DVD
Black Hat - I haven't actually seen it, but it's sat here on the table next to me - a DVD someone threw my way. What are the chances?
The Little Things - great performance from Jared Leto.
Mirage - watched this recently, and it was a surprisingly good mind-bender.

[Siddon]

[quote=John-Connor;2443248]...

The Laughing Policeman = Gulfportdoc
...
Heh, heh. Ya know, I don't believe I've ever seen that movie, although I was always an Anthony Zerbe fan. I was busy with my music career in those days, and rarely got to the pictures then. 'Preciate the thought, though.


That would be my one pointer...and anyone that watched the show True Detective and wondered what would the 70's version of it look like...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YTlRpqh1TE

[mrblond]

Thief / Citizen Rules

Hope some of the hosts is going to schedule his reveals for the early part of the mornings. So that, Europe can receive first dose early in the afternoon and second portion in the evening.

[ScarletLion]

Long Day's Journey into Night = ScarletLion
c

Amazingly it wasn't me. I normally vote for this film at any possible chance as it's a modern masterpiece, but I didn't in this countdown for some reason. I didn't go for the whole one pointer thing this time around and instead have quite a well loved film at #25.
Some good ones there though.

[rauldc14]

Haven't seen a single one pointer

[honeykid]

I thought about putting Kill Me Again on my list, but I couldn't really remember it or even how I really felt about it, so left it off. Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead just didn't occur to me, but I'd have gone with it for sure.

[MovieFan1988]

Reindeer Games = A Christmas movie, my guess = Moviefan88 or Tugg :D

Affliction = seanc

The Ninth Gate love it, my guess = pahaK

The Little Things = CaptainT

Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead = culliford

Long Day's Journey into Night = ScarletLion

Série noire = Little Ash

The Chaser = CaptainSpaulding

The Laughing Policeman = Gulfportdoc

Nope and never seen that movie before :D, no one pointer for me since I only got 10 movies on the ballot list.

[seanc]

Affliction = seanc

Good guess for me, but no one pointer this time. Which I was shocked by actually.

[Sedai]

I was busy with my music career in those days, and rarely got to the pictures then. 'Preciate the thought, though.

Speaking of... I watched a portion of and interview recently that Samuel Andreyev conducted with you. Interesting stuff! Will finish it up when I get some time.

[CosmicRunaway]

That would be my one pointer...and anyone that watched the show True Detective and wondered what would the 70's version of it look like...
I coincidentally just finished watching all four seasons of True Detective, so maybe I should add this to my watch list.

[John-Connor]

One of these are my one pointer.

Guess
Swoon

[Little Ash]

I'm going to guess Frightened Inmate #2 for Long Day's Journey into Night.
Scarlett Lion was going to be my first guess for that, but they've already said they don't have any 1-pointers.

[Little Ash]

I'm also realizing that due to the relatively low number of ballots, my ballot is going to have a disproportionately higher impact than what I'm used to on these countdowns.
Now I'm going to feel doubly bad about any obvious choices I forgot when making my ballot (I've already have one big face palm of a miss and we haven't even started yet).

[ApexPredator]

Perhaps I have a one-pointer on this last...perhaps not?

[Yoda]

I might have already said this but the idea to have people guess the One Pointers is great and I hope people use/steal it. :up:

[Citizen Rules]

@Thief (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109353) / @Citizen Rules (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84637)

Hope some of the hosts is going to schedule his reveals for the early part of the mornings. So that, Europe can receive first dose early in the afternoon and second portion in the evening.Early part of the morning? On what part of the planet? it is early morning here on the west coast of USA...it's 7:30 am and I just got up!:p

[mrblond]

Early part of the morning? On what part of the planet? it is early morning here on the west coast of USA...it's 7:30 am and I just got up!:p

I think it is clear on which part - on the hosts one of course.
Probably Thief to start earlier, it will be well scheduled.

[Thief]

5lists35pointsThe Friends of Eddie Coyle (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/25680-the-friends-of-eddie-coyle.html)Director
Peter Yates, 1973

Starring
Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle, Richard Jordan, Steven Keats

[Thief]

3lists36pointsThe American Friend (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/11222-the-american-friend.html)Director
Wim Wenders, 1977

Starring
Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer, Gérard Blain

[Thief]

TRAILERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-ql9MRupgs

The Friends of Eddie Coyle - After his last crime has him looking at a long prison sentence for repeat offenses, a low level Boston gangster decides to snitch on his friends to avoid jail time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06hIZ76Zlds

The American Friend - An American art forger in Hamburg decides to take part in a murder plot for extra cash and involves a picture framer as a hitman, but the scheme quickly goes sour.

[Torgo]

The Friends of Eddie Coyle is #24 on my list. Here's a short review I wrote a few years ago:

This is an enjoyably gritty '70s crime flick. The "Friends" in the title might as well be in quotations because Eddie, the kind of cool, cynical and wizened Boston gangster Robert Mitchum was born to play, is finking on them in order to avoid a lengthy jail sentence. This absence of loyalty and assurance in the criminal underworld - as well as in the law's efforts to take it down - pervade this movie in this and other ways, whether it's in the dealings of Eddie's associate Jackie Brown, a cautious to a fault gun runner wonderfully played by Steven Keats, or in the machinations of Dave Foley, an ingenious cop slyly played by Richard Jordan. However, as this movie's bank robbery scenes make clear, the jobs are all about loyalty because even the slightest deviation from the plan can result in complete disaster. Speaking of these scenes, while they were filmed with an economy and a style that is a far cry from similar scenes in movies like Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven or Affleck's The Town, they're still so tense that I forgot to breathe. These scenes do more showing than telling, but this is still a very talky movie, and while a lot of the dialogue crackles, it often comes across as long-winded. Even so, it's a flaw that only slightly affected my understanding of what was happening and my enjoyment on the whole. Besides, we should be thankful for how this and other flourishes likely influenced the works of directors such as James Gray and Quentin Tarantino.

[Allaby]

I haven't seen The Friends of Eddie Coyle yet, but I have been meaning to for a while now. I have seen The American Friend and didn't really care for it.

[Wyldesyde19]

Swoon
Nope!

[John W Constantine]

Seen both, Eddie Coyle I remember enjoying but would most likely enjoy more now that i'm familiar with Mitchum and co. American Friend probably needs a revisit as I don't remember much about it despite Wenders style being one I enjoy.

[Citizen Rules]

I haven't seen either, but I do like that design that Yoda and Thief did...very striking!

[Thief]

That's all Yoda. I just said "Nice! Love it" 😂

[CosmicRunaway]

I like that both films coincidentally have "friend" in the title, though I've seen neither haha. Love the beautifully fitting presentation here as well! Everyone really out did themselves for these two Countdowns!

Seen: 0/2

My List:
25. The Chaser (2008) - DNP 1-pointer

The dark, rainy atmosphere of The Chaser sets the perfect tone for a gloomy revenge thriller featuring an ex-cop, missing prostitutes, and a flawed system that has let a serial killer run free for years. It's a rather brutal film, and not just in its violence either, and was on my list at #25. It didn't make the Countdown, but at least I got to shine some light on it for a brief moment.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/7b31cf59b04101fa0e672f4e5ac7d921/tumblr_pgwlst3MfX1w5u5wzo1_540.gif

[Citizen Rules]

That's all Yoda. I just said "Nice! Love it" 😂I just now noticed that the numbers for List and Points glow and pulsate...that's way cool! @Yoda (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=1) You out did yourself this time.

[Yoda]

He deserves some credit, he threw some ideas out and made some additional suggestions after the first mockup that definitely improved it.

And yeah I'm really happy with the neon effect! It's fun.

[Thief]

I like that both films coincidentally have "friend" in the title, though I've seen neither haha.

"Friends" that are not really friends :D Very noir

[Citizen Rules]

He deserves some credit, he threw some ideas out and made some additional suggestions after the first mockup that definitely improved it.

And yeah I'm really happy with the neon effect! It's fun.What font type is being used for the movie title? It looks great, I might have to steal it😁

[Sedai]

The neon is totally bad ass!

Two I haven't seen or even heard of. 0/2 so far!

[Yoda]

What font type is being used for the movie title? It looks great, I might have to steal it😁
It's called "Portia." There's actually a really nice selection of noirish fonts out there to choose from.

[rauldc14]

Haven't seen either.

[John-Connor]

The Friends of Eddie Coyle is on my Crime Top 200 somewhere. Robbery, Bullitt and The Hot Rock are my favorite Peter Yates films so far. Haven't seen The American Friend yet but Wenders, Hopper and Ganz are top notch so I will rectify that soon. Seen 1/2.


97827
My one-pointer Mirage is a dark and mysterious, conspiracy/paranoia Neo-noir. Starring Diane Baker and Gregory Peck who suffers from amnesia after a blackout hits his office building. Great appearances by Walter Matthau who plays a Private Investigator and George Kennedy as a henchman. Accompanied by a beautiful and fitting Jazz score by Grammy Legend Award winner Quincy Jones.

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE?

https://cubecinema.com/media/diary/COYLE5.jpg
RT – 98%, IMDb – 7.4


Roger Ebert said:

"The movie is as simple as that. It’s not a high-strung gangster film, it doesn’t have a lot of overt excitement in it, and it doesn’t go in for much violence. He gives us a man, invites our sympathy for him, and then watches almost sadly as his time runs out. And The Friends of Eddie Coyle works so well because Eddie is played by Robert Mitchum, and Mitchum has perhaps never been better." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-friends-of-eddie-coyle-1973))

Damien Love said:

"When film noir returned, it found Robert Mitchum there still, waiting patiently, saying hello to darkness like an old friend. The Friends Of Eddie Coyle might not be as well known as [Chinatown, The Conversation, or Night Moves], but, setting the pace at the head of the pack, it is a key movie of the '70s cycle." (read full review here (https://damienlove.com/in-empty-bars-the-friends-of-eddie-coyle/))

DocHoliday said:

"Everything about this film is perfect - the acting, the dialogue, the directing, the cinematography that so expertly displays the bleak, unforgiving underbelly of 1970s Boston. A truly great neo-noir, for anyone who loves the genre." (read full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1888689#post1888689))

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... THE AMERICAN FRIEND?

https://aworldoffilm.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/vlcsnap-2011-08-09-16h25m24s90.jpg
RT – 88%, IMDb – 7.4


Steve Erickson, from RogerEbert.com, said:

"The American Friend represents the most ambitious attempt to reinvent film noir for the baby boomer generation." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/film-noir-for-the-baby-boomer-generation-wim-wenders-the-american-friend))

The Movie Gourmet said:

"Dennis Hopper, in his Wild Man phase, brings electricity to the 1977 neo-noir The American Friend, an adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel Ripley's Game... It’s excellent story-telling – at once economical and showy and ultra-noirish." (read full review here (https://www.themoviegourmet.com/?page_id=26537))

Joel said:

"I found that the more this story went along, the better I felt about starting to watch it. There isn't much exposition that will bonk you upside the head, and of course, in the tradition of most art films, the resolve is left to the same universe as the body of study. If you are in the market for a good piece to hang on your wall, I'd recommend this film to chase away the boredom of routine, and to fully dive into yet another Wim Wenders miniature masterpiece." (read full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1679825-the-american-friend.html))

[seanc]

TomRipley story directed by Wenders with Hopper as a villain. It’s really not a question of was this on my list, the question is why have I only watched it once. American Friend was my #15.

Only watch Eddie Coyle once as well. I wasn’t very high on it, but it seems like something I should love so rewatches forth coming.

[Thief]

I admit I haven't seen any of these two, but I love the fact that we're starting the list with Robert Mitchum. In the words of Martin Scorsese, "Mitchum is noir"


https://iv1.lisimg.com/image/9725599/353full-nick-nolte.jpg

[Holden Pike]

Excellent start to the countdown.

I had neither on my ballot but both are quality flicks and perfect inclusions. I have another Bob Mitchum title on my Neo-Noir list, and a couple more with my Noir Primes. Such an important figure in the genre, it's very fitting he kicks things off here. I am a big fan of Wenders. Der Amerikanische Freund is not one of my top handful of favorites of his, but it is a great '70s flick and an interesting take on Pat Highsmith's Tom Ripley character.

