Featured in Heather Wixson's holiday gift guide, the new book Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror on Film and Television could be the perfect stocking stuffer for the horror fan in your life this holiday season, but Spectacular Optical is giving you the chance to take your gift one step further with their interactive book tour this December that includes screenings, lectures, and other live celebrations tied to the book's seasonal themes:
Press Release: For many, Christmas is an annual celebration of goodwill and joy, but for others, it’s a time to curl up on the couch in the dead of winter for a good old-fashioned fright. The festive holiday season has always included a more somber side, and scary tales of child-stealing demons to ghost stories told ‘round the fireplace go back to pre-Christian celebrations. These long-standing traditions have found modern expression in the Christmas horror film, a unique...
Press Release: For many, Christmas is an annual celebration of goodwill and joy, but for others, it’s a time to curl up on the couch in the dead of winter for a good old-fashioned fright. The festive holiday season has always included a more somber side, and scary tales of child-stealing demons to ghost stories told ‘round the fireplace go back to pre-Christian celebrations. These long-standing traditions have found modern expression in the Christmas horror film, a unique...
- 12/4/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Trouble Is My Business with Brittney Powell. Co-written by actor/voice actor Tom Konkle, who also directed, and Xena: Warrior Princess actress Brittney Powell, Trouble Is My Business is a humorous homage to film noirs of the 1940s and 1950s, among them John Huston's The Maltese Falcon and Orson Welles' Touch of Evil. Konkle stars in the sort of role that back in the '40s and '50s belonged to the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum, Dick Powell, and Alan Ladd. As the femme fatale, Brittney Powell is supposed to evoke memories of Jane Greer, Lizabeth Scott, Lauren Bacall, and Claire Trevor. 'Trouble Is My Business': Humorous film noir homage evokes memories of 'The Maltese Falcon' & 'Touch of Evil' A crunchy, witty, and often just plain funny mash-up of classic noir tropes, from hard-boiled private dicks to the easy-on-the-eyes femme fatales – in addition to dialogue worthy of Dashiell Hammett and, occasionally...
- 10/21/2017
- by Tim Cogshell
- Alt Film Guide
In case you’re one of those people who asks what B-movies really are, here’s a little insight into that particular subject. They’re basically low-budget highly-commercial films but shouldn’t be confused with art house films. Originally the terminology was used to describe films that were distributed for the purpose of being the lower half of double features, something that was popular in the earlier days of motion pictures. Then, throughout the years, B-movies morphed into genre films like Westerns in the 1930’s then transitioning to Film Noir. In the 1950’s, Sci-fi and horror movies made their takeover. Then, in the 60’s
The Top Five B-Movie Legends of All-Time...
The Top Five B-Movie Legends of All-Time...
- 10/18/2017
- by Gale Robinson
- TVovermind.com
Found: a must-see Film noir in all its brutal glory, restored to a level of quality not seen in years. Anthony Mann and John Alton made their reputations with ninety minutes of chiaroscuro heaven — it’s one of the best-looking noirs ever. With extras produced by Alan K. Rode.
T-Men
Blu-ray
ClassicFlix
1947 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / Special Edition / 92 min. / Street Date October 10, 2017 / 39.99
Starring: Dennis O’Keefe, Alfred Ryder, Wallace Ford, Charles McGraw, Jane Randolph, Art Smith, Herbert Heyes, Jack Overman, John Wengraf, June Lockhart, Keefe Brasselle, James Seay, Tito Vuolo, John Newland, Reed Hadley.
Cinematography: John Alton
Film Editor: Fred Allen
Original Music: Paul Sawtell
Written by John C. Higgins, story Virginia Kellogg
Produced by Aubrey Schenck, Edward Small
Directed by Anthony Mann
Wow — I’ve seen T-Men many times, but never like this. It’s always listed as a significant success, a trend-starter, a career-launcher, but only...
T-Men
Blu-ray
ClassicFlix
1947 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / Special Edition / 92 min. / Street Date October 10, 2017 / 39.99
Starring: Dennis O’Keefe, Alfred Ryder, Wallace Ford, Charles McGraw, Jane Randolph, Art Smith, Herbert Heyes, Jack Overman, John Wengraf, June Lockhart, Keefe Brasselle, James Seay, Tito Vuolo, John Newland, Reed Hadley.
Cinematography: John Alton
Film Editor: Fred Allen
Original Music: Paul Sawtell
Written by John C. Higgins, story Virginia Kellogg
Produced by Aubrey Schenck, Edward Small
Directed by Anthony Mann
Wow — I’ve seen T-Men many times, but never like this. It’s always listed as a significant success, a trend-starter, a career-launcher, but only...
- 10/14/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
By Kieran Fisher
A new video essay explores the perfect marriage between noir and sci-fi in 'Blade Runner.'
The article How Film Noir Influenced ‘Blade Runner’ appeared first on Film School Rejects.
A new video essay explores the perfect marriage between noir and sci-fi in 'Blade Runner.'
The article How Film Noir Influenced ‘Blade Runner’ appeared first on Film School Rejects.
- 10/6/2017
- by Kieran Fisher
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Film noir has traversed various means in the cinematic-sphere. Once a genre, then a form, now finalizing itself as the foundation for narrative and aesthetic stylistic elements, noir has gained popular resurgence. Able to ebb and flow as needed, the presence of noir can be fully detected in Ridley Scott‘s 1982 film, “Blade Runner.”
At surface value, “Blade Runner” may not showcase its noirness. Even upon first viewing of the seminal science fiction drama, what may normally be easy to determine in a noir is layered beneath a study of what it means to be human in this industrialized future world.
Continue reading ‘Blade Runner’: Constructing A Future Noir at The Playlist.
At surface value, “Blade Runner” may not showcase its noirness. Even upon first viewing of the seminal science fiction drama, what may normally be easy to determine in a noir is layered beneath a study of what it means to be human in this industrialized future world.
Continue reading ‘Blade Runner’: Constructing A Future Noir at The Playlist.
- 10/4/2017
- by Julia Teti
- The Playlist
Ryan Lambie Oct 2, 2017
We talk to director Ridley Scott about Blade Runner 2049, the lasting influence of the 1982 original, ancient aliens, flutes, and more...
It's mid-September, and a rug-thick layer of secrecy lies over Blade Runner 2049, the belated sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 classic. Before our interview with Scott, who executive produces, we're shown approximately half an hour of footage: Ryan Gosling trudging moodily through futuristic landscapes as a new Replicant hunter, K; glimpses of Jared Leto as a new creator of artificial life, named Niander Wallace.
See related Bunny And The Bull interview with Paul King, Simon Farnaby and Edward Hogg Brendan Gleeson interview: The Guard, Don Cheadle, Crocodile Dundee and more
Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival), Blade Runner 2049 looks spectacular, with the same measured, ethereal pace that made the original film such a masterpiece. Exactly what K's mission is - and how it ties...
We talk to director Ridley Scott about Blade Runner 2049, the lasting influence of the 1982 original, ancient aliens, flutes, and more...
It's mid-September, and a rug-thick layer of secrecy lies over Blade Runner 2049, the belated sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 classic. Before our interview with Scott, who executive produces, we're shown approximately half an hour of footage: Ryan Gosling trudging moodily through futuristic landscapes as a new Replicant hunter, K; glimpses of Jared Leto as a new creator of artificial life, named Niander Wallace.
See related Bunny And The Bull interview with Paul King, Simon Farnaby and Edward Hogg Brendan Gleeson interview: The Guard, Don Cheadle, Crocodile Dundee and more
Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival), Blade Runner 2049 looks spectacular, with the same measured, ethereal pace that made the original film such a masterpiece. Exactly what K's mission is - and how it ties...
