The mystery channel has mentioned that they show film noir and neo-noir movies, but I’ve only heard a few neo-noir titles from that. I suspect I’ve seen several films in the genre (and if this site is accurate I’ve seen many, but I’m not sure it is http://www.coolshopping.com/dvds.php/AsinSearch/0/browse/569588/Mode/0/name/Neo-Noir /page/1 ), and imdb doesn’t list it as a keyword… so what films are, without argument, part of the genre?
WAG here.
L.A. Confidential
Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Falls
Chinatown
Body Heat
first off, to clear up some definitions, Noir isn’t an actual genre, as it’s more of an unconcious movement that affected a wide range of genres in american cinema from 1940-58. It’s called an unconcious movemnet because the people making the films didn’t actually set out to make a “noir” picture. So given that noirs are partly defined by when they were made, Neo-noir can then be classed as any film with the defining qualities of a noir made after 1960, the other major differance is that the neo noir is made in the knowledge that they’re making a noir-ish film.
Some definite examples of neo-noir -
Chinatown
The Last Seduction
Red Rock West
Devil In A Blue Dress
Blade Runner
Driver (My personal favorite)
Palmetto (Avoid at all costs)
Black Widow
Judas Kiss (Reaally avoid)
Under Suspicion (The Liam Neeson one,)
One False Move
This World, Then the Fireworks
The Grifters
Blood Simple
L.A. Condfidential
Cop
Blue Velvet
ARRRG, I forgot Body Heat! A film that tries so hard to be noir it gets silly.
** Leechboy ** thanks for the clarification. Did you look at that link, by any chance? I wonder if it’s legit, since if it is, I’ve seen at least a dozen of them (although I’m probably in the minority never to have seen The Usual Suspects). Some of those I have seem are really independent - even indie movie buffs I know have never heard of them
I’ll give you a list of those I’ve seen from the link, and if anyone cares to yay or nay them, that’d be nice. I’m really interested in learning more about how what I’ve seen fits the label and what doesn’t. This is one of my subjects to learn more about this summer.
Cape Fear
Memento
Insomnia
U Turn
The Grifters
Clay Pigeons
Best Laid Plans
Diabolique
D.O.A.
The Gingerbread Man
When Strangers Appear
Albino Alligator
Now, if those all really are neo-noir, what about movies like A Murder of Crows, Nemisis Game, City By The Sea, Suicide Kings and The Business of Strangers?