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  #311  
Old 2nd February 2016, 05:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs View Post
Surprised you don't rate LA Confidential.

Personally i think it's a masterpiece.
Ditto. I was amazed at missed out at the Oscars.

I haven't seen it in a long time, but I also enjoyed The Black Dahlia, even though it is mediocre and certainly does not have the longevity of LA Confidential.
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  #312  
Old 2nd February 2016, 07:36 PM
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Default L.A. Confidential (1997)

im to lazy to write a new review but I have to say its brilliant film,although I haven't read the book,but reading is so yesterday.
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Lets go back into the distant past 1997 to be precise,only a mere two years later we would be colonising the moon and wearing jumpsuits,but back to 1997,This was the year that the film Titanic swept the boards at the Oscars ceremony,now personally I could not give a f**k about the Oscars or other award ceremonies,the last thing actors need is more idiots fawning over them.But crucially for that year one film suffered the most due to that floating overblown pile shit of a a film,L.A. Confidential.LA was nominated for 9 awards but only came away with two.Kim Basinger for Best Supporting Actress and Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland for Best Adapted Screenplay .Based on James Ellroy's third book in his The L.A. Quartet the story is a wonderful intertwining web of characters who at first seem to be at odds with each other,literally in the case of Russell Crowe as Officer Wendell "Bud" White and Guy Pearce as Det. Lt. Edmund "Ed" Exley..The cast in itself is impressive enough,Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger and Danny DeVito.are all top notch but it's Crowe and Pearce who steal the film.Crowe especially gives a moody and violent performance equal to the one he gave in Romper Stomper.LA is one of those movies that pop up every now and again when you least expect it,then what usual follows is a long line of wannabe films riding its coat tails,to me LA is just as important as the Big Sleep or Kiss Me Deadly,it defines a certain style of film making that was lacking up until then,As you would expect it has the feel and look of a film set in the 1950's and captures the period beautifully.If the Internet is to be believed Hanson made his crew watch several noir films from the period and Crowe apparently watched Sterling Hayden in Stanley Kubrick's The Killing to prepare for his role..I think the films marvellous ensemble piece and a worthy entry into the modern noir genre.
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  #313  
Old 5th February 2016, 11:10 PM
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Turn the Key Softly (1953)

Three women of differing backgrounds are released from Holloway prison on the same day. The film follows them over the next 24 hours.

An enjoyable British film noir / crime melodrama in which the three women go back to their lives but meet up again the following evening for a meal at a swanky London restaurant. The film stars Yvonne Mitchell as the wealthy Monica, serving 12 months to keep her scoundrel boy friend out of jail, Joan Collins as the jewel loving girl of easy virtue and Kathleen Harrison as Quillam, an East End thief old enough to know better.

Of the three, Harrison has the most emotional journey together with her lovable dog Johnny. I actually did get a little misty eyed at one point. Collins plays the most superficial of the three and her story is a little flat yet also oddly surprising when you think it the least likely, and Mitchell and her smooth talking, yet treacherous boyfriend, the most thrilling.

Following the melodrama during the opening half, the film ends in tragedy, triumph and an exciting roof top heist.

Director Jack Lee brings to life the austerity of post war London with startling crisp black and white photography which added to the convincing acting of the three leads makes Turn the Key Softly a film i certainly recommend.

The dvd from Strawberry Media has a good remaster with clear sound and all in all looks rather pretty


Last edited by Demdike@Cult Labs; 5th February 2016 at 11:24 PM.
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  #314  
Old 6th February 2016, 10:10 PM
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Default The Big Combo (1955)

