- Registrado
- 14 de Jul, 2024
Recently watched Legal Eagles. Not every 80s comedy is good, but this an absolute snore.
Adding a few lesser-knowns to compliment @Snuckening2's list:
Noir:
Cause for Alarm! (1951): A paranoid domestic thriller that set the template for so many similar premises of the 80s and 90s. Delightful to watch its Hitchcockian magic unfold.
He Walked by Night (1948.): Procedural to the point that it feels futuristic, a very enjoyable investigation against a 'master criminal'.
Lured (1947): A lesser-known Sirk, but an absolute must if you were moved by Hitchcock's Stage Fright. Has a similar inexperienced female forced to investigate a crime, and the same adorable energy too.
Murder by Contract (1958.): A decade ahead of its time, one of the most intriguing of all late noirs.
Nightfall (1956): A very strong Tourneur effort, with a tantalising fugitive premise and much to enjoy besides.
Raging Tide (1951): I saw someone online describe this as "staggeringly sweet", and the phrase has stuck with me ever since. It doesn't compromise on noir aspects, but finds an uncommon focus in how sincerely and sensitively it treats the character relationships. It's stuffed full of charm and dramatic moments, a great light thriller.
The Burglar (1957): No surprises here, but excellent execution on the premise.
The Prowler (1951): A psycho in the household premise with some real menace.
The Sniper (1952): A real nasty.
The Strangler (1964): A post-noir proto-slasher horror-thriller with an electric performance from the psycho lead.
Thieves’ Highway (1949): A great central cast and premise, with warmth, romance and thrills, absolute A-class.
Western:
Frontier Marshal (1939): A banger telling of Wyatt Earp from Allan Dwan, ruggedly paced and as beautifully shot as a cheapie from the era can get.
Ramrod (1947): There's something about an over-achieving potboiler from a director like de Toth. Heady and tense at its best, but with a lot of room to breathe.
Rancho Notorious (1952): Not to be missed, but easily overlooked due to Lang's embarassment of riches. A savage setup and a feral performance from the lead.
Run for Cover (1955): A wonderful, airy, good-spirited work by Ray, with a lovely courtship and well-paced adventure.
The Fastest Gun Alive (1956): A lean and tough production with solid writing and characterisation. Feels like the nuts-and-bolts storytelling of a film serial, but with less wasted time.
The Lonely Man (1957): Strong performances by Jack Palance and Anthony Perkins get the painful premise across just right, with added looming tragedy for those who know how the Hays Code requires this to end.
The Ride Back (1957): Almost a Mouchette in the west. Extremely stark character study, with great pace and a satisfying conclusion.
The Tall Men (1955): A masterful cattle-drive flick from Walsh that should be better known than it is. Like a breath of fresh air if you've sat through Red River recently.
70s/80s crime:
52 Pick-Up (1986): An erotic thriller from Canon starring Rob Scheider. Though it certainly has the expected sleaze, it's also a great revenge tale with an unusual, disempowered protagonist. Good cinematography and score, total 80s vibe.
Badge 373 (1973): Hilariously un-PC crimesploitation in the post-French Connection space with Robert Duvall doing his thing.
Best Seller (1987): A very cosy buddy crime drama written by Larry Cohen, that despite its generic aspects, is executed to a quality that I find very memorable.
Charley Varrick (1973): Somewhere between Sam Peckinpah and Michael Mann's Thief. Wonderful existential, sparse work.
China Girl (1987): Romeo and Juliet in New York by Abel Fererra. It's lacking the cynicism you might expect, a real charmer.
Cop (1988.): A tightly-written James Woods neo noir.
McQ (1974): Dirty Harry with a washed-up John Wayne. It fucks.
Siege (1983): If you enjoyed Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, or early Cronenberg's cinematography--run, don't walk.
The Seven-Ups (1973): A very good neo-noir in the style of The French Connections (speaking of which, the sequel to that is good if you can accept the repetition of a certain plot point of the first).
Vigilante (1982): After watching The Warriors and Streets of Fire, neither of which I fully vibe with, this almost felt like an ice bath. A vigilante flick (looking stunning in its bluray restoration) without the quirks of the aformentioned, nor the bargain basement stupidity of your average Death Wish clone.
Year of the Dragon (1985): The decline of Michael Cimino's talent post-Deer Hunter was very much exaggerated. This is a full-throated, shamelessly broad neo noir action thriller with a lot going on.
