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I consider the Coens to be among the absolute best living directors, so yup. Good thing in my book.
Blood Simple (1984)
Barton Fink (1991)
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Miller's Crossing (1990)
Noirvember 2022
Blood Simple (1984)
Barton Fink (1991)
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Miller's Crossing (1990)
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It's been such a long time since I seen Suspicion that I had to read it's synopsis at IMDB and it still didn't ring a bell for me. In general, and to me, most Hitch's films seem like mystery/thrillers, with the exception of Strangers on a Train which doesn't feel like a Hitch film to me. I do like his movies and seen a lot of them, sans his silent films except I did see The Lodger.
Have you seen many of his films?
Have you seen many of his films?
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What would Hitchcock do?
What would Hitchcock do?
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I own 43 of his movies on DVD. I go through phases of watching a few Hitch films then have a break and go onto another genre. He had his ups and downs but I do like most of his films. He really did set the standard. The only one I did dislike was Topaz but I may need to revisit as opinions can change over the years.
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43 Hitch films on DVD, wow! I guess you have seen alot of his work. Topaz wasn't my favorite Hitch film but I think in some ways it was ahead of it's time. If you interested I wrote this review of Topaz.
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Let's put these here, since the noir conversation is hot in here...
According to Greek mythology, sirens were beautiful women with the lower body of birds that lured sailors to their doom with bewitching songs. The term "siren song" or "siren call" is then used to refer to any thing that is "alluring", but also potentially harmful or dangerous. That is the situation in which Prof. Richard Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) finds himself after meeting the titular "woman in the window".
This Fritz Lang film follows Wanley, a married man that ends up meeting Alice Reed (Joan Bennett), the subject of a beautiful painting he and his friends were admiring on a shop window earlier. Unfortunately for Wanley, what might seem like an innocent meeting ends up leading into disaster, as they both end up with a murder in their hands. The two then try to cover it up while also trying to keep Richard's DA friend off their scent.
As I was looking for something to start my #Noirvember, this film came up pretty high in a lot of lists, and with reason. The film manages to build up a solid tension as we see the events unfold, and we see Wanley sink deeper and deeper into his own lies. Thanks to Lang's tight direction, the pace at which we see things go down feels breezy and not overstuffed at all. At 99 minutes, the film does a good job of keeping things lean and simple.
Robinson does a great job as the man unlikely drawn into things beyond his control. It only adds to the tension to see his seemingly well-conceived plans crumble under the most minuscule details. Bennett also adds a certain level of uncertainty, as we're never really sure where she stands, which is heightened when Heidt (Dan Duryea) enters the scene as a third party determined to blackmail both of them. Duryea easily steals the second half of the film which, based on the handful of films I've seen him in, seems to be the norm. He's excellent.
Early on the film, Robinson's character complains of the routine of middle age; what he refers to as "stodginess", and "the end of the brightness of life". All reason enough to make the "siren call" of Reed the more alluring. But ultimately, it isn't in Reed that he finds his downfall, but on his mistrust of his own instincts. Based on the obviously tacked-on ending, which feels like a cheat, it seems that Lang didn't trust his own instincts either. Other than that, it's one solid film noir.
Grade:
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
(1944, Lang)
(1944, Lang)
"It's not that, but... I was warned against the siren call of adventure at my age."
According to Greek mythology, sirens were beautiful women with the lower body of birds that lured sailors to their doom with bewitching songs. The term "siren song" or "siren call" is then used to refer to any thing that is "alluring", but also potentially harmful or dangerous. That is the situation in which Prof. Richard Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) finds himself after meeting the titular "woman in the window".
This Fritz Lang film follows Wanley, a married man that ends up meeting Alice Reed (Joan Bennett), the subject of a beautiful painting he and his friends were admiring on a shop window earlier. Unfortunately for Wanley, what might seem like an innocent meeting ends up leading into disaster, as they both end up with a murder in their hands. The two then try to cover it up while also trying to keep Richard's DA friend off their scent.
As I was looking for something to start my #Noirvember, this film came up pretty high in a lot of lists, and with reason. The film manages to build up a solid tension as we see the events unfold, and we see Wanley sink deeper and deeper into his own lies. Thanks to Lang's tight direction, the pace at which we see things go down feels breezy and not overstuffed at all. At 99 minutes, the film does a good job of keeping things lean and simple.