- 9/18/2017
- Den of Geek
Witness the ‘fifties transformation of the femme fatale, from scheming murderess to self-deluding social climber. Barbara Stanwyck redefines herself once again in Gerd Oswald’s best-directed picture, a searing portrayal of needs and anxieties in the nervous decade. With fine support from Raymond Burr, Virginia Grey and Royal Dano.
Crime of Passion
Blu-ray
ClassicFlix
1957 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 84 min. / Street Date September 5, 2017 /
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, Raymond Burr, Fay Wray, Virginia Grey, Royal Dano.
Cinematography: Joseph Lashelle
Art Direction: Leslie Thomas
Original Music: Paul Dunlap
Original Story and Screenplay by Jo Eisinger
Produced by Herman Cohen, Robert Goldstein
Directed by Gerd Oswald
A key title in the development of the Film Noir, 1957’s Crime of Passion shows how much the style had departed from the dark romanticism and expressive visuals of the previous decade. The best mid-’50s noirs strike a marvelously cynical and existentially bleak attitude regarding crime and society.
Crime of Passion
Blu-ray
ClassicFlix
1957 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 84 min. / Street Date September 5, 2017 /
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, Raymond Burr, Fay Wray, Virginia Grey, Royal Dano.
Cinematography: Joseph Lashelle
Art Direction: Leslie Thomas
Original Music: Paul Dunlap
Original Story and Screenplay by Jo Eisinger
Produced by Herman Cohen, Robert Goldstein
Directed by Gerd Oswald
A key title in the development of the Film Noir, 1957’s Crime of Passion shows how much the style had departed from the dark romanticism and expressive visuals of the previous decade. The best mid-’50s noirs strike a marvelously cynical and existentially bleak attitude regarding crime and society.
- 9/16/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Exhumed Films is resurrecting some beloved horror favorites from the 1970s and ’80s and projecting them onto the big screen at Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers, including Friday the 13th Part III, starring my original horror crush and maybe yours, too, Jason Voorhees! And also, we have release details for Escape Room, Paperbacks From Hell, Ghastlies, and Mountain Fever, as well as information on the new book Godzilla Faq.
Exhumed Films' Guilty Pleasures IV Marathon: Press Release: "Exhumed Films Presents: Guilty Pleasures IV--in 3-D!
Exhumed Films is pleased to return to the Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers to present the fourth edition of The Guilty Pleasures Marathon, our annual assault of cinematic insanity. For this year’s marathon, we present some of the greatest 3-D films of all time, projected from original 35mm prints using state of the art technology! The 1970’s and 1980’s saw a resurgence of three-dimensional movies, particularly in the realm of genre cinema.
Exhumed Films' Guilty Pleasures IV Marathon: Press Release: "Exhumed Films Presents: Guilty Pleasures IV--in 3-D!
Exhumed Films is pleased to return to the Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers to present the fourth edition of The Guilty Pleasures Marathon, our annual assault of cinematic insanity. For this year’s marathon, we present some of the greatest 3-D films of all time, projected from original 35mm prints using state of the art technology! The 1970’s and 1980’s saw a resurgence of three-dimensional movies, particularly in the realm of genre cinema.
- 8/15/2017
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Classic Hollywood would be missing many iconic films and performances were it not for film noir. As the form has grown, the expansiveness of characters, plot, and even worlds in which stories are told has grown beyond the urban and suburban decay of American cities. In her video essay, Serena Bramble explores patterns of toxic masculinity, the consequences of being a dangerous woman, and much more. With its sudden resurgence in mainstream film and television, in fare such as “True Detective,” “Twin Peaks,” and even the upcoming “Blade Runner 2049,” noir has expanded far beyond its classic Hollywood roots.
Continue reading Watch ‘The Endless Night’: A Valentine To Film Noir at The Playlist.
Continue reading Watch ‘The Endless Night’: A Valentine To Film Noir at The Playlist.
- 7/28/2017
- by Julia Teti
- The Playlist
Well, that was unexpected.
When Fox arrived at Comic-Con for their “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” panel on Thursday, “a mashup of an American spy spoof and a British secret agent graphic novel/film franchise” wasn’t exactly on anyone’s anticipated list of panel surprises.
Read More ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off
Yet, here it is, in all its glory: an animated Eggsy, running across London rooftops and city streets, all in the style of the Fxx show. Shortly after arriving in the bespoke suit shop that gives the films its name, he finds Sterling Archer (who takes less than a minute before calling him “guv’na”).
Jabs at British culture, saving old ladies, and (in true “Archer” fashion) plenty of heavy drinking has us imagining what these two might do with more than a trailer’s-length amount of time together.
When Fox arrived at Comic-Con for their “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” panel on Thursday, “a mashup of an American spy spoof and a British secret agent graphic novel/film franchise” wasn’t exactly on anyone’s anticipated list of panel surprises.
Read More ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off
Yet, here it is, in all its glory: an animated Eggsy, running across London rooftops and city streets, all in the style of the Fxx show. Shortly after arriving in the bespoke suit shop that gives the films its name, he finds Sterling Archer (who takes less than a minute before calling him “guv’na”).
Jabs at British culture, saving old ladies, and (in true “Archer” fashion) plenty of heavy drinking has us imagining what these two might do with more than a trailer’s-length amount of time together.
- 7/20/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
H. Jon Benjamin is one of the most prolific voice actors working in TV today. As the central character on “Archer” and “Bob’s Burgers,” his growly baritone is as recognizable as it is an instant shot of personality for any character he voices. (Plus, how many actors can claim that their involvement in two shows led to a crossover scene that also doubles as a tribute to David Cronenberg’s “A History of Violence”?)
Six years ago, Benjamin added to his string of title characters, this time playing a fictional version of himself on the criminally short-lived Comedy Central show “Jon Benjamin Has a Van.” Part sketch show, part investigative news team parody, it helped give birth to a wave of comedian-led metashows that yielded some of the best comedies of the decade. It took the “Daily Show” correspondent model familiar to many of the network’s viewers and...
Six years ago, Benjamin added to his string of title characters, this time playing a fictional version of himself on the criminally short-lived Comedy Central show “Jon Benjamin Has a Van.” Part sketch show, part investigative news team parody, it helped give birth to a wave of comedian-led metashows that yielded some of the best comedies of the decade. It took the “Daily Show” correspondent model familiar to many of the network’s viewers and...
- 5/23/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
What to Watch: Wednesday, May 10
What Is Going On Here?
(To find out, see what you missed last night!)
“Archer,” 10 p.m. on Fxx
Episode Title: “Waxing Gibbous”
Network Synopsis: All roads lead to Len Trexler as Archer and the gang try to avoid unfriendly ghosts.
Why You Should Watch: This season of “Archer” has been another season-long monkey wrench in the animated show’s mythology. But underneath all the fedoras and three-piece suits, it’s still the same show, even as its characters have been transplanted to the ’40s. In Dreamland, anything goes, so leave it to Sterling and the gang to lean into the metaphysical, even as a haunted house might be in the way of the truth.
Read More: ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off
“Brockmire,” 10 p.m. on IFC
Episode Title: “Old Timers Day”
Network...
What Is Going On Here?
(To find out, see what you missed last night!)
“Archer,” 10 p.m. on Fxx
Episode Title: “Waxing Gibbous”
Network Synopsis: All roads lead to Len Trexler as Archer and the gang try to avoid unfriendly ghosts.
Why You Should Watch: This season of “Archer” has been another season-long monkey wrench in the animated show’s mythology. But underneath all the fedoras and three-piece suits, it’s still the same show, even as its characters have been transplanted to the ’40s. In Dreamland, anything goes, so leave it to Sterling and the gang to lean into the metaphysical, even as a haunted house might be in the way of the truth.
