I'm always excited when the Criterion Channel offers a themed film noir collection, especially because there are usually a few gems I don't own and a few more obscure titles I haven't yet seen. For August 2024, Criterion has a particularly seductive lineup with Vacation Noir, which showcases dark deeds set against sunny seasides, deep waters, and posh resorts. If you're a fan of all things noir, this is a great time to check out Criterion's streaming service if you don't already have access to it.
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| Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth in The Lady from Shanghai (1947) |
Some of my personal favorites from the genre are featured in this group, including Leave Her to Heaven (1945), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), His Kind of Woman (1951), and Niagara (1953). Most noir devotees will already be familiar with these selections, but they're all worth seeing as many times as the chance arises. Most of these I own on physical media, but as I haven't yet added Niagara to my closet I won't miss the chance to see it again this month.
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| Richard Attenborough in Brighton Rock (1948) |
It's still early in August, but of the new-to-me films in the collection I've already enjoyed Brighton Rock (1948), Dangerous Crossing (1953), and The Last of Sheila (1973). Adapted from the novel by Graham Greene, Brighton Rock is the best of that trio, with an electric performance by a very young Richard Attenborough as the criminal psychopath. Fans of more recent whodunnits like Glass Onion (2022) will find a lot to love in The Last of Sheila, a very Hollywood story about a group of frenemies brought together for a fateful reunion on the personal yacht of movie producer Clinton Greene (James Coburn). While its abrupt ending leaves something to be desired, Dangerous Crossing still offers an engaging take on the gaslit woman narrative, with Jeanne Crain starring as a distressed newlywed and Michael Rennie as the ship's doctor who tries to help her.
I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the films in the collection later this month. Purple Noon (1960) and La Piscine (1969) both star French icon Alain Delon. The remaining entries are Desert Fury (1947), Kansas City Confidential (1952), Inferno (1953), and Female on the Beach (1955), all of which sound worthwhile from their casts and descriptions. I hope even the most obscure of them will be better than the 1978 adaptation of The Big Sleep that I watched last week; Robert Mitchum and Jimmy Stewart couldn't help that movie hold a candle to the 1946 version.
Additional collections for August include films about photographers, showcases for Paul Thomas Anderson and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and a collection of Preston Sturges pictures, among others.
What classic movies are you watching this month? Let me know in the comments!
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