Robinson does a great job as the man unlikely drawn into things beyond his control. It only adds to the tension to see his seemingly well-conceived plans crumble under the most minuscule details. Bennett also adds a certain level of uncertainty, as we're never really sure where she stands, which is heightened when Heidt (Dan Duryea) enters the scene as a third party determined to blackmail both of them. Duryea easily steals the second half of the film which, based on the handful of films I've seen him in, seems to be the norm. He's excellent.
Early on the film, Robinson's character complains of the routine of middle age; what he refers to as "stodginess", and "the end of the brightness of life". All reason enough to make the "siren call" of Reed the more alluring. But ultimately, it isn't in Reed that he finds his downfall, but on his mistrust of his own instincts. Based on the obviously tacked-on ending, which feels like a cheat, it seems that Lang didn't trust his own instincts either. Other than that, it's one solid film noir.
Grade:
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Forgot about that one. Yup I'd call that noir for sure. I also seen Notorious but so long ago I can't recall it.
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I consider the Coens to be among the absolute best living directors, so yup. Good thing in my book.
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Thanks again, Mr Portridge.
Thanks again, Mr Portridge.
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Let's put these here, since the noir conversation is hot in here...
According to Greek mythology, sirens were beautiful women with the lower body of birds that lured sailors to their doom with bewitching songs. The term "siren song" or "siren call" is then used to refer to any thing that is "alluring", but also potentially harmful or dangerous. That is the situation in which Prof. Richard Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) finds himself after meeting the titular "woman in the window".
This Fritz Lang film follows Wanley, a married man that ends up meeting Alice Reed (Joan Bennett), the subject of a beautiful painting he and his friends were admiring on a shop window earlier. Unfortunately for Wanley, what might seem like an innocent meeting ends up leading into disaster, as they both end up with a murder in their hands. The two then try to cover it up while also trying to keep Richard's DA friend off their scent.
As I was looking for something to start my #Noirvember, this film came up pretty high in a lot of lists, and with reason. The film manages to build up a solid tension as we see the events unfold, and we see Wanley sink deeper and deeper into his own lies. Thanks to Lang's tight direction, the pace at which we see things go down feels breezy and not overstuffed at all. At 99 minutes, the film does a good job of keeping things lean and simple.
Robinson does a great job as the man unlikely drawn into things beyond his control. It only adds to the tension to see his seemingly well-conceived plans crumble under the most minuscule details. Bennett also adds a certain level of uncertainty, as we're never really sure where she stands, which is heightened when Heidt (Dan Duryea) enters the scene as a third party determined to blackmail both of them. Duryea easily steals the second half of the film which, based on the handful of films I've seen him in, seems to be the norm. He's excellent.
Early on the film, Robinson's character complains of the routine of middle age; what he refers to as "stodginess", and "the end of the brightness of life". All reason enough to make the "siren call" of Reed the more alluring. But ultimately, it isn't in Reed that he finds his downfall, but on his mistrust of his own instincts. Based on the obviously tacked-on ending, which feels like a cheat, it seems that Lang didn't trust his own instincts either. Other than that, it's one solid film noir.
Grade:
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
(1944, Lang)
(1944, Lang)
According to Greek mythology, sirens were beautiful women with the lower body of birds that lured sailors to their doom with bewitching songs. The term "siren song" or "siren call" is then used to refer to any thing that is "alluring", but also potentially harmful or dangerous. That is the situation in which Prof. Richard Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) finds himself after meeting the titular "woman in the window".
This Fritz Lang film follows Wanley, a married man that ends up meeting Alice Reed (Joan Bennett), the subject of a beautiful painting he and his friends were admiring on a shop window earlier. Unfortunately for Wanley, what might seem like an innocent meeting ends up leading into disaster, as they both end up with a murder in their hands. The two then try to cover it up while also trying to keep Richard's DA friend off their scent.
As I was looking for something to start my #Noirvember, this film came up pretty high in a lot of lists, and with reason. The film manages to build up a solid tension as we see the events unfold, and we see Wanley sink deeper and deeper into his own lies. Thanks to Lang's tight direction, the pace at which we see things go down feels breezy and not overstuffed at all. At 99 minutes, the film does a good job of keeping things lean and simple.
