The MoFo Top 100 Neo-noir Countdown

Oh also: My wife and I watched Mona Lisa last night.

I wasn't over the moon for it, but I did love how the film sucked you in to the character play as they navigated the seedy underbelly of the city, in true noir fashion. Some excellent scenes, even if the film does lift quite a bit in both theme and execution from Scorsese's Taxi Driver.

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WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... BLAST OF SILENCE


Roger Ebert said:

Richard Brody, of The New Yorker, said:

Eric Henderson, from Slant Magazine, said:

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WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... THE PLAYER


Roger Ebert said:

Criterion Collection said:

@PHOENIX74 said:

I never considered The Player for my ballot actually it never crossed my mind, but it's an excellent film. I wrote this:


The Player is right up my alley, it was a fun watch. As a plus, I was glad to explore more of Altman's filmography as I haven't seen many of his movies. The Player reminded me of another favorite movie, by the Coen Brothers, Barton Fink.

What I really liked about The Player was the insider story of a Hollywood movie executive who listens to movie pitches and green lights only a handful of films...I want that job!!! OMG that was so cool to see someone actually performing this movie job on screen. I loved the inside look at the movie business, very cool.

I also loved the detail of the sets at the studio, and I loved spotting all the stars who made cameos and there was a lot of them!. Tim Robbins is a favorite actor of mine and I liked him here he's quite good and personable which makes his story all the more relatable.

I liked that the story was part comedy and never intense. I dislike intense, realistic crime thrillers, though I do like old 40s-50s film noir. Luckily this film had a lighter feel to it, which suited me. I thought the ending twist was pretty clever too and it gave the movie a film within a film feel.

The Player is one film I'd like to revisit again.

The Player was number 10 for me. My favorite Altman movie.

Me looking at my list wishing I had put The Player on. It’s definitely Neo Noir and definitely belonged on my list.

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Letterboxd

90. Dead Again I have forgotten all about this one. I need to revisit it. It was a favorite of mine when it came out, and I am very glad to see it here.

89. La Haine Angry young French man gets a gun. News at Eleven.
I'm a huge fan of Vincent Cassel, never a disappointment.

87. The Man from Nowhere Won Bin, as Tae-Sik Cha, does an excellent job as the "quiet" stranger who owns a pawnshop and is drawn into the violent repercussions of the little girl's mother stealing from the wrong people. The basis of the friendship between Tae-Sik Cha and the young girl, Jeong So-mi (Sae-ron Kim), is quite genuine and, at times, quite touching. Gives a great balance to the well-executed violence that erupts as Tae-Sik goes after the "bad guys" while dodging the Police, who are also after the bad guys and believe him to be associated with them.

86. Shutter Island I quite enjoyed this, even on the rewatches, being an unabashed fan of Leo. Bit of a Hollywood ending, but still a good watch.

83. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I have not seen it since it came out with a near-blank memory of what occurred, but remembering the tension is well done throughout.

82. Blue Ruin Dwight, played with such incredible depth by Macon Blair, is not an ex-hit-man or ex-military or, hell, ex-anything. He's not even an everyday man caught in an extraordinary situation. He's a broken shell, overwhelmed by grief, at the very bottom of the emotional well to the point of paralysis. Trying to find the impetus to move. Not so much forward, but to simply move.
I felt for this crumpled derelict with anguished eyes and a broken soul from the get-go, and I respected the filmmaker for not presenting any reason for us to cheer or support this man attempting to find his "revenge" only to get spun deeper into the whirlwind.

80. Dirty Harry The beginning of the franchise with Eastwood's Inspector Harry Callahan chasing down a serial killer based on the Zodiac Killer. Classic!

77. Manhunter A great psychological thriller.

75. The Silence of the Lambs And being a continuation, ditto. It's difficult to see it as neo-noir, but that's just my view. I'm happy to see the love.

