Review: 'Blade Runner' Dec 1, 2007
Part of this has to do with the time: In a world filled with filmmakers such as Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams, a science fiction film-noir cop thriller doesn't seem anywhere near as unusual or misguided as it did in 1982. But much of the credit goes to director Scott, who took the opportunity to give "Blade Runner" the topiary treatment one last time, and turned his already great film into a masterpiece. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Frank Miller Brings 'Spirit' World To Life With Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson Nov 16, 2007
"There's a lot of comedy in this movie. It has film-noir sensibilities, no doubt, visually. But there is also a lot of humor.". What ultimately sets this project apart, however, is that there will also be a lot of Frank Miller. (VHI.com -- Music News)
'Before The Devil Knows You're Dead': No Way Out, By Kurt Loder Oct 27, 2007
With its doomed characters, dark consequences and grim realism, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" resembles the film-noir classic "The Asphalt Jungle" (with Oedipal complications layered in by first-time screenwriter Kelly Masterson). Eighty-three-year-old Sidney Lumet, who directed such Oscar-winning '70s pictures as "Network" and "Dog Day Afternoon" (though he's never won a best-director Oscar himself), does a virtuoso job of twisting the screws on the two brothers as they blunder from one... (VHI.com -- Music News)
George Clooney is doing things his way Oct 6, 2007
Soderbergh directed Clooney in two ambitious duds, the science-fiction saga "Solaris" and last year's film-noir throwback "The Good German." Yet both earned them admiration for the effort when they simply could have made another formulaic Hollywood yarn. Clooney began directing with 2002's Chuck Barris fantasy memoir "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and continues with this December's football romance "Leatherheads," in which he co-stars with Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski. (CNN -- Showbiz)
"Buffy"'s Legacy: "Reaper" (Yay!) and "Moonlight" (Boo!) Oct 5, 2007
This fall season, two shows in particular are borrowing heavily from the "Buffy" franchise: The CW's "Reaper" and CBS's "Moonlight." The latter is a film-noir show about a moody, tortured vampire in Los Angeles who is a private eye. If that sounds familiar, then you might be a fan of the "Buffy" spin-off "Angel," which has, well, exactly the same premise; "Moonlight" might as well be called "Shmangel." Unfortunately, the theft does not end there. (New Republic)
Mozart's Marriage gets a rushed courtship Oct 4, 2007
Kevin Fraser's lighting subtly enhanced the action, until he tried a dramatic shadow effect in Act 3 that looked like something from a film-noir thriller. Bernardi's stage direction was thoughtfully in tune with the opera's comic spirit and a lot less randy than the approach taken by Robin Phillips when this production was new in 1993. (Globe and Mail)
Clooney takes charge and career takes off Oct 3, 2007
Soderbergh directed Clooney in two ambitious duds, the science-fiction saga Solaris and last years film-noir throwback The Good German. Yet both earned them admiration for the effort when they simply could have made another formulaic Hollywood yarn. (MSNBC -- News)
Hit List: Ang Lee Sep 29, 2007
According to Mr. Lee, the movie borrows much from America's film-noir tradition. Below, his favorite dark film romances. (Wall Street Journal)
Worst endings ever Sep 24, 2007
Who the hell decided to go from an tense film-noir vibe into b-grade manga-esque guff. If I wanted loopy floating fight scenes, I would have bought DBZ.. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Technology)
Review: 'Shoot 'Em Up' trashy -- brilliantly so Sep 8, 2007
Smith's "lovable" trademark is chewing on carrots, like a film-noir Bugs Bunny. (He also uses them as weapons. (CNN -- Showbiz)
Southern Circuit Tour stops in Orangeburg for second year Sep 6, 2007
April 27 -- "Willow Garden" by Jim Haverkamp -- Shot in an expressionistic, film-noir style, Willow Garden tells the backstory of one of America's strangest murder ballads in which a young man must decide whether to follow his heart or his father's twisted advice. Opening Short: "Moth to Light" by Elizabeth Strickler -- Through a dark and tense atmosphere twists the horrific coming of age of Muriel. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Miller's Spirit Cast Aug 4, 2007
Produced By:Deborah Del Prete, Michael B. Uslan Written By:Frank Miller Directed By:Frank Miller Genre:Super-Hero Other Genres:Adventure, Action, Film-Noir Studio:Lionsgate Production Company:Odd Lot Entertainment Language:English Click Here for More Movie Info. Around the Network. (IGN FilmForce)
Shoot 'Em Up Aug 2, 2007
In this film-noir world, the vegetable supplants cigarettes, while conveniently doubling as a deadly weapon. And though Owen claims he was never offered the role of James Bond, Davis' action-movie homage revels in those details sidelined in "Casino Royale" -- namely, groan-inducing one-liners and degrading sexual shenanigans. (Variety)
New DVDs: Astronaut Farmer, Last Mimzy Jul 10, 2007
