All tagged noir

BONUS EPISODE - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

This week, we watch the only film in history where you can see Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse together on screen. Its also contains the most distributing scene of cartoon shoe murder. Melding animation and live action like never before, this movie remains a unique masterpiece of mixed genres and styles. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Episode 47 - Memento

This week, we watch the ground breaking debut feature from Christopher Nolan, who would go on to become one of the biggest directors of a generation. Moving both forwards and backwards in time, this film plays as a noir with a heaping dose of storytelling through editing. Memento (2000), directed by Christopher Nolan.

Episode 81 - Double Indemnity

This week, we watch the classic noir that has a “bad guy” as the protagonist for the first time in Hollywood film history. A man finds himself in the positions of both the investigator and the person being investigated in an insurance fraud scheme. Even though the film tells you who is the murderer is within the first five minutes, it manages to keep you guessing until the end. Double Indemnity (1944), directed by Billy Wilder.

Episode 115 - The Third Man

This week, we watch the classic Noir that takes place in a post World War II Vienna. A man was hit by a car and killed under mysterious circumstances, and his friend won’t stop doing his own detective work until he finds out what really happened. Filmed on location in 1948, the bombed out buildings against cobble stone and cavernous sewer tunnels make for an outstanding setting for this classic story. The Third Man (1949), directed by Carol Reed.

Episode 122 - Chinatown

This week, we watch the film that launched Jack Nicholson into stardom while creating perhaps the best film noir of all time, decades after the genre left the mainstream. With a chaotic shoot, and uncertainty about the quality of the film until its 11 Academy Award nominations, it remains fascinating to watch the mystery of the films story unravel with Mr. Gittes. Chinatown (1974), directed by Roman Polanski.

BONUS EPISODE! Blade Runner 2049

This week, we watch the sequel to the ground breaking classic that is the grandfather of all dark, futuristic science fiction films. This film manages to equal the quality of the original, and even improves on certain aspects, while expanding on the ideas put fourth by Ridley Scott decades ago. Blade Runner 2049 (2017), directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Episode 183 - Zootopia

This week, we watch the animated comedy that tells the tale of a small town bunny moving to Zootopia, a city where all animals can live together without stepping on each other.   Also following in Disney tradition, this film introduces a great pop song that you will grow to hate as it plays over and over again in your head.  Zootopia, directed by Bryon Howard and Rich Moore.

Episode 198 - Touch of Evil

This week, we watch the character study disguised as a crime thriller, where Orson Wells flexes his impressive acting chops in a movie he also writes and directs.  Drugs, murder, sex, and lots of lying fill this classic noir film, which takes place in a Mexican boarder town, and has two police officers (Charlton Heston and Wells) clashing in an investigation.  Touch of Evil (1958), Directed by Orson Wells.