I Wake Up Screaming

Noir
4.5 stars

After a rocky opening, this one gets going in a huge way. It must be said that Laird Cregar, for my money, steals the show as an obsessed cop that reminded me a lot of Forest Whittaker as Cavanaugh in The Shield. There are a few times when the lighting inventiveness is stunning, and really capture what noir lighting is all about. The story about a murdered model is done in a fairly complex way. Overall, the movie has a similar feel to The Night of the Hunter, in the stark, Gothic contrast.

Daisy Kenyon

40s Drama
Noirish
4 stars

This is the type of movie of which doctoral students are made. A so-called "Woman's Picture" of the immediate post-war era, with a dominant performance by Joan Crawford, and strong support from Dana Andrews and a creepy Henry Fonda. The love triangle, the noirish elements, and the depth and complexity of the characters lend this movie to analysis from all sides. Huzzah, Otto, huzzah!

The Desperate Hours

Noir
3.5 stars

Despite whatever profound commentary can be made about the corruptibility of the haven of the suburban household, this one didn't really do it for me. I thought it predictable (although very well crafted) and routine. On the plus side, Bogart is dominant, as it should be.

Side Street

Noir
4 stars

Anthony Mann noir about a guy who commits thievery only to regret it!

Crime Wave

Film Noir
5 stars

A great find. This noir has a strong story, a young Charles Bronson, an on-his-game Sterling Hayden, wonderful footage of old-school Los Angeles and outstanding cinematography.

Fear In The Night

Noir
1940s Drama
2.5 stars

DeForest Kelly fans rejoice! Here's a starring old-school vehicle for your man Bones. This movie is a very slow kind of mystery, with some noir elements such as the sets showcasing the inner psychological makeup of the main character. This movie is excruciatingly slow, however. I fell asleep twice watching it, but managed to get through it in 3 sittings.

Double Indemnity

Noir
5 stars

An all time classic, baby.

The Big Sleep

Noir
70s Drama
Mitchum
1.5 stars

This seems like a made for tv movie. It is the first film I've seen with Mitchum where he shows no charisma. Why this film was even remade is beyond me. Mitchum plays too old and can't carry Bogart's lead from the original. I fell asleep watching this on 2 different viewings. A flop on all counts.

Fury

Noirish
3.5 stars

Very early and interesting noirish story loosely based on the Brooke Hart case. The scene of the mob storming the jail was particularly chilling, the rest of the film less so, but as Lang's first American picture, it's historical.

Murder, My Sweet

Noir
4 stars

Very stylish noir thriller. Some excellent, inventive camera work. Good Marlowe story. Another noir that can easily be held up to represent the genre. Despite the scary character Moose Malloy, this film is fun the entire way through.

Decoy

Noir
3.5 stars

Old school noir about a greedy woman. Veers into sci-fi and that's not so good.

They Drive By Night

Noir
3.5 stars

Decent early noir (very similar in some respects to Thieves' Highway) that starts as a workers' struggle story and ends up with a mad woman gone amok. Bogart is a supporting player here, but Raft is good. Not bad, but I like my noirs with more grit.

The Spiral Staircase

Noir
2.5 stars

Country-noir. This movie was a snoozer, with some interesting characters but a non-starter plot. Overall a whodunnit with some strong expressionist elements and fine acting, but the problem here is a suspense story where the suspense never mounts.

The Amazing Mr. X

Noir
3 stars

A very short film, John Alton cinematography, but kind of fluffy. A woman is tricked by her supposedly deceased husband into fear of carrying on another relationship. They definitely don't make this kind of movie anymore.

The Enforcer

Noir
3.5 stars

Flashbacks in flashbacks abound here for this derivative noir. Bogart is great in this paint-by-numbers noir.

Criss Cross

Noir
4.5 Stars

A gem of a noir with Burt Lancaster as a sympathetic lovestruck man. The film, like the great Kiss Me Deadly, features a shot of the Angels Flight in Los Angeles. The story is good, the only thing keeping this from being a 5 is the all-too-quick final scene between the triangle of lovers.

High Sierra

Noir
4 stars

Good early noir showing the transition from the gangster picture to noir. Bogart is outstanding and the story is consistently interesting from start to end. A very intense 1940 movie from Raoul Walsh.

Whirlpool

Noir
3.5 stars

The scary thing is, after seeing Angel Face and this, I came to the realization I may not like Otto Preminger that much (Man with the Golden Arm notwithstanding). This one, about a rich kleptomaniac who gets treated/swindled by a hypnotist is well crafted and the drama is tight, but ultimately the payoff isn't so strong.

Angel Face

Noir
3 stars

Even though I love Mitchum, this one didn't quite do it for me. The violence in this film is shocking, but the film's pace is a bit slow and overall the film is a bit melodramatic. I had high hopes for this one, but Mitchum comes across as weak-willed and that's ultimately what drives the action.

Strange Impersonation

Noir
3 stars

A bit schmaltzy, this is noir melodrama, without too much to distinguish it. The usual "it's just a dream" denouement only makes one realize how much better "The Woman in The Window" is, although a noir from a female character's perspective is always welcomed.