Adding a few lesser-knowns to compliment @Snuckening2's list:
Noir:
Cause for Alarm! (1951): A paranoid domestic thriller that set the template for so many similar premises of the 80s and 90s. Delightful to watch its Hitchcockian magic unfold.
He Walked by Night (1948.): Procedural to the point that it feels futuristic, a very enjoyable investigation against a 'master criminal'.
Lured (1947): A lesser-known Sirk, but an absolute must if you were moved by Hitchcock's Stage Fright. Has a similar inexperienced female forced to investigate a crime, and the same adorable energy too.
Murder by Contract (1958.): A decade ahead of its time, one of the most intriguing of all late noirs.
Nightfall (1956): A very strong Tourneur effort, with a tantalising fugitive premise and much to enjoy besides.
Raging Tide (1951): I saw someone online describe this as "staggeringly sweet", and the phrase has stuck with me ever since. It doesn't compromise on noir aspects, but finds an uncommon focus in how sincerely and sensitively it treats the character relationships. It's stuffed full of charm and dramatic moments, a great light thriller.
The Burglar (1957): No surprises here, but excellent execution on the premise.
The Prowler (1951): A psycho in the household premise with some real menace.
The Sniper (1952): A real nasty.
The Strangler (1964): A post-noir proto-slasher horror-thriller with an electric performance from the psycho lead.
Thieves’ Highway (1949): A great central cast and premise, with warmth, romance and thrills, absolute A-class.
Western:
Frontier Marshal (1939): A banger telling of Wyatt Earp from Allan Dwan, ruggedly paced and as beautifully shot as a cheapie from the era can get.
Ramrod (1947): There's something about an over-achieving potboiler from a director like de Toth. Heady and tense at its best, but with a lot of room to breathe.
Rancho Notorious (1952): Not to be missed, but easily overlooked due to Lang's embarassment of riches. A savage setup and a feral performance from the lead.
Run for Cover (1955): A wonderful, airy, good-spirited work by Ray, with a lovely courtship and well-paced adventure.
The Fastest Gun Alive (1956): A lean and tough production with solid writing and characterisation. Feels like the nuts-and-bolts storytelling of a film serial, but with less wasted time.
The Lonely Man (1957): Strong performances by Jack Palance and Anthony Perkins get the painful premise across just right, with added looming tragedy for those who know how the Hays Code requires this to end.
The Ride Back (1957): Almost a Mouchette in the west. Extremely stark character study, with great pace and a satisfying conclusion.
The Tall Men (1955): A masterful cattle-drive flick from Walsh that should be better known than it is. Like a breath of fresh air if you've sat through Red River recently.
70s/80s crime:
52 Pick-Up (1986): An erotic thriller from Canon starring Rob Scheider. Though it certainly has the expected sleaze, it's also a great revenge tale with an unusual, disempowered protagonist. Good cinematography and score, total 80s vibe.
Badge 373 (1973): Hilariously un-PC crimesploitation in the post-French Connection space with Robert Duvall doing his thing.
Best Seller (1987): A very cosy buddy crime drama written by Larry Cohen, that despite its generic aspects, is executed to a quality that I find very memorable.
Charley Varrick (1973): Somewhere between Sam Peckinpah and Michael Mann's Thief. Wonderful existential, sparse work.
China Girl (1987): Romeo and Juliet in New York by Abel Fererra. It's lacking the cynicism you might expect, a real charmer.
Cop (1988.): A tightly-written James Woods neo noir.
McQ (1974): Dirty Harry with a washed-up John Wayne. It fucks.
Siege (1983): If you enjoyed Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, or early Cronenberg's cinematography--run, don't walk.
The Seven-Ups (1973): A very good neo-noir in the style of The French Connections (speaking of which, the sequel to that is good if you can accept the repetition of a certain plot point of the first).
Vigilante (1982): After watching The Warriors and Streets of Fire, neither of which I fully vibe with, this almost felt like an ice bath. A vigilante flick (looking stunning in its bluray restoration) without the quirks of the aformentioned, nor the bargain basement stupidity of your average Death Wish clone.
Year of the Dragon (1985): The decline of Michael Cimino's talent post-Deer Hunter was very much exaggerated. This is a full-throated, shamelessly broad neo noir action thriller with a lot going on.