RARA-AVIS: Re: Noir series

From: Donna ( donna.moore@virgin.net)
Date: 15 Sep 2007


William wrote:

> All I'm trying to do is to find the
> definition that includes say "Dark Passasge" (or "In A
> Lonely Place"), "The Big Sleep" (or another private
> eye film) and say "The Asphalt Jungle." All are
> considered noir by some but not by me
How is The Asphalt Jungle NOT noir? Each of the characters is inexorably ground down by that fickle, and gleeful, finger of fate. As Louis B Meyer said, it's "full of nasty ugly people doing nasty ugly things". Similarly In A Lonely Place. Which, without giving any spoilers, doesn't end happily :o) Barry Gifford said of it "Nobody comes out of this one unscathed, nobody looks good in the end, thereby making it a perfect noir"

Jack wrote:

>As to a Mueller film going to Sundance? I never heard about
>that.

Here's a piece about the film Jack: http://www.eddiemuller.com/inquisitor.html

It's based on his story in the upcoming HELL OF A WOMAN anthology. It's a GREAT story.

As for the film he showed at LCC - I can't remember what ALL the clips were but I remember there being OUT OF THE PAST and BORN TO KILL (which are two of my favourite film noirs). And, as TL said, Eddie Muller is THE noir expert, hence the name The Czar of Noir :o)

Mark wrote:
> Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor series certainly has noir elements, but I think
> I agree with the others that it is exactly the series elements that keep
> it from really attaining that label.
Me too. I just don't think you can have a series that's noir. Of course, if he kills Jack off at the end then it could be a noir series in total but each individual book isn't noir :o) Dark, yes. Bleak, sometimes. But not noir.

Donna



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