97828

[Thief]

AWARDS?

https://wolfmanscultfilmclub.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/the-american-friend-1977-bruno-ganz-lisa-kreuzer-record-deck-music-vinyl.jpg?w=665


The Friends of Eddie Coyle didn't win any award, but The American Friend did get some nominations and some wins:


Three (3) German Film Awards, including Outstanding Feature Film
One (1) Bambi Award for Best Actress (Lisa Kreuzer)
One (1) National Board of Review Award for Top Foreign Film
One (1) Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Performer (Bruno Ganz)
One (1) nomination for the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival

[Thursday Next]

The American Friend was my #5.


Really interesting film about a fascinating character with some great acting. Very neo and very noir.

[Little Ash]

Eddy Coyle wasn't on my list, but it was on my mind as I was trying to think if certain American crime dramas from the 70s, that I love, but couldn't decide if they were neo-noir or not. And for some reason I didn't include those similar movies on my list, so I'll bemoan my decision should they show up. So, I'll say good start.

I still haven't seen The American Friend, but it's been on my watchlist for quite a while. Like many things are. Rewatching Purple Noon and Talented Mr. Ripley are also on that watchlist.

[Thief]

What is Neo-noir?

https://images.mubicdn.net/images/film/325/cache-47691-1493163826/image-w1280.jpg

Neo-noir refers to a revival, or extension of film noir, beyond 1960. Whether film noir ended or not is debatable, but although these kind of films never ceased to exist, most experts agree there was a change. With the fall of the studio system and the loosening of the Hays Code, there was a shift in how these stories were told.

https://movies-b26f.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/LA-Confidential-6-e1506285436766.jpg

With less limitations and boundaries, the task of defining neo-noir is more challenging than it is film noir. Neo-noir can also span multiple genres and decades, and also feature bleak and pessimistic worldviews. However, because of the time, there is a more graphic depiction of both violence and sexuality.

https://i.imgur.com/dRb3N01.jpg

Neo-noir also adds additional layers of moral ambiguity and rejection of authority, fueled by events like the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. The theme of a lone anti-hero going against big institutions, and failing, seems to be more prevalent.

[mrblond]

My start here is also: seen none of #100-99.
Noticing Dennis Hopper's name, automatically puts The American Friend in my to watch list.

[Wyldesyde19]

The Ninth Gate was my 1 pointer. A under appreciated film by Polanski.


As for the reveals, I’ve not seen either yet, although bo th have been on my watch list for almost 20 years and I seem to forget about them every now and then. I even have The American Friend saved on Criterion to watch soon.

0/2

[crumbsroom]

Serie Noir was a one pointer?


That's both depressing because it's deserves more, and it also means I forgot to include it.

I would have considered it near my top 5

I suppose that is the pitfall of taking five minutes to put mine together.

[crumbsroom]

I've seen at least five of the one pointers.


And both of the first two films are great. They're only not higher because people clearly haven't watched them.

[Kaplan]

It was a given I'd include The Friends of Eddie Coyle, and I had it at #11. Someone mentioned how long winded it is at times, and that's because the book it's based on is famous for being almost exclusively dialogue. (And predictably was an influence on Elmore Leonard.) Personally, I think it works far better in the movie. I had The American Friend on my shortlist, but it looks like in the end I left it off. I have another movie adapted from a Ripley book on my list, which should definitely show up, and I don't know if The Talented Mr. Ripley qualifies as neo-noir, but if so we could see three Ripley movies on the countdown. (I'm assuming the John Malcovich led Ripley's Game has no chance.)

A great start to the countdown, and the format looks great, as does the noir countdown.

[Wyldesyde19]

I've seen at least five of the one pointers.


And both of the first two films are great. They're only not higher because people clearly haven't watched them.
I think I only recently learned of Serie Noire through I think you, so I haven’t gotten to it just yet.

As for the other two, I just keep forgetting about them. They’ve been on my watch list for decades. Literally. I even have The American Friend saved on Criterion.

Which means I’ll be getting to The American Friend soon

[beelzebubble]

Swoon


That's my one-pointer.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I'm going to guess Frightened Inmate #2 for Long Day's Journey into Night.
Scarlett Lion was going to be my first guess for that, but they've already said they don't have any 1-pointers.

i do like that movie, but it wasn’t in consideration for my list.

the american friend is very good, although i don’t remember many details about it. certainly would’ve made my top 40-50.

[SpelingError]

I've seen both The Friends of Eddie Coyle and The American Friend. Both are pretty good, but neither made my ballot.

[cricket]

No votes from me but that's a quality pair to start the countdown with.

[pahaK]

The Ninth Gate love it, my guess = pahaK

That's sort of a good guess, but I didn't submit a list for either of the noir countdowns. Also, The Ninth Gate would have been higher on my list had I submitted one. I, too, like it a lot.

[GulfportDoc]

Speaking of... I watched a portion of and interview recently that Samuel Andreyev conducted with you. Interesting stuff! Will finish it up when I get some time.
Glad you're enjoying it, my friend. It's a long one. You'll need coffee...🙂 Sam is not only a fine composer and teacher, but he's an articulate and savvy interviewer.

Due to my reluctance to use Zoom, I did the interview from my wife's Face Time feature on her iPhone. Me on the Dixie Riviera, and Sam in Strasboug, France. As a result there was a good deal of video freezing, although the audio didn't seem affected. Gregg Bendian did one recently that is much better quality. There are several on YouTube if you're at all interested.

[GulfportDoc]

While we wait for things to start, if there's one thing I want to reiterate from the opening post is this...
...
If there was one challenging thing in this preliminary period was to take this incredibly vague style or movement and try to harmonize it into something that was more or less "tangible" for all of you to vote for. Take into consideration that even film experts and scholars don't always agree into what specifically "film noir" or "neo-noir" is, so what do we mere mortals know? Just have fun with it.
Good points. Classic noir was a movement. Neo-noir is more of an imitation updated. Obvious differences? No more femme fatale. No black & white. Sexual themes and overt sex scenes became commonplace, due at least to the loss of film censorship.

I knew that a neo-noir countdown would be all over the map, so we'll have to hold onto our hats...:D

[GulfportDoc]

The Friends of Eddie Coyle is #24 on my list.
...
Pretty similar thinking. I had it at #23...;)

[Iroquois]

no votes. both friends of eddie coyle and american friend are very good, though. really need to rewatch the latter.

blackhat was my one-pointer. mann's going to get a fair bit of rep on my list with some of his more widely-accepted classics, but i figured i'd also throw in for his decidedly underrated exercise in fighting cyber-crime. hemsworth's prison-hardened hacker is a worthy neo-noir protagonist who has to fight, shoot, and solve his way through an international mystery involving soy futures and nuclear meltdowns - it's definitely more dense/obtuse than the likes of, say, collateral, but it's proven to have a charm all its own that not a lot of other quote-unquote neo-noirs from the past decade or so seem to have.

[Harry Lime]

Hello Friends. The Friends of Eddie Coyle is decent but I'm not a big fan - it's been a while. It's also been a while since I watched The American Friend but I had to get it on my list - I'm the third and final voter at #23.

Also, it is me, I voted for Serie Noire! I thought it would be a good one pointer. Bleak, but oddly humorous, with great performances.

You know while I was making my list and thinking of including some international neo noirs, these were two that stuck out right away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXdNc76aPVc

[Harry Lime]

And yes the ranking cards (is that what we call them?) look great. Thanks guys!

[PHOENIX74]

Seen neither, but I've been salivating over the prospect of watching The American Friend for quite a while now - just haven't got to it yet.

Seen : 0/2
Heard of : 1/2

[SpelingError]

I predict that I'll see more films from this countdown than the film noir countdown.

[Little Ash]

I've seen at least five of the one pointers.


And both of the first two films are great. They're only not higher because people clearly haven't watched them.


FWIW, IMO on past countdowns, 91-100 is often the second or third best grouping of ten films out of the hundred.

[ScarletLion]

The American Friend is pretty amazing, I saw it only recently but forgot to put it on my list. And my review was:

Bruno Ganz, Dennis Hopper, Wim Wenders directing, Muller DoP. Serious credentials and it delivers. Absolutely briliant thriller drama. A picture framer and an art conman get in over their heads when they try to make a quick buck doing dirty work.

Wenders' 'Paris, Texas' seems more celebrated but this film is better looking and more tense. Robbie Muller has to be one of the greatest Cinematographers of all time.

Absolute magic.

I've not seen Eddie Coyle but I need to.

[Thief]

Good points. Classic noir was a movement. Neo-noir is more of an imitation updated. Obvious differences? No more femme fatale. No black & white. Sexual themes and overt sex scenes became commonplace, due at least to the loss of film censorship.

I knew that a neo-noir countdown would be all over the map, so we'll have to hold onto our hats...:D

I do think there are "femme fatales" in neo-noir; just a different kind of "femme fatales".

Either way, yeah, you all better buckle up :laugh:

[Thief]

This is the list of one-pointers that have been picked up already.


Affliction (1997)
Blackhat (2015) - Iroquois
The Chaser (2008) - CosmicRunaway
Johnny Handsome (1989) - Holden Pike
Kill Me Again (1989)
The Laughing Policeman (1973) - Siddon
The Little Things (2021)
Long Day's Journey into Night (2018)
Mirage (1965) - John-Connor
The Ninth Gate (1999) - Wyldesyde19
Portrait in Black (1960) - Citizen Rules
Pulp (1972)
Reindeer Games (2000)
Série noire (1979) - Harry Lime
Swoon (1992) - beelzebubble
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)

[Holden Pike]

Wenders' Paris, Texas seems more celebrated but this film is better looking and more tense. Robbie Muller has to be one of the greatest Cinematographers of all time.
He was, indeed. Robby Müller may not have the brand-name recognition that some of his contemporaries do, but there's no doubt he was one of the greats. If you only take his collaborations with Wenders (eleven projects, including Alice in the Cities, Until the End of the World, and Paris, Texas) and Jarmusch (five films: Down By Law, Mystery Train, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and Coffee & Cigarettes) there's enough there to merit a label of greatness. Then when you add in Saint Jack and They All Laughed (Peter Bogdanovich), Repo Man (Alex Cox), To Live and Die in L.A. (Billy Friedkin), Barfly (Barbet Schroeder), and Breaking the Waves and Dancer in the Dark (Lars Von Trier)...very impressive.

Some screen captures from Der Amerikanische Freund...
97835
97836
97837
97838
97839

[Thief]

I haven't seen The American Friend, but Müller's cinematography in Down by Law is gorgeous.

[Thief]

3lists36pointsIn the Heat of the Night (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/10633-in-the-heat-of-the-night.html)Director
Norman Jewison, 1967

Starring
Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Peter Whitney

[Thief]

3lists36pointsThe Manchurian Candidate (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/982-the-manchurian-candidate.html)Director
John Frankenheimer, 1962

Starring
Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury, Janet Leigh

[Thief]

TRAILERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d15DhX_ltls

In the Heat of the Night - A black Philadelphia police detective, mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, pairs up with the white police chief to investigate the case.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc8LpuM5Bhs

The Manchurian Candidate - An American POW in the Korean War is brainwashed as an unwitting assassin for an international Communist conspiracy.

[seanc]

Been a minute since I have seen either of these, and neither left much of an impression. But hey, I’m 4 for 4. That’s the only thing that matters, right? Getting those check marks.

[Allaby]

Two great films. The Manchurian Candidate is my #13. *Somehow, In The Heat of The Night didn’t make my ballot, but probably should have.

Seen: 3/4

[Thief]

I saw In the Heat of the Night fairly recent and I really liked it, but it's been a while since I've seen The Manchurian Candidate. Seen it a couple of times, though, and I'm a fan. Should probably revisit it one of these days.

[Wyldesyde19]

Both great films, but neither were on my list.

2/4

[Sedai]

Have seen both and both are great films. Looking over my list, I really leaned into the more contemporary neo-noirs, so neither of these made it onto my ballot. Both are totally deserving of a slot, but just missed the cut.