Coming in at #24


70. Basic Instinct This is a delightful shock to see the love for this erotic thriller. Did not expect to see this make it and thought it was a private naughty pleasure from way back that I would be intrigued to revisit with the confidence that I would applaud and enjoy when I continuously rewatched it. Especially at the movie theater. Cheering Sharon Stone's disdain for conformity, her refusal to hide, and her amusement at the men being stupid boys time and again throughout this film.

Coming in at #8


68. Mystic River The review from a critic at Giant Freakin Robot that @Thief posted is an excellent description: "Coming from the direction of Clint Eastwood, it’s no surprise that Mystic River is a gritty neo-noir crime drama. But it’s also so much more than that. This movie is a masterful exploration of guilt, grief, and the enduring impact of trauma." and definitely far better than I can express. I've seen this a number of times. It's a hard, brutal watch, but utterly compelling and fascinating that embeds itself into your memory and your heart and will not go away.

Coming in at #14


67. Mother I was captivated by Hye-ja Kim playing a slightly off-centered mother, her simple son getting accused of murder, and her willingness to do everything for her beloved child. It is played out within the dark-humored, well-spun tale and Bong Joon Ho's jaw-dropping turn of events. A top-of-the-line quality, style, f@ckin amusing, HOLY SH#T neo-noir experience with poetic symmetry.

66. Killer Joe McConaughey is chilling and insists on your full and complete attention as he steals scene after scene after scene.

65. Strange Days This one is a tragic screw-up on my part for not including it. No excuse, really. It is a favorite and often watched film though it has been some time since seeing it. A strong cast in a very believable near future setting with social issues that are never soap-boxed but befitting of the storyline. Hell, I even love the songs that Juliette Lewis sang herself. Everything works here. The intricate and colliding relationships, the turns, the twists, the tension, the world-building, and the characters beautifully entwined strengths and weaknesses. F@ck, I'm an idiot for not including this one

61. The Dark Knight is the second and most loved of Nolan's Batman trilogy, which I've watched countless times. Just utterly love it. If I were to choose a Batman film, I would have gone with the more recent The Batman just a little more. I do not in any way dispute the iconic Dark Knight's appearance here.

60. True Romance An excellent call from a number of Tarantino films that scream neo-noir. A suitcase full of blow, the need to sell it and run from the ruthless people after it, and the cops looking to bust those involved, a hellacious ride that I've loved since seeing it at the movie theaters. Another should have, though I did go with a different Tarantino that is a greater favorite for me.

59. Bound This is an electrifying erotic thriller that I haven't seen since its debut. I wanted to rewatch it for my list but was unable to.

58. The French Connection I have not seen this since my younger daze, and I am very curious to see a rewatch of this Based-On-A-True-Story crime film to explore its neo-noir aspects.

56. Thelma & Louise I think I saw this once when it first came out and never revisited it. It's a solid placement.

53. The Departed A sweet, gentle, life-affirming, heart-warming film about brotherly love, kindness, forgiveness, and how humility is the only way to truly aspire in this world.
Oh, wait, this is the f@ckin Departed -- f@ck all that sh#t.


52. Oldboy (2003) One of our household's introductions to South Korean Cinema with one of the most sadistic, twisted, long-game revenge stories. Gripping you and dragging you along from Dae-su Oh's (Choi Min-Sik) drunken stint in a police station, his anonymous abduction, and equally anonymous release into the wild. And the sh#t that occurs in his pursuit of who and why he was kept captive for years.

I never heard of Blast of Silence, and The Player is one I should see but never made an effort to. Get Carter is on Serious Watchlist, and like @Harry Lime, I do have a serious love for the remake. It was a serious consideration for my vote. However, placement would insist on watching the original and discerning between the two. You Were Never There is a Phoenix film I truly need to see and hopefully will. My interest has increased reading though the comments made. Especially @Miss Vicky.



Seen 26 out of 54 (48.15%)
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8. Mystic River (2003) #68
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14. Mother (2009) #67
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24.Basic Instinct (1992) #70
25. Things to do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) One-Pointer

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What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes

~Mr Minio

You've seen the internet right? These days, it's just possible that an otherwise normal, sensible person is actually completely mental.

Ten years ago the joke would've been obvious to me, so it's good to have that reminder.

