On December 1, 2022, Sight and Sound Magazine released the results of its decennial Greatest Films of All Time Critics’ Poll (“SS Poll”). The key result is that Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles dethroned Vertigo as the “greatest film of all time.”[1] Vertigo had itself dethroned Citizen Kane 10 years earlier. I … Continue reading My 100 Favorite Films…Probably
Category: Film
How the Berger family flew to America…by steamship
When I completed the final draft of the first edition of Interrogating Memory: Film Noir Spurs a Deep Dive Into My Family History…and My Own in January 2021, I had already learned a great deal about my paternal great-grandfather David Louis Berger; I had known next to nothing about him before I began to write … Continue reading How the Berger family flew to America…by steamship
I Never Wrote the Most Important Story I Ever Wrote, Part 5
Part 1 of this essay may be found here. Part 2 of this essay may be found here. Part 3 of this essay may be found here. Part 4 of this essay may be found here. When I sat down to write this multi-part essay – which has taken on an interrogating memory life of … Continue reading I Never Wrote the Most Important Story I Ever Wrote, Part 5
And the Most Compelling 1980s Film Teen Character Is…
At 12:03 EST on May 17, 2022, I posted this poll on Twitter, using the handle @drnoir33: Let the tournament begin! Who is the most compelling teenaged character in a 1980s film? The 1st 1st round matchup between Sheltered Kids is Frances "Baby" Houseman (DIRTY DANCING) vs. Stacey Hamilton (FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH) Who … Continue reading And the Most Compelling 1980s Film Teen Character Is…
I Never Wrote the Most Important Story I Ever Wrote, Part 2
Part 1 of this essay may be found here. I cannot remember exactly when I first saw Hammett. By which I mean, when I first watched the second half of the 1982 film, a fictional account set in 1928 San Francisco, just before the eponymous writer published his first novel. One night, while I was … Continue reading I Never Wrote the Most Important Story I Ever Wrote, Part 2
Who Is the Most Compelling Teenaged Film Character of the 1980s?
The otherworldly Netflix series Stranger Things returns on May 27. As a result, my wife Nell and I are watching the entire series straight through – all 25 episodes – for the third time. Some episodes, like the latter two of Season Two, we are watching for a fourth or fifth time. I first wrote … Continue reading Who Is the Most Compelling Teenaged Film Character of the 1980s?
Listen, you mug!
I have repeatedly sung the praises of the Film Noir Foundation (“FNF”) on this website. Its steadfast devotion to rescuing, preserving and restoring vital pieces of our shared cultural heritage is exemplary. The annual NOIR CITY festival has been an essential part of my own film noir “personal journey,” even if I have not attended … Continue reading Listen, you mug!
Measuring the Unmeasurable: Ranking One’s Favorite Music, Part III
In June and September of 2021, I wrote the first two essays in a series on the evolution of the methods I use to rank my favorite tracks (a term I prefer to “songs”). These essays presented the history of the 309 individual “mix” cassettes, videocassettes and CDs I constructed between August 1981 and August … Continue reading Measuring the Unmeasurable: Ranking One’s Favorite Music, Part III
Final Results for the Most Heroic Character in Film Noir
At midnight EST on February 6, 2022, I posted this poll on Twitter, using the handle @drnoir33: Here is the Sweet 16 first round matchup between Intrepid Investigators. Who was more heroic: Barton Keyes in DOUBLE INDEMNITY Det. Lt. Mark McPherson in LAURA You decide! #FilmNoirHeroes The attached poll gave voters 24 hours to choose … Continue reading Final Results for the Most Heroic Character in Film Noir
Who Is the Most Heroic Character in Film Noir?
A few days, I published an essay distilling my thoughts about a hypothetical Film Noir Cinematic Universe (“FNCU”). In a tweet I wrote to make readers aware of this essay, I said, “While there are a ridiculous number of villains in #FilmNoir, I was genuinely surprised how many legitimate #heroes there are.” ***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD*** … Continue reading Who Is the Most Heroic Character in Film Noir?
Just Bear With Me... 