2/4 Seen

[mrblond]

#98-97. Both are well known titles.
In the Heat of the Night been on my watch list for many years still not seen.
The other film somewhat smells too political to me that's why I've never planned to see it.

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/editorial_content_posts/hero/6173-/LbyibmUMHvHTomDIEHjNqWO05aSm78_original.jpg
RT – 96%, IMDb – 7.9


The Noir 'net said:

"In The Heat Of The Night is that rarest of films. Equal parts mystery, drama, and character study, it's a powerful crime thriller that succeeds on many levels." (read full review here (https://bernardschopen.tripod.com/heat.html))

Arun Starkey said:

"One of the most important films ever made. Whilst it might be a neo-noir mystery, it contains much more depth than this tag might suggest. The film remains one of the most damning visual indictments of America’s history with racism, bringing the themes of John Ball's novel into forensic focus." (read full review here (https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/revisiting-the-all-star-soundtrack-for-in-the-heat-of-the-night/))

Gideon58 said:

"[Director Norman] Jewison creates an unerring tension that permeates the story throughout, creating that drippy, sweaty southern atmosphere that appropriately frames the story ... Grand entertainment that still packs a wallop." (read full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2092348-in-the-heat-of-the-night.html))

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE?

https://nycinfilm.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/heknows-feat.jpg?w=816
RT – 97%, IMDb – 7.9


Roger Ebert said:

"The Manchurian Candidate is inventive and frisky, takes enormous chances with the audience, and plays not like a 'classic' but as a work as alive and smart as when it was first released." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-manchurian-candidate-1962))

Jude Seymour wrote:

"The Manchurian Candidate incorporates most of the conventions of film noir. Besides its existentialist hero, it incorporates a femme fatale into its narrative structure ... The movie also employs a non-linear style to its narrative ... The last narrative technique that [it] employs that is similar to noir is that of 'free will versus fate'." (read full review here (https://www.angelfire.com/in2/judesmovies/papers/maca.htm))

mark f said:

"First off, let me discuss what 'genre' this film belongs to: political satire, thriller, science fiction, black comedy, film noir, tragedy, mystery, family drama, and that's just a start." (read full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1840176-the-manchurian-candidate.html))

[ScarletLion]

Gah, This thread will show my shameful lack of noir knowledge. I have seen neither. But both look good.

[Holden Pike]

97841

Both of these were on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1960s List. MISTER Tibbs and In the Heat of the Night (1967) were #76 while The Manchurian Candidate (1962) was passing the time with a game of solitaire at #34.

[rauldc14]

Only saw In the Heat of the Night once. I didn't care for it back then. It should get another shot though someday.

Not seen Manchurian

[John W Constantine]

For a minute I was asking how I could have left Manchurian Candidate off my ballot since I hadn't checked in a few weeks, but alas I had it at #12. Watched it many moons ago but certain aspects stuck with me, would be nice to check it out again. IN the Heat of the Night needs another look.

[Holden Pike]

Both are acknowledged classic films, for good reason. I did not have either on my ballot. The Manchurian Candidate, as brilliant as it is, doesn't fit my personal definition of Neo Noir enough to even warrant consideration. In the Heat of the Night has enough elements that I considered it, though ultimately I didn't even include it on my shortlist.

For those who have never gotten around to watching John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate or may only be familiar with Jonathan Demme's remake starring Denzel Washington, it really is a must-see. When put in the context of its day, post-McCarthy era and just before the assassination of JFK, it is a striking piece with Angela Lansbury perfectly cast as one of the greatest big screen villains.

As for a master class in editing, please see any of the brainwashing sequences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1GUJMTmoMY&t=122s

[Thief]

Both are acknowledged classic films, for good reason. I did not have either on my ballot. The Manchurian Candidate, as brilliant as it is, doesn't fit my personal definition of Neo Noir enough to even warrant consideration. In the Heat of the Night has enough elements that I considered it, though ultimately I didn't even include it on my shortlist.


This is more or less where I stand with both. They didn't even cross my mind when making my list. But putting my personal point of view aside, I included links to some reviews that do acknowledge those noir-ish traits in both, so everybody, feel free to check them out.

On that topic, this link (https://www.facebook.com/noiralley/videos/noir-or-not-the-manchurian-candidate-62/792207124302830/) is a very brief statement from noir expert Eddie Muller on whether he sees The Manchurian Candidate as a film noir or not.

[Miss Vicky]

0 for 4 seen on either countdown.

[Citizen Rules]

I've seen both The Manchurian Candidate and In The Heat of The Night, but so long ago I can't really remember them....due for rewatches!

[Thief]

AWARDS?

https://i.imgur.com/Z9mZKul.jpg


In the Heat of the Night was a critical darling, receiving many awards and even more nominations. Some notable wins:


Four (4) Academy Awards, including Best Picture
Two (2) BAFTA Awards
Three (3) Golden Globe Awards, including Best Drama
Rod Steiger won 8 of 9 awards he was nominated, including the Oscar
Sidney Poitier was nominated for three acting awards, but won none.
Stirling Silliphant won 3 of 4 awards he was nominated for the script, including the Oscar

[Thief]

AWARDS?

https://www.slashfilm.com/img/gallery/in-the-manchurian-candidate-angela-lansbury-played-the-most-evil-movie-mother-ever/l-intro-1665540600.jpg


The Manchurian Candidate gathered several wins and nominations. Some notable ones:


Two (2) Golden Globe Award nominations, including a win for Best Supporting Actress (Angela Lansbury)
Two (2) Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actress (Lansbury)
Three (3) Laurel Award nominations, including Top Action Performance (Frank Sinatra)
One (1) BAFTA Award nomination for Best Film
One (1) National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress (Lansbury)

[John-Connor]

Love Frankenheimer! Seven Days in May, The Train, Ronin, Birdman of Alcatraz and even Reindeer Games ;), to name a few. Nevertheless The Manchurian Candidate did not make my ballot.

97845
Powerful performances from Poitier and Steiger, skillful directing showing both lead character's view points. Excellent title sequence song by Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ray Charles.
In the Heat of the Night was my #22.

SEEN 3/4
BALLOT 2/25
25. Mirage (1965) - DNP 1-pointer
22. In the Heat of the Night (1967)

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/gvGVkg2zBbKaZNrQzxISE889jh.jpghttps://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w94_and_h141_bestv2/jv0hMnLyO7P0hgdb5SovRz0EXFO.jpghttps://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w94_and_h141_bestv2/jv0hMnLyO7P0hgdb5SovRz0EXFO.jpghttps://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/9FpxEUL5kjQFAKBJk9Vt9Yrb2zs.jpghttps://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w94_and_h141_bestv2/jv0hMnLyO7P0hgdb5SovRz0EXFO.jpg
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[Allaby]

I finally watched The Friends of Eddie Coyle today. I thought it was good, but not great. I have now seen all 4 of the films on the list so far.

[Little Ash]

I have seen In the Heat of the Night. It has its strong moments. There are other films I prefer more. It does have its cultural significance for the time it was made though.

For whatever reason, I still have never seen The Manchurian Candidate. I would blindly guess, going into, it would read more like a political-thriller to me and wouldn't have guessed a connection to neo-noir. Don't know how much of that is misconception or just funginess of the genre (movement?). In terms of Frankenheimer, I still need to Seconds as well. That's probably higher up on my to watch list.
Oh, with Reindeer Games, I guess that makes it one entry and one one-pointer for him so far.

[Thief]

For whatever reason, I still have never seen The Manchurian Candidate. I would blindly guess, going into, it would read more like a political-thriller to me and wouldn't have guessed a connection to neo-noir. Don't know how much of that is misconception or just funginess of the genre (movement?). In terms of Frankenheimer, I still need to Seconds as well. That's probably higher up on my to watch list.


Like I said before, I really didn't think of it when making the list but I think there are some strong arguments in favor of it being considered noir in some of the articles I linked.

As for Frankenheimer, Seconds is indeed very good. Not sure if I would put it above Manchurian, but probably neck and neck. My favorite Frankenheimer is still The Train, though.

[edarsenal]

This is the list of one-pointers that have been picked up already.


The Chaser (2008) - CosmicRunaway

SERIOUS points for this one being yours, my dear! I was hard put NOT to make room for this one. When my roommate and I got into South Korean films, this was one of those first ones that blew us away.

And LOVIN the Awards/Reviews/And Layout!!! BRA-The F@CK-VO!!!

https://66.media.tumblr.com/c83b4fa5b2859d123102782afbc8bb23/b31f18f3c8ccbb44-74/s500x750/6ba84d512880e607863ea5f91e75092552088691.gif

This One-Pointer is mine:

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjUyZDIwODgtYmU5NS00ZWFlLThkNzEtOGE5YWFiMmUxZTgyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUyNDk2ODc@._V1_.jpg
https://www.themoviescene.co.uk/reviews/_img/2366-2.jpg

Jimmy 'The Saint' Tosnia: You gave me your word!
The Man With The Plan: I'm a criminal; my word don't mean dick!

After Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs came out in '92, there was a deluge of clever dialogue, sh#t going sideways by colorful characters, and this one remained endeared for me. Andy Garcia plays the epitome of cool and style as a guy in debt with the nickname "The Saint". A gangster known as "The Man With The Plan (Christopher Walken) takes up the marker and insists on a "favor" to wipe it out. Enter the inevitable colossal screw-up, and sh#t just gets worse and worse by his crew: Franchise (William Forsyte), Critical Bill (Treat Williams), and Pieces (Christopher Lloyd). Topping the ensemble for Colorful Characters screwing up and making things worse.


I am finally on the board for films seen with In The Heat of the Night. A legitimate placement in this Countdown, though I found it more of a Police Thriller, which is the ONLY reason it did not make my list. Great, GREAT film.

https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i429/intheheatofthenight_bowleggedpolly_FC_470x264_011120170330.jpg?w=400




Seen 1 out of 4 (25%)
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25. Things to do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) One-Pointer

[Harry Lime]

In the Heat of the Night is a good film. The Manchurian Candidate a great one. A neo noir though? Hm like others it didn't even cross my mind to include it. But if Mark F says it be, then so be it a noir!

[SpelingError]

Both In the Heat of the Night and The Manchurian Candidate are really good, with the latter film being my favorite of the two. It might've had a shot of making my ballot had I rewatched it.

[PHOENIX74]

Well, it would have been remiss of me to not have seen these two reveals :

98. In the Heat of the Night - Got this on Criterion and watched it again not too long back (about a year or so) - I wonder if anyone else wants to punch the air with delight when Police chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) and his deputies discover that the man they've accused of murder, racially profiled and insulted, Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is a big-shot top homicide detective from Philadelphia. Talk about egg on your face! One of my favourite moments in movie history - but just because Tibbs is who he is doesn't mean he'll have an easy time of it in a town where racism is as natural as breakfast, lunch and dinner. He's ordered by his superior to help investigate the murder, and tries to do his job while constantly under threat from just about everyone. Poitier and Steiger are phenomenal - the friction and heat creating sparks that could blow a powder keg. 1970 sequel They Call Me Mister Tibbs! feels more like a TV pilot than feature film, and has been rightly forgotten (I think there was another one as well.) The first Best Picture winner on the Countdown (I wonder how many there will be.) No votes from me.

97. The Manchurian Candidate - I saw this quite a long time ago, so it isn't fresh in my memory. A tense, sweaty thriller that plays on the Cold War paranoia which was at it's absolute height at the time. Fear of Commies exerting mind control was running rampant, and this film gave literal voice to those concerns. Needs a rewatch for sure - I'll count it as seen, but when I watch it again it'll almost be like I'm seeing it for the first time.

Seen : 2/4
Heard of : 3/4

Thief - you are one extraordinarily hard working countdown host

[ApexPredator]

Haven't seen Eddie Coyle or American Friend. I have seen Manchurian Candidate and In the Heat of the Night. Probably due for a re-watch on both...neither made the list.

Kill Me Again was my #25. The chemistry between Val Kilmer and then wife Joanne Whalley was off the charts. The twisty storyline which involves a game of who's crossing who between Jack (Kilmer), Fay (Whalley) and Vince (Michael Madsen) was another highlight.

