Noirvember 2021

Tools    





I noticed a lack of Noir love threads on here this November, so I figured I'd start one up. Who else is jumping aboard the annual celebration of shutter shadows and cigarette smoke?

So far, I've first time watched:

Hangover Square: Very good! Fast, brutal and a precursor to Psycho

Where Danger Lives: Fantastic! Mitchum is great as always

Somewhere in the Night: An influential plot hampered by boiler plate filmmaking and B level castibg

Nightmare Alley: Atypical and awesome. Had it ended one scene earlier, it would be a favorite.

The Big Operator: Mickey Rooney as faux Jimmy Hoffa. Like that casting, it's puzzling, occasionally parodic, but also more successful than it should be.

Post all your noir, neonoir, tech noir, Franco noir, nikkatsu noir and any other type of noir you watch here!



Who else is jumping aboard the annual celebration of shutter shadows and cigarette smoke?
Most of my Letterboxd friends, evidently. Every time I've logged in this week I was surprised to find a bunch of old films in my feed, then I remembered what month it is.

I haven't watched anything yet that qualifies but I fully support this.
__________________
Captain's Log
My Collection



It's big on Film Twitter. I'll gladly be its ambassador to Movie Forums!



Most of my Letterboxd friends, evidently. Every time I've logged in this week I was surprised to find a bunch of old films in my feed, then I remembered what month it is.

I haven't watched anything yet that qualifies but I fully support this.
Criterion channel knows what's up. This month, they added an excellent Fox Noir collection along with a Robert Mitchum collection, which has a ton that fit the bill. Combined with the titles they still have from their Neo Noir set a couple months ago, and they're the streamer to get those numbers way up.



Criterion channel knows what's up. This month, they added an excellent Fox Noir collection along with a Robert Mitchum collection, which has a ton that fit the bill. Combined with the titles they still have from their Neo Noir set a couple months ago, and they're the streamer to get those numbers way up.
ohhh i see



TSPDT has a list of noir, their top 100 is full of good choices that have been a good chunk of my movie watches this year.



I've seen most of the Fox Noirs just added, but there are a few in the other collections I'm excited to check out.

My recent viewing of Pickup on South Street definitely qualifies, though, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who has yet to witness its greatness.



I've seen most of the Fox Noirs just added, but there are a few in the other collections I'm excited to check out.

My recent viewing of Pickup on South Street definitely qualifies, though, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who has yet to witness its greatness.
That's my #1 in my Top 10 profile. Love that film. I have a total of four Film Noirs in my Top 10.



I've seen most of the Fox Noirs just added, but there are a few in the other collections I'm excited to check out.

My recent viewing of Pickup on South Street definitely qualifies, though, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who has yet to witness its greatness.
I only need to see Somewhere in the Night and Black Widow (watched the Rafelson neo noir of the same name a few years back) to finish up the Fox Noirs. Of those, Pickup On South Street is probably my favorite (I think I watched it for the first time either late last year or early this year). It had all those elements that make Samuel Fuller's noir flicks stand out and no one plays a sleazeball as well as Widmark. Scorsese described Fuller's style of direction as every frame being written in capital letters. Have you seen his Underworld USA?



That's my #1 in my Top 10 profile. Love that film. I have a total of four Film Noirs in my Top 10.
What are the other 3?



Click on the star to the right of his name in his last post (or any of his posts.)
Nice! Neat feature. Big fan of all of those. I'm hoping to rewatch Sweet Smell of Success and Mildred Pierce this month.



I only need to see Somewhere in the Night and Black Widow (watched the Rafelson neo noir of the same name a few years back) to finish up the Fox Noirs. Of those, Pickup On South Street is probably my favorite (I think I watched it for the first time either late last year or early this year). It had all those elements that make Samuel Fuller's noir flicks stand out and no one plays a sleazeball as well as Widmark. Scorsese described Fuller's style of direction as every frame being written in capital letters. Have you seen his Underworld USA?
I just watched Black Widow today (thought it was good not great, but Ginger Rogers was a lot of fun in it).

I have not seen Underworld USA, just added it to my watchlist. I've yet to be let down by anything Fuller.



Two noirs that I'd recommend that I don't think get enough love (and, yes, both are Ida Lupino related!) are:

The Hitch-Hiker--atmospheric and tense, and I really like the way that you see the personalities of the two hostages and the nature of their friendship.

Beware My Lovely--a little B-flick with Robert Ryan as a man with a dark secret who gets a job as Lupino's handyman.

The Hitch-Hiker is on Prime, but Beware My Lovely is a little harder to track down.



So far in November, I've seen....

The Narrow Margin
Ministry of Fear
Out of the Past
(rewatch)

...and I just recorded a podcast episode on Film Noir today.
__________________
Check out my podcast: The Movie Loot!



The trick is not minding
Guess I’ll start up a few noirs, since I’ve been eying a few up for….well, forever.
Tubi has a few Fritz Lang noirs: Scarlet Street, The Blue Gardenia and The Woman in the Window.
I’ve been eying The Hitch Hiker for awhile as well, and since it’s available on prime…..why not?
Besides, if I don’t like it, it’ll fuel Takomas use of disappointed gifs 😆



Guess I’ll start up a few noirs, since I’ve been eying a few up for….well, forever.
Tubi has a few Fritz Lang noirs: Scarlet Street, The Blue Gardenia and The Woman in the Window.
I’ve been eying The Hitch Hiker for awhile as well, and since it’s available on prime…..why not?
Besides, if I don’t like it, it’ll fuel Takomas use of disappointed gifs 😆
There are a bunch that are in public domain which you can easily find. Scarlet Street is one, but I also recommend Detour, from Edgar Ulmer.


EDIT: I just saw that it's on Prime, VUDU, Tubi, and several others.



Two noirs that I'd recommend that I don't think get enough love (and, yes, both are Ida Lupino related!) are:

The Hitch-Hiker--atmospheric and tense, and I really like the way that you see the personalities of the two hostages and the nature of their friendship.

Beware My Lovely--a little B-flick with Robert Ryan as a man with a dark secret who gets a job as Lupino's handyman.

The Hitch-Hiker is on Prime, but Beware My Lovely is a little harder to track down.
Hadn't heard of the latter, but it's on YT. Image is a bit spotty, but well.



The trick is not minding
There are a bunch that are in public domain which you can easily find. Scarlet Street is one, but I also recommend Detour, from Edgar Ulmer.


EDIT: I just saw that it's on Prime, VUDU, Tubi, and several others.
I’ve seen Detour already, when I went on a noir kick early last year I think?
Maybe the year before? Regardless, good film.