Robinson does a great job as the man unlikely drawn into things beyond his control. It only adds to the tension to see his seemingly well-conceived plans crumble under the most minuscule details. Bennett also adds a certain level of uncertainty, as we're never really sure where she stands, which is heightened when Heidt (Dan Duryea) enters the scene as a third party determined to blackmail both of them. Duryea easily steals the second half of the film which, based on the handful of films I've seen him in, seems to be the norm. He's excellent.
Early on the film, Robinson's character complains of the routine of middle age; what he refers to as "stodginess", and "the end of the brightness of life". All reason enough to make the "siren call" of Reed the more alluring. But ultimately, it isn't in Reed that he finds his downfall, but on his mistrust of his own instincts. Based on the obviously tacked-on ending, which feels like a cheat, it seems that Lang didn't trust his own instincts either. Other than that, it's one solid film noir.
Grade:
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Just rewatched Hitchcock’s Suspicion (1941) which is described as film noir on the back of the DVD box. I couldn’t disagree more. There were only slight hints of the style in the finale. In many aspects I would describe it more as a mystery/thriller. The first half actually contains quite a lot of humour but not the bleak sarcastic type which features in many noirs. I think many black and white films get tagged as noir just because of the period they were filmed.
Suspicion was OK but nothing to shout about. Enjoyable but not classic Hitchcock.
Suspicion was OK but nothing to shout about. Enjoyable but not classic Hitchcock.
Interestingly enough, in the book the film was based on, Cary Grant's character WAS the killer, but the producers would not allow that. Hitchcock had envisioned Grant as the killer as well, and had planned a twist ending.
It was fascinating when I read that for the iconic scene with Grant carrying the glass of poisoned milk up the stairs to give to Fontaine, Hitchcock placed a light inside the glass of milk to put more focus on it!
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Let's put these here, since the noir conversation is hot in here...
Grade:
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
(1944, Lang)
...
Early on the film, Robinson's character complains of the routine of middle age; what he refers to as "stodginess", and "the end of the brightness of life". All reason enough to make the "siren call" of Reed the more alluring. But ultimately, it isn't in Reed that he finds his downfall, but on his mistrust of his own instincts. Based on the obviously tacked-on ending, which feels like a cheat, it seems that Lang didn't trust his own instincts either. Other than that, it's one solid film noir.(1944, Lang)
...
Grade:
I'll concede that the twist ending takes it a little out of the noir sensibility, but I loved it (and I was relieved..
).
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I liked the film more than you did. In fact I believe it to be far superior to Scarlet Street (1945)-- a follow up Lang noir with the same combo of Robinson, Bennett and Duryea.
I'll concede that the twist ending takes it a little out of the noir sensibility, but I loved it (and I was relieved..).
I'll concede that the twist ending takes it a little out of the noir sensibility, but I loved it (and I was relieved..
).
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THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
(1944, Lang)
As I was looking for something to start my #Noirvember, this film came up pretty high in a lot of lists, and with reason. The film manages to build up a solid tension as we see the events unfold, and we see Wanley sink deeper and deeper into his own lies. Thanks to Lang's tight direction, the pace at which we see things go down feels breezy and not overstuffed at all. At 99 minutes, the film does a good job of keeping things lean and simple.
Glad to have you aboard! There's been some rock solid noirs of all types mentioned here and there's always room for one more!
That was a nice review of a film that I like. I've seen Woman in the Window three times, the last fairly recently and I ended up liking it more each time that I see it. On my first watch I didn't like the ending. The second watch I guess I knew what to expect so the ending wasn't so bad...But on the last watch I realized that the ending works perfectly for Eddie Robinson's character who's a middle age mind wishing he had some excitement in his doldrum life.
I think the ending reinforces what you said: "Early on in the film, Robinson's character complains of the routine of middle age; what he refers to as "stodginess", and "the end of the brightness of life". As I've gotten older I can more appreciate the mindset of Robinson's character and so relate to him.
That was a nice review of a film that I like. I've seen Woman in the Window three times, the last fairly recently and I ended up liking it more each time that I see it. On my first watch I didn't like the ending. The second watch I guess I knew what to expect so the ending wasn't so bad...But on the last watch I realized that the ending works perfectly for Eddie Robinson's character who's a middle age mind wishing he had some excitement in his doldrum life.