Read More: ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off
“Brockmire,” 10 p.m. on IFC
Episode Title: “Old Timers Day”
Network...
- 5/10/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
We’re knocking on the door of summer, and that means lots of big properties are ready to be unleashed. But it’s not too late to read books exploring some recent films, as well as some new works about Sherry Lansing, film noir, and Steve McQueen. Let’s start with a unique look at David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
The Essential Wrapped In Plastic: Pathways to Twin Peaks by John Thorne
When Twin Peaks debuted on ABC in 1990, there were no message boards in which fans could argue and dissect the latest episodes. Starting in 1992, however, there was Wrapped In Plastic, the immortal Peaks’ fanzine. Just in time for the series return on Showtime is The Essential Wrapped In Plastic: Pathways to Twin Peaks. Here, Wip co-editor John Thorne brings together some of the publication’s most vital, important essays. Every episode is included, but what makes the book...
The Essential Wrapped In Plastic: Pathways to Twin Peaks by John Thorne
When Twin Peaks debuted on ABC in 1990, there were no message boards in which fans could argue and dissect the latest episodes. Starting in 1992, however, there was Wrapped In Plastic, the immortal Peaks’ fanzine. Just in time for the series return on Showtime is The Essential Wrapped In Plastic: Pathways to Twin Peaks. Here, Wip co-editor John Thorne brings together some of the publication’s most vital, important essays. Every episode is included, but what makes the book...
- 5/6/2017
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
Lord of Tears and The Unkindness of Ravens director Lawrie Brewster is uncaging his Owlman for another feature film outing, he's bringing Dagon and Shrew's Nest star Macarena Gomez with him and he's looking for your help! Deep in the Scottish highlands, Dr. Finn Galloway suspects a terrifying conspiracy to unleash an unimaginable Horror... The Black Gloves is a 1940s-set Film Noir that combines spine-tingling horror with intense psychological dread - a supernatural tale where one man must battle against a terrifying stalker as ancient as time itself. Our film stars Macarena Gomez (Shrew's Nest, Dagon) Jamie Scott- Gordon (The Unkindness of Ravens) and Alexandra Nicole Hulme (Lord of Tears.) Brewster has been carving out a healthy niche for himself with his distinctive approach to...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 5/2/2017
- Screen Anarchy
“Yes, I killed him. I killed him for money – and a woman – and I didn’t get the money and I didn’t get the woman. Pretty, isn’t it?”
Double Indemnity screens Wednesday April 12th at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in ‘The Loop’) as the second installment of their new ‘Classics in the Loop’ Crime & Noir film series. The movie starts at 7pm and admission is $7. It will be on The Tivoli’s big screen.
Cold-blooded, brutal, and stylishly directed by Billy Wilder, Double Indemnity is a prime example of The Film Noir genre and remains highly influential in its look, attitude and story. The 1944 crime drama set the pattern for that distinctive post-war genre: a shadowy, nighttime urban world of deception and betrayal usually distinguished by its “hard-boiled” dialogue, corrupt characters and the obligatory femme fatale who preys on the primal urges of an ordinary Joe hungry for sex and easy wealth.
Double Indemnity screens Wednesday April 12th at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in ‘The Loop’) as the second installment of their new ‘Classics in the Loop’ Crime & Noir film series. The movie starts at 7pm and admission is $7. It will be on The Tivoli’s big screen.
Cold-blooded, brutal, and stylishly directed by Billy Wilder, Double Indemnity is a prime example of The Film Noir genre and remains highly influential in its look, attitude and story. The 1944 crime drama set the pattern for that distinctive post-war genre: a shadowy, nighttime urban world of deception and betrayal usually distinguished by its “hard-boiled” dialogue, corrupt characters and the obligatory femme fatale who preys on the primal urges of an ordinary Joe hungry for sex and easy wealth.
- 4/10/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for “Archer Dreamland,” Season 8, Episode 1, “No Good Deed.”]
Those waiting to find out the fate of Sterling Archer will have to wait a little longer. Following last season’s cliffhanger ending where Archer, shot and bleeding, passed out in Lana’s arms, Season 8 picks up with a bait-and-switch. The tombstone the entire cast huddles around isn’t Archer’s, but Woodhouse’s. Archer is alive, but he’s been in a coma for the last three months — and he may never come out of it.
He could wake up “tomorrow, could be another three months, could be…” Mallory trails off. “There’s no telling what he knows, or what he’s thinking about. Well, dreaming about, I suppose.”
And with that, we enter “Dreamland.”
As mentioned in our season review, the primary concern with the set-up for Season 8 was whether or not “Dreamland” could prove relevant and/or entertaining enough to distract us from Archer’s life or death state.
Those waiting to find out the fate of Sterling Archer will have to wait a little longer. Following last season’s cliffhanger ending where Archer, shot and bleeding, passed out in Lana’s arms, Season 8 picks up with a bait-and-switch. The tombstone the entire cast huddles around isn’t Archer’s, but Woodhouse’s. Archer is alive, but he’s been in a coma for the last three months — and he may never come out of it.
He could wake up “tomorrow, could be another three months, could be…” Mallory trails off. “There’s no telling what he knows, or what he’s thinking about. Well, dreaming about, I suppose.”
And with that, we enter “Dreamland.”
As mentioned in our season review, the primary concern with the set-up for Season 8 was whether or not “Dreamland” could prove relevant and/or entertaining enough to distract us from Archer’s life or death state.
- 4/6/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Event backed by Franco-American Cultural Fund to showcase Vr, web series for first time.
Thirty-four features and documentaries will compete for the Colcoa Cinema Awards as part of the 21st Colcoa French Film Festival that runs from April 24-May 2 in Hollywood.
The competition kicks off on April 24 with the North American premiere of Claude Lelouch’s Everyone’s Life and ends on May 2 with the North American premiere of Eric Lavaine’s new rom-com You Choose starring Alexandra Lamy.
The line-up includes Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Stephane Brizet’s A Woman’s Life (pictured), Bruno Dumont’s Slack Bay, Lisa Azuelos’s Dalida, and Marie-Camille Mansion-Chaar’s Heaven Will Wait.
The event will showcase a record 82 films, television series and web series, 70 of which will compete for the Colcoa Awards.
The festival includes the After 10 Series, Colcoa Classics, Colcoa.Doc World Cinema Produced by France, Focus On A Filmmaker dedicated to Brizé, Film Noir Series...
Thirty-four features and documentaries will compete for the Colcoa Cinema Awards as part of the 21st Colcoa French Film Festival that runs from April 24-May 2 in Hollywood.
The competition kicks off on April 24 with the North American premiere of Claude Lelouch’s Everyone’s Life and ends on May 2 with the North American premiere of Eric Lavaine’s new rom-com You Choose starring Alexandra Lamy.
The line-up includes Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Stephane Brizet’s A Woman’s Life (pictured), Bruno Dumont’s Slack Bay, Lisa Azuelos’s Dalida, and Marie-Camille Mansion-Chaar’s Heaven Will Wait.
The event will showcase a record 82 films, television series and web series, 70 of which will compete for the Colcoa Awards.
The festival includes the After 10 Series, Colcoa Classics, Colcoa.Doc World Cinema Produced by France, Focus On A Filmmaker dedicated to Brizé, Film Noir Series...
- 4/4/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Dubbed “Dreamland,” season eight of “Archer” premieres this Wednesday, April 5. And to celebrate the return of the adult animated spy sitcom, the cast has created trading cards for their characters based on rapid-fire questions. Read More: ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off In the video created by Wired, actors Jon Benjamin (who plays Sterling Archer), Aisha Tyler (Lana Kane), Jessica Walter (Malory Archer), Lucky Yates (Doctor Krieger), Chris Parnell (Cyril Figgis) and Amber Nash (Pam Poovey) create imaginary collectible cards for the characters they play. Watch the funny clip below. Read More: Channing Tatum Gets The ‘Archer’ Treatment in R-Rated Animated George Washington Flick For its eighth season, the Adam Reed-created series goes full-blown noir and takes viewers to the 1940s and an imaginary place called Dreamland. Season 7 saw Sterling Archer and his crew move to Los Angeles to...
