It’s a good, but not a great Hitchcock.
[quote=“chuck connors brother, post:58, topic:1786”]These are my favourite films that might be considered noirs…
- Woman in the Window
- Dark Passage
- Key Largo
- Kiss of Death
- Dead Reckoning
- In a Lonely Place
- Blast of Silence[/quote]
All good, but DEAD RECKONING and IN A LONELY PLACE are my two favorite Bogies. 8)
“Dead Reckoning”!?! What about “The Maltese Falcon”? Surly thats the best Bogart Film Noir?
I’d put The Big Sleep slightly ahead of The Maltese Falcon; the chemistry between Bogart and Bacall gives it the edge for me.
I keep kicking myself for never having seen “The Big Sleep”.
Choke
You owe it to yourself to rectify that situation amigo. I’m not sure of its DVD status; I have it on a VHS double bill with, yes, The Maltese Falcon.
I 've just finished Hitchcock’s “Spellbound”. The first half of the movie was quite slow, which unusall from the Master of Suspense. However things get better with the one minute or so dream squence and from there on after, its excellent Hitchcock. Its a shame that the dream squence, the most famous part of the film, is so short. I also like how at the end when the gun is fired, the shot goes red. All in all, one of Hitchcock’s more interesting failures. Along with “Dial M for Murder” and “To Catch a Thief”, they are my least favourite Hitchcock films, which isn’t saying much as I would give them all eight out of ten.
Watched DOA which was a classic. The camera starts off high key and gewts lower and lower.
I’ve restarted my noir craze and have a few new favorites that I would gladly recommend…
Act of Violence
Mystery Street
House by the River
Raw Deal ( One of the greatest noirs I’ve ever seen)
The Narrow Margin
Death of a Cyclist
The Asphalt Jungle
Have you seen Big Combo, Rif? It is so far, the best noir I’ve seen (of the 3) :-\ ;D. Called one of the most stylish, brutal, and darkest of the genre. And I wouldn’t disagree.
It’s a gooder…and that score got stuck in my head for days! (in a good way) 
[quote=“Rififii, post:69, topic:1786”]Act of Violence
Mystery Street
House by the River
Raw Deal ( One of the greatest noirs I’ve ever seen)
The Narrow Margin
Death of a Cyclist
The Asphalt Jungle[/quote]
Another good list. An a fan of Anthony Mann’s Westerns I’m desperate to see Raw Deal - is it as good as T Men?
This Gun for Hire has arrived from Lovefilm so I’ll be checking that out in the next few days.
I actually saw it for the first time three weeks ago and I agree this is a good one… Cornel Wilde plays it real nice. But it didnt live up to my expectations… Still great photography and acting.
@ Starblack
I havent yet seen T-Men but Raw Deal is just masterful… a revenge tale only 78 mins. long but packs a powerful punch and some great photograghy.
You can see it here http://www.archive.org/details/RawDeal1948Spansubs
awful burned in spansubs and a stupid logo in the bottom, but I didnt think it interferrred too much…
What are the other two?
T-Men and DOA. Both very good. I had problem though with T-Men’s over narration that disrupted the flow but the stunning photography made up for it. DOA is just swiftley paced and has good performances and lighting.
[quote=“Rififii, post:73, topic:1786”]You can see it here http://www.archive.org/details/RawDeal1948Spansubs
awful burned in spansubs and a stupid logo in the bottom, but I didnt think it interferrred too much…[/quote]
Great - thanks for the tip.
Always regretted not buying the Anthony Mann noir DVD collection - OOP now I think.
Just finished watching This Gun for Hire, and it didn’t disappoint. Moody and surprisingly quirky in places, with a fascinatingly twisted protagonist.
There’s a propagandist element - it’s an early noir, made during WWII - that has dated, but that’s secondary to Alan Ladd’s compelling performance as cat-loving, people-hating killer Raven, tormented by his past (obligatory) and nihilstic almost to the core. Veronia Lake - not a femme fatale but a quasi romantic lead - cracks Ladd’s facade a little, but not enough to compromise the character.
Raven is a clear precursor of Alain Delon’s anti-hero in Le Samourai, and, in many ways, resembles Ladd’s most famous role in Shane, another enigmatic figure enslaved by violence, although that character was more personable and noble.
Nothing against MALTESE FALCON or THE BIG SLEEP for that matter, DEAD RECKONING and IN A LONELY PLACE just happen to be my two favorite Bogart movies. Probably doesn’t hurt that Lizabeth Scott was at her pinnacle of smokin’ hotness in DEAD RECKONING. 
I prefer RAW DEAL, but thats just me.
[quote=“Starblack, post:77, topic:1786”]Just finished watching This Gun for Hire, and it didn’t disappoint. Moody and surprisingly quirky in places, with a fascinatingly twisted protagonist.
There’s a propagandist element - it’s an early noir, made during WWII - that has dated, but that’s secondary to Alan Ladd’s compelling performance as cat-loving, people-hating killer Raven, tormented by his past (obligatory) and nihilstic almost to the core. Veronia Lake - not a femme fatale but a quasi romantic lead - cracks Ladd’s facade a little, but not enough to compromise the character.
Raven is a clear precursor of Alain Delon’s anti-hero in Le Samourai, and, in many ways, resembles Ladd’s most famous role in Shane, another enigmatic figure enslaved by violence, although that character was more personable and noble.[/quote]
Glad you liked it. I noticed the influence on Le Samourai’s Jef Costello as well…