I think the ending reinforces what you said: "Early on in the film, Robinson's character complains of the routine of middle age; what he refers to as "stodginess", and "the end of the brightness of life". As I've gotten older I can more appreciate the mindset of Robinson's character and so relate to him.
...when Heidt (Dan Duryea) enters the scene as a third party determined to blackmail both of them. Duryea easily steals the second half of the film which, based on the handful of films I've seen him in, seems to be the norm. He's excellent.
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I've seen Scarlet Street. I think I have them more or less at the same level.
The Burglar (1957)
Too Late for Tears (1949)
Both good noirs with excellent performances by Duryea. In each of those he plays very different characters than he was in Scarlet Street.
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I didn't see this post. OK then two of my favorite Dan Duryea noirs are:
The Burglar (1957)
Too Late for Tears (1949)
Both good noirs with excellent performances by Duryea. In each of those he plays very different characters than he was in Scarlet Street.
The Burglar (1957)
Too Late for Tears (1949)
Both good noirs with excellent performances by Duryea. In each of those he plays very different characters than he was in Scarlet Street.
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I agree. Not a noir-- more of a psychological mystery film.
Interestingly enough, in the book the film was based on, Cary Grant's character WAS the killer, but the producers would not allow that. Hitchcock had envisioned Grant as the killer as well, and had planned a twist ending.
It was fascinating when I read that for the iconic scene with Grant carrying the glass of poisoned milk up the stairs to give to Fontaine, Hitchcock placed a light inside the glass of milk to put more focus on it!
Interestingly enough, in the book the film was based on, Cary Grant's character WAS the killer, but the producers would not allow that. Hitchcock had envisioned Grant as the killer as well, and had planned a twist ending.
It was fascinating when I read that for the iconic scene with Grant carrying the glass of poisoned milk up the stairs to give to Fontaine, Hitchcock placed a light inside the glass of milk to put more focus on it!
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Poodle Springs -
This is a decent HBO adaptation of the final Marlowe novel (the final one Chandler worked on, anyway). It finds our hero settling down with new bride Laura (Dina Meyer) in the titular desert resort town. Adjusting to married life proves difficult for Marlowe, especially since he has a missing person case requiring him to return to L.A. and at inopportune times. As luck would have it, the case may be connected to the posh new housing development he now calls home.
I assumed James Caan would be a good fit for Marlowe going in, and thankfully, I was right. He brings the same "gruff, world-weary, cynical, but with a heart of gold" vibe to the role Mitchum brought to it in Farewell, My Lovely and with even more physicality, which helps in a scene that turns violent and that coincidentally also involves a prostitute. I also like how he copes with the dilemma of whether he's fit for married life and if his job is compatible with it. As for his scenes with Meyer, their lack of chemistry gets in the way, but I was still convinced they love each other. Best of all, their age gap doesn't get in the way. The good stuff, i.e., the detective work is also reliably entertaining for its twists, suspense and all the "that guys” Marlowe encounters on the way like David Keith and Brian Cox. Again, this is an HBO production, but despite the network's pedigree, it's obvious it was made for TV from its budget constraints to its production values to its efficiency. If it wasn't for the brief nudity here and there, the movie wouldn't be out of place on network television. Also, the slim budget is likely to blame, but it’s worth noting that the production design is much closer to the indeterminate time period of Archer than the early '60s, so the mid-20th century L.A. atmosphere typical of Marlowe stories suffers as a result. With that said, I sought this relatively obscure movie out hoping that its story would satisfy on the same level as the other Chandler adaptations I've seen and that it would do the character justice, and in both regards, it succeeds more than it doesn't.
This is a decent HBO adaptation of the final Marlowe novel (the final one Chandler worked on, anyway). It finds our hero settling down with new bride Laura (Dina Meyer) in the titular desert resort town. Adjusting to married life proves difficult for Marlowe, especially since he has a missing person case requiring him to return to L.A. and at inopportune times. As luck would have it, the case may be connected to the posh new housing development he now calls home.