My List:

25. Kill Me Again (1989)

[Thief]

I have a lot of stuff going on today, so I will probably post my reveals very "early" (as in the next 20 minutes) or very "late" (as in the late afternoon). Stay tuned!

[Thief]

2lists37pointsThe Talented Mr. Ripley (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/1213-the-talented-mr.-ripley.html)Director
Anthony Minghella, 1999

Starring
Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett

[Thief]

3lists38pointsShallow Grave (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/9905-shallow-grave.html)Director
Danny Boyle, 1994

Starring
Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston, Ewan McGregor, Ken Stott

[Thief]

TRAILERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4e-Si4oGEw

The Talented Mr. Ripley - In late 1950s New York, a young con artist named Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to convince spoiled millionaire playboy Dickie Greenleaf to return home. But when the errand fails, Ripley takes extreme measures.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKrfUAho5as

Shallow Grave - Three flatmates in Edinburgh set off a chain of events after finding out their mysterious new flatmate dead in his room, with a bag full of money.

[Thief]

I remember liking The Talented Mr. Ripley, but the truth is I haven't seen it since it came out. Should probably revisit it. Shallow Grave I saw for the Neo-noir Hall of Fame and I really liked it (read my review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2438791-shallow_grave.html)). Didn't include it in my ballot, though.

[Allaby]

I've seen and liked The Talented Mr. Ripley, but it didn't make my ballot. I haven't seen Shallow Grave.

Seen: 5/6

[seanc]

I think Ripley started my love for PSH. I have seen it quite a few times but it had been a while now. Great Damon performance and the movie looks fantastic. I really love it but didn’t even think about it for my list. Which is weird actually, because I already voted for a Ripley tale that showed which I saw on tons of lists around the interwebs.

Shallow Grave is my first blind spot to show. I like Boyle fine, but just have never been in a hurry for it. Maybe this will give me a little push.

[honeykid]

Well this is just annoyiing. I looked at both of yesterdays entries and couldn't see Neo Noir on either of them. I didn't have a complete list so I'd have definitely put both on. Especially The Manchurian Candidate as it might still be top 100 for me. :mad:

Not seen either of #100 or #99. Neither really look like I'd like them. Sometimes I think about The American Friend, but never actually watch it.

Shallow Grave is OK, but i was very underwhelmed by it. Maybe I was expecting too much? It was Boyle's breakthough here and quite popular. Mr Ripley I just never got around to and now Law and Paltrow put me off. :D I did record it about a month ago but deleted it a few days later as I just knew I wasn't going to get round to it.

[Miss Vicky]

I blind bought The Talented Mr. Ripley on VHS ages ago, but I don't think I ever actually watched it.

I watched Shallow Grave for the 15th MoFo Hall of Fame and - according to my write up - I liked it, but I don't remember it at all and didn't vote for it.

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/shallowgrave.gif

Shallow Grave (Danny Boyle, 1994)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111149/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_21)

Date Watched: 02/15/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching:15th Hall of Fame, nominated by edarsenal
Rewatch: No.

Well that was a good bit of morbid, violent fun.

I went into this movie knowing absolutely nothing about it. I think the only other Danny Boyle films I’ve see were 28 Days Later, which I barely remember at all having seen it only once many years ago, and The Beach, which I have mixed feelings about. But right away I was drawn in. The film’s main trio of characters are a**holes – and we learn this from the very start. They take pleasure in tormenting others for their own amusement and we never really see a redeeming side to any of them nor do we ever learn much about them as people.

And yet, their journey from a relatively carefree existence, to one of paranoia, fear, deceit and violence is a really fascinating watch. As they began to turn on each other I found myself a bit conflicted as to which a**hole – if any – I wanted to see walk away with the prize and ultimately I was happy with the outcome.

But, aside from an entertaining story, there’s not a whole lot to say about this one as I really didn’t notice anything else. I suppose the cinematography and score worked well enough; I have no complaints about either. The performances were fine, but I don’t feel like these were roles that really demanded much of the people playing them.

All in all a good way to spend 90 minutes, but not anything I would consider particularly memorable.

3.5+

[Holden Pike]

Interesting we already have two of the Tom Ripley movies in the bottom ten. Can Purple Noon be far behind (or is it ahead)?

97853

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY

https://nowthenmagazine.com/assets/img/content/_1920xAUTO_crop_center-center_85_none/the-talented-mr-ripley.jpg
RT – 85%, IMDb – 7.4


Roger Ebert said:

"The movie is an intelligent a thriller as you'll see this year. It is also insidious in the way it leads us to identify with Tom Ripley. He is the protagonist, we see everything through his eyes ... He's a monster, but we want him to get away with it." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-talented-mr-ripley-1999))

Haley Mlotek said:

"Minghella keeps Highsmith’s thriller element, though loses the noir in favor of tortured love: A heist movie in slow motion, Ripley’s motives reveal themselves in the moment. But he comes to the melodrama genre honestly, with much coded commentary on unspoken assumptions." (read full review here (https://www.theringer.com/movies/2019/12/23/21034364/talented-mr-ripley-anniversary-20-years))

Gideon58 said:

"Minghella's intelligent screenplay is matched by his crisp and detailed direction that always raises questions for me every time I have watched this film, but the brilliant performances by Matt Damon and Jude Law, who received a Best Supporting Actor nomination are a primary selling point as well." (read full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1558878-the-talented-mr.-ripley.html))

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... SHALLOW GRAVE

https://i.imgur.com/der44Mq.jpg
RT – 71%, IMDb – 7.3


Roger Ebert said:

"All of the materials are in place for a film that might have pleased [George] Orwell. But somehow they never come together. One of the problems, I think, is that all three conspirators are so unpleasant. Not evil - that would be fine, in material like this - but simply obnoxious in a boring way." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shallow-grave-1995))

Mark Cunliffe said:

"It’s a dark yet deeply witty almost neo noir concerning three Edinburgh flatmates ... who are seeking a fourth flatmate at the start of the film ... Maybe it shouldn’t have worked so well, but it did. And it gets better with each viewing " (read full review here (https://ayewellhmm.wordpress.com/2020/08/06/shallow-grave-1994/))

Holden Pike said:

"Like many wonderful movies it defies easy classification, but the deceit, betrayals, and darkness qualify it enough as a Neo Noir in my book. Whatever one calls it, the ride is a fun one." (read full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2440601#post2440601))

[Holden Pike]

Shallow Grave was one of my picks.

97854

In 1994 everybody was impressed with Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Luc Besson’s Léon, and rightly so. But there were two other crime movies, both directorial debuts, that I liked as much if not more. One was Boaz Yakin’s Fresh and the other was Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave. Not even knowing it is a crime film is probably the best way to see it the first time, watching three smartass, gloriously smug roommates comically torturing prospective boarders for sport. But once there is a dead body and a suitcase full of cash, things take a turn. And then keep turning. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre-like lust for the cash brings out the worst in our three friends, some of them more quickly than others. Darkly comic touches plus some masterful suspense scenes had Shallow Grave favorably labeled Hitchcockian, and while most modern thrillers that get the tag fail to live up to it, for me Danny Boyle and company deliver in spades. And shovels.

97856

In Noir terms their fates are sealed the moment they decide to keep the money, because like all Noir protagonists they foolishly believe they can outwit and outrun the trouble and encroaching darkness that comes with a bag full of loot one did not earn. I had Shallow Grave at number fifteen on my ballot, good for eleven of its thirty-eight points. Favorite quote: “You didn’t tell me this was for children. I hate children. I’d raise money to have the little fu*kers put down. I want my money back!”

HOLDEN'S BALLOT
15. Shallow Grave (#95)
25. Johnny Handsome (DNP)

[Thief]

Even though it's linked on Holden's review above, our recent and fresh Neo-noir Hall of Fame thread (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2431157#post2431157) is worth a visit where you can check out a bunch of thoughts and reviews on the film from some of us.

[mrblond]

#96. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

I've not considered this for the ballot only because of the great competition in the scope.
Saw it in the theatre when it came out and several more times since then (last time couple of months ago). That's a very watchable movie. Superb story and superb screenplay, amazing filming locations... but most of all, what a cast! Six stars of then emerging new generation (Jude Law, Damon, Paltrow, Blanchett, Hoffman, Jack Davenport), supported by James Rebhorn and Philip Baker Hall, Wow!
I've expected it a bit higher in this list. Anyway, I'm glad that the two voters regarded it high on their ballots.

Yeah, a monumental film for the generation of those days.
4.5-
87/100
97858

[John-Connor]

Saw The Talented Mr. Ripley in the theater when it came out and loved it. *cough, Psychological Thriller, *cough.

I won’t go all Siddon on this film, so I’ll only say there are a couple of 1-pointers I deem way more worthy of top hundred placement than Shallow Grave.

97859
^ (Christopher (not) Walken :p )

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead is dope and was in consideration for my list briefly. Great cast, Garcia and especially Walken really killed it. It has a sort of Pulp Fiction vibe to it (like a lot of films from the mid to late 90’s) which took away a bit from the noir vibe for me, so I ultimately didn’t vote for it.

[Citizen Rules]

Seen both of today's reveals. I liked The Talented Mr Ripley, but don't remember it well. In fact I don't remembering watching it, but I found an old post here that said I liked it, so I guess I did!

I didn't care much for Shallow Grave and seen it in the 15th HoF. Here's an excerpt of what I wrote.
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=42108&stc=1&d=1519354125
Shallow Grave (1994)


I have to say the first 18 minutes were a drag...yes, I timed it. I quickly grew tired of the trendy, aka trying way to hard to be hip, film making vibe that those first 18 minutes gave off. I don't know if I was suppose to find the interviews of the prospective roommates funny, but I didn't, grating was more like it. Luckily after 18 minutes the movie settles down and I became interested in the story.

Did they have one nice apartment flat or what? Very cool looking decor, especially the 1950s Electroluxe refrigerator...very cool! It was odd though that the set designer took the nickle chrome finish off the fridge and redone it in gold plating. Then again, thinking about the early 1990s I remember gold plated looking faucets and light fixtures were a big deal then. I always liked nickel chrome better myself. Someone said the film really looks like the early 90s was a long time ago, yup and this film is like a time machine back to big glasses, blow dried hair, long sweaters and bulky computer monitors!

Kerry Fox and Christopher Eccleston were both OK in this. But could Ewan McGregor be anymore annoying? Ugh, just looking at that photo makes me want to slap his smug lil' face.
Which then makes the movie's surprise ending all the more fun!

[Wyldesyde19]

Seen both. Both are good, decent films. Didn’t think The Talented Mr Ripley was a Neo noir but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it.

4/6.*
Good recovery after my 0-2 start.

*will be 5/6 once I watch The American Friend soon.

[mrblond]

...and now, One of the most important films of the 90's for me:

#95. Shallow Grave (1994) got 18 pts from me landing at #8 on my ballot.

I've discovered this by chance in the early 2000's at the local VHS rental place. Seen it couple more times since then.
I'd say, next to Trainspotting, this is the other masterpiece by Danny Boyle. Amazing original story, superb cast - McGregor, Eccleston, Fox, all performed top level acting.
The interior scenes at the artistic apartment of the main characters (basically half of the screen time) are real film art. What a pleasure! I can watch them over and over again.
Alas, seeing it was well discussed during the preliminary period, I've had a hope it will be much higher on the countdown list. After all, nice that there were two more supporters for this film.
4.5 ++
94/100
97865
-----

My Ballot
▽
...
8. Shallow Grave (1994) [#95]
...