- 4/3/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
While all great stories need one helluva ending to put them over the top, murder mysteries are particularly reliant on the final reveal. Those final moments don’t have to be overly twisty or even surprising. The ending doesn’t need to reinvent the genre or go out of the way to be different. The final unveiling just needs to satisfy the story that preceded it — which, usually, is about more than just solving the mystery. Heck, sometimes there doesn’t even need to be a murder — but we’ll get to that.
Read More: ‘Big Little Lies’ Finale Review: Now That’s How You End a Murder Mystery!
Over the past couple of decades, HBO has shown quite the knack for creating unforgettable murder mysteries, including last night’s top-tier “Big Little Lies” finale. So, to put Jean-Marc Vallee and David E. Kelley’s accomplishment in proper context, we...
Read More: ‘Big Little Lies’ Finale Review: Now That’s How You End a Murder Mystery!
Over the past couple of decades, HBO has shown quite the knack for creating unforgettable murder mysteries, including last night’s top-tier “Big Little Lies” finale. So, to put Jean-Marc Vallee and David E. Kelley’s accomplishment in proper context, we...
- 4/3/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
This much we know after two years in Minnesota: Choosing to embark on a new season of “Fargo” is akin to inviting tragedy unto yourself. Each year, the opening disclaimer originated by the Coen Brothers in their 1996 film promises bodies: “This is a true story… At the request of the survivors… Out of respect for the dead…” And each year we’ve come to love and lose characters within a very short amount of time. You know what you’re getting yourself into, even if — like the UFOs in Season 2 — you can never predict exactly what you’ll see.
Read More: ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off
As Season 3 begins, what’s oft-referred to as a black comedy, midwestern drama, or anthology crime story, feels better suited for another genre:
Horror.
Going in, you know any number of the...
Read More: ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off
As Season 3 begins, what’s oft-referred to as a black comedy, midwestern drama, or anthology crime story, feels better suited for another genre:
Horror.
Going in, you know any number of the...
- 4/3/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Netflix is joining the R-Rated animation club that includes the likes of “Sausage Party,” “Heavy Metal,” “South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut” and anime like “Akira,” “Appleseed” and more.
The streaming service is joining forces with director Matt Thompson and partner Adam Reed, the duo behind IndieWire favorite “Archer,” for the revisionist history tale “America: The Motion Picture.” And no, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke unless Deadline is two days ahead — Channing Tatum will voice George Washington.
Read More: ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off
Dave Callaham, who wrote the script that acted as a starting point for Sylvester Stallone’s “The Expendables,” will write and produce. He also wrote “Zombieland 2” and acts as the showrunner on Amazon’s similarly themed action-comedy “Jean-Claude Van Johnson.”
Beyond voicing our first president, Tatum will also produce along with...
The streaming service is joining forces with director Matt Thompson and partner Adam Reed, the duo behind IndieWire favorite “Archer,” for the revisionist history tale “America: The Motion Picture.” And no, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke unless Deadline is two days ahead — Channing Tatum will voice George Washington.
Read More: ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off
Dave Callaham, who wrote the script that acted as a starting point for Sylvester Stallone’s “The Expendables,” will write and produce. He also wrote “Zombieland 2” and acts as the showrunner on Amazon’s similarly themed action-comedy “Jean-Claude Van Johnson.”
Beyond voicing our first president, Tatum will also produce along with...
- 3/31/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Many audiences are often put off by the prospect of watching a black-and-white movie — chances are, you too went through a stretch during which you viewed colorless filmmaking as perhaps dull and boring. But as most film fans have come to learn, black-and-white films not only defined an era of filmmaking, they also utilize an abundance of shadows and high-contrast lighting to create truly beautiful images to this very day.
Below, RocketJump Film School chronicles the history of black-and-white filmmaking, as well as the elements that make these films so special, in their video essay “So You Don’t Want to Watch a Black & White Movie?”
Read More: Watch: Supercut Highlights 26 Movies With Beautiful Black-And-White Cinematography
The video covers the major film movements that perfected the use of black-and-white cinematography, from German Expressionism to Film Noir, demonstrating how horror and crime served as the perfect mediums for colorless and shadowy visuals to thrive in.
Below, RocketJump Film School chronicles the history of black-and-white filmmaking, as well as the elements that make these films so special, in their video essay “So You Don’t Want to Watch a Black & White Movie?”
Read More: Watch: Supercut Highlights 26 Movies With Beautiful Black-And-White Cinematography
The video covers the major film movements that perfected the use of black-and-white cinematography, from German Expressionism to Film Noir, demonstrating how horror and crime served as the perfect mediums for colorless and shadowy visuals to thrive in.
- 3/30/2017
- by Michael Gonzalez
- Indiewire
[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for the “Legion” Season 1 finale, Episode 8, “Chapter 8.”]
Let me first say this: If you stopped watching “Legion” as soon as the credits ran, start it back up and keep going. There’s a scene midway through that establishes one helluva cliffhanger compared to Farouk driving out of the woods: David and Syd stand outside on the Summerland deck, looking out at the night sky, when a little robotic orb appears floating in front of them. “Is that one of Cary’s?” David asks, right before he’s scanned and sucked inside the Magic 8-Ball-lookin’ device. Syd runs inside for help as David screams…and that’s how Season 1 ends.
Now then, back to the faux ending: After Aubrey Plaza’s performance as Farouk — a.k.a. The Shadow King, a.a.k.a., That Big Fat Thing With Yellow Eyes, a.a.a.k.a. The Primary Antagonist of Season 1 Who Was Finally Expelled From David’s...
Let me first say this: If you stopped watching “Legion” as soon as the credits ran, start it back up and keep going. There’s a scene midway through that establishes one helluva cliffhanger compared to Farouk driving out of the woods: David and Syd stand outside on the Summerland deck, looking out at the night sky, when a little robotic orb appears floating in front of them. “Is that one of Cary’s?” David asks, right before he’s scanned and sucked inside the Magic 8-Ball-lookin’ device. Syd runs inside for help as David screams…and that’s how Season 1 ends.
Now then, back to the faux ending: After Aubrey Plaza’s performance as Farouk — a.k.a. The Shadow King, a.a.k.a., That Big Fat Thing With Yellow Eyes, a.a.a.k.a. The Primary Antagonist of Season 1 Who Was Finally Expelled From David’s...
- 3/30/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
This is the ultimate in screen sadism circa 1947, and it’s all in the debut film performance of Richard Widmark as a too-nasty-for-words hood who likes to shoot people in the stomach. Actually, Victor Mature is not bad in a grim story of a stool pigeon that tries to square himself with the law, and finds himself a target for mob murder.
Kiss of Death
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1947 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 98 min. / Street Date February 7, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95
Starring: Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, Coleen Gray, Richard Widmark, Taylor Holmes, Karl Malden, Mildred Dunnock
Cinematography: Norbert Brodine
Art Direction: Leland Fuller, Lyle Wheeler
Film Editor: J. Watson Webb Jr.
Original Music: David Buttolph
Written by Ben Hecht, Charles Lederer, Eleazar Lipsky
Produced by Fred Kohlmar
Directed by Henry Hathaway
The older they get, the better they look. Henry Hathaway’s Kiss of Death is...
Kiss of Death
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1947 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 98 min. / Street Date February 7, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95
Starring: Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, Coleen Gray, Richard Widmark, Taylor Holmes, Karl Malden, Mildred Dunnock
Cinematography: Norbert Brodine
Art Direction: Leland Fuller, Lyle Wheeler
Film Editor: J. Watson Webb Jr.
