Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
|
Loading... Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir (Revised and Expanded Edition) (Turner Classic Movies) (edition 2021)by Eddie Muller (Author) Adakian | Dec 10, 2021 |   This is a pretty slim work of only 260 pages in this "expanded" edition, and that includes quite a few photographs. I did not read Muller's 1999 first edition. In the 260 pages Muller delivers 14 chapters--an introduction to what he calls "Dark City", which he reveals to be Hollywood itself by the end of the book, followed by chapters titled by different locales in this metropolis. Each of these "neighborhoods" is adorned with quite descriptive titles such as The Precinct, Hate Street, Shamus Flats, and the Psych Ward. Each of these neighborhoods describes a particular type of noir, and Muller provides several examples for each instance. For example, "Vixenville" is the hangout of the legendary femme fatale, the good looking dame whose attraction dooms whomever serves as the nominal protagonist in the film. One of Muller's examples is the movie "Fallen Angel" featuring actress Linda Darnell, whose eventful personal life rivaled any noir screenwriter's work. Similarly the "Loser's Lane" chapter is devoted to sociopaths such as Richard Widmark's Tommy Udo in "Kiss of Death". For each movie Muller discusses he provides a basic synopsis along with details about the cast, key production staff, the studio, and the elements that bind the movie to film noir and the particular chapter in the book. Muller writes this book in a very easy and informal style that makes this title a delight to read--no doubt he inherited his father's sportswriting chops. This is no book for the high-browed. While there is a lengthy bibliography, Muller doesn't use foot- or endnotes. He is clearly comfortable in his knowledge about this subject, and I think the reader should just enjoy the ride. (  ) Adakian | Dec 10, 2021 | #classicfilmreading (  ) ralphcoviello | Sep 12, 2021 | Picking my favorite film descriptions for movies such as DEAD RECKONING and THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, I was able to add at least 20 titles to my Netflix queue. Some movies are not available through that means so I will be hunting them down at other venues. It was interesting to read the background of the movies, the directors, the studios, and the actors themselves. Not only are the films engrossing, some of the actors’ ironic lives could be made into movies. Take Bobby Driscoll. The 12-yr-old starred in THE WINDOW in 1949 as a boy with a penchant for lying. When he sees a murder no-one believes him. During the movie his character survives a fall in a vacant tenement in Greenwich Village. In real life, Driscoll had a washed out career when, in 1968, he died of a drug overdose – in a vacant tenement in Greenwich Village. You couldn’t ask for a better, more comprehensive book on Film Noir than this. ( ) BooksOn23rd | Nov 25, 2015 | Picking my favorite film descriptions for movies such as DEAD RECKONING and THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, I was able to add at least 20 titles to my Netflix queue. Some movies are not available through that means so I will be hunting them down at other venues. It was interesting to read the background of the movies, the directors, the studios, and the actors themselves. Not only are the films engrossing, some of the actors’ ironic lives could be made into movies. Take Bobby Driscoll. The 12-yr-old starred in THE WINDOW in 1949 as a boy with a penchant for lying. When he sees a murder no-one believes him. During the movie his character survives a fall in a vacant tenement in Greenwich Village. In real life, Driscoll had a washed out career when, in 1968, he died of a drug overdose – in a vacant tenement in Greenwich Village. You couldn’t ask for a better, more comprehensive book on Film Noir than this. ( ) BooksOn23rd | Nov 25, 2015 | |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)791.43655The arts Recreational and performing arts Public performances Film, Radio, and Television Film Special aspects of films, fim adaptations, film genres Films dealing with humanity Social themesLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (4.41)
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
1
This is a pretty slim work of only 260 pages in this "expanded" edition, and that includes quite a few photographs. I did not read Muller's 1999 first edition. In the 260 pages Muller delivers 14 chapters--an introduction to what he calls "Dark City", which he reveals to be Hollywood itself by the end of the book, followed by chapters titled by different locales in this metropolis. Each of these "neighborhoods" is adorned with quite descriptive titles such as The Precinct, Hate Street, Shamus Flats, and the Psych Ward. Each of these neighborhoods describes a particular type of noir, and Muller provides several examples for each instance.
For example, "Vixenville" is the hangout of the legendary femme fatale, the good looking dame whose attraction dooms whomever serves as the nominal protagonist in the film. One of Muller's examples is the movie "Fallen Angel" featuring actress Linda Darnell, whose eventful personal life rivaled any noir screenwriter's work. Similarly the "Loser's Lane" chapter is devoted to sociopaths such as Richard Widmark's Tommy Udo in "Kiss of Death". For each movie Muller discusses he provides a basic synopsis along with details about the cast, key production staff, the studio, and the elements that bind the movie to film noir and the particular chapter in the book.
Muller writes this book in a very easy and informal style that makes this title a delight to read--no doubt he inherited his father's sportswriting chops. This is no book for the high-browed. While there is a lengthy bibliography, Muller doesn't use foot- or endnotes. He is clearly comfortable in his knowledge about this subject, and I think the reader should just enjoy the ride. (