The Woman in the WindowFritz Langs 1944 crime thriller leads a lineup of four DVD releases from old Hollywoods film-noir vaults. Edward G. Robinson stars as an academic and family man drawn into murder through an innocent encounter with a woman (Joan Bennett), with Raymond Massey co-starring as Robinsons buddy and the prosecutor investigating the case. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Miller to direct Owen as Philip Marlowe Jun 21, 2007
It will see Owen in full film-noir mode, solving cases in 1940s Los Angeles, seducing mysterious femmes fatales and drowning his sorrows in alcohol. Comic book author Miller will sit in the director's chair for the first time since co-directing Sin City with Robert Rodriguez in 2005. (Guardian Unlimited -- Film)
Original old-time radio, live on stage Jun 14, 2007
The evening will finish up with the film-noir spoof titled "The Lady Was Dangerous," an homage to Ella Raines, the queen of film noir classics of the 1940s. The show runs one weekend only, June 15 and 16 (that's a Friday and Saturday night). (King County Journal Newspapers, WA)
'Ocean's Thirteen' goes bust Jun 8, 2007
After the failure of last fall's film-noir throwback "The Good German," also starring Clooney, Soderbergh has a near-certain smash in "Ocean's Thirteen" that will help carry him through whatever idiosyncratic experiments are next on his list. As much as Clooney and Pitt, the fictional casino is a key star, with sparkling interiors created on a sound stage and dazzling computer-crafted images of the joint slicing into the Vegas skyline. (Pensacola News Journal)
Glossy 'Ocean's Thirteen' plays same old hand with so-so results Jun 7, 2007
After the failure of last fall's film-noir throwback "The Good German," also starring his frequent collaborator Clooney, Soderbergh has a near-certain smash in "Ocean's Thirteen" that will help carry him through whatever strange, idiosyncratic experiments are next on his to-do list. As much as Clooney and Pitt, the fictional casino itself is a key star, with sparkling interiors created on a Hollywood sound stage and dazzling computer-crafted images of the high-rise joint slicing into the Vegas... (North County Times)
Why 'Daredevil,' 'Cable Guy,' More Underrated Flicks Deserve A Second Chance Jun 6, 2007
Why it deserves better: The film is noteworthy for turning film-noir style on its head through ubiquitous use of sunlight to mock the hero's growing dread and dementia, but also for standout performances from Williams, Al Pacino and Hilary Swank. We love the idea of a detective who can't sleep. (VHI.com -- Music News)
New DVDs: Iwo Jima, Flags of Our Fathers May 22, 2007
George Clooney and filmmaking partner Steven Soderbergh team up again on an intriguing throwback to film-noir days that never really pays off. Clooney stars as an American journalist once posted to Berlin, who returns there after World War II to cover the Potsdam conference. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Mike Myers Revives Dr. Evil, Plus Kirsten Dunst, 'High School Musical' & More, In Movie File May 9, 2007
"I play a character that works in a video store, and he's a film-noir buff," Murphy said of the "Play It Again, Sam"-like flick, which built buzz last week at New York's Tribeca Film Festival. "[Lucy Liu's femme-fatale character] comes in, and they have crazy adventures. It was a really fun shoot a small, little independent film and it has a great director on it, [Broken Lizard comedy-troupe member] Paul Soter. ... I've done a lot of heavy films, which I'm very proud of, but they do take a lot... (VHI.com -- Music News)
Landry's 'Milkman' delivers lusty laughs May 5, 2007
"The Milkman Always Comes Twice" (an amalgam, and then some, of the film-noir classics "Double Indemnity" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice") may lack the satirical bite of the company's last production, "The Plexiglass Menagerie," which skewered the post-Katrina FEMA debacle, but who needs redeeming social value when what's on the menu is a lusty, funny raunch-fest. North End restaurateur Tony Tagliatelli (Josh Pritchard, an Orphan acolyte sporting a curly black wig plus a penciled-on Chef... (Boston Globe -- Living)
Lonely Hearts Apr 14, 2007
MPAA Rating: Release Date:April 13, 2007 Genre:Crime Other Genres:Drama, Film-Noir Language:English Click Here for More Movie Info. Around the Network. (IGN FilmForce)
New on DVD: 'Jonestown' will mesmerize Apr 13, 2007
The two-part pilot, included here, is directed by film-noir royalty Phil Karlson. Back story: My ninth-grade English teacher, who also abhorred violent Popeye cartoons, implored us classroom wiseguys not to watch this. (USA Today -- Life)
Stranger is far from perfect Apr 13, 2007
During its final half hour, the movie collapses in a near-parody of film-noir styles and surprises. Its impossible to keep a straight face during the final revelations. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Everybody's a critic: film sites spread on Web Apr 12, 2007
The milieu is plainly populist and young -- it's hard to imagine foreign-film devotees or old-school film-noir nuts spending much time on Flixster. It's also worth wondering if anyone needs a broad online community limited to movies -- MySpace and Friendster both highlight users' favorite films as one component to profiles. (Washington Times, DC)
Tarantino piles up blood and guts Apr 10, 2007