Original Music: David Buttolph
Written by Ben Hecht, Charles Lederer, Eleazar Lipsky
Produced by Fred Kohlmar
Directed by Henry Hathaway
The older they get, the better they look. Henry Hathaway’s Kiss of Death is...
- 2/28/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Ahead of the UK premiere of his latest film Detour at Horror Channel FrightFest Glasgow, Chris Smith tells us the importance of FrightFest, his love of ‘film Noir’ and his hatred of reality TV…
FrightFest has premiered all your genre movies Creep, Severance, Triangle, Black Death, except Get Santa obviously. Is this positioning an important part of the rollout process for you?
Firstly let me apologise for being away for so long and thank you for having me back. I wrote Get Santa because I’d just had a son and was feeling like I wanted to do something that he could watch in the next 15 years. I expected the film to take a year to come together but it ended up taking four years. My son was by that time old enough to come to the premiere with a few of his class mates.
Back to the question, Frightfest is extremely important,...
FrightFest has premiered all your genre movies Creep, Severance, Triangle, Black Death, except Get Santa obviously. Is this positioning an important part of the rollout process for you?
Firstly let me apologise for being away for so long and thank you for having me back. I wrote Get Santa because I’d just had a son and was feeling like I wanted to do something that he could watch in the next 15 years. I expected the film to take a year to come together but it ended up taking four years. My son was by that time old enough to come to the premiere with a few of his class mates.
Back to the question, Frightfest is extremely important,...
- 2/20/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
“Have you ever heard somebody say, ‘I can’t watch black-and-white movies?'” asks the creator of the Now You See It YouTube channel in his latest video. Said video essayist takes issue with that mindset, and he’s here to explain why in just four minutes. “Black and white can do just as much as color,” he contends, and for Exhibit A he turns to film noir.
Read More: 8 Essential Film Noir Movies MoMI is Resurrecting From the 1940s
Our intrepid host uses examples of both good and bad parodies to make a point: “Saturday Night Live” got it wrong by using low-contrast black and white in a recent skit inspired by “Casablanca,” while an old “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip mimicked the style much more skillfully. The poor imitation demonstrated by the likes of “SNL,” he argues, is why some consider black and white to be boring — they...
Read More: 8 Essential Film Noir Movies MoMI is Resurrecting From the 1940s
Our intrepid host uses examples of both good and bad parodies to make a point: “Saturday Night Live” got it wrong by using low-contrast black and white in a recent skit inspired by “Casablanca,” while an old “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip mimicked the style much more skillfully. The poor imitation demonstrated by the likes of “SNL,” he argues, is why some consider black and white to be boring — they...
- 2/15/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Dana Andrews movies: Film noir actor excelled in both major and minor crime dramas. Dana Andrews movies: First-rate film noir actor excelled in both classics & minor fare One of the best-looking and most underrated actors of the studio era, Dana Andrews was a first-rate film noir/crime thriller star. Oftentimes dismissed as no more than a “dependable” or “reliable” leading man, in truth Andrews brought to life complex characters that never quite fit into the mold of Hollywood's standardized heroes – or rather, antiheroes. Unlike the cynical, tough-talking, and (albeit at times self-delusionally) self-confident characters played by the likes of Alan Ladd, Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, and, however lazily, Robert Mitchum, Andrews created portrayals of tortured men at odds with their social standing, their sense of ethics, and even their romantic yearnings. Not infrequently, there was only a very fine line separating his (anti)heroes from most movie villains.
- 1/22/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Internecine Project
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber Classics
1974 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 89 min. / Street Date January 3, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: James Coburn, Lee Grant, Harry Andrews, Ian Hendry, Michael Jayston, Christiane Krüger, Keenan Wynn, Julian Glover.
Cinematography: Geoffrey Unsworth
Film Editor: John Shirley
Original Music: Roy Budd
Written by: Barry Levinson, Jonathan Lynn from a book by Mort W. Elkind
Produced by: Barry Levinson
Directed by Ken Hughes
Don’t let the ugly Italian poster art on the disc box throw you — The Internecine Project is a clever plot-driven murder tale in an espionage vein that gathers a string of B+ stars from the early 1970s for ninety minutes of suspense. It’s not the kind of suspense that makes you wonder what’s going to happen next, but the kind that points to a finish that we know will employ a big surprise, a killer-diller last-minute twist. Or three.
The...
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber Classics
1974 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 89 min. / Street Date January 3, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: James Coburn, Lee Grant, Harry Andrews, Ian Hendry, Michael Jayston, Christiane Krüger, Keenan Wynn, Julian Glover.
Cinematography: Geoffrey Unsworth
Film Editor: John Shirley
Original Music: Roy Budd
Written by: Barry Levinson, Jonathan Lynn from a book by Mort W. Elkind
Produced by: Barry Levinson
Directed by Ken Hughes
Don’t let the ugly Italian poster art on the disc box throw you — The Internecine Project is a clever plot-driven murder tale in an espionage vein that gathers a string of B+ stars from the early 1970s for ninety minutes of suspense. It’s not the kind of suspense that makes you wonder what’s going to happen next, but the kind that points to a finish that we know will employ a big surprise, a killer-diller last-minute twist. Or three.
The...
- 1/6/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
There's nothing like a nice, smoky film noir to keep you warm over the holidays. In recent weeks Kino Lorber's Studio Classics line has released a number of classic noirs on Blu-ray that are definitely worth your attention. Many of these films were previously available as part of the excellent Fox Film Noir line that helped bolster my collection about a decade ago. Kino Lorber's new presentations of these films bring them boldly into the 21st century with great transfers and a combination of new and archival bonus material that any lover of film noir will definitely appreciate. Continue reading below for more details....
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 12/19/2016
- Screen Anarchy
Just what is the dreaded ‘Process 97’? Henry Hathaway’s docu-drama combined newsreel ‘reality’ with a true espionage story from the files of the F.B.I., creating a thriller about spies and atom secrets that dazzled the film-going public. But how much of it was true, and how much invented?
The House on 92nd Street
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1945 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 88 min. / Street Date November 15, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring William Eythe, Lloyd Nolan, Signe Hasso, Gene Lockhart, Leo G. Carroll, Lydia St. Clair, William Post Jr., Harry Bellaver, Bruno Wick, Harro Meller, Charles Wagenheim, Alfred Linder, Renee Carson, Paul Ford, Vincent Gardenia, Reed Hadley, E.G. Marshall, Elisabeth Neumann-Viertel.
Cinematography Norbert Brodine
Film Editor Harmon Jones
Original Music David Buttolph
Written by Barré Lyndon, Charles G. Booth, John Monks Jr.
Produced by Louis De Rochemont
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I can’t believe...
The House on 92nd Street
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1945 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 88 min. / Street Date November 15, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring William Eythe, Lloyd Nolan, Signe Hasso, Gene Lockhart, Leo G. Carroll, Lydia St. Clair, William Post Jr., Harry Bellaver, Bruno Wick, Harro Meller, Charles Wagenheim, Alfred Linder, Renee Carson, Paul Ford, Vincent Gardenia, Reed Hadley, E.G. Marshall, Elisabeth Neumann-Viertel.
Cinematography Norbert Brodine
Film Editor Harmon Jones
Original Music David Buttolph
Written by Barré Lyndon, Charles G. Booth, John Monks Jr.
Produced by Louis De Rochemont
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I can’t believe...
- 12/10/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Joan Crawford controls every aspect of this glamorous, Oscar nominated noir about a murderous marriage double-cross. Good acting enlivens a by-the-book, gimmick-laden plot, with every moment designed to flatter the star.