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/5t0mGiFlj5GBrZ7ggvvkMdFJ7fV.jpg

-----

My Near Misses:
▽
The Ninth Gate (1999)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

[Thief]

AWARDS?

https://alexlarman.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/ripley2.png


The Talented Mr. Ripley received a ton of nominations for numerous awards, but some of its most notable noms and wins were:


Five (5) Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actor (Jude Law) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Anthony Minghella)
Seven (7) BAFTA nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor (Jude Law)
Five (5) Golden Globe nominations, including Best Drama Picture, Best Director (Minghella) and Best Performances (Matt Damon and Law)
Seven (7) Satellite Award nominations
Four (4) Blockbuster Entertainment Award nominations, including one win (Jude Law)
Three (3) National Board of Review Awards, including Best Director (Minghella) and Best Supporting Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman)

[Thief]

AWARDS?

https://i0.wp.com/filmotomy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Shallow-Grave-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1


Shallow Grave received the following awards and nominations:


BAFTA Award for Best British Film
Cognac Festival du Film Policier Grand Prix and Audience Award
Empire Award for Best British Film, Best Director (Danny Boyle), and Best British Actor (Ewan McGregor)
Angers European First Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay (Boyle) and Feature Film

[CosmicRunaway]

I've seen both of today's reveals, but voted for neither. I originally quite liked Shallow Grave, but when I rewatched it for the 15th HoF, it dragged a little more than I had originally remembered and I haven't revisited it since. I didn't immediately consider it for my shortlist, but when I saw it was nominated for the Neo-noir HoF, I quickly added it in... though it didn't survive the first round of cuts.

The Talented Mr. Ripley is a film I kept catching various parts of on tv for years, without ever seeing it from start to finish. I eventually did sit down and watch the entire thing, though it was so long ago now that I don't recall many of the details. It didn't come to my mind at all when I was making my list, though if I had my time back I definitely would've added it to my rewatch list.

From yesterday's reveals, I only saw one of the films. I know I've seen both the older and newer versions of The Manchurian Candidate, though please don't ask any follow-up questions regarding either film, because that's about all I do remember haha.

Seen: 3/6

My List:
25. The Chaser (2008) - DNP 1-pointer

[cricket]

I very much like The Talented Mr. Ripley and In the Heat of the Night, and I believe the latter may have squeezed onto my 60's ballot.

Only seen The Manchurian Candidate once, and it was solid but didn't leave a big impression. I owe it another watch.

Seen Shallow Grave twice and I don't care for it.

There's already been multiple films that never had a chance at my ballot because I don't personally view them as noir, and I'm sure there will be many more. It's probably not worth mentioning again unless a big time favorite shows up.

[Kaplan]

I absolutely loved The Talented Mr. Ripley, enough that it prompted me to look up the book. And lucky for me the success of the movie brought about a revival of Patricia Highsmith’s work. I have since read all five of the Ripley books three times each, and all her other novels at least twice. So yeah, I became a big fan. I, however, never thought to include it on my list, which is funny because I did not forget about the other adaptation of the novel, which should also show up on the countdown, making for three Ripley movies in the top 100.

[SpelingError]

I haven't seen either film.

[beelzebubble]

I liked Shallow Grave especially the scene where they are interviewing roommates. But it is not on my list.


But TA DAAAA!

11. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
is on my list. This is a favorite of mine. The cast is fabulous. Lovely supporting role by Cate Blanchett and great supporting role by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Jude Law is so beautiful. It just kills me how good looking he is. Damon quietly holds it all together. Isn't this by the director of The English Patient? I have seen this movie many times and I have it to thank for introducing me to Chet Baker.

[GulfportDoc]

...
Shallow Grave - Three flatmates in Edinburgh set off a chain of events after finding out their mysterious new flatmate dead in his room, with a bag full of money.
Some commentary:
Shallow Grave(1994)

Being a black comedy, the film has neither the mood nor the look of a noir. But it does contain a familiar noir trope: a person or persons are enticed by something that they know is wrong or illegal, but they do it anyway, and in the end suffer the consequences.

A trio of flatmates in Edinburgh are looking for an additional boarder to help with the rent. After auditioning several who didn’t fit the bill they finally accept a good candidate. But soon the new tenant dies of a drug overdose, after which the others discover a suitcase full of money left by the deceased. Following some deliberation they decide to dispose of the body in grisly fashion and keep the money. But presently they are shocked to realize that two criminals, having some relationship to the origin of the cash, are viciously in the hunt for the money filled suitcase. How those criminals discover the flatmates, along with the interaction of the trio of renters forms the rest of the action.

The chief feature of the production is the fine acting by a young Ewan McGregor, along with Christopher Eccelston and Kerry Fox. The quirky but uneven screenplay was from John Hodge (Trainspotting), directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire). Based on the look of the film and its offbeat nature the producers were likely inspired by the Coen Brothers.

[Harry Lime]

Both are decent films but I never really cared for either beyond that. Don't have much else to say there so carry on.

[Siddon]

Shallow Grave isn't bad on the first watch....but it's rough to revisit that one. It's very 90's and if it wasn't done by an Oscar winner I think it would be forgotten.


Talented Mr Ripley is the best adaptation of the story but still not for me.

[Thief]

Some commentary:
Shallow Grave(1994)

Being a black comedy, the film has neither the mood nor the look of a noir. But it does contain a familiar noir trope: a person or persons are enticed by something that they know is wrong or illegal, but they do it anyway, and in the end suffer the consequences.



I agree it's probably in the outer rims of neo-noir, but I do think it has more noir elements to it than just that. You have three leads whose morals are questionable (to put it mildly), there is the element of paranoia in one of them, betrayal among all of them, a pessimistic feel to it, a bleak ending, the lighting is very striking, especially during the digging/burying scenes.

https://filmobsessive.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Shallow-Grave-4-gravesite-shot.jpg

I think the fact that it leans more towards dark comedy is what keeps it in those outer rims.

[PHOENIX74]

Another two films I think are quite good - neither made my ballot :

96. The Talented Mr. Ripley - What I like most about The Talented Mr. Ripley is the fact that although Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) was born to be a con-man, megalomaniac and liar, he's just starting out in this film and is often moved to panic. His frantic attempts at covering up crimes and finding the right lie when put on the spot makes the film so tense and exciting. He kills on the spur of the moment, and is often called out for not being the high society person he so desperately wants to be. Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Cate Blanchett shine - all four performers in their prime and young. The last time I watched it I noted that I "Loved Jude Law, who I'm enjoying more and more these days, and I miss Philip Seymour Hoffman very much. I have some sympathy for Tom Ripley - it's easy to forget he's a murderer, for his crimes come at the expense of a wealthy elite who hardly deserve the advantages they have." Good inclusion - I can't tell if it's neo-noir or not, but I'm sure that will be tossed about here.

95. Shallow Grave - Saw this back when it came out, and probably one other time before catching up with it on the neo-noir Hall of Fame a little while ago. It's one of those films that starts with a really light tone which gets progressively darker and darker until it's three characters are basically in hell and trying to kill each other. A word of mouth movie that kind of helped to usher in the period of British crime/gangster films the likes of Guy Ritchie would make - one of those "what would you do if you found a suitcase full of cash" movies like A Simple Plan (we could perhaps see that film here later.) I like it's energetic score, fast pace and eccentric characters who are pretty much horrible people from the moment we meet them belittling potential flat-mates. Just so you know - they had it coming. Very good British crime film.

Seen : 4/6
Heard of : 5/6

[John W Constantine]

Talented Mr. Ripley is a slow burn, almost overly meticulous tale, but like other films with these qualities that ultimately win me over, in the end it has something that resonates with me and keeps me thinking about it. Not easy to sit through but worth the ride.

Need to see Shallow Grave as like Boyle's work well enough.

[Iroquois]

no votes. mostly think these are good, but didn't care for talented mr. ripley.

[CosmicRunaway]

There's already been multiple films that never had a chance at my ballot because I don't personally view them as noir, and I'm sure there will be many more.
While I can see that happening for me as well, I also have a feeling that there's going to be a few films on the Countdown that I would have voted for had I thought about them when making my shortlist. Films I wouldn't immediately say are neo-noir myself, but once I see them come up and think about them a little harder, the justification is there. And I'm looking forward to discovering what those films are going to be.

[Thief]

There's already been multiple films that never had a chance at my ballot because I don't personally view them as noir, and I'm sure there will be many more. It's probably not worth mentioning again unless a big time favorite shows up.

It's such a vaguely defined style that it was unavoidable, I guess. And I suppose that has been the biggest challenge for everyone. For the hosts, in terms of setting up boundaries and eligibility requirements, and for everybody, in terms of selecting from such a vaguely defined pool of films.

I mentioned it before, but for what it's worth, part of what I'm trying to include in the mini-reviews I'm linking, are articles and reviews of people that saw each film as neo-noir and their reasonings for it. So I suppose it's a way to try to put ourselves in their perspective and see what they saw.

[Sedai]

I've seen both of the two latest entries. Never considered Ripley for my ballot, but Shallow Grave was on and off my ballot a couple of times as I finalized it, but ultimately didn't make the cut. If I had re-watched it recently, it probably would have made it.

4/6 seen so far.

[Thief]

3lists38pointsPurple Noon (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/10363-purple-noon.html)Director
René Clément, 1960

Starring
Alain Delon, Marie Laforêt, Maurice Ronet, Erno Crisa

[Thief]

2lists39pointsThe Hustler (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/990-the-hustler.html)Director
Robert Rossen, 1961

Starring
Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott

[Thief]

TRAILERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdQZXUOHGMs

Purple Noon - In late 1950s San Francisco, a young con artist named Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to convince spoiled millionaire playboy Philippe Greenleaf to return home. But when the errand fails, Ripley takes extreme measures.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KND8JCBtkbY

The Hustler - The story of small-time, up-and-coming pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson, as he challenges a legendary, long-time champion in a high stakes game.

[Thief]

Interesting we already have two of the Tom Ripley movies in the bottom ten. Can Purple Noon be far behind (or is it ahead)?

97853

What are the odds, man??? What are the odds??? :laugh:

[Allaby]

Seen both and liked them, but neither made my ballot. Both are very good films, but not personal favourites. I rated both of them an 8/10.

Seen: 7/8

[Holden Pike]

97872

The Hustler was #26 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1960s.

[seanc]

Two four star movies for me. I owe Purple Noon another watch. The Hustler will be on my sports list when it comes, but not ahead of Color Of Money.

[mrblond]

Three Ripley movies in a row at the bottom of the list. What does it mean?
1. It means that only a very limited number of users have a high appreciation of this story.
2. It means that only a very limited number of users are familiar with it.
3. Most of the users don't see it as noir.
:tsk:

[Miss Vicky]

I've seen both, but voted for neither.

I watched Plein Soleil for the 5th MoFo Hall of Fame in 2015. I did actually consider it while making my ballot, but ultimately didn't put it on my shortlist. I vaguely recalled liking it, but the only specific thing I remembered liking about it was how good Alain Delon looked and I decided that wasn't enough for a vote. Had I rewatched it prior to voting, things might be different. I tried digging around the 5th HOF thread for my write-up, but couldn't find it for whatever reason.

I watched The Hustler for the 7th HOF, but I didn't like it, so never considered it.

