The MoFo Top Film Noir Countdown - Preliminary Thread

Hey Allaby, thanks for those titles. I don't think I've seen or even heard of most of them. I'll add them to a recommendation list and to my own personal noir-to-watch list.

Thanks for hosting, CR! So each countdown list will be a top 50, correct?

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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."

Well...good question! I'm guessing this Noir countdown will be top 50 unless it gets enough ballots to make it a top 100..we'll have to see.


Thief is hosting Neo Noir and he's in full charge of that, so I can't speak for him but I think he will do whatever is logical, so if he gets enough ballots he might do a top 100 otherwise it would be a top 50.

Is Grisbi allowed? It doesn't say noir on imdb or wiki but it made the TSPDT list which is pretty legit I think.


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046451/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchez_pas_au_grisbi
https://www.theyshootpictures.com/noir1000title.htm


I might not vote for it. And I'm fine if it's not allowed. But figured I'd mention it anyway since I'm going through my lists and figuring out what's eligible.

I'm unfamiliar with Touchez pas au grisbi (1954) but I can ask Holden what he thinks when he gets back from Italy.

Having to see it but am familiar with, As far as I’m concerned it is.

What about Mildred Pierce?

Well just look at my Top 10 profile for the answer Unless you meant the Kate Winslet Mildred Pierce mini series from 2011...then that would be a big no

There is a channel on YouTube called DK Classics that has a lot of noir in it.

I love the setup in this thread Citizen. Very glad you decided to take the reins on this one. I was considering doing a Noir viewing thread, but since you are going to have so much going on, and I plan on participating I will just post what I watch here or in the other threads.

I started watching a couple weeks ago since we basically knew Noir was going to win. I have watched 8 new to me Noir so far. Gun Crazy, The Woman In The Window, The Glass Key, Fallen Angel, Brute Force, Panic In The Streets, T-Men, and D.O.A.

I loved the first two. The only one I didn't really care for was D.O.A., but it still wasn't a hard watch. That one doesn't have a very good transfer either, which definitely hurts my enjoyment these days. I can't believe there was a time when DVD quality worked for me.

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Letterboxd

Thanks for mentioning that. DK Classics has 5 different YouTube channels. I didn't check them all for noir, but this one has a whooping 428 noirs! OMG that is a lot AND there's a lot of my favorites there. Dk Classics Noir playlist youtube

Thanks...You must have read my mind because I'm planning on making a Noir viewing thread so everyone can post what they watch there. That will hopefully get the word out on some of these great but lesser known noirs. I'll get that thread up pronto.

Criterion channel is featuring 20 Film Noir films for November.


1. The Glass Key
2. Laura
3. Detour
4. Fallen Angel
5. Hangover Square
6. Green for Danger
7. Brute Force
8. Ivy
9. Nightmare alley
10. The naked City
11. So Evil My Love
12. The Third Man
13. Madeleine
14. No May Out
15. Panic in the Streets
16. So Long at the Fair
17.The House on Telegraph Hill
18. The Rivers EDge
19. Saphire
20. All Night Long.

I doubt all of these are on the two eligibility lists, but several are.

Here are a few books on Film Noir recommended by the University of Illinois.

if you are interested in any of the books from the attached library guide, or if you know of a book on film noir that you would like to use for this countdown, you may be able to obtain these books from your local public library. Ask if they offer inter-library loan services. They will get the book from another library. I have requested two books to consult throughout this countdown to help guide me through film noir and Neo noir.



A Public service announcement from your local librarian.

A short guide to film noir


Many have problems with describing Film Noir as a genre. They usually elect to call it a style of film making. Please keep this in mind as you read the article.

Thanks for posting that list. Alot of MoFos have access to the Criterion Channel so that list really helps a lot.
I went ahead and checked eligibility for the Noir countdown on the movies and made notes. Those in bold are eligible. The other's might qualify, I'd see what Holden said as I haven't seen them myself.

The Glass Key (1942) noir
Laura (1944) noir
Detour (1945) noir
Fallen Angel (1945) noir
Hangover Square (1945) noir
Green for Danger (1946)
Brute Force (1947) noir
Ivy (1947)
Nightmare Alley (1947)
The Naked City (1950) noir
So Evil My Love (1948)
The Third Man (1949) (noir)
Madeleine (1950) noir
No Way Out (1950) noir
Panic in the Streets (1950) noir
So Long at the Fair (1950)
The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) noir
The Rivers Edge (1957) noir
Saphire (1959)
All Night Long (1962) ****neo-noir

Diehl are you a librarian? That always sounded like a cool job to me.

yep. I work in a small college library

I believe their are other noir films in the Criterion Channel collection, but these are being featured this month.