The MoFo Top 100 Neo-noir Countdown

Yeah, this is more or less where I stand, but I can acknowledge that the craft is there.

__________________

I don't remember if I asked this near the beginning of the countdown, but if not, it still makes sense to ask it now... what directors do you think are gonna show up more often here?

Tarantino I'm guessing.

Atmospheric, sexy and sultry Neo-noir. Madsen and Connelly were scorching hot, they melted my screen! Had it at #8. Shutter Island is an excellent addition to the list. I went with a different Scorsese, expect it will show up during the last day(s) of the countdown.

SEEN 15/16
BALLOT 3/25

25. Mirage (1965)
22. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
08. The Hot Spot (1990)

__________________
Entertainment Log
Letterboxd profile

Scorsese, the Coens, Tarantino, Fincher.

Hmmmm

The Coen Brothers and Brian DePalma?

__________________

This is where I bring up the fact that the twist in Shutter Island really wasn't a twist. Scorsese telegraphs everything, very loudly, from the very first scene, and then continually draws attention towards it's 'secret' with obvious musical stings and deliberately telling lighting and camera shots. All of which makes the much maligned Ben Kingsley blackboard exposition dump sort of funny in how grotesquely unnecessary it is.


The film is both a homage and a parody to B movie potboilers. Guessing the end isn't the point. Already grasping where it is all leading to, and understanding both the sadness of the lead character, and all the marvellous techniques Scorsese uses to highlight his conflicted personality, is where it excels.

For the record, I like Shutter Island quite a bit, but it didn't illuminate a noir lightbulb over my head when I was compiling my list.

Shutter Island is yet another film I was really jazzed about watching when it came out. Then when it hit streaming. Then ... nothing. I just never got around to it. Haven't watched The Hot Spot either. But I did watch Cold in July. So I got that going for me.

Same here, although I never intended to vote for it anyway. Which is why I thought it was interesting all the articles I found that highlighted those noir traits; some of which I linked in the extracurricular posts I put up.

Villeneuve, Nolan, Scorcese, Fincher, and Coens. Jean-Pierre Melville and Bong Joon-Hok might also get a couple in

Here we go again...
What a series...

#85. The Hot Spot (1990) got 19 pts from me taking my #7.

I was so impressed by its stylish aroma that I saw it twice in the theatre when it came out and I've rented the VHS couple more times in the following years.
If one asks about Don Johnson, this is it. His smoking style was so enchanting that I've hurried up outside after the projection to catch up with my cigarettes. Dennis Hopper did a great job with this work of his. I see that the Hopper name became common for this countdown (acting and directing).
+
93/100

-----

My Ballot
▽
...
6. Red Rock West (1993) [#88]
7. The Hot Spot (1990) [#85]
8. Shallow Grave (1994) [#95]
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14. Purple Noon (1960) [#94]
...
-----

My Near Misses:
▽
The Ninth Gate (1999) [one-pointers]
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) [#96]

__________________
"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.

I have seen Shutter Island. It's not on my list.
The Hot Spot starring Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen and Jennifer Connolly.
Wow! Sounds sexy! I have never seen it. I was already thinking of watching it but after Holden rave review I have to see it.

AWARDS?


The Hot Spot didn't win any awards, but Shutter Island did receive some nominations and awards. Some notable ones were:

• Eleven (11) Davis Award nominations, including a win for Best Art Direction
• Six (6) Scream Award nominations, including a win for Best Screenplay (Laeta Kalogridis)
• Five (5) Saturn Award nominations, including Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Best Director (Martin Scorsese)
• Four (4) Satellite Award nominations, including Best Cinematography (Robert Richardson)
• Three (3) Teen Choice Award nominations, including a win for Choice Movie Actor (DiCaprio)
• Two (2) Gold Derby Award nominations, including Best Lead Actor (DiCaprio)
• One (1) Empire Award nomination for Best Thriller

I thought Shutter Island was a very well done picture. I love the mid-50s time frame. Although the story dipped at times into horror (which I don't like), I was fascinated the whole time. I didn't see the ending coming, but on reflection accepted and understood how it came about.

What a cast! And of course Scorsese knows what he's doing. Might even consider a re-watch..

FINALLY, one I've seen, Shutter Island. It's good (although yes, the twist is a bit obvious, and quite ridiculous), but it didn't make my top 25.


I'll definitely check out the Hot Spot. Hell, I'd watch Jennifer Connelly in anything. She could remake Birdemic and I'll be there.



Seen: 6 of 16
On List: 0 of 25

Surprised to see The Hot Spot but it's a good fit. Saw it at the cinema when it came out and didn't think much of it except for the girls. Going back a lot of years though, I was still a teen.

Shutter Island is one of my most disappointing films, same with wifey. Did nothing for us.

I like Shutter Island, but it's been a while since I've seen it. The twist is likely predictable,, which might be why I didn't respond to it as well as I did, but now that I know what it is, I imagine a second viewing may fair better. Maybe I'll rewatch it someday.

I haven't seen The Hot Spot.

__________________
IMDb
Letterboxd

no votes. i quite like shutter island, if only because it's the closest scorsese's gotten to directing a straight horror film. still not great and it's kind of wild it's had much of a lock on the imdb top 250 as it has, but it goes to show that even marty's weakest titles can still bank of his rep (or maybe just leo, who knows). haven't seen the hot spot.

__________________
Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

86. Shutter Island - I like Shutter Island well enough, though it sure looks like it divides opinions here. A deep dive into someone's messed up mind, with a twist at the end that most people absolutely saw coming from a mile away. It seemed like the 2000s might have been Leonardo DiCaprio's big decade, but he hit the 2010s even harder, starting with this Martin Scorsese neo noir adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel. It's a story told in such a cinematic way that I really do wonder what the novel is like, and how it tells it's story. I love the spooky atmosphere - it builds up and as such the film behaves as if it's going to be a supernatural horror film. There certainly are ghosts - but they're of the psychological kind. Still, I'd like to see Scorsese tackle a horror movie - just like Kubrick did. Loved the visuals and score in this film, and I think it's unnerving enough to still be in my good books after all these years. It's been a few since I last watched it, but I've seen it several times.

85. The Hot Spot - I've never heard of this one, and I'm surprised I haven't. Straight into my watchlist - looking forward to it.

Seen : 10/16
Heard of : 13/16

Still nothing from my list

__________________