[Holden Pike]

What are the odds, man??? What are the odds??? :laugh:

So three MoFos voted for The American Friend, two voted for The Talented Mr. Ripley, and three voted for Purple Noon. Out of curiosity, was there any overlap? Did some MoFo vote for two or even all three of the major Tom Ripley adaptations, or did eight separate voters somehow land these flicks at #100, #96, and #94 and almost exactly and evenly split the support?
97871

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... PURPLE NOON

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/janus_stills/1235-/27810id_245_primary_w1600.jpg
RT – 95%, IMDb – 7.7


Roger Ebert said:

"The best thing about the film is the way the plot devises a way for Ripley to create a perfect cover-up, a substitution of bodies (for which a second corpse comes in handy). Ripley's meticulous timing, quick thinking and brilliant invention snatch victory out of the hands of danger." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/purple-noon-1960))

Brice Ezell said:

"The success of Purple Noon is that underneath a beautiful film lies a film noir. Director René Clément, much like Delon’s Ripley, turns on the 'full sun' of the title to obscure the things going on under the surface. Instead of the shadow-painted alleways of the noir, Clément films the confidence game of Ripley in its inverse: scalding daylight. Visually, Purple Noon may be an 'anti-noir', but in every other way it lives up to the noir genre’s tropes: it turns sunlight into shadow, the obvious into the unknown." (read full review here (https://www.popmatters.com/166856-sunlight-as-shadow-purple-noon-2495787524.html))

Takoma11 said:

"I think that Delon does a better job of capturing the character of Tom Ripley from the books, namely the way that he is very seductive and magnetic, but then can turn on a dime when threatened. Purple Noon is a really good film and well worth seeing." (read full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2098857#post2098857))

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... THE HUSTLER

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/the_hustler_-_h_-_1961.jpg
RT – 94%, IMDb – 8.0


Roger Ebert said:

"The Hustler is one of those films where scenes have such psychic weight that they grow in our memories." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-hustler-1961))

Andrew Davies said:

"Stylistically, The Hustler is positioned where film noir and neo-realism meet. Eugen Scufftan's Oscar winning cinematography envelops us in the smoky atmosphere of pool halls, where night can lead in to day without notice." (read full review here (https://thenoirzone.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-essential-films-hustler-1961.html))

Citizen Rules said:

"The Hustler is like a classic Greek tragedy where the protagonist rise to glory only to be destroyed by their own character flaws. It's a study of two very dysfunctional people, with pool as the driving force that causes their flaws to come into play." (read full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1431822-the-hustler.html))

[Thief]

So three MoFos voted for The American Friend, two voted for The Talented Mr. Ripley, and three voted for Purple Noon. Out of curiosity, was there any overlap? Did some MoFo vote for two or even all three of the major Tom Ripley adaptations, or did eight separate voters somehow land these flicks at #100, #96, and #94 and almost exactly evenly splitting the support?

There was just one overlap in voters between two of the three films.

[Thief]

Three Ripley movies in a row at the bottom of the list. What does it mean?
1. It means that only a very limited number of users have a high appreciation of this story.
2. It means that only a very limited number of users are familiar with it.
3. Most of the users don't see it as noir.
:tsk:

Those are interesting questions. I think it's a mixture of 2 and 3, but mostly 2. Personally, I've only seen The Talented Mr. Ripley, and it's been a very long time since.

[Thief]

Anyway, these are two that I haven't seen, although I've had The Hustler in my radar for a long time. This is where I'm at so far...

SEEN: 4/8
MY BALLOT: 0/25

[Citizen Rules]

Yahoo! Finally one from my ballot!:) I had The Hustler as my #3 choice. Love that movie, especially the relationship dynamic between Paul Newman and Piper Laurie...I rated it 5/5.

My MoFo review:
97873

The Hustler (1961)

Fast Eddie (Paul Newman) is a two-bit pool hustler who's a real wiz at the game but his self destructive narcissistic streak keeps him from being the champ. He takes on the legendary "Minnesota Fats" in an all night, high stakes pool game. A game which takes more than shooting skills to win. Fast Eddie also meets Sarah (Piper Laura) setting alone in a train station. Laure is a girl with low self esteem and a lame leg, she uses sex as an escape. The two strike up a relationship based on booze and self destructive behaviors.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=23523&stc=1&d=1451695581


The Hustler is like a classic Greek tragedy where the protagonist rise to glory only to be destroyed by their own character flaws.
It's a study of two very dysfunctional people, with pool as the driving force that causes their flaws to come into play.

Fast Eddie is not likeable, he's not suppose to be. He has an inflated sense of his own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultra confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.

Sarah is a manic depressive, she's more sad than likable. Drowning her self pity in alcohol and in sex with strangers. She's the enabler that keeps Fast Eddie going. She makes the mistake of tying herself to Eddie, as if he was an anchor that would keep her stable. But Eddie has no empathy for her, his only need is to be important at any cost. The Hustler shows us a very real and very dysfunctional relationship.

Jackie Gleason is Minnesota Fats, and owns the role. Gleason was known for doing outlandish physical comedy on The Honeymooners. Here he keeps his body movements to a minimum and with just a slight nod of his head or a raised eyebrow he can convey more than most actors can do with their whole bodies.

Gerorge C. Scott is the cold, conniving financier of the illicit pool games. He's one of those truly slimy bad guys you love to hate. He's good at being bad and being believable while doing it.

In the pool scenes many of the camera angles were done low, looking up at the players. A few shots were done from a high angle, like is done in televised pool tournaments. Both added a tension to the pool scenes. Maybe most impressive is that all those pool halls are real. They actually shot in the pool halls in New York. This gave this hard hitting story a grimy reality that matches the dark reality of the characters plights.

rating_5

[Thief]

For those interested, I just edited the second post of the thread with the full list so far. Thanks to Miss Vicky for slapping me on the back of the head to remind me!

[Thursday Next]

I had Purple Noon at #4 (and The American Friend was my #5). I didn't have The Talented Mr Ripley, though, which is the same story as Purple Noon but with Matt Damon instead of Alain Delon (a poor substitute).


Not only is Tom Ripley a fascinating character, Purple Noon and The American Friend are both really well shot, interesting films.

[Harry Lime]

Holden's a witch!

https://img.gifglobe.com/grabs/montypython/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail/gif/wRUdzJEiwfue.gif

Or I guess he's a warlock!


I've never actually seen Purple Noon. One of those movies that has been on my watchlist forever but never gotten to it yet. The Hustler is a good film but I don't love it.

[Holden Pike]

I hope all seven of you Ripley voters are stoked for the upcoming Netflix series starring "The Hot Priest" himself, Andrew Scott. Love that Steven Zaillian (Searching for Bobby Fischer, "The Night Of...") was able to shoot in black & white, lensed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood, Nightcrawler, Good Night and Good Luck). I mean, we don't really need another adaptation of this story, but there are certainly top-flight people involved in front of and behind the camera. We'll see if the longer format of a series allows further shading or simply feels like it is dragging things out?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ri2biYLeaI

[rauldc14]

Seen both!

The Hustler is the one I prefer of the two, but I didn't vote for either of them.

[WHITBISSELL!]

I'm certainly having better luck with these one pointers than I did with the Noir ones. I had only watched two of those.

Affliction
The Chaser
Johnny Handsome
The Little Things
The Ninth Gate
Pulp
Reindeer Games
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead

[WHITBISSELL!]

Doing better with these too. Only had one (Mystery Street) so far in the Noir countdown.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle
In the Heat of the Night (my #4 pick)
The Manchurian Candidate
The Hustler

[mrblond]

What two days in this countdown...

#94. Plein soleil [Purple Noon] (1960) is my #14 for 12 pts from me.

Beautiful early-colour cinematography featuring Alain Delon and Maurice Ronet, in the great story directed by René Clément. What more needs one who loves the art of cinema...

Interesting enough, Although I've been non-stop into most of the Delon's stuff since my childhood, it was the film of 1999 which presented the character of Tom Ripley to me. After that, it was the version with Malkovich and finally, I've reached to this one in the late 2000's.

4.5 +
92/100
97883
-----

My Ballot
▽
...
8. Shallow Grave (1994) [#95]
...
14. Purple Noon (1960) [#94]
...

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/5t0mGiFlj5GBrZ7ggvvkMdFJ7fV.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/7n1KNXs4OFfeVLjJ3g10M8oK1fM.jpg

-----

My Near Misses:
▽
The Ninth Gate (1999) [one-pointers]
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) [#96]

[Kaplan]

Purple Noon I had at #22. The first time Patricia Highsmith saw Alain Delon she thought he was the perfect Tom Ripley, and he pretty much was. But Matt Damon's performance was exceptional too, while Dennis Hopper's was quite bizarre, but I don't mind it as a different kind of take. I'm pleased to see all three of these show up, even at their low spots.

[Sedai]

5/8 seen for me.

Still no votes!

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

i love the hustler but it didn’t cross my mind as neo-noir while i was making my list. it would’ve been #8 if it had. purple noon also slipped my mind but had i thought of it, it likely would’ve missed out by a few spots. still very good.

i watched both shallow grave and the talented mr. ripley this december just a week apart. both good movies, although i preferred the former.

[SpelingError]

Both Purple Noon and The Hustler are really good, but they didn't make my ballot.

[GulfportDoc]

Yahoo! Finally one from my ballot!:) I had The Hustler as my #3 choice. Love that movie, especially the relationship dynamic between Paul Newman and Piper Laurie...I rated it 5/5.

My MoFo review:


The Hustler (1961)

Fast Eddie (Paul Newman) is a two-bit pool hustler who's a real wiz at the game but his self destructive narcissistic streak keeps him from being the champ. He takes on the legendary "Minnesota Fats" in an all night, high stakes pool game. A game which takes more than shooting skills to win. Fast Eddie also meets Sarah (Piper Laura) setting alone in a train station. Laure is a girl with low self esteem and a lame leg, she uses sex as an escape. The two strike up a relationship based on booze and self destructive behaviors.

The Hustler is like a classic Greek tragedy where the protagonist rise to glory only to be destroyed by their own character flaws. It's a study of two very dysfunctional people, with pool as the driving force that causes their flaws to come into play.

Fast Eddie is not likeable, he's not suppose to be. He has an inflated sense of his own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultra confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.

Sarah is a manic depressive, she's more sad than likable. Drowning her self pity in alcohol and in sex with strangers. She's the enabler that keeps Fast Eddie going. She makes the mistake of tying herself to Eddie, as if he was an anchor that would keep her stable. But Eddie has no empathy for her, his only need is to be important at any cost. The Hustler shows us a very real and very dysfunctional relationship.

Jackie Gleason is Minnesota Fats, and owns the role. Gleason was known for doing outlandish physical comedy on The Honeymooners. Here he keeps his body movements to a minimum and with just a slight nod of his head or a raised eyebrow he can convey more than most actors can do with their whole bodies.

Gerorge C. Scott is the cold, conniving financier of the illicit pool games. He's one of those truly slimy bad guys you love to hate. He's good at being bad and being believable while doing it.

In the pool scenes many of the camera angles were done low, looking up at the players. A few shots were done from a high angle, like is done in televised pool tournaments. Both added a tension to the pool scenes. Maybe most impressive is that all those pool halls are real. They actually shot in the pool halls in New York. This gave this hard hitting story a grimy reality that matches the dark reality of the characters plights.

rating_5
Great review, CR. I don't believe The Hustler to be a noir, but it's in my personal favorite top 10 movies of all time. Here's a review from years back:
The Hustler (1961)

The Hustler was a life changing film for me. As an impressionable 17-year-old who fancied himself a budding pool hustler, I first saw the film upon its release in 1961. The effect that the experience had on me was monumental, and it's still possible to recall a shadow feel of it's emotional impact.

It's subject matter was unusual for its day, and was a seminal film in many ways. There had been movies about golfers, baseball players, tennis players, etc.; but never a film about a seedy pool hustler. The public was not even aware that this type of activity existed. It was based on the 1959 book of the same name by Walter Tevis, himself a pool devotee. The excellent screenplay by Sidney Carroll was fairly faithful to the novel, with a major exception regarding the denouement of Fast Eddie's girlfriend, Sarah. There was fine direction by Robert Rosen who was also a frequent customer of the New York pool rooms, and was aware of Gleason's above average abilities with the pool cue. Rosen was able to guide the production into a sense of authenticity.

The acting couldn't have been any better. It's as if everyone was born to play their respective parts. George C. Scott carried on his cut-throat, abrasive, dominant character acting that was introduced two years earlier in Anatomy of a Murder. Piper Laurie was perfect as the crippled alcoholic intellectual who was trying to find herself. Jackie Gleason fit his role perfectly with class and style. Paul Newman stated that he had over-acted his part, and in hindsight would have liked to tone it down a little. But that type of performance is always appreciated and remembered by the public.

Newman established himself as an expert at playing handsome, devilish rogues, which he was to hone in many more pictures, most notably Hud, Harper, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Sting.

The film score by Kenyon Hopkins written in the jazz idiom was tasteful, but exciting. Few scores --another similarity to Anatomy of a Murder-- had used jazz exclusively up to that time, and here it was a perfect match. I can still hear the strummed major 9th chord underlying the ending of the film.