Rodriguez, who enjoyed success most recently with his gory film-noir adaptation of Frank Miller's comic-book novel 'Sin City', said he had never heard of grindhouse cinemas until introduced to the sub-culture by his long-time friend and collaborator Tarantino. "He's shown me prints of the movies that he used to watch," Rodriguez said. (iAfrica.com)
NOT JUST SKIN DEEP Apr 2, 2007
" Having spent six weeks in various cities working on and off with dozens of celebrities and Leibovitz to create a labor-intensive film-noir spread for Vanity Fair's 2007 Hollywood issue, Dubroff emphasized that makeup should never feel like a trend in a box. Instead she believes its purpose is to "catch a glimpse of inner beauty. " E-mail Heather Maddan at . This article appeared on page F - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle FromMercedes Benz of Walnut Creek 2005 Corvette$43,488 2005 CTS$26,988... (San Francisco Chronicle)
`Diamond,' `Nativity' join disc parade Mar 27, 2007
It was said to inspire Jules Dassin's 1948 black-and-white film-noir docudrama The Naked City, which has been remastered by Criterion. Undoubtedly, there was a connection, but post-World War II cinema -- like Italy's neo-realist movement -- was also moving toward a grittier look and feel. (Akron Beacon Journal, OH -- Entertainment)
Unmemorable First Snow runs in circles Mar 23, 2007
If youre expecting a fatalistic film-noir classic in the vein of Detour or D.O.A., youre also on the wrong track. First Snow works best as a tale of guilt and obsession, populated by actors who somehow find conviction in the sketchiest of circumstances. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Startling imagery of 300 is something to see Mar 9, 2007
Its a battlefield epic reimagined in film-noir terms. Dominated by haunted landscapes, slow-motion scenes of slaughter and decapitation, and hallucinatory closeups of actors who dont always register as characters, it quickly establishes a barbarous world with no rules. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Zodiac Review Mar 3, 2007
One perfect example of a flick analyzing a true murder case, was last year's "The Black Dahlia", which was Brian De Palma's film-noir fabrication, based on Los Angeles' most celebrated unsolved murder of the '40s - this one here was not one of my favorites flicks and there were many reasons. But when this guy is working behind the camera expectations are running pretty high. (Playfuls.com)
Film Review: "The Number 23" Mar 2, 2007
The book is the story of a character named Fingerling (Jim Carrey); a hard-edged detective who seems to be right out of the film-noir genre. As he reads more and more, Sparrow begins to realize that Fingerling bares a striking resemblance to himself. (The New Hampshire, NH)
Arts & Living Mar 2, 2007
Latin American film has seen increasing critical acclaim and media buzz in the independent and foreign film circuits in recent years with notable films like "Y Tu Mam; Tambin," "Maria Full of Grace," and "Motorcycle Diaries. By Nate Gross It's Walter Sparrow's (Jim Carrey) thirty-second birthday. His wife, Agatha (Virginia Madsen) gives him a book called, "The Number 23" as a gift. The book is the story of a character named Fingerling (Jim Carrey); a hard-edged detective who seems to be right... (The New Hampshire, NH)
Unexpected weight gain flattering fit for Oscars (Cynthia Grenier) Feb 24, 2007
In addition to the color spread, you also get a black-and-white series of photographs from such films as "Laura," "Sweet Smell of Success," "This Gun for Hire," and "The Big Heat" along with an essay on how the film-noir genre developed between the Great Depression and the start of the Cold War. Ann Douglas explains why "the noir's poignant cynicism took hold and why it remains embedded in the national psyche today." There's a lot more in those 500 pages than film noir and extravagant ads for... (Washington Times)
Flee the melodramatic Number 23 Feb 23, 2007
The film-noir touches, with Collins playing someone nicknamed the suicide blonde, are pure camp. The Number 23 may last 93 minutes, but first-time British screenwriter Fernley Phillips exhausts most of his ideas long before 23 minutes have passed. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Soderbergh hopes for warm European reception as 'The Good German' screens at Berlin Film Fest Feb 11, 2007
BERLIN (AP) -- Steven Soderbergh is hoping his black-and-white film-noir homage, "The Good German," will win over Europeans, after getting a cool response from U.S. critics. The movie, screened Friday as one of 22 in the race for the Berlin Film Festival's top Golden Bear award, follows the story of an American journalist -- played by George Clooney -- lured into a murder mystery in postwar Berlin. (Madison Daily Leader, SD)
Smokin' Aces ** Jan 27, 2007
These seem like natural follow-up projects to Carnahan's second film, Narc (2002), a brooding, blue-hued and wonderfully scripted cop drama featuring soulful performances from stars Ray Liotta and Jason Patric and a tightly coiled plot with a final twist that gave it a fine film-noir finish. Whether Smokin' Aces is a palette cleanser for Carnahan or something he had in a drawer when the studios came knocking after Narc's critical success, it nevertheless feels like a step back imitative of Guy... (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