Sudden Fear
Blu-ray
The Cohen Film Collection
1952 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 110 min. / Street Date December 13, 2016 / 34.99
Starring Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett, Virginia Huston, Touch Connors, Bess Flowers, Taylor Holmes, Lewis Martin, Arthur Space.
Cinematography Charles Lang
Film Editor Leon Barsha
Art Director Boris Leven
Original Music Elmer Bernstein
Written by Lenore Coffee, Robert Smith from a novel by Edna Sherry
Produced by Joseph Kaufman
Directed by David Miller
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
The Joan Crawford movie Sudden Fear is an efficient and stylish thriller. Although it’s technically film noir, its story of a two-way murder frame-up is sublimated to the actress’s overpowering personality. It’s the first movie where Crawford was able to...
Sudden Fear
Blu-ray
The Cohen Film Collection
1952 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 110 min. / Street Date December 13, 2016 / 34.99
Starring Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett, Virginia Huston, Touch Connors, Bess Flowers, Taylor Holmes, Lewis Martin, Arthur Space.
Cinematography Charles Lang
Film Editor Leon Barsha
Art Director Boris Leven
Original Music Elmer Bernstein
Written by Lenore Coffee, Robert Smith from a novel by Edna Sherry
Produced by Joseph Kaufman
Directed by David Miller
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
The Joan Crawford movie Sudden Fear is an efficient and stylish thriller. Although it’s technically film noir, its story of a two-way murder frame-up is sublimated to the actress’s overpowering personality. It’s the first movie where Crawford was able to...
- 12/3/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Robert Siodmak’s superb noir classic pits two graduates of Little Italy against one other: a crook who can deceive relatives and seduce strangers into helping him, and the cop who wants to put him out of business. Starring the great Richard Conte, with Victor Mature in what might be his best role.
Cry of the City
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1948 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 95 min. / Street Date November 15, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring Victor Mature, Richard Conte, Fred Clark, Shelley Winters, Betty Garde, Berry Kroeger, Tommy Cook, Debra Paget, Hope Emerson, Roland Winters, Walter Baldwin, Mimi Aguglia, Kathleen Howard, Konstantin Shayne, Tito Vuolo.
Cinematography Lloyd Ahern
Original Music Alfred Newman
Written by Richard Murphy from the novel The Chair for Martin Rome by Henry Edward Helseth
Produced by Sol C. Siegel
Directed by Robert Siodmak
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Perhaps because of a legal or rights issue, Robert Siodmak...
Cry of the City
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1948 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 95 min. / Street Date November 15, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring Victor Mature, Richard Conte, Fred Clark, Shelley Winters, Betty Garde, Berry Kroeger, Tommy Cook, Debra Paget, Hope Emerson, Roland Winters, Walter Baldwin, Mimi Aguglia, Kathleen Howard, Konstantin Shayne, Tito Vuolo.
Cinematography Lloyd Ahern
Original Music Alfred Newman
Written by Richard Murphy from the novel The Chair for Martin Rome by Henry Edward Helseth
Produced by Sol C. Siegel
Directed by Robert Siodmak
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Perhaps because of a legal or rights issue, Robert Siodmak...
- 12/3/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for film fans, with some of the best films of the year in theaters and lots of elaborate and thoroughly-researched books to read. This rundown has real variety, with new and recent texts covering cinema history, TV greats, and, of course, Star Wars. Note that one of this year’s finest books, The Oliver Stone Experience (Abrams Books), was covered by The Film Stage in September via an interview with author Matt Zoller Seitz. Make sure to check out Experience, and see below for another fine selection from the prolific Seitz.
Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual History, Updated Edition by Daniel Wallace (Dk Publishing)
It’s a fantastic idea: a book that offers a timeline not of the Star Wars story, but of the Star Wars phenomenon. This newly updated edition of the 2010 release now includes recent works like...
Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual History, Updated Edition by Daniel Wallace (Dk Publishing)
It’s a fantastic idea: a book that offers a timeline not of the Star Wars story, but of the Star Wars phenomenon. This newly updated edition of the 2010 release now includes recent works like...
- 12/1/2016
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
Fox’s first official monster movie is a terrific-looking but mostly flat mystery that tries its utmost not to be a horror film at all. It’s a head scratcher that will interest fans of the expressive John Brahm, and help completists scratch another werewolf film off their gotta-see lists.
The Undying Monster
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1942 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 62 min. / Street Date December 13, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring James Ellison, Heather Angel, John Howard, Bramwell Fletcher, Heather Thatcher, Aubrey Mather, Halliwell Hobbes, Alec Craig, Holmes Herbert, Eily Malyon, Charles McGraw.
Cinematography Lucien Ballard
<Film Editor Harry Reynolds
Original Music Emil Newman, David Raksin
Written byLillie Hayward, Michel Jacoby from a novel by Jessie Douglas Kerrruish
Produced by Bryan Foy
Directed by John Brahm
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
After the heyday of Universal horror in the first half of the 1930s, horror pictures went on the decline for over twenty years.
The Undying Monster
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1942 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 62 min. / Street Date December 13, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring James Ellison, Heather Angel, John Howard, Bramwell Fletcher, Heather Thatcher, Aubrey Mather, Halliwell Hobbes, Alec Craig, Holmes Herbert, Eily Malyon, Charles McGraw.
Cinematography Lucien Ballard
<Film Editor Harry Reynolds
Original Music Emil Newman, David Raksin
Written byLillie Hayward, Michel Jacoby from a novel by Jessie Douglas Kerrruish
Produced by Bryan Foy
Directed by John Brahm
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
After the heyday of Universal horror in the first half of the 1930s, horror pictures went on the decline for over twenty years.
- 11/29/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It's Noirvember. Here's Bill Curran on a Robert Aldrich's neo-noir
The world turned upside down, inside out. Film noir depends on following innate impulses to that most ultimate, unthinkable, irrational end: death. Noir explores that nasty thing called "human nature, revealing (and revelling in) the elemental urges that really make us tick. Noir unmasks the mechanics of this crazy world with some variation on a guy, a girl, and a gun. Upending sexual-patriarchal dynamics, leveling the tenants of justice and who is responsible for carrying it out, filming what we do in the shadows in the half-light: when you flip the script on taste and convention, you can learn a lot about how topsy-turvy this whole mess called Earth can be.
Kiss Me Deadly stews in and subverts these genre contradictions more brazenly than almost any other film noir before or since, perhaps because it is, in the end,...
The world turned upside down, inside out. Film noir depends on following innate impulses to that most ultimate, unthinkable, irrational end: death. Noir explores that nasty thing called "human nature, revealing (and revelling in) the elemental urges that really make us tick. Noir unmasks the mechanics of this crazy world with some variation on a guy, a girl, and a gun. Upending sexual-patriarchal dynamics, leveling the tenants of justice and who is responsible for carrying it out, filming what we do in the shadows in the half-light: when you flip the script on taste and convention, you can learn a lot about how topsy-turvy this whole mess called Earth can be.
Kiss Me Deadly stews in and subverts these genre contradictions more brazenly than almost any other film noir before or since, perhaps because it is, in the end,...
- 11/15/2016
- by Bill Curran
- FilmExperience
Elia Kazan's third picture is a hard-hitting noir, a true story that honors the efforts of a noble States' Attorney when confronted with a murder case that was a little too open-and-shut. But a close read of the movie uncovers a miasma of social criticism, hiding behind the self-congratulating official narration. A great show. Boomerang! Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1947 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 88 min. / Street Date November 15, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Dana Andrews, Jane Wyatt, Lee J. Cobb, Sam Levene, Arthur Kennedy, Cara Williams, Ed Begley, Taylor Holmes, Robert Keith. Cinematography Norbert Brodine Art Direction Richard Day, Chester Gore Film Editor Harmon Jones Original Music David Buttolph Written by Richard Murphy from an article in The Reader's Digest by Anthony Abbot (Fulton Oursier) Produced by Louis De Rochemont, Darryl F. Zanuck Directed by Elia Kazan
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
In just his second movie, director...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
In just his second movie, director...