I assumed James Caan would be a good fit for Marlowe going in, and thankfully, I was right. He brings the same "gruff, world-weary, cynical, but with a heart of gold" vibe to the role Mitchum brought to it in Farewell, My Lovely and with even more physicality, which helps in a scene that turns violent and that coincidentally also involves a prostitute. I also like how he copes with the dilemma of whether he's fit for married life and if his job is compatible with it. As for his scenes with Meyer, their lack of chemistry gets in the way, but I was still convinced they love each other. Best of all, their age gap doesn't get in the way. The good stuff, i.e., the detective work is also reliably entertaining for its twists, suspense and all the "that guys” Marlowe encounters on the way like David Keith and Brian Cox. Again, this is an HBO production, but despite the network's pedigree, it's obvious it was made for TV from its budget constraints to its production values to its efficiency. If it wasn't for the brief nudity here and there, the movie wouldn't be out of place on network television. Also, the slim budget is likely to blame, but it’s worth noting that the production design is much closer to the indeterminate time period of Archer than the early '60s, so the mid-20th century L.A. atmosphere typical of Marlowe stories suffers as a result. With that said, I sought this relatively obscure movie out hoping that its story would satisfy on the same level as the other Chandler adaptations I've seen and that it would do the character justice, and in both regards, it succeeds more than it doesn't.
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Has anyone else found that this genre isn't binge-able in the same way that ones like action, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, i.e., are?
This could be due to liking, but not loving this genre like I do those other ones, but I'm not compelled to jump right into another noir after I finish one. The reason could be that it doesn't have as many flavors as more binge-able genres, if you will. Think about how many different flavors, subgenres, what have you there are for horror, for instance.
This could be due to liking, but not loving this genre like I do those other ones, but I'm not compelled to jump right into another noir after I finish one. The reason could be that it doesn't have as many flavors as more binge-able genres, if you will. Think about how many different flavors, subgenres, what have you there are for horror, for instance.
Last edited by Torgo; 11-16-22 at 04:52 PM.
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Poodle Springs (1998) -
This is a decent HBO adaptation of the final Marlowe novel (the final one Chandler worked on, anyway)...
This is a decent HBO adaptation of the final Marlowe novel (the final one Chandler worked on, anyway)...
Question: IMDB mini synopsis says: 'An aging Phillip Marlowe gets mixed up with blackmail and murder amongst the elite social set in 1963.' I'm wondering if the movie script has Marlowe being a man out of time still thinking and reacting to people like a detective would've in the 1940s?
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Has anyone else found that this genre isn't binge-able in the same way that ones like action, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, i.e., are?
This could be due to liking, but not loving this genre like I do those other ones, but I'm not compelled to jump right into another noir after I finish one. The reason could be that it doesn't have as many flavors as more binge-able genres, if you will. Think about how many different flavors, subgenres, what have you there are for horror, for instance. Noir, on the other hand, doesn't have nearly that much variation.
This could be due to liking, but not loving this genre like I do those other ones, but I'm not compelled to jump right into another noir after I finish one. The reason could be that it doesn't have as many flavors as more binge-able genres, if you will. Think about how many different flavors, subgenres, what have you there are for horror, for instance. Noir, on the other hand, doesn't have nearly that much variation.
But I hadn't watch any noir since last Noirvember and before that it had been years since I watched much noir. Now I find myself really enjoying exploring noir. For me it's like taking a road trip to a place I've never been to and even though I'm tired I want to keep driving to find out what lays around the next bend. I suppose it helps that I'm really into old Hollywood films and stars and a big part of the noir experience for me is seeing old favorite actors. I was joking with my wife that we would skip Christmas movies next month and just keep watching noir
But I bet I'll be watching Christmas movies!
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That caught my attention. I tend to levitate towards the classic era of noir 1941-1958 but a neo noir based on a Marlowe novel by Chandler sounds pretty intriguing and James Caan would be a plus for me too.
Question: IMDB mini synopsis says: 'An aging Phillip Marlowe gets mixed up with blackmail and murder amongst the elite social set in 1963.' I'm wondering if the movie script has Marlowe being a man out of time still thinking and reacting to people like a detective would've in the 1940s?
Question: IMDB mini synopsis says: 'An aging Phillip Marlowe gets mixed up with blackmail and murder amongst the elite social set in 1963.' I'm wondering if the movie script has Marlowe being a man out of time still thinking and reacting to people like a detective would've in the 1940s?
The movie is on YouTube. Oh, and no poodles were harmed in the making of it.
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