The Big Combo. (1955 )
Cornel Wilde as Police Lt. Leonard Diamond is in love with Susan Lowell (Jean Wallace),unfortunately for Lt Diamond,Susan is the girlfriend of the rather nasty Richard Conte as Mr. Brown,a gangster with rather shady past to hide.After a failed suicide attempt by Susan,Lt Diamond tries to find out what happened to a woman called Alicia,who has something to do with Brown's past. Similar in story to Fritz Lang's The Big Heat [1953],The Big Combo has a down trodden police detective the adversary of a sadistic gangster Mr Brown,both men have a feud against each other which can only end one way. The Big Combo is not up there with the classics film noirs,but is definitely one of the better films from the later end of the film noir era.Richard Conte makes for a marvellous villain as Mr Brown,a cold calculating gangster. Then there's Brian Donlevy as Joe McClure, an ageing gangster who resents Brown for taking over as mob boss,Donlevy is unusually passive in his role as the put upon McClure.Lee Van Cleef as Fante and Earl Holliman as Mingo are Brown's henchmen who do all of Brown's dirty work for him,unfortunately when there sent to kill Diamond they kill his ex girlfriend Helene Stanton as Rita a showgirl who was staying at Diamonds apartment. Although Fante and Mingo are Browns tough guys,there macho image is slightly tarnished by there relationship which seems to be akin to a gay couple, they even sleep in the same bedroom,separate beds of course. The Big Combo does have some rather cracking scenes,the execution of McClure,Mr Brown chastising a beaten and broken boxer and the attempted killing of Fante and Mingo with dynamite. Directed by Joseph H. Lewis who had a varied and interesting career,working with the likes Bela Lugosi,there is plenty to like in The Big Combo,mainly due to its array of villains,Cornel Wilde as Lt.Leonard Diamond is no Bogey or Glenn Ford, but at least he does get the girl in the end.
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  #315  
Old 7th February 2016, 10:27 AM
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Despite as you say it not being a 'top-tier' Noir I'm glad you enjoyed it Inspector.
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  #316  
Old 7th February 2016, 11:43 AM
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Default 55

yes I rather did enjoy it,It was allot better than i hoped for,although 1955 was a pretty good year for noir so it had some stiff completion that year.

1955

5 Against the House
The Big Bluff
The Big Combo
The Big Knife
A Bullet for Joey
Chicago Syndicate
Crashout
The Crooked Web
The Desperate Hours
Female Jungle
Female on the Beach
Finger Man
Illegal
Killer's Kiss
Kiss Me Deadly
Murder Is My Beat
The Naked Street
New Orleans Uncensored
New York Confidential
The Night Holds Terror
The Night of the Hunter
The Phenix City Story
Queen Bee
Shack Out on 101
Sudden Danger
Tight Spot
Women's Prison
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  #317  
Old 7th February 2016, 11:58 AM
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Indeed - a lot there on that list I need to check out too.

The only Noir films I've currently seen from '55 are:

The Big Combo
Killer's Kiss
Kiss Me Deadly
The Night of the Hunter
Rififi
Violent Saturday
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  #318  
Old 8th February 2016, 10:23 PM
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Default Ellroy

I like his books but I think that there are two many characters and subplots to make a good noir film, maybe I've just got a limited attention span. His earlier
work, Brown's Requim or the the Loyd Hopkin's trilogy might make good flicks.
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  #319  
Old 13th February 2016, 06:59 PM
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The Killing (1956)

Stanley Kubrick's classic noir stars Sterling Hayden as Johnny Clay. An ex criminal who devises a scheme to become $2m richer with a daring robbery at a race track...during the 7th race. Unfortunately he should never have told Sherry (Marie Windsor), a tough talking dame who also intends to become a couple of million richer.

I love films like this. The idea of Hayden coming up with the plan and getting a crew together then meticulously planning every detail, it's film noir heaven to me and it's a theme that was duplicated so brilliantly in the 1960 British classic The League of Gentlemen, which proves an even better film than this in my opinion.

The first half an hour i found a little too talky and slightly uninvolving. Naturally we get to meet all of the characters including Elisha Cook jr's betting office clerk, but it's via this talky opening that everything clicks into place during the second half of the film. Kubrick also wrote the screenplay and where he perhaps fails dialogue wise he certainly makes up for in the action and suspense department.

It's that second half which makes The Killing the classic it is. Tightly plotted, and directed with flair to create a gripping scenario which plays out precisely as planned... or does it.

The Killing is an excellent noir thriller. Highly recommended.

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  #320  
Old 13th February 2016, 07:55 PM
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The Killing is a favourite of mine too Dem - glad you enjoyed it.
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