- 11/15/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Long Love Death screens Friday, Nov. 11 at 9:00pm at The Hi-Pointe Backlot as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. Ticket information can be found Here
In “Long Live Death,” a serial killer sedates his female victims and makes their murders look like suicides. When the body of another woman is found, Lt. Murot finally catches the culprit, appearing to end the deadly spree. But even after his arrest, the killer still exerts terrifying control over the situation, and Murot seems to play an unwitting part in his master plan. As detective and criminal play a cat-and-mouse game with the highest of stakes — a person’s life — Murot is forced to confront his own past and inner demons. A tense thriller, “Long Live Death” is a quasi-sequel to the same director’s “At the End of the Street” (2015 Sliff), with both films inspired by the long-running...
In “Long Live Death,” a serial killer sedates his female victims and makes their murders look like suicides. When the body of another woman is found, Lt. Murot finally catches the culprit, appearing to end the deadly spree. But even after his arrest, the killer still exerts terrifying control over the situation, and Murot seems to play an unwitting part in his master plan. As detective and criminal play a cat-and-mouse game with the highest of stakes — a person’s life — Murot is forced to confront his own past and inner demons. A tense thriller, “Long Live Death” is a quasi-sequel to the same director’s “At the End of the Street” (2015 Sliff), with both films inspired by the long-running...
- 11/11/2016
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Bernie Saves The Day”
By Raymond Benson
Film noir was still a valid Hollywood commodity in 1951, and director Nicholas Ray was one the style’s star practitioners. He had begun his career with the classic They Live by Night, and just the previous year he had brought us In a Lonely Place (see Cinema Retro’s review here). On Dangerous Ground, which stars Ida Lupino (who reportedly directed some scenes when Ray was ill) and Robert Ryan, is a fair representation of the movement—it’s not bad, but it’s not particularly great, either.
Oddly, it comes across as two different movies. The first forty minutes or so are deep in film noir territory—it has an urban setting, a cynical and violent protagonist (Ryan, as a police detective in the city), night scenes, hard-boiled dialogue, harshly contrasting black and white photography (by George E. Diskant), and sultry dames.
By Raymond Benson
Film noir was still a valid Hollywood commodity in 1951, and director Nicholas Ray was one the style’s star practitioners. He had begun his career with the classic They Live by Night, and just the previous year he had brought us In a Lonely Place (see Cinema Retro’s review here). On Dangerous Ground, which stars Ida Lupino (who reportedly directed some scenes when Ray was ill) and Robert Ryan, is a fair representation of the movement—it’s not bad, but it’s not particularly great, either.
Oddly, it comes across as two different movies. The first forty minutes or so are deep in film noir territory—it has an urban setting, a cynical and violent protagonist (Ryan, as a police detective in the city), night scenes, hard-boiled dialogue, harshly contrasting black and white photography (by George E. Diskant), and sultry dames.
- 10/21/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Full Lineup Announcements
– “3-D Auteurs,” a 19-day, 34-film festival spotlighting stereoscopic movies by some of history’s most distinguished directors, will run at Film Forum November 11 – 29. The festival spans 3-D’s earliest days (including some turn-of-the-century films by pioneer Georges Méliès) to the present, and represents virtually every genre, including Westerns, Film Noir, and Science Fiction. Hollywood’s first big 3-D craze (sometimes called 3-D’s “golden era”), intended to offset the threat of television, came in the early 1950s, with such movies as Hitchcock’s “Dial M For Murder,” André De Toth’s “House of Wax” and Jack Arnold’s “Creature From the Black Lagoon” (all included in the series).
Hollywood produced roughly 50 movies in the process from 1952 to 1954, before fizzling out and being overtaken by...
Full Lineup Announcements
– “3-D Auteurs,” a 19-day, 34-film festival spotlighting stereoscopic movies by some of history’s most distinguished directors, will run at Film Forum November 11 – 29. The festival spans 3-D’s earliest days (including some turn-of-the-century films by pioneer Georges Méliès) to the present, and represents virtually every genre, including Westerns, Film Noir, and Science Fiction. Hollywood’s first big 3-D craze (sometimes called 3-D’s “golden era”), intended to offset the threat of television, came in the early 1950s, with such movies as Hitchcock’s “Dial M For Murder,” André De Toth’s “House of Wax” and Jack Arnold’s “Creature From the Black Lagoon” (all included in the series).
Hollywood produced roughly 50 movies in the process from 1952 to 1954, before fizzling out and being overtaken by...
- 10/20/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Film noir has been around for so long that it’s generated a slew of sub-genres: like “L.A. noir,” where the story and atmosphere are tied specifically to the sun-soaked culture of Southern California; or “obsessed-outsider-on-a-mission noir,” where one driven individual travels to a city to track down a missing friend or family member. “Message from […]
The post Chadwick Boseman Investigates L.A’s Underbelly In Neo-Noir ‘Message from the King’ [Tiff Review] appeared first on The Playlist.
The post Chadwick Boseman Investigates L.A’s Underbelly In Neo-Noir ‘Message from the King’ [Tiff Review] appeared first on The Playlist.
- 9/9/2016
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
Juan Antonio Bayona, David Mackenzie and John Michael McDonagh among directors with films in Gala strand.
Zurich Film Festival (Sept 22-Oct 2) has unveiled the titles that will make up its Gala section.
In addition to previously announced titles Snowden, Florence Foster Jenkins and Deepwater Horizon, Zff will screen the latest films from directors including Juan Antonio Bayona, David Mackenzie and John Michael McDonagh.
American Honey
Director: Andrea Arnold
Cast: Sasha Lane, Riley Keough, Shia Labeouf
Star (Sasha Lane) is trapped in a life far from perfect. Then she falls head over heels in love with Jake (Shia Labeouf), before embarking with him and a band of misfits who live by their own rules on an adventurous journey to freedom. The start of a quest to find the boundaries of a powerful young love and a road trip into the heart of America.
A Monster Calls (Sieben Minuten Nach Mitternacht)
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Cast: Felicity Jones, [link...
Zurich Film Festival (Sept 22-Oct 2) has unveiled the titles that will make up its Gala section.
In addition to previously announced titles Snowden, Florence Foster Jenkins and Deepwater Horizon, Zff will screen the latest films from directors including Juan Antonio Bayona, David Mackenzie and John Michael McDonagh.
American Honey
Director: Andrea Arnold
Cast: Sasha Lane, Riley Keough, Shia Labeouf
Star (Sasha Lane) is trapped in a life far from perfect. Then she falls head over heels in love with Jake (Shia Labeouf), before embarking with him and a band of misfits who live by their own rules on an adventurous journey to freedom. The start of a quest to find the boundaries of a powerful young love and a road trip into the heart of America.
A Monster Calls (Sieben Minuten Nach Mitternacht)
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Cast: Felicity Jones, [link...
- 8/25/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The character setup in this classy noir potboiler couldn't be better, with Ida Lupino a sensation as the mountain lodge chanteuse who knows her way around men. For its first two acts the show is all but perfect. Road House Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1948 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 95 min. / Street Date September 13, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm, Richard Widmark, O.Z. Whitehead, Robert Karnes, George Beranger, Ian MacDonald, Ray Teal. Cinematography Joseph Lashelle Film Editor James B. Clark Original Music Cyril J. Mokridge Written by Edward Chodorov, Margaret Gruen, Oscar Saul Produced by Edward Chodorov Directed by Jean Negulesco
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
For the first two-thirds of Jean Negulesco's Road House I thought I was seeing one of the best films noirs of the late 1940s, and even when it sagged at the end it came up with a pretty good score.
