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The main reason why I had to (hastily) finish that previous review is that I don't want to have multiple HoF reviews waiting. In other words, I just watched The Big Heat. It will accompany Double Indemnity in the good bracket. I'll try to finish that review in less than a week.
Film Noir HoF III
The main reason why I had to (hastily) finish that previous review is that I don't want to have multiple HoF reviews waiting. In other words, I just watched The Big Heat. It will accompany Double Indemnity in the good bracket. I'll try to finish that review in less than a week.
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Angel Heart (1987)
Directed by: Alan Parker
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet
Angel Heart is a film that is more rewarding to attentive viewers. There are a lot of small, easy to miss details that play a key role in the story. Recurring visual motifs like the slowing fans connect each part of the film to its ending, providing clues along the way. There is audible foreshadowing as well, with sounds from later scenes accompanying earlier ones, and of course the symbolic heartbeat that can frequently be heard. The significance of these elements become more apparent on subsequent watches, so unlike many films that revolve around a central mystery, the film actually becomes stronger on repeat viewings.
Mickey Rourke is practically unrecognizable here, and not because he's since undergone reconstructive surgery due to his boxing injuries, but because his performance is unlike anything I've seen from him before. He's practically perfect as Harry Angel, the private eye whose every step towards the truth drives him farther away from what he's capable of comprehending. What starts as a simple inquiry into a hospital patient takes him down the eastern seaboard and into a mysterious, occult world that threatens both his life and his sanity.
The film combines two things I absolutely love: psychological horror, and a noir detective story. It's not a blend that's going to appeal to everybody, but I think they work really well together. The cinematography is great, and there are a lot of washed out colours that give everything this vintage look. The score is a mix of electronic tracks and blues music, that do a fantastic job setting the atmosphere in both New York and New Orleans. There are some genuinely uncomfortable moments here, though it's strange to think that the MPAA were more concerned about Rourke's buttocks in that one scene, rather than any of its far more disturbing implications.
Mickey Rourke is practically unrecognizable here, and not because he's since undergone reconstructive surgery due to his boxing injuries, but because his performance is unlike anything I've seen from him before. He's practically perfect as Harry Angel, the private eye whose every step towards the truth drives him farther away from what he's capable of comprehending. What starts as a simple inquiry into a hospital patient takes him down the eastern seaboard and into a mysterious, occult world that threatens both his life and his sanity.
The film combines two things I absolutely love: psychological horror, and a noir detective story. It's not a blend that's going to appeal to everybody, but I think they work really well together. The cinematography is great, and there are a lot of washed out colours that give everything this vintage look. The score is a mix of electronic tracks and blues music, that do a fantastic job setting the atmosphere in both New York and New Orleans. There are some genuinely uncomfortable moments here, though it's strange to think that the MPAA were more concerned about Rourke's buttocks in that one scene, rather than any of its far more disturbing implications.
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I just rewatched Double Indemnity. I quickly skimmed over what I wrote about it for the 2nd 1940s HoF, and I'm likely going to lift at least half of it for my review here, if not more. I don't really have anything different to say, but there were parts of that write-up which were specific to that viewing, so the wording wouldn't make sense for this HoF. So if anything, I guess it'll be more of a second draft haha.
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Is Angel Heart on the list? I only have 10 listed...
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I just rewatched Double Indemnity. I quickly skimmed over what I wrote about it for the 2nd 1940s HoF, and I'm likely going to lift at least half of it for my review here, if not more. I don't really have anything different to say, but there were parts of that write-up which were specific to that viewing, so the wording wouldn't make sense for this HoF. So if anything, I guess it'll be more of a second draft haha.
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on the rarity of having a previous review, I DO find myself saying the very same thing and have cut and paste a review. Very recently with Double Indemnity in this nor HoF.
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What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
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Angel Heart (1987)
Directed by: Alan Parker
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet
Angel Heart is a film that is more rewarding to attentive viewers. There are a lot of small, easy to miss details that play a key role in the story. Recurring visual motifs like the slowing fans connect each part of the film to its ending, providing clues along the way. There is audible foreshadowing as well, with sounds from later scenes accompanying earlier ones, and of course the symbolic heartbeat that can frequently be heard. The significance of these elements become more apparent on subsequent watches, so unlike many films that revolve around a central mystery, the film actually becomes stronger on repeat viewings.
