Chinatown (1974) Polanski’s Noir Masterpiece
Polanski captured the FEEL of LA better than anyone before or sense. Jack Nicholson gives his greatest performance as private dick J. J. ” Jake” Gittes.
Read Moreby Patrick | May 22, 2023 | Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Genres, Historic Events, Mystery, Thriller
Polanski captured the FEEL of LA better than anyone before or sense. Jack Nicholson gives his greatest performance as private dick J. J. ” Jake” Gittes.
Read Moreby Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 50s | 60s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres, Hitchcock, My Favorites, Queer Film/TV, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube
Hitchcock reverses himself here, having gay actor Farley Granger play the straight character and straight actor Robert Walker play the gay character.
Read Moreby Patrick | Sep 15, 2022 | 50s | 60s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Mystery, Thriller, TV / Streaming
The buildup to Monroe’s superstardom started here. The magnificent widescreen technicolor cinematography if by Joseph MacDonald.
Read Moreby Patrick | Oct 6, 2022 | 50s | 60s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres, Hitchcock, My Favorites, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube
Stewart, Kelly, and Ritter are all magnificent. Kelly, looking radiant, gets to deliver one of the big screen’s all-time sexy lines.
Read Moreby Patrick | Sep 11, 2022 | 50s | 60s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Gangster, Genres, My Favorites, Queer Film/TV, Thriller
Yes, that is Mercedes McCambridge as the unnamed lesbian gang leader getting her kicks while watching Janet Leigh getting roughed up in Welles’ other masterwork.
Read Moreby Patrick | Oct 6, 2022 | 50s | 60s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres, Hitchcock, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube
Anchored by an incredible performance by James Stewart as Scotty Ferguson a private detective and ex-cop who suffers from vertigo (fear of heights) after a coworker fell to his death, and Kim Novak is spectacular in the dual role of Judy/Madeleine.
Read Moreby Patrick | Oct 6, 2022 | 50s | 60s, Action, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Gangster, Genres, Hitchcock, My Favorites, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube
Eva Marie Saint gives Grace Kelly in “Rear Window” a run for her money as Hitchcock’s most elegant leading lady and the chemistry between the two leads is more palpable than in any Hollywood picture before or since.
Read Moreby Patrick | Sep 11, 2022 | 50s | 60s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres, Hitchcock, Horror, My Favorites, Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Road Movie, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube
Anthony Perkins’ Norman Bates made him immortal while, at the same, time, ending his career in Hollywood. A masterpiece.
Read Moreby Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres, Hitchcock, My Favorites, Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube
“Rebecca”, marked the arrival in Hollywood of the man who was, or would eventually become, the greatest director in the history of cinema.
Read Moreby Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Gangster, Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Thriller
The performances are there to savor with the great Mary Astor doing a superb turn as Bridget O’ Shaughnessy and the gay triumvirate bringing up the rear!
Read Moreby Patrick | Oct 5, 2022 | 30s | 40s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Hitchcock, Mystery, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube
Alfred Hitchcock, the cinema’s greatest director, made seven perfect films in which every shot, every camera move, every editing sequence is, well, perfect.
Read Moreby Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres, Queer Film/TV, Romance, Thriller
“Double Indemnity” is the best of the three great film noirs of 1944, the others being “Laura” and “The Woman in the Window”. The three leads are superb as is Wilder’s direction.
Read Moreby Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Romance, Thriller
“Laura” is one of the classic film noirs. Gene Tierney is born and Clifton Webb becomes a star in his fifties. Haunting Raksin score.
Read Moreby Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Gangster, Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Thriller
 Feast your eyes on Vidor’s stylish direction, Rudolph Mate lush black-and-white cinematography the Jean Louis gowns and, of course, Rita Hayworth as Gilda.
Read Moreby Patrick | Oct 6, 2022 | 30s | 40s, Apple TV+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Hitchcock, My Favorites, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube
The term “MacGuffin” originated by Angus MacPhail for film, adopted by Alfred Hitchcock, and later extended to a similar device in other fiction. The MacGuffin here is the Uranium in the cellar.
Read Moreby Patrick | Aug 16, 2021 | Classic Film Noir, Film Noir, Genres, My Favorites
The amazing gift of “Mildred Pierce” is that, like “Baby Jane”, it plays as drama and camp simultaneously with no dichotomy involved.
Read Moreby Patrick | Jan 31, 2022 | Classic Film Noir, Criterion Collection, Film Noir, Genres, TV / Streaming
Fox Noir: Welcome to the world of the femme fatale and multiple flashbacks. Otto Preminger’s “Laura” with Clifton Webb is the crown jewel. And Gene Tierney.
Read Moreby Patrick | Jun 5, 2023 | Cinematographers, Classic Film Noir, My Favorites, Oscars
Hal Mohr** is the only person to have won a competitive Academy Award without being nominated for it. Mohr was allowed to keep his Oscar and won a second.
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