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
For the first two-thirds of Jean Negulesco's Road House I thought I was seeing one of the best films noirs of the late 1940s, and even when it sagged at the end it came up with a pretty good score.
- 8/15/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
A new restoration of Louis Malle’s “Elevator to the Gallows” (1957), a seminal work of French Film Noir, starring Jeanne Moreau and featuring a legendary jazz score by Miles Davis, will run at Film Forum in New York City starting… Continue Reading →...
- 8/3/2016
- by Sergio Mims
- ShadowAndAct
Here’s your daily dose of an indie film, web series, TV pilot, what-have-you in progress — at the end of the week, you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite.
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
Trench
Logline: Reclusive writer Becky Holt is being stalked in her high-rise apartment, so Samantha Slade, failed stand-up comedian turned fledgling private eye, comes to her aid… for a fee, of course. But will her first case be the death of them?
Elevator Pitch:
“Trench” is a girl-powered modern-day detective comedy/thriller, shot like a 1940s Film Noir and set in the city of Melbourne, Australia. When reclusive writer Becky Holt experiences strange phenomena in her apartment, her online call for help is answered only by Sam Slade — a stand-up comic on the skids who needs cash and fancies herself a private eye.
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
Trench
Logline: Reclusive writer Becky Holt is being stalked in her high-rise apartment, so Samantha Slade, failed stand-up comedian turned fledgling private eye, comes to her aid… for a fee, of course. But will her first case be the death of them?
Elevator Pitch:
“Trench” is a girl-powered modern-day detective comedy/thriller, shot like a 1940s Film Noir and set in the city of Melbourne, Australia. When reclusive writer Becky Holt experiences strange phenomena in her apartment, her online call for help is answered only by Sam Slade — a stand-up comic on the skids who needs cash and fancies herself a private eye.
- 7/14/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Rob Leane Jul 15, 2016
British crowdfunded films that sound brilliant, including a Ghostbusters documentary and loads of horror...
It's not easy to get an indie film made these days. Especially not through studios and traditional financial methods. That's why, all around the globe, crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter are becoming more and more popular among first-time/early career filmmakers.
We perused crowdfunding websites, and found loads of in-development British films that sound really interesting. Aiming to shed some light on these films that don't have the might of a major studio's marketing team behind them, here's our list of 25 upcoming British movies that have been crowdfunded, and could turn out to be brilliant...
Black Wolf
Harvey Eaton has been working in the advertising sector of filmmaking for years, and even directed legendary Spanish footballer Andrés Iniesta for a Powerade commercial once.
Black Wolf - a "short film about a woman terrorised by...
British crowdfunded films that sound brilliant, including a Ghostbusters documentary and loads of horror...
It's not easy to get an indie film made these days. Especially not through studios and traditional financial methods. That's why, all around the globe, crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter are becoming more and more popular among first-time/early career filmmakers.
We perused crowdfunding websites, and found loads of in-development British films that sound really interesting. Aiming to shed some light on these films that don't have the might of a major studio's marketing team behind them, here's our list of 25 upcoming British movies that have been crowdfunded, and could turn out to be brilliant...
Black Wolf
Harvey Eaton has been working in the advertising sector of filmmaking for years, and even directed legendary Spanish footballer Andrés Iniesta for a Powerade commercial once.
Black Wolf - a "short film about a woman terrorised by...
- 7/7/2016
- Den of Geek
Moscow, Russian Federation – Award-winning Russian filmmaker Diana Galimzyanova turns to the crowd to fund her debut feature, the first ever female-directed Russian film noir with reverse chronology, “The Lightest Darkness“. The film is currently in the midst of an IndieGoGo campaign to raise $35,000 to cover the costs associated with the production of the …
The post Russian Female Director Crowdfunds Film Noir with Reverse Chronology, “The Lightest Darkness” first appeared on Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
The post Russian Female Director Crowdfunds Film Noir with Reverse Chronology, “The Lightest Darkness” first appeared on Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
- 7/4/2016
- by Horrornews.net
- Horror News
We're counting down to Olivia de Havilland's historic 100th birthday (July 1st!). Team Experience will be looking at highlights and curiosities from her career. Here's Jason...
I'm proud of my fellow Film Experience members Dan and Josh for keeping their focus on the films so far in this series, but it seems kind of impossible to talk about Olivia de Havilland's 1946 thriller The Dark Mirror, which has her playing good and evil twins, without diving into the gossipy froth of her legendary lifetime rivalry with sister Joan Fontaine. The Dark Mirror sits somewhere between an exorcism and a single-gloved slap-fight - Fight Club via Film Noir. It offered Olivia the chance to play versions of both her and her sister's popular images, exaggerated and unloosed upon one another.
In a 2015 Time magazine piece on the sisters' feud it's said that Olivia was known for playing "pretty and charming,...
I'm proud of my fellow Film Experience members Dan and Josh for keeping their focus on the films so far in this series, but it seems kind of impossible to talk about Olivia de Havilland's 1946 thriller The Dark Mirror, which has her playing good and evil twins, without diving into the gossipy froth of her legendary lifetime rivalry with sister Joan Fontaine. The Dark Mirror sits somewhere between an exorcism and a single-gloved slap-fight - Fight Club via Film Noir. It offered Olivia the chance to play versions of both her and her sister's popular images, exaggerated and unloosed upon one another.
In a 2015 Time magazine piece on the sisters' feud it's said that Olivia was known for playing "pretty and charming,...
- 6/20/2016
- by JA
- FilmExperience
Here's a sterling example of what Hollywood excelled at back in the golden age: Robert Montgomery, Evelyn Keyes, Claude Rains and Edward Everett Horton star in possibly the most magical of movies known as Film Blanc. A cosmic goof leaves a man with fifty years yet to live without a body -- so heavenly troubleshooters try to find him a new one. Here Comes Mr. Jordan Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 819 1941 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 94 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 14, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Robert Montgomery, Evelyn Keyes, Claude Rains, Rita Johnson, Edward Everett Horton, James Gleason. Cinematography Joseph Walker Art Direction Lionel Banks Film Editor Viola Lawrence Original Music Frederick Hollander Written by Sidney Buchman, Seton I. Miller from the play Heaven Can Wait by Harry Segall Produced by Everett Riskin Directed by Alexander Hall
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Some movies are so entertaining that it's best to tell people,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Some movies are so entertaining that it's best to tell people,...
- 6/7/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Tuesday, May 24th has several fantastic DVD and Blu-ray releases that should get horror fans excited, especially the highly anticipated Collector’s Edition release of Manhunter from the fine folks at Scream Factory. Arrow Video is also releasing a stunning limited edition set entitled Killer Dames, featuring two overlooked giallo cult classics, and for those of you American Gothic fans out there (like myself), the entire series is finally making its way to DVD this week.
Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for this Tuesday include Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema Collection, Specters, Paranormal Sex Tape, and The Devil’s Woods.
American Gothic: The Complete Series (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, DVD)
Visit Trinity, South Carolina, a small town with more chills than charm. Sheriff Lucas Buck (Gary Cole) won’t let anyone – including local doctor Matt Crower (Jake Weber) or the determined Gail Emory (Paige Turco...
Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for this Tuesday include Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema Collection, Specters, Paranormal Sex Tape, and The Devil’s Woods.
American Gothic: The Complete Series (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, DVD)
Visit Trinity, South Carolina, a small town with more chills than charm. Sheriff Lucas Buck (Gary Cole) won’t let anyone – including local doctor Matt Crower (Jake Weber) or the determined Gail Emory (Paige Turco...
- 5/24/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
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