I can't place The Man Who Cheated Himself (a truly horrible title) in the pantheon of great film noir. The stars, Lee J. Cobb and Jane Wyatt, are miscast. The plot requires you to take a great big leap into the extremely unlikely. And yet, it's a hell of a lot of fun. As happens … Continue reading Blu-ray Review: The Man Who Cheated Himself
Category: Film Noir
Film Noir
A Day of Jazz and Noir at the SF Jewish Film Fest
I saw two films at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Saturday; both at the Castro. I liked them both, but neither of them blew my mind. B Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes This documentary traces the history of the revolutionary jazz label that brought Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk onto vinyl. The … Continue reading A Day of Jazz and Noir at the SF Jewish Film Fest
Louis Malle Noir: My Blu-ray review of Elevator to the Gallows
You don't expect film noir from Louis Malle. But his first narrative feature, Elevator to the Gallows, is as dark, suspenseful, and entertaining as the best crime dramas that ever came out of Hollywood. Criterion released this excellent thriller in February. Made in France in 1957 (it was released in '58), the complex yet tightly-told … Continue reading Louis Malle Noir: My Blu-ray review of Elevator to the Gallows
Previews of the Dark Side of the Dream
Attaining the American Dream isn't easy. Sometimes, it's impossible. The Dark Side of the Dream, a four-day film festival at the Roxie, screens six double bills that dramatize the ways our system doesn't work. The films date from 1933 to 1964. Most of them could be reasonably categorized as noir. The festival runs March 23 … Continue reading Previews of the Dark Side of the Dream
Closing This Year’s Noir City
Noir City closed Sunday with a masterpiece…and a pretty good B picture. I finally saw The Big Heat, and I saw it under about the best conditions possible. Following the theme of this year's festival, each double feature included a relatively expensive A picture (noirs were never hugely expensive) and a very cheap B picture. … Continue reading Closing This Year’s Noir City
Saturday at Noir City
Saturday is always the biggest day at Noir City, with two double bills. Yesterday, each double bill had one relatively expensive A picture, and one very cheap B picture. Money talks; in each case, the A was better than the B. All these movies came out in 1950. Matinee: The Underworld Story & Southside 1-1000 … Continue reading Saturday at Noir City
Thursday Night at Noir City
I couldn't go movie-watching Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. But Thursday night, my wife and I managed to get to the Castro for another Noir City double bill. This time, the films were both from 1948. The A picture, I Walk Alone, was pretty damn good. The B picture, Bodyguard, was pretty damn silly. I Walk … Continue reading Thursday Night at Noir City