Mickey Rourke is practically unrecognizable here, and not because he's since undergone reconstructive surgery due to his boxing injuries, but because his performance is unlike anything I've seen from him before. He's practically perfect as Harry Angel, the private eye whose every step towards the truth drives him farther away from what he's capable of comprehending. What starts as a simple inquiry into a hospital patient takes him down the eastern seaboard and into a mysterious, occult world that threatens both his life and his sanity.
The film combines two things I absolutely love: psychological horror, and a noir detective story. It's not a blend that's going to appeal to everybody, but I think they work really well together. The cinematography is great, and there are a lot of washed out colours that give everything this vintage look. The score is a mix of electronic tracks and blues music, that do a fantastic job setting the atmosphere in both New York and New Orleans. There are some genuinely uncomfortable moments here, though it's strange to think that the MPAA were more concerned about Rourke's buttocks in that one scene, rather than any of its far more disturbing implications.
Mickey Rourke is practically unrecognizable here, and not because he's since undergone reconstructive surgery due to his boxing injuries, but because his performance is unlike anything I've seen from him before. He's practically perfect as Harry Angel, the private eye whose every step towards the truth drives him farther away from what he's capable of comprehending. What starts as a simple inquiry into a hospital patient takes him down the eastern seaboard and into a mysterious, occult world that threatens both his life and his sanity.
The film combines two things I absolutely love: psychological horror, and a noir detective story. It's not a blend that's going to appeal to everybody, but I think they work really well together. The cinematography is great, and there are a lot of washed out colours that give everything this vintage look. The score is a mix of electronic tracks and blues music, that do a fantastic job setting the atmosphere in both New York and New Orleans. There are some genuinely uncomfortable moments here, though it's strange to think that the MPAA were more concerned about Rourke's buttocks in that one scene, rather than any of its far more disturbing implications.
And I agree about Mickey Rourke. While I have not seen The Wrestler, I consider this is very, VERY best film all around. The man was inspired while playing this role and he did an exceptional job compared to anything else I've seen him in since.
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Angel Heart
A man lives a normal life. He has a relatively high risk job, until one day. When Louis Cyphre shows up and bends his perception of reality. Changes that lifestyle - no longer is Harry so ignorant, and no longer is he so happy.
Angel Heart seems almost like a precursor to Fight Club - the obvious comparison being the split personality. However, Angel Heart also pushes us to examine our own guilts and pleasures, what we push deep inside of us so as never to remember it. This is fantasy horror, but it really does pertain in a relevant way to many people's situations today.
Angel Heart's intense score, tight cinematography, just all around creepy vibe really elevate it into something special for noir. I mean, how many horror noirs are really out there? It's like Bone Tomahawk, a truly special gem in the genre.
Which isn't to say it's entirely successful at what it's attempting. I think I would have enjoyed Angel Heart a lot more had it cut a huge chunk of the pointless middle section. It was Harry wandering around, collecting evidence, meeting new people and traveling to new places. Sorry, but it's boring. I get that it's necessary to the "plot" but surely there could be an easier way to explain this than extending the length by thirty minutes.
Rourke and De Niro give really great performances, although yuck Robert's haircut. The script was cool and interesting, but not to the level of most of the other noirs here. So, yeah, I had a good time watching Angel Heart. It definitely had an atmosphere and tension to carry it successfully through the two hour runtime.
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Murder, my Sweet
Murder, My Sweet might seem like a pretty cliche noir nowadays, especially considering it's famous main character. But it's also really incredible that this film - along with a few other real good ones - was one of the ground bases for what noir would become in the years after 1944.
Murder, my Sweet was released the same year as Double Indemnity, a far more famous (and better) noir. Comparing the two shows that perhaps Double Indemnity has a sharper script and more interesting characters. But Murder, my Sweet does a really admirable job of setting up tropes that would become "cliche" in the noir genre later on.
