Archives for September 2013

Film noir classics now on DVD for the first time from TCM

September 11, 2013 by

Film Noir Classics IVFive film noir classics from Columbia Pictures are coming to DVD for the first time ever in the latest home video collection from Turner Classic Movies (TCM), the Film Foundation and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Film Noir Classics IV includes five feature films – “So Dark the Night” (1946), “Johnny O’Clock” (1947), “Walk a Crooked Mile” (1948), “Between Midnight and Dawn” (1950) and “Walk East on Beacon” (1952) – each of which has been fully restored and remastered.

The collection features a video introduction by Academy Award®-winning director and Film Foundation founder Martin Scorsese.

Available only through TCM’s online store, Film Noir Classics IV will be released as part of the TCM Vault Collection on Sept. 16. The films in the collection showcase the work of Joseph H. Lewis, Robert Rossen, Gordon Douglas and Alfred L. Werker, directors who were masters at creating taut and atmospheric visions from morally complex, hard-boiled stories.

The collection also highlights the genre-defining cinematography of Burnett Guffey and George E. Diskant and iconic performances by such film noir mainstays as Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, Lee J. Cobb, Dennis O’Keefe and Edmond O’Brien, who each excelled at revealing the raw heart that beat beneath noir’s tough exteriors.

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Flaws in ‘You Will Be My Son,’ are easy to forgive

September 11, 2013 by

You Will Be My Son/2011/Cohen Media Group/102 min.

I have a soft spot for French family dramas – they are usually very well made, the stories often conceal a sharp edge within an elegant setting and, more often than not, the acting is excellent. So it’s pretty easy to overlook flaws – even glaring ones.

That’s the case with “You Will Be My Son,” a contemporary father-son saga, set in a Saint Emilion vineyard. The blustery, boisterous father, Paul, (Niels Arestrup) has dedicated his life to making wine and wants to groom his successor. One candidate is his weak-willed son Martin (Lorànt Deutsch), who wants the job but lacks true passion and talent.

On the other hand, family friend Philippe (Nicolas Bridet) is just the ticket. Philippe’s his ailing father François (Patrick Chesnais) is Paul’s right-hand man and charming Philippe also has the glitzy credential of being a star at the Coppola vineyard in California.

Directed and co-written by Gilles Legrand, “You Will Be My Son” is an engrossing melodrama (that sometimes veers into silliness) with elements of a good old-fashioned thriller – male rivalry, bromance, suspense, high stakes, deadly consequences.

Now the flaws: While the script probes the characters fairly deeply, the father-son relationship is extremely heavy-handed. It seems that when Baby Martin came bouncing into the world, it was hate at first sight for the not-so-proud papa. Everything the son does (even jogging) irritates Dad. Both actors are well cast and Arestrup gives a particularly great performance but the script could have used more subtlety in shading this fraught bond between the principal characters. Couldn’t we see at least one scene where they connect on some level?

Also, the final twist hits a false note, stemming more from expediency than from inevitability.

Still, this engaging flick is easy on the eyes with good dialogue and strong acting.

“You Will Be My Son” opens today in Los Angeles.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

The Noir File: The Master of Suspense spices up Sundays

September 7, 2013 by

By Film Noir Blonde and Mike Wilmington

The Noir File is FNB’s guide to classic film noir, neo-noir and  pre-noir from the schedule of Turner Classic Movies (TCM), which broadcasts them uncut and uninterrupted. The times are Eastern Standard and (Pacific Standard). 

PICK OF THE WEEK: Sundays with Hitch continues

Sunday, Sept. 8

Nearly 14 hours of Hitch. Master of suspense. Impish entertainer. Dark comedian. Tormented soul. A movie director with few equals.

10 a.m. (7 a.m.): “Under Capricorn” (1949, Alfred Hitchcock).  With Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten and Margaret Leighton.

12 p.m. (9 a.m.): “Stage Fright” (1950, Hitchcock). Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Richard Todd.

2 p.m. (11 a.m.): “I Confess” (1953, Hitchcock). Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden.

4 p.m. (1 p.m.): ”The Wrong Man” (1956, Hitchcock). Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle.

6 p.m. (3 p.m.): “Saboteur” (1942, Hitchcock). Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane, Norman Lloyd.

8 p.m. (5 p.m.): “Foreign Correspondent” (1940, Hitchcock). With Joel McCrea, Laraine Day and George Sanders.

Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint star in “North by Northwest.”

10:15 p.m. (7:15 p.m.): “North by Northwest” (1950, Hitchcock). With Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason.

12:45 a.m. (9:45 p.m.): “The Ring” (1927).  With  Carl Brisson and Lillian Hall-Davies. (Silent, with music accompaniment.) 

Most of these films have been reviewed on FNB. Find them with the site search key.

Filed Under: Classic Noir Reviews Tagged With: , ,

‘Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s’ is a fascinating hot mess

September 7, 2013 by

Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s/2013/eOne Films/93 min.

There’s usually something fascinating, even fun, about a hot mess and that’s the case with writer/director Matthew Miele’s documentary “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s,” now available on DVD.

Miele’s film is a gushy tribute to luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman, the famed New York emporium and Art Deco palace that occupies an entire city block (Fifth Avenue at 58th Street) near Central Park.