The movie seemed so real and so familiar. I fell in love with Sarah, and to this day am a fan of Piper Laurie's. I spent several years looking for a girl like Sarah, but to be honest, when I finally found one, it didn't play out too well. I even traveled to Ames' Pool Room in NYC on 46th St. west of Broadway. I got into a game of rotation with the off duty cook for $2 a pop, and he almost busted me. Had enough jack left for one more trip to Geenwich Village, then onto a Trailways outta town.

A word about the subject matter. Its pool/hustling portions were very authentic because several involved in the production had real life experience with gambling and pool. However the character "Minnesota Fats", along with all the other characters, was pure fiction, as attested by Walter Tevis. Shortly after the movie came out, Rudolph Wanderone, aka New York Fats, was given a suggestion by Paulie Jansco (of the Johnston City World's Pocket Billiards tournaments) to go down to the local theater, set up a card table, and represent yourself as the "real" Minnesota Fats. Wanderone was a tremendous self promoter, excellent pool player, story teller, and B.S. artist. He parlayed the hoax into a fortune.

The Hustler was one of a small group of films from the late '50s and early '60s that ushered in a new type of realism-- both in action and in personal relationships. The love interest was complicated but alluring. Eddie didn't realize what he had in him, both emotionally and in his pool playing fortitude. In the end he found out just what those facets were, and became a better man because of it. The book develops those characteristics very well, but Carroll's screenplay pushed the story further, and arguably made a better tale because of it.

Doc's rating: 9/10

[GulfportDoc]

I hope all seven of you Ripley voters are stoked for the upcoming Netflix series starring "The Hot Priest" himself, Andrew Scott. Love that Steven Zaillian (Searching for Bobby Fischer, "The Night Of...") was able to shoot in black & white, lensed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood, Nightcrawler, Good Night and Good Luck). I mean, we don't really need another adaptation of this story, but there are certainly top-flight people involved in front of and behind the camera. We'll see if the longer format of a series allows further shading or simply feels like it is dragging things out?
If the series is as good as the trailer indicates, I'll surely be looking forward to it on April 4th!

[PHOENIX74]

94. Purple Noon - Never seen this, but it had immediately made it into my watchlist when Holden mentioned it earlier. I mean, I love Alain Delon and Tom Ripley adaptations so I didn't have to think twice.

93. The Hustler - Great movie. I saw it for the first time not too long ago. At the time I called it a "Very heavy film - raw and honest, like a Tennessee Williams play." Paul Newman's performance is breathtaking, and he's matched by Piper Laurie - it's a very performance-driven film that digs deep into it's protagonist's psyche. Through great pain, main character Eddie Felson grows a little, but at a price - as always. Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott are great to watch as well, especially the latter in an early film for him. I can't fathom some of the pool shots I see in the movie - the players put spin on the ball which can make it travel in the opposite direction to which it's hit. Crazy stuff. The Hustler wasn't on my ballot, but it's more than worthy of making an appearance here.

Seen : 5/8
Heard of : 7/8 (technically)

[Iroquois]

no votes. purple noon emphatically superior to talented mr. ripley. have been meaning to revisit the hustler.

[Little Ash]

Seen both, voted for neither. The Ripley films I've seen, I always keep meaning to revisit because I remember liking them, but they keep falling to the back of the queue.


The Hustler has been a while. Also one I remember liking a lot. Not sure it would have crossed my mind as being noir, but some of that is due to how long ago it was.

[cricket]

Both great movies with The Hustler being more of a personal favorite. I did not/would not consider voting for them here.

[Thief]

Good morning, people! Weekends are a bit complicated for me in terms of time, but I'm gonna try to post the reveals in a while. The extracurricular stuff might have to wait until the night.

[Thief]

3lists39pointsFireworks (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/5910-fireworks.html)Director
Takeshi Kitano, 1997

Starring
Takeshi Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Osugi, Susumu Terajima

[Thief]

3lists40pointsInfernal Affairs (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/10775-infernal-affairs.html)Director
Alan Mak, 2002

Starring
Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang

[Thief]

TRAILERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4GR3qh_VS0

Fireworks - Police detective Nishi leaves the force in the face of harrowing personal and professional difficulties. However, this leads to him spiraling into depression and some questionable decisions.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNCv6zj8tIg

Infernal Affairs - An undercover Hong Kong police offer infiltrates a Triad and a Triad spy infiltrates the police force. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.

[Thief]

Two donuts with me as far as these two go.

SEEN: 4/10
MY BALLOT: 0/25

[Harry Lime]

Very nice pairing here. I like it a lot. I had Fireworks at #17. Takeshi Kitano kicks ass.


17. Fireworks (1997)
22. The American Friend (1977)
25. Série noire (1979) - One pointer

[Allaby]

I haven't seen Fireworks yet. I liked Infernal Affairs, but didn't vote for it.

Seen: 8/10

[Holden Pike]

97890

Takeshi Kitano's Hana-bi/Fireworks was #51 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1990s and #77 on the MoFo Top 100 Foreign Films list.

[seanc]

Both of these are really good but I didn’t consider either. Especially liked Infernal Affairs which I just saw for the first time last year.

[Little Ash]

Hana-bi is the one Takeshi Kitano film that I've seen. It was interesting and I keep meaning to watch more of his films (Mubi currently has a small number of them).


Still have never seen Infernal Affairs. The Departed also not on my ballot. That vague line between neo-noir and just general crime-drama is indeed vague (and that statement will remain true should any of my crime drama selections show up).

[Miss Vicky]

I haven't seen either, though I've been meaning to watch Infernal Affairs for years. Maybe someday.

[Torgo]

Neither passed my "is it noir?" test, so they didn't make my ballot. I'm glad they made the list though, especially Hana-bi since Kitano is one of my favorite directors.

It's close, but it's not my very favorite movie of his. My favorite is on my ballot and I hope it appears later.

[SpelingError]

Fireworks is very good, but it didn't make my ballot. I imagine watching some more of Kitano's films will help me to appreciate it some more, but I did enjoy the sudden and abrupt cuts to violence as well as the final scene. I haven't seen Infernal Affairs yet.

[Thief]

Takeshi Kitano is a bit of a blindspot for me. I've only seen Violent Cop and, although I liked it, I wasn't overly impressed.


As for Infernal Affairs, I've been putting it off since I've seen The Departed. But I should ask those that have seen both, how different are they? How "enjoyable" would one be if I've seen the other?

[cricket]

Infernal Affairs is the first to show that I haven't seen, it's been sitting on my watchlist for a while.

Fireworks was just ok for me.

[CosmicRunaway]

Yesterday I hadn't seen either film, but today I've actually seen both!

I watched Hana-bi when it was nominated in the Japanese Hall of Fame, and it was sort a bit of a mixed bag. The narrative is really disjointed and hard to follow at the start, but it gets a lot clearer and easier to understand as the film progresses. I might like it better if I revisited it, but I doubt I will - unless it gets nominated again in another HoF of course haha.

Infernal Affairs was on my 2000s list, and it was on my list here as well at #15 (which is maybe a little high, but I felt it was right at the time). I still haven't seen The Departed, or the film's sequels, but they'll probably just end up being unfavourably compared to Infernal Affairs anyway, so I'm happy sticking with just this one version/part of the story. It's probably the least overtly neo-noir film on my list, and I did consider cutting it for that reason, but I really like it, and I'm glad I'm not the only one for voted for it.

Seen: 5/10

My List: 1
15. Infernal Affairs (2002) - #91
25. The Chaser (2008) - DNP 1-pointer

https://64.media.tumblr.com/39ea6b7e86ede4931ca6424b1e34a9e3/7e585298cd416418-bb/s500x750/245885f0ca52121a7b2f72dd3d0ec8e5d8efd17d.gif

[Citizen Rules]

Not heard of Fireworks or Infernal Affairs, so obviously never seen them:p

[Iroquois]

one vote.

fireworks was my #14. an easy pick for his best film, one where he takes a reliable noir set-up (corrupt cop with terminally ill spouse plans bank heist to fund one last holiday) and shoots it through with his trademark mix of deadpan humour and understated melancholy. the idiosyncrasy on display makes him an acquired taste, but i'm glad he's represented here.

saw infernal affairs before departed and, while i've always maintained that it was ultimately the superior version of this tale of undercover cops and crooks, my opinion of it as its own thing has declined over the years. it understands the premise is better suited to a lean thriller than a bloated epic, finds some decent visual ideas, and has a better ending, but overall that only makes it decent rather than genuinely great.

[Thursday Next]

Infernal Affairs was my #13. I'm not sure I can exactly explain why I felt this was neo-noir and not just a crime thriller, it's just a vibe it has. But then, that's the essence of neo-noir that makes it hard to pin down, more of a vibe than a genre. Could be if I watched it again I'd disagree with myself. But it's a good film all the same, and superior to the remake.

Is this the first time Infernal Affairs has appeared on an official list? If so, it's overdue.

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... FIREWORKS

https://www.forumdesimages.fr/media/cache/fdi_big_overview/media/fdi/36398-hana-bi.png
RT – 96%, IMDb – 7.7


Roger Ebert said:

"Fireworks is a demonstration of what a story such as this is really about, fundamentally, after you cut out the background noise." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fireworks-1998))

David Stratton said:

"I was ultimately so moved by it. It did what cinema is meant to do, for me anyway, and that's take me on a journey that is mine, that ultimately ends up inside me, in my heart." (listen full review here (https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/watch/11701827659))

Iroquois said:

"Fireworks is easily the purest distillation of everything that defines Kitano as a filmmaker while also managing to be a strong film in its own right." (read full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1366167-fireworks.html))

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... INFERNAL AFFAIRS

https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/empire-tmdb/films/10775/images/u7OoqcZzOIL6VXD9JZ5EOSTLt6p.jpg?ar=16%3A9&fit=crop&crop=top&auto=format&w=1440&q=80
RT – 94%, IMDb – 8.0


Roger Ebert said:

"What makes it so intriguing is that as the story grows more tangled, the lives of the two characters take on a hidden desperation. Both of them have spent so long pretending to be someone else that their performances have become the reality." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/infernal-affairs-2004))

David Stratton said:

"It’s a clever little concept right there, and it’s one which plays off the idea that has always been at the centre of film noir: what is the distinction between good and evil? Do we judge men by the actions they do? ... Infernal Affairs is a great little film, and one that any neo-noir fan owes it to themselves to catch." (read full review here (https://them0vieblog.com/2011/02/20/non-review-review-infernal-affairs/))

JacobKyon said:

"It wasn't that bad. But still, the practice of seeing the remake before the original can really switch up your ordinary "original is better than remake" perspective, because damn, Infernal Affairs sure made The Departed look like Citizen F-ing Kane." (read full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1278412-infernal-affairs.html))

[Thief]

AWARDS?

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/pv-target-images/98da50bb1efbed2a815eb828cee3e7628c0e25e91c0468720a921d7792e22a0d._SX1080_FMpng_.png


Fireworks received numerous awards and nominations around the world. Some of the most notable are:


Four (4) Blue Ribbon Awards, including Best Film, Best Actor and Best Director (Takeshi Kitano)
Two (2) Manichi Film Concours Awards, including Best Supporting Actor (Ren Ôsugi)
Two (2) Kinema Junpo Awards, including Best Film
Two (2) Hochi Film Awards, including Best Film

[Thief]

AWARDS?

https://www.siff.net/images/CINEMA/2022/Series/Infernal%20Affairs%20Trilogy/CIN_InfernalAffairsIII_1600x900.jpg


Infernal Affairs received numerous awards and nominations around the world. Some of the most notable are:


Seven (7) Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director
Six (6) Golden Horse Award, including Best Feature Film and Best Director
Four (4) Golden Bauhinia Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director
Two (2) Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award, including Best Actor
One (1) Blue Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Language Film

[WHITBISSELL!]

Have watched Fireworks but am ashamed to admit never having seen Infernal Affairs. Neither of them were on my ballot list.

[Thief]

Stats: Pit Stop #1
https://lifehacker.com/imagery/slideshow/01HF2HW16GW4QP5DSQYSK2FNNQ/hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1699834460.png

-

Now that we've hit the first pit stop (90), here are some stats:

Decade Breakdown


1960s = 4
1970s = 2
1980s = 0
1990s = 3
2000s = 1
2010s = 0
2020s = 0



Strong showing from the 1960s and the 1990s right out of the gate. Personally, I think those are the strongest decades for neo-noir (or maybe the 1970s), but we'll see if that continues to be the case here.