The femme fatale of course, in this case in the form of the sly and cruel Helen. The hard boiled detective, Marlowe himself. And all the in betweens - the sharp angles, the thick and complex plot, and the sense of casting our morals aside for a wild journey down crime avenue.
Murder, my Sweet has a really really complex plot. But it's not too hard to follow, which is a good thing since some of the more confusing ones simply gave me a headache. It packs a lot of plot into an hour and thirty minutes, but I was satisfied by the end. Characters had natural arcs and there were some beautiful moments of setting up relationships.
I think I'm just really starting to love the feel of old movies. Sure, there are the ones that I love because they're magic in any time. But at some point we have to face - and get over - the fact that most of these are dated. Of course old movies are "dated". I just love that feel, of sitting down to a black and white movie, with a racing pounding score, and the different accents, and the more stationary style. Just the feeling of it is something so entirely different from what's made today. Not saying one is better than the other, but I really love different experiences at the movies, and 40s noir gives me that.
So I'm glad these older 30s and 40s movies are still available. They're really a treasure. There are some misses, but also quite a few hits. I'd call Murder, my Sweet a solid hit.
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...I think I'm just really starting to love the feel of old movies. Sure, there are the ones that I love because they're magic in any time. But at some point we have to face - and get over - the fact that most of these are dated. Of course old movies are "dated". I just love that feel, of sitting down to a black and white movie, with a racing pounding score, and the different accents, and the more stationary style. Just the feeling of it is something so entirely different from what's made today. Not saying one is better than the other, but I really love different experiences at the movies, and 40s noir gives me that...
Spoken like a true film aficionado. So true. That's how I feel about old movies too.
Glad you liked Murder, My Sweet.
Glad you liked Murder, My Sweet.
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Double Indemnity (1944)
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Starring: Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson
To me, the best looking noirs are the ones that still cling to those Expressionistic roots. Being one of the earliest films in the genre, Double Indemnity certainly delivers in that department. The dim corners and strong shadows on screen are a constant dramatic presence, with the main characters frequently concealed in darkness, or framed in a prison-like light effect created by window blinds. There is a stark contrast between the bright exterior shots, and the carefully crafted, dusty sound stage interiors that does a fantastic job setting the mood for each scene.
The film is very cleverly written as well, with a lot of great wordplay in the script, particularly between Walter and Phyllis during their first meeting. Stanwyck is always a powerful presence on screen, and her introduction from an elevated position atop the staircase heightens that impact even more. She has great chemistry with MacMurray, but MacMurray and Robinson were actually the duo I loved watching together the most. Perhaps I should be giving more credit to MacMurray, since even on his own narrating the film, he gives an incredibly captivating performance.
Double Indemnity is a cynical film about greed, seduction, and betrayal that is thoroughly engrossing no matter how many times I see it. With its snappy dialogue, beautiful cinematography, and a spectacular cast, it's easy to understand why so many subsequent noirs aspired to be like it. The bold choice to start at the end of the story could've drained the plot of any suspense, but instead it generated more intrigue than a conventional narrative structure would have. I've not read the novel the film is based on, so I'm not sure how many of these elements were present in the book as well, but in the cinematic world it was still pretty ground breaking at the time.
The film is very cleverly written as well, with a lot of great wordplay in the script, particularly between Walter and Phyllis during their first meeting. Stanwyck is always a powerful presence on screen, and her introduction from an elevated position atop the staircase heightens that impact even more. She has great chemistry with MacMurray, but MacMurray and Robinson were actually the duo I loved watching together the most. Perhaps I should be giving more credit to MacMurray, since even on his own narrating the film, he gives an incredibly captivating performance.
Double Indemnity is a cynical film about greed, seduction, and betrayal that is thoroughly engrossing no matter how many times I see it. With its snappy dialogue, beautiful cinematography, and a spectacular cast, it's easy to understand why so many subsequent noirs aspired to be like it. The bold choice to start at the end of the story could've drained the plot of any suspense, but instead it generated more intrigue than a conventional narrative structure would have. I've not read the novel the film is based on, so I'm not sure how many of these elements were present in the book as well, but in the cinematic world it was still pretty ground breaking at the time.
