Public Domain Drive-In: JIGSAW

So it's the night before Thanksgiving - you want to watch a little something before the big day. Tomorrow, it's going to be turkey, football, and chaos....so you want to get in a little noir-ish fun.

Let me present to you 1949's Jigsaw.

It's a story about a man who investigates a murder....and finds a larger conspiracy. This film is also chock full of blank-and-you'll-miss-them appearances by some well-known actors.

It's a pretty good, taut movie that is really well worth checking out. Enjoy!

(Don't worry - we have something special planned for tomorrow as well)

 

Cheapskate Film Festival: HOUSE OF GAMES

As you may have read on the blog, I am a big fan of caper/heist/con movies.

Everything from Hustle and Leverage to the Doctor Who episode Time Heist catches my attention, possibly because the writing has to be top-notch, and that switches and changes in perspective need to feel logical and organic. Much of that stems from one of the first "mature" movies that I had ever seen - 1987's House of Games. So when the opportunity came to view it several years on, I wondered....does it hold up?

In some ways - yes, and in other ways - not so much.

On the "not so much" side: much of the direction feels like House of Games was shot on a theatrical stage, and it feels very minimal. (In all fairness, this was David Mamet's directoral debut, and given his then-theatrical pedigree, such staging makes sense). In addition, this is a film that betrays its late-1980s origins - much of the film has that glossy look, and several times it looks a little too clean in portraying the seedy underworld in which parts of the film takes place.

On the writing side, it's sharp, clever, and never underestimates its audience. The plot is simple: a psychotherapist/successful author (Lindsay Kraus) finds herself drawn into the world of con men, and falls under the influence of a major con artist (Joe Mantegna). But the film's plot moves along at a decent page, and the reversals and shifts never feel obviously scripted. One of the drawbacks to viewing House of Games now is that so much of Mamet's terse dialogue style has been aped by other writers (and yes, I am referring to Brian Michael Bendis, why do you ask?), but House of Games is a really good, solid view.

If you're looking for a great caper-style film - or noir of a different flavor - you might want to consider House of Games.

Public Domain Drive In: Labor Day Edition

Yes, it's Labor Day - a day in which everyone gets to enjoy some free time, and start gearing up for the Black Friday sales in November.

Just kidding...but in that spirit, I'm offering you a way to kill some time and enjoy yourself.

It's a public domain movie called He Walked By Night, featuring Richard Basehart as a sociopath, a young Mr. Drucker from Green Acres as a thug, and Jack Webb as a police scientist who gets struck by lightning while bathing in chemicals and can now run at super-speed.

(Just kidding about the lightning, but Webb did portray a police scientist).

It's a pretty cool piece of noir, and at the very least....will allow you to enjoy a well-deserved day off.

Linux-Flavored Noir: DARK DIGITAL SKY

His name is Chaucer, but he prefers to be called Chalk - he's a private investigator who is literate, familiar with the world of coders and hackers, and who has a bit of a problem playing nicely. He also finds himself caught in a very elaborate scheme which begins with a man attempting to track down his heirs...ones conceived via a special kind of bank.....

That's the premise of Carac Allison's Dark Digital Sky, a novel due to be released in mid-September. (I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy for review). This is a very sharp, extremely intelligent hard-boiled mystery that mixes great high-end concepts with traditional pulp-flavor. Imagine Mickey Spillane and Daniel Suarez as co-writers, and you'll get a sense of Dark Digital Sky's tone.

It's a very nice, well-paced plot, with Chalk making some nice, well-written soliloquies in between moments of detection. But these aren't literary indulgences - they help make the plot move along at a steady clip. In fact, the plot moves like a well-coordinated game of three-card monte, manging shifts in plot that never seem artificial or forced. Dark Digital Sky also integrates aspects of 21st century life, coming up with very clever takes on military matters, law enforcement, and even literature and movies that never seem self-indulgent.