There is much frothy conversation. We meet Bergdorf Goodman insiders, celebrities (Candice Bergen, Nicole Richie and Joan Rivers, to name a few) and a slew of designers (such as Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs and Karl Lagerfeld) as well as fashion observers, writers, the New Yorker cartoonist from whom the film’s title is borrowed and real-estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, among others. William Fichtner narrates; no idea why.

Unfortunately, the interviews (many of which make the same points again and again) are never pulled together. The throughline – creating the gorgeous, glittering store windows for Christmas 2011 – becomes less interesting as it progresses and fails to unify the film.

Miele clumsily tries to mask the underlying condescension – even if you’re not one of the lucky few who can afford to shop here, you can peer in from the street through dazzling windows full of very expensive stuff – with a couple of offhand references to the economic downturn and by opening the film with a morning-has-broken sequence of a working-class guy who turns out to be a Bergdorf’s doorman. Cringe.

All that said, though, some of the talking heads are extremely entertaining. “What would you be doing if you didn’t work here?” Miele asks Betty Halbreich, a longtime personal shopper, known for her candid opinions and discerning eye. “Drinking,” Betty replies.

“Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s” also has a chic, polished look and offers a nice dollop of New York City history. For fashionistas and shopaholics as well as forbearing general-interest viewers, this is pretty good fun.

“Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s” is available on DVD, $25 list price with discounts via Amazon. Click here for more info.

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On the radar: ‘Lee Miller in Fashion,’ front-row seats at MBFW, Toronto film fest in full swing, 3-D film noir in Hollywood

September 5, 2013 by

Model, muse and photographer Lee Miller

I’m looking forward to reading Becky E. Conekin’s new book, “Lee Miller in Fashion.” The NYT’s Cathy Horyn says the book is very engaging and nicely researched.

Want front-row seats at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York? You can watch the shows here. MBFW started Thursday, Sept. 5, and runs through Sept. 12.

Jim Jarmusch’s new movie, a vampire romance called “Only Lovers Left Alive,” screened Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Toronto International Film Fest. The fest runs Sept. 5-15.

The World 3-D Film Fest starts Friday, Sept. 6, at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. “Dial M for Murder” shows Sunday and there is a special film-noir night on Sept. 12! The fest runs through Sept. 15.

Meanwhile, the Hitch fest continues on TCM. “Vertigo” ran Thursday, as noted on the FNB facebook/twitter feeds, and the Sunday schedule is packed with great titles.

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Film noir today on TCM: André De Toth’s ‘Pitfall’

September 2, 2013 by

Showing Monday, Sept. 2, at 1:15 p.m. PST: “Pitfall” (1948, André De Toth)

Murder is the last thing on John Forbes’ mind when he starts an affair with model Mona Stevens. He’s just bored with the insurance biz and married life. But this is film noir and things get complicated quickly, especially since Mona’s also involved with an embezzler.

“Pitfall” stars Dick Powell and Lizabeth Scott as the leads as well as Jane Wyatt as Mrs. Forbes and Raymond Burr as MacDonald, a nosy, lecherous ex-cop. MacDonald is one of noir’s slimiest villains and this is one of Burr’s best performances.

Happy Labor Day, all!

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Everyone enjoying Sundays with Hitch on TCM?

September 1, 2013 by

Sundays with Hitch this month on TCM is a gold mine of film-noir viewing opps. The master of suspense is celebrated with TCM’s most comprehensive Alfred Hitchcock festival yet, from premieres of several British silent films to Hollywood classics that defined the thriller genre.

Which ones will make your must-see list?

Filed Under: Classic Noir Reviews, Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Jeanne Carmen’s life-of-the-party legacy lives on

September 1, 2013 by

Jeanne Carmen was a sultry pin-up model and seasoned B-movie actress.

So, at the memorial service for Marilyn Monroe last month, I met Brandon James. Brandon is the son of Jeanne Carmen, a pin-up model, ace golfer, B-movie actress and friend of Marilyn’s.

Jeanne was born Aug. 4, 1930 in Paragould, Ark., to a family of cotton pickers. After winning a beauty contest at 13, she left home to pursue her dream of Hollywood stardom. Though she never became a top-tier actress, she most definitely left her mark and had a good time – clinking glasses and climbing under the covers with the likes of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Roselli.

After Marilyn died on Aug. 5, 1962, mobsters told Jeanne to keep quiet about Marilyn’s connection to the Kennedy clan, according to her son. Jeanne heeded the warning and, leaving her party-girl life behind, became a wife and mother in Scottsdale, Ariz. She died Dec. 20, 2007.

Her name appears in Christopher Andersen’s new book, “These Few Precious Days,” which details JFK’s last year with Jackie, including his presumed affair with Marilyn and use of amphetamines provided by “Dr. Feelgood.” Andersen writes that Marilyn frequently confided in Jeanne during this time, reportedly asking her, “Can’t you just see me as first lady?”

Additionally, a clip of Jeanne in “The Monster of Piedras Blancas” (1959) is used in American Standard’s new at-home movie marathon commercial, which, btw, also features an adorable cat. 😉 The ad will run for four months.

For more info about Jeanne, you can visit Brandon’s site and watch this edition of E! True Hollywood Story. Perhaps more off-screen than on, she was a femme fatale and blonde bombshell who was the scribe and star of her own fascinating drama.

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