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I just love that feel, of sitting down to a black and white movie, with a racing pounding score, and the different accents, and the more stationary style. Just the feeling of it is something so entirely different from what's made today. Not saying one is better than the other, but I really love different experiences at the movies, and 40s noir gives me that.
I don't actually have anything constructive to say, but on the subject of accents, my room mate can do a very exaggerated, over-the-top parody of the Mid-Atlantic/Transatlantic voice. It doesn't matter what film I'm watching, as long as it's in black and white he never fails to make a comment using that voice as he passes by.
With this HoF I've been hearing it a lot lately, and even though he keeps saying the exact same thing, it makes me laugh every single time haha.
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murder, my sweet
really liked this. has everything you want and expect in a noir, plus an insane dream sequence that knocks you off balance and adds a touch of surrealism to the proceedings. also there's a guy named moose and he rules. the plot kinda lost me towards the end when i couldn't keep track of the character's motives, but i don't really care about following the plot to most movies so i'm sure i just tuned out for a second and missed something important. it's a testament to the first two-thirds of the film that i actually cared enough to bother keeping up for a while. i thought the last two minutes were really sweet too. powell is good, but also a bit of a letdown when you try to imagine how much better each one of his lines would've sounded coming out of humphrey bogart. he can't quite manage enough gritty cynicism to sell most of the one-liners and usually they just come off sounding dumb, but he's clearly trying his best and i think he pulls it off overall. the performance probably would've made more sense if he was playing some random detective and not the iconic philip marlowe, but it's not his fault the character would become so associated with bogey's style. good movie, dmytryk rules.
really liked this. has everything you want and expect in a noir, plus an insane dream sequence that knocks you off balance and adds a touch of surrealism to the proceedings. also there's a guy named moose and he rules. the plot kinda lost me towards the end when i couldn't keep track of the character's motives, but i don't really care about following the plot to most movies so i'm sure i just tuned out for a second and missed something important. it's a testament to the first two-thirds of the film that i actually cared enough to bother keeping up for a while. i thought the last two minutes were really sweet too. powell is good, but also a bit of a letdown when you try to imagine how much better each one of his lines would've sounded coming out of humphrey bogart. he can't quite manage enough gritty cynicism to sell most of the one-liners and usually they just come off sounding dumb, but he's clearly trying his best and i think he pulls it off overall. the performance probably would've made more sense if he was playing some random detective and not the iconic philip marlowe, but it's not his fault the character would become so associated with bogey's style. good movie, dmytryk rules.
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Most Biblical movies were long If I Recall.
seen A Clockwork Orange. In all honesty, the movie was weird and silly
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The Asphalt Jungle
With the Asphalt Jungle - my first John Huston film - there is a dark tonal vibe that fits the noir genre really well... but at the same time I wouldn't even consider it noir. At core, of course, it's a heist movie, a crime story about a group of men who try - and ultimately fail - to steal some jewels and make $500,000. It's more tragic than other noirs I've seen - although plenty can be depressing.
Watching the Asphalt Jungle is watching this master plan completely crumble. We see the men at the beginning - cool headed, smart, witty - and by the end they are all either dead or a hot mess. We don't necessarily want to root for them - they are criminals after all - but the movie makes us sympathize quite a bit.
Even Dix, who is in fact quite a dick, has a death scene at the end which is painful and beautiful at the same time. We feel an immense sorrow not for Dix himself, but for the vain attempts these seven had at success, and how it all didn't work out.
Why didn't it work out? The plan was perfect, and even with the alarms going off unexpectedly it could have worked out. But it was the greed, need, and distrust in all seven that caused things to go the way they did. It was stupid errors. Doc goes down after getting a bit too entranced watching a young girl dance. Dix is too stubborn and refuses help. Emmerich is nervous, is legitimately bankrupt, and his death is perhaps the most cruel of all.
So, the Asphalt Jungle tell us, the world is cruel. There are moments of great beauty in the Asphalt Jungle, but mostly it is a biting, intense, and wonderfully crafted heist noir that is like nothing I'd seen before.
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Last edited by ahwell; 04-23-20 at 01:36 PM.
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The Ashpasldkfjashlt Jungle.
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