Star Power
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I've got the morose music already (I'm on a steady diet of Portishead and Sisters of Mercy), the attire I'm working on (lot's of black), but now I need some books and movies that'll push me right over to goth-dom.
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Could you lot recommend me some noir novels and films?
- Thread starter Star Power
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The Works of David Lynch must be viewed, especially Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks: The Series, and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
Also you need to add The Cure to your steady diet of Portishead and The Sisters of Mercy, especially Seventeen Seconds, Faith, Pornography, and Disintegration.
Also you need to add The Cure to your steady diet of Portishead and The Sisters of Mercy, especially Seventeen Seconds, Faith, Pornography, and Disintegration.
Casablanca isn't film noir, but it's a second cousin and everyone should watch it anyway. Pretty much anything with Humphrey Bogart not named Sabrina is halfway to a noir.
Double Indemnity is good but severely hurt by the implausibility of Barbara Stanwyck seducing any man into murdering for her.
The Asphalt Jungle is really good, and is on DVD now.
Chinatown if you haven't seen it.
Read The Maltese Falcon and Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammet.
I'll second White Man's recommendation. I really like Chandler, even though he was really a well-educated Brit copping a style. I also have a couple nits to pick with how he wrote for Phillip Marlowe, his recurring detective, and how it influenced later authors like Robert Parker. But like I said, I really like Chandler.
Read James Ellroy's books. The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, and L.A. Confidential. Actually, watch L.A. Confidential before you read the book. The book has so much more stuff it won't be ruined, or even dented by the experience.
Just remembered. The Easy Rawlins novels by Walter Mosley. Really excellent books dripping with noir conventions and atmosphere. Plus the characters are mostly black, so it's noir in a literal sense too!
edit: The Sweet Smell of Success. A noir film without a mystery or even the usual doses of crime. Just a lot of amorality and snappy dialogue.
Double Indemnity is good but severely hurt by the implausibility of Barbara Stanwyck seducing any man into murdering for her.
The Asphalt Jungle is really good, and is on DVD now.
Chinatown if you haven't seen it.
Read The Maltese Falcon and Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammet.
I'll second White Man's recommendation. I really like Chandler, even though he was really a well-educated Brit copping a style. I also have a couple nits to pick with how he wrote for Phillip Marlowe, his recurring detective, and how it influenced later authors like Robert Parker. But like I said, I really like Chandler.
Read James Ellroy's books. The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, and L.A. Confidential. Actually, watch L.A. Confidential before you read the book. The book has so much more stuff it won't be ruined, or even dented by the experience.
Just remembered. The Easy Rawlins novels by Walter Mosley. Really excellent books dripping with noir conventions and atmosphere. Plus the characters are mostly black, so it's noir in a literal sense too!
edit: The Sweet Smell of Success. A noir film without a mystery or even the usual doses of crime. Just a lot of amorality and snappy dialogue.
I think you misunderstand noir--just because it means "black" doesn't mean it jives with the Hot Topic crowd. film noir is more of a style of filmmaking that often (if not always) involves some of the following:
a) a femme fatale character, who often throws a wrench into the planning of the male protagonist,
b) a heist, murder, or cover-up of some sort that involves meticulous planning,
c) crime seen from the perspective of the criminals, who are often trying to achieve the "perfect" crime.
I highly recommend the genre (with Double Indemnity and Sunset Blvd. at the top of any list), but don't misunderstand it and think you'll suddenly be inspired to become a Good Charlotte fan.
a) a femme fatale character, who often throws a wrench into the planning of the male protagonist,
b) a heist, murder, or cover-up of some sort that involves meticulous planning,
c) crime seen from the perspective of the criminals, who are often trying to achieve the "perfect" crime.
I highly recommend the genre (with Double Indemnity and Sunset Blvd. at the top of any list), but don't misunderstand it and think you'll suddenly be inspired to become a Good Charlotte fan.
novels:
anything by dashielle hammett and raymond chandler
movies:
the maltese falcon
the big sleep
the postman always rings twice
pickup on south street
key largo
stray dog
high and low
shadow of a doubt
touch of evil
strangers on a train
and yes, mikey spillane's mike hammer novels are noir.
anything by dashielle hammett and raymond chandler
movies:
the maltese falcon
the big sleep
the postman always rings twice
pickup on south street
key largo
stray dog
high and low
shadow of a doubt
touch of evil
strangers on a train
and yes, mikey spillane's mike hammer novels are noir.
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
KingGondo said:
:lol I have to agree with this. Most "noir" characters would smack goth types around and then have a drink.
Of the above things, I think the only one that remotely has to do with film noir themes or styles is Blue Velvet.gigapower said:
Sunset Blvd doesn't have any of the elements you just listed for noir
Norma Desmond is not a femme fatale and the main character is not a criminal. I think it generally falls into the category for its look and fairly dark "underworld" sort of themes.Star Power
Member
KingGondo said:
JUST BECUZ I SAY GOTH DOESN'T MEAN I MEAN THE HOT TOPIC CROWD.
Film noir as a style is generally considered to have begun with Huston's The Maltese Falcon and ended with Orson Welles's Touch of Evil. If you're at all interested in the style, these are the best films in the genre (the ones available on DVD, anyways).
People have already mentioned Double Indemnity but the DVD is out of print right now. I think Universal owns the rights to it and might release it again in the future. I'm not holding my breath, though. Laura and Call Northside 777 are both due to be released on DVD this year by Fox.
List of great noirs to get you started:
Detour
Touch of Evil
D.O.A.
Scarlet Street
The Night of the Hunter
Pickup on South Street
Night and the City
Force of Evil
The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Set-Up
Gun Crazy
Out of the Past
Murder, My Sweet
The Big Sleep
The Asphalt Jungle
The Harder They Fall
Mildred Pierce
The Big Clock
Black Angel
Criss Cross
The Killers
Gilda
He Walked By Night
Sunset Boulevard
The Maltese Falcon
The Killing
The Wrong Man
Kiss Me Deadly
All the movies I've listed are "pure" noir, black and white films made during the height of the Hollywood cycle (noir is considered to be an American style, though there are European noir-ish films like Rififi and The Third Man). Stuff like Chinatown and L.A. Confidential is considered to be post-noir or neo-noir...it emulates the style of the original movies but it's not technically part of the genre because the films were produced at a much later date and are in color, whereas films in the noir style typically use mostly low key lighting and are in black and white.
People have already mentioned Double Indemnity but the DVD is out of print right now. I think Universal owns the rights to it and might release it again in the future. I'm not holding my breath, though. Laura and Call Northside 777 are both due to be released on DVD this year by Fox.
List of great noirs to get you started:
Detour
Touch of Evil
D.O.A.
Scarlet Street
The Night of the Hunter
Pickup on South Street
Night and the City
Force of Evil
The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Set-Up
Gun Crazy
Out of the Past
Murder, My Sweet
The Big Sleep
The Asphalt Jungle
The Harder They Fall
Mildred Pierce
The Big Clock
Black Angel
Criss Cross
The Killers
Gilda
He Walked By Night
Sunset Boulevard
The Maltese Falcon
The Killing
The Wrong Man
Kiss Me Deadly
All the movies I've listed are "pure" noir, black and white films made during the height of the Hollywood cycle (noir is considered to be an American style, though there are European noir-ish films like Rififi and The Third Man). Stuff like Chinatown and L.A. Confidential is considered to be post-noir or neo-noir...it emulates the style of the original movies but it's not technically part of the genre because the films were produced at a much later date and are in color, whereas films in the noir style typically use mostly low key lighting and are in black and white.
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