I'm not blaming or criticising you at all or your handling of it or the whole thing. I never bother with the 'research' part of a countdown. The chances are if I'm interested I've seen it already or I'm aware of it and then it's up to me to see it. But I'd only do that to fill out a list because it's not really a favourite if I've only seen it once or twice. But these are self-impossed rules and ones that I have to be more lax about when it comes to stuff like Noir which, had it happened 5 years ago, I wouldn't have bothered making a list for as I don't care for the genre. Neo or otherwise. I literally wrote my list up and sent it to you.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

I guess in the game of, "this movie that some of us don't think of neo-noir, but actually has x-movie as an analog that no one challenges as noir," The Player probably is most analogous to The Sweet Smell of Success in terms of hustle and bustle of quick talking, seedy underside of media vibes (one might go Sunset Boulevard, but that seems a little off in terms of content of what a lot of the interactions going on screen are like - but that's just my quick take).

#47. The Player (1992)

Saw it in theatre when it was released. Re-watched it couple more times since then.
Good, entertaining film. Didn't think of it for this countdown.

80/100

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"Population don't imitate art, population imitate bad television." W.A.
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." M.T.

The Player was my #20. Good film.

I was never interested in seeing The Player but then someone picked it for me in a Personal Rec HoF. Super entertaining and I loved it.

Seen Blast of Silence several years ago and enjoyed it.

1. Killer Joe (#66)
3. Gone Baby Gone (#64)
4. The Player (#47)
9. Mona Lisa (#78)
11. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (#62)
12. Body Double (#69)
15. The Driver (#79)
21. Manhunter (#77)
24. Bound (#59)

Allen Baron wrote, directed, and stars in Blast of Silence. He plays a lone hitman as he comes to New York during Christmas to do a hit, and the film is truly elevated with its location shooting and a wonderfully extra noirish narration. I placed it at #14.

My List:
5. True Romance (#60)
11. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (#100)
12. Branded to Kill (#71)
14. Blast of Silence (#48)
18. Following (#84)
21. Mother (#67)
22. Purple Noon (#94)

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I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.

Darn I love The Player and didn't think of it for the countdown. Gee how many of us are going to make the same post. It certainly does reference noirs...a lot. Oh well. A must watch for anyone that loves movies. I like Blast of Silence but I think I like New York in the film more than the film itself. It's been a long time since I watched it, though.

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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

2 for 2 and Blast of Silence is my #5 pick. Watched it on TCM otherwise I probably wouldn't even have heard of it. Writer/director/star Allen Baron manages to do more with less than any other film I can remember. I would never have categorized it as a "Christmas movie" though.

Haven't seen The Player in ages. I remember thinking it was okay at the time and I have no real urge to rewatch it. This makes like 7 (I think) of my 25 picks accounted for.

32 of 54 seen.

Haven't seen either of today's unfortunately. I've been meaning to see Blast of Silence, but haven't gotten around to it.


Seen 27 of 54

Thank you! at least somebody is checking all that stuff

AWARDS?


Blast of Silence didn't get any nominations or awards, but The Player received a couple. These are some of the most notable:

• Five (5) BAFTA Film Award nominations, including a win for Best Director (Altman)
• Four (4) Golden Globe Award nominations, including a win for Best Comedy/Musical Picture
• Three (3) Academy Award nominations, including Best Director (Robert Altman)
• Three (3) Cannes Film Festival nominations, including a win for Best Actor (Tim Robbins)
• Two (2) Awards Circuit Community Award nominations, including Best Director (Altman)

One couldn't ask for a better film than Blast of Silence to usher in the neo-noir style in modern times. Filmed on a micro budget, director/writer Allen Baron fashions a bleak story of an out of town hitman who returns to his home town of NYC for a job. The portrayal of his activities and their outcome is the basis for the story. Baron perfectly captures the noir ethos in this gem of a neo-noir.

I'm puzzled why The Player is included as neo-noir. It's a very enjoyable clever picture with a stand out performance by Tim Robbins, but it's simply a black comedy about the film studio industry.