Dark Digital Sky is a book that's too good to spoil, with a plot that runs like clockwork, characters that feel fully formed, and an atmosphere that simply envelops the reader. It also does what other favorite authors like Spillane, Robert B. Parker, and Jim Thompson do best - make me wish the next installment were out already.

Dark Digital Sky is probably the closest we'll ever get to a model of "geek noir." It's a must-read for anyone looking for a distinctive, unique literary voice....as well as an entertaining read.

Public Domain Drive-In: KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL

Now that things are settling down for the holidays, it's time to forget being nice....and get nice and noirishly naughty.

For your approval - Kansas City Confidential, a heist film which not only gets mileage out of masks, but makes veteran character actor Jack Elam look....presentable.

Enjoy!

Public Domain Drive-In: THE GREAT ST LOUIS BANK ROBBERY

For the next few days, my life is going to be nothing but Doctor Who, between planning a live view on Saturday and Chicago TARDIS work. So I'm going to take some time to enjoy a cool noir film....

...a movie entitled The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery. It's a good little heist film, featuring a young Steve McQueen, and watching it makes me slightly homesick for St. Louis.
Enjoy!

Exploring the Audio Noir of NIGHTBEAT

 One of the many ways in which I've learned to maintain my thirst for discovering new experiences has been as a volunteer proofreader for Radio Archives' pulp e-book reissues. A key unforseen benefit has been that I get "reimbursed" for my time with gift certificates, allowing me to order many of their reissues, pulp reprints, and their more noir-oriented fare.

One of the greatest discoveries (or rediscoveries) has been their Volume 1 reissue of Nightbeat, a radio show from the 1950s focusing on the two-fisted adventures of Randy Stone, crusading writer for the Chicago Star. Each of the half-hour episodes are sharply written, each one wearing its noir-colored heart on its sleeve. Listening to audio drama is a slightly different experience, and if you were interested in, say, Big Finish's offerings, this might be a great introduction, enabling the listener to experienced bite-sized pieces before engaging in longer fare.

(If you're thinking of downloading episodes free from other sites, let me just reassure you - Radio Archives has done an exemplary job in remastering these episodes. Each one sounds like it was just recorded yesterday, and it's a little disconcerting, especially if you're used to listening to old vinyl recordings....but quite honestly, this is well worth buying, especially since it's available as both CDs and direct MP3 downloads)

But one of the other Nightbeat-derived products is the Nightbeat: Night Stories audiobook, more modern-derived tales from several "New Pulp" writers. Although available in ebook form (either PDF, epub, or Kindle format), Nightbeat: Night Stories really swings due to Michael C. Gwynne's vocal performance. Although no one would mistake him for Frank Lovejoy (the Randy Stone of radio's Nightbeat), his voice has a gritty musicality that enlivens these tales, really bringing out the strong noir quality of these tales. There is no sense that these are simply OK tales that Gwynne works to make better: these are well-crafted stories that gain an additional level of polish when read aloud.

Many have suggested that the recent "revival" in pulp-oriented literature and media is due to troubled economic times. If anything, the Nightbeat: Volume 1 reissue (and there are several other volumes) and Nightbeat: Night Stories proves that if anything, the revival is more due to a greater appreciation of craft, focusing on well-told stories regardless of medium....and both of these reissues are well worth your time.

Cheapskate Film Festival: BRICK

Some films, once you see them on DVD, are so visually striking, and so immersive in its plot, that you long to see it on the big screen....if only to get a much fuller effect.

One of those movies is Brick, a 2005 noir thriller that....well, is much more than you would expect.

It's easy to see its high-school-as-noir-background as an R-Rated version of Veronica Mars, but that would be only part of the story. Unlike Mars, Brick tells an incredibly hard-edged story, leavened with brief bursts of sly humor. Rian Johnson (who also directed this year's Looper) tells a familiar story in a very disconcerting, haunting way.