Also, no point in doing a director breakdown cause there have been no repeats so far.

[rauldc14]

Seen Fireworks, but didn't care for it.

6/10 seen so far but nothin' from my list.

[Wyldesyde19]

Stats: Pit Stop #1
https://lifehacker.com/imagery/slideshow/01HF2HW16GW4QP5DSQYSK2FNNQ/hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1699834460.png

-

Now that we've hit the first pit stop (90), here are some stats:

Decade Breakdown


1960s = 4
1970s = 2
1980s = 0
1990s = 3
2000s = 1
2010s = 0
2020s = 0



Strong showing from the 1960s and the 1990s right out of the gate. Personally, I think those are the strongest decades for neo-noir (or maybe the 1970s), but we'll see if that continues to be the case here.

Also, no point in doing a director breakdown cause there have been no repeats so far.

60’s and 70’s really are great decades for Neo Noir.

[PHOENIX74]

I've seen both of these - and really liked both of them.

92. Fireworks - Or otherwise known as Hana-bi - I saw this when I was checking out some Beat Takeshi movies. Violent, emotionally satisfying and visually interesting - but I remember the violence most of all. I noted that I'd have to see it a few times before I had a full grasp on it - some really good films are like that, which I guess is frustrating to the casual movie-goer. Takeshi's films as a whole have a style all their own, and this one was the first I ever tackled.

91. Infernal Affairs - This one I've watched more recently, after hearing about it for so many years. I was pretty familiar with the story thanks to The Departed, but I felt this version hit harder by having a much more lean running time. It races through all of the events that lead up to this epic climax between a cop pretending to be a crook, and a crook pretending to be a cop - diametrically opposed and both given the tasks of rooting the other out. I liked that it had emotionally complicated characters navigating a foggy minefield - trying to live some kind of life amongst the danger, with the pace, the visuals, the style, sound and the story all working well in conjunction.

Really good movies - but none from my ballot yet.

Seen : 7/10
Heard of : 9/10

[Thursday Next]

Seen 8/10
My list 3/25

[Thief]

Enjoying a day at the park with one of my kids, so my reveals will come later in the afternoon.

[SpelingError]

Enjoying a day at the park with one of my kids, so my reveals will come later in the afternoon.

Valuing family over movies? I can't believe you, man.

[Sedai]

5/10 seen - still no votes.

I have been meaning to watch Infernal Affairs for years now, but still haven't gotten around to it...I have never heard of Fireworks.

[Thief]

Valuing family over movies? I can't believe you, man.


No, no, no. Family over the forum. Movies go above family :shifty:

[SpelingError]

This forum is family.

[edarsenal]

I have not seen either the original Purple Noon or the remake The Talented Mr. Ripley and truly need to rectify that, though I hold the original as the more demanding of the two.


https://37.media.tumblr.com/70248a91422275e3adf1076ac5531d76/tumblr_mwu299tFnw1r2igv7o2_250.gif

95. Shallow Grave
Is one I love and utterly forgot about when making my list. It would have easily hit in the higher middle of my list.
It kicks off with a montage of not-so-likely new flatmates for the three starring characters and how they dismiss them all. But soon, the possible fourth flatmate is found and moves in—only to die a day later. While rifling through his things, they find a suitcase of money.

And so begins the spiraling premise of this movie. While we learn of the original three's relationships, we are introduced to their disposition to greed and what they, as individuals and as a group, are willing to do. And then, what happens with that decision and following through with the consequences, including the bad men that the money belongs to.

While the premise and probable end game aren't all that new, they are delivered with a dark wit that I rather enjoy. The characters are displayed for us to know, and we begin to root for our favorite as things get more and more severe and as their relationships fray and fall apart. The satisfying ending includes what happens to them all.


https://i.gifer.com/CQaM.gif
https://64.media.tumblr.com/3fbdfe20ce0321703c8666f112e62737/tumblr_orh9vqnItO1v904g0o1_400.gif

93. The Hustler
Growing up with a pool table in the house and the joy of playing on that table in my old age, this movie was and remained very high in my favorite heavily rewatched films throughout my life. Showcasing the dark, gritty underbelly of pool halls and one particular cocky side hustler played brilliantly by Paul Newman against the legendary and actual pool player extraordinaire, Minnesota Fats, done with equal brilliance by Jackie Gleason. The final aspect of the parasitic financial backers that prey on every game's outcome is led by George C. Scott.
I'm not entirely sure why I did not include this one and have no real argument for it except a more ingrained perception as a Shakespearean drama of pool hustling and not specifically a neo-noir. It is another that would have been very high on my list, definitely in the top ten easily.


https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/b3/1a/f7b31a3e3c0bb4e5a35f5f48026cdbb6.gif
92. Fireworks aka Hana-bi

Did not make my list, but one I thoroughly enjoyed due in part to the insight I gained when I saw this in an HoF. I discovered the more retrospective side of Kitano. Researching, I discovered even more beneath the stilled waters of this gentleman.
Such as much like the crippled detective who learns to paint, so did Kitano after a very serious motorcycle accident. In fact, all of the artwork in this film was done by Kitano himself.
Another intriguing aspect that pleasantly surprised me was that, in Japan, he is far more known as a comedian than as the stoic and violent character he plays in many of his yakuza-related movies.


https://dramapanda.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/try.gif
91. Infernal Affairs

An excellent crime drama that I've held over its American version, The Departed was one of my reluctant final cuts.




Seen 5 out of 10 (50%)
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25. Things to do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) One-Pointer

[ApexPredator]

The Talented Mr. Ripley was my #4. Featuring a first rate performance from Matt Damon as a guy who slithers in from modest means to high society using bluffing, guile and if all else fails, murder. Supposedly, he's there to bring Dickie (Jude Law) home, but the more Mr. Ripley sees the good life...the more he realizes he wants it for himself.

A solid supporting cast including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Law and Gwyneth Paltrow assist with their performances. Also, strong direction from Anthony Minghella takes Patricia Highsmith's novel and places you in their world with the good, the bad and the complicated. It was so good that I dragged my friends out there to see it a week or two later.

I saw Shallow Grave and I liked it...a mad scramble as three characters play chess trying to get a suitcase of money for themselves. Also, Danny Boyle's feature debut! But it missed the list for me.

List:

4. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
25. Kill Me Again (1989)

Seen: 4/10

[Thief]

3lists40pointsDead Again (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/11498-dead-again.html)Director
Kenneth Branagh, 1991

Starring
Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Derek Jacobi, Andy García

[Thief]

2lists41pointsLa Haine (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/406-la-haine.html)Director
Mathieu Kassovitz, 1995

Starring
Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili

[Thief]

TRAILERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyh-mq2wcRw

Dead Again - A woman who has lost her memory is taken in by a Los Angeles orphanage, and a private eye is enlisted to track down her identity, but he soon finds that he might have a past life connection to her that endangers their lives.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfE0o9B3dhI

La Haine - Three friends from a poor neighborhood react differently to one of their friends being injured by the police in the middle of some major riots in Paris.

[Miss Vicky]

I watched La Haine several years back and thought it was really good. It must've either not been on any of the existing Neo-Noir lists I looked at or I just overlooked it somehow because I don't think it was ever in consideration for my ballot.

[Torgo]

Big fan of Dead Again. I haven't seen Henry V, but it's my favorite Branagh-directed movie. It didn't make my ballot because I wasn't sure if it's noir. La Haine is one of my favorite movies, landing at #10 on my ballot.

[Thief]

I watched La Haine several years back and thought it was really good. It must've either not been on any of the existing Neo-Noir lists I looked at or I just overlooked it somehow because I don't think it was ever in consideration for my ballot.

It was one of the nominated films for the Neo-noir Hall of Fame that ended up recently. Personally, I don't see a lot of noir in it, but I can see why others think of it that way. I also posted several articles that mentioned some of the noir traits on that thread. I will link them here as soon as I can.

[MovieFan1988]

Have seen so far: 1 - The Talented of Mr. Ripley - I thought this movie was alright, not the best Matt Damon movie out there, imo.
Have not seen so far: 11

[cricket]

La Haine was a movie I was looking forward to but I didn't care for it.

I may have seen Dead Again but I'll have to mark it as a no.

[SpelingError]

I haven't seen Dead Again. I really like La Haine, but it didn't make my ballot.

[Allaby]

I haven't seen Dead Again. I saw La Haine but was underwhelmed by it.

[PHOENIX74]

90. Dead Again - I'm sure I've seen Dead Again before, but it's so long ago that I really can't recall anything at all about it. It was obviously before I became a big fan of Derek Jacobi, or knew much about Kenneth Branagh. It has well and truly slipped into "not seen" territory again - like some films do after 30 years or so.

89. La Haine - I've seen La Haine multiple times, and recently wrote this review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2437952#post2437952) of it. A very powerful film about a very combustible aspect of French society - the lower classes, often way below the poverty level, almost at war with the police and each other. It's the youth who pay the most, and are influenced by the prison-like concrete atmosphere of the slums they grow up in. La Haine has a real living pulse to it, with great music that accentuates the on-edge atmosphere and protest environment. Every act of hatred breeds more resentment, and it's often an accident that sets off the explosion of violence that is just waiting to break out. A very well made movie that spoke not only to the French, but it's worldwide audience which gives it "classic" status.

No votes

Seen : 8/12
Heard of : 11/12

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... DEAD AGAIN

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODcxYTg0MTgtZGE0Ni00Mjg5LTg2NGUtOWRhMzIwZWZmZTc4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzExODEzNDA@._V1_.jpg
RT – 81%, IMDb – 6.8


Roger Ebert said:

"Dead Again is Kenneth Branagh once again demonstrating that he has a natural flair for bold theatrical gesture. If Henry V, the first film he directed and starred in, caused people to compare him to Olivier, Dead Again will inspire comparisons to Welles and Hitchcock - and the Olivier of Hitchcock's Rebecca." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dead-again-1991))

James Berardinelli from ReelViews said:

"After wowing critics with Henry V, Kenneth Branagh went on to make his homage to Hitchcock and film noir, Dead Again. And, although it's not a perfect movie, it's damn close, and there hasn't been a thriller of this sort to come out since then that I have liked more." (read full review here (https://preview.reelviews.net/top100/98.html))

Adam Nayman from AV Club said:

"Throwing caution to the winds, Branagh is basically attempting to mount two different types of thriller at the same time: a gleaming '40s potboiler and the sun-blind '90s neo-noir." (read full review here (https://www.avclub.com/love-and-reincarnation-kenneth-branagh-style-1798276491))

[Thief]

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... LA HAINE

https://i.imgur.com/vtS3ETb.jpg
RT – 96%, IMDb – 8.1


Roger Ebert said:

"La Haine is, I suppose, a Generation X film, whatever that means, but more mature and insightful than the American Gen X movies." (read full review here (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hate-la-haine-1996))

Ginette Vincendeau from Criterion said:

"[La Haine] is a brilliant film, with stylish widescreen noir photography and virtuoso camera work. It captured a young generation on the brink, caught between French culture and that of their parents, and in love with American rap music and cinema." read full review here (https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/642-la-haine-and-after-arts-politics-and-the-banlieue))

Muriel Zagha from Engelsberg Ideas said:

"The film, which references Scarface and Taxi Driver, positions itself as a neo-film noir, with a tightly-wound tragic mechanism at its core." (read full review here (https://engelsbergideas.com/notebook/la-haine-jusquici-tout-va-bien/))

[Thief]

AWARDS?

https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_glossy+ret_img+to_auto/www.slantmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/film_so91deadagain.jpg


Dead Again received the following awards and nominations:


One (1) National Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films
One (1) BAFTA Film Award for Best Supporting Actor (Derek Jacobi)
One (1) Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score (Patrick Doyle)
One (1) Golden Berlin Bear from their International Film Festival (Kenneth Branagh)
One (1) Young Artist Award nomination for Best Young Actor Co-starring (Gregor Hesse)