It's hard to write about this movie without spoiling it....but see it. It's on DVD. You'll like it.

Diving Into THE BLUE ESTATE

 

(FULL DISCLOSURE - Electronic copies of The Blue Estate issues 1 - 5 were provided for review)

A recovering woman who's married to a major action star.....a private investigator attempting to live in the shadow of his father....and various other criminals....in lesser hands, writing a multi-character crime story might end up veering dangerously towards parody, or becoming a sheer mess.

Thankfully, having read a preview of The Blue Estate issue 5 (coming out tomorrow), I can honestly say that this is one of the more refreshing comic reads, and is a unique blend of humor, noir-ish tyle, and hard hitting action.

Much of the success of the book is due to Viktor Kalvachev's writing - each issue is relatively self-contained, yet manages to move the story forward without needless exposition. There's a deftness to the storytelling - it moves along at just the right pace. It also helps that there are liberal sprinklings of slightly-black humor - this kind of material could have easily veered into Boondock Saints territory, but The Blue Estate manages to be humorous enough not to take itself seriously...but serious enough to really show the extremes.

Think of it this way - in The Blue Estate # 5, there are scenes involving garden gnomes, wigs, and termites. These scenes could have come across as typical crime drama cliches, but somehow come across more as noir with a slightly self-knowing grin on its face. The art team - Kalvachev, Andrew Osbourne, Toby Cypress, Nathan Fox, and Robert Valley - manage to create a strong sense of realism and atmosphere while maintaining a relatively light color palate.

When you get to your comics shop tomorrow, you might want to give The Blue Estate a chance. I would also suggest picking up 1 - 4 as back issues (you'll need it for background - thankfully, I had electronic copies to play catch-up). The Blue Estate is one of the better written comics that does what the best multi-character arcs should do: get you to the next issue.

Very highly recommended.

Film Preservation Blogathon - GUN CRAZY: A Noir Valentine

Gun Crazy
Originally uploaded by DALAIWMN

(After the fun I had last year, I am again participating in the Film Preservation Blogathon,. This year's blogathon benefits the Film Noir Foundation. Enjoy!)

I love film noir. There's something about that straight-ahead directing style, combined with black and white photography, that just hits me right in the gut emotionally. I love a well-crafted tale of wise guys, bad girls, and moral ambiguity. I also love noir because, quite often, its subject matter strains against the constrains of what film makers could do, the tension leading to some really strong acting and creative filmmaking.

Gun Crazy - the story of a man and woman who meet and get involved over a shared love of firearms - is a really strong, very enjoyable film. Think of it as a "noir Valentine" - a love story that involves major weaponry.

Bart Tate (John Dall) is a young man who loves guns...and we see early on that his love of guns will get him in trouble. (Although, it is pointed out, he has never killed anything or anyone...and the thought leaves him uncomfortable). However, after returning from the military, he attends a carnival featuring a very attractive sharpshooter named Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins). Like many leading women in noir, Ms. Starr has a very strong femme fatale bent to her character, and soon, the two become intertwined both romantically and professionally, as they embark on a life of crime.

One of the great things about Gun Crazy is how the script, co-written by Dalton Trumbo (who operated under a pseudonym due to the Hollywood blacklist) and the direction (by Joseph H. Lewis), work together to create a very strong viewing experience. At a time when very little sexual innuendo was allowed, this movie simply reeks of sexual tension between the two leads. It moves at a propulsive, straightforward pace (with a cool tracking shot during a robbery that makes me wonder if Orson Welles took notes while viewing), and the acting is rock solid.

In short, this is one of the better noir films available - it may be a little hard to find, but worth it.

And the print on this particular DVD is excellent - it's a great example of why films need to be restored, and the importance of making improvements in a very critical art form. So much so that, this Valentine's Day, rather than invest in a card or a box of chocolates, show your love of movies, click on the image below, and donate.

Trust me, is the best way to show your love for noir.