Cancellations: Where Do We Go From Here?

There’s been so much talk about the current COVID-19 situation, I wanted to respond with a brief look at how it affects moviegoers.

Democracy in the Dark: My Thoughts on Ebert Interruptus 2019

If you’ve never attended an Ebert Interruptus event, I hope this report will encourage you to do so.

Noir City DC 2016 Wrap-Up and an Invitation to Noir City SF 2017

We’re almost finished with October, which means the horror movies will have their reign for just a bit longer. After that, it will be time for some real scares, true horror, nail-biting paranoia, gut-wrenching (insert your own clichés) goodness: film noir.

November is, of course, Noirvember, a month filled with film noir of all kinds. I don’t know if I’ll be able to match last year’s 30 Films in 30 Days, but I get all giddy just thinking about it. You’d think I’d want a break after Noir City DC, but I’m an addict: I just have to have more film noir.

Noir City DC 2016 – Part II

Although the turnout for Monday night’s films was disappointing, it was a Monday night, and, as one of my friends reminded me, any opportunity to see these films on a large screen is an opportunity worth celebrating.

Noir City DC 2016 – Part I

Although it wasn’t the first film of the day, the first film I saw at Noir City DC 2016 was Gilda (1946), the second time I’d seen the film, but the first time on the big screen. (You can read my previous thoughts here.) The film was introduced by noir author and historian Foster Hirsch, who wrote one of my favorite books on film noir, The Dark Side of the Screen.

Countdown to Noir City DC 2016

It’s so close you can almost feel the smoke from Robert Mitchum’s cigarette… That’s right, Noir City DC 2016 starts in just two days! As you can see from the lineup above, it’s going to be a great event at the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD. You can see the entire calendar here and the alphabetical listing here.

Noir City DC 2016 Titles Announced

The films for the Noir City DC film noir festival have been announced! Once again, the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center will host the event October 15-23. Here’s the line-up:

Noir City 14: Crack-Up (1946)

Noir City 14 presented me with a couple of challenges. I wanted to get my money’s worth from the festival, yet I also wanted to explore San Francisco with my wife, who is not a movie fan. So I made a decision to skip a couple of films, one of which I had already seen recently, The Dark Corner (1946), which you can read about here.

Even so, I was able to catch the last 30 minutes or so of the film, plenty of time to see William Bendix get what was coming to him at the hands of Clifton Webb. (Sorry, slight spoiler there…)

In his introduction to the next film, Eddie Muller admitted that Crack-Up (1946, directed by Irving Reis) is not one of his favorite noir films, but it does fit the Noir City 14 theme of art. The film begins with an agitated man (Pat O’Brien, below on his back) smashing the glass door of the Manhattan Museum and assaulting a museum guard. Once the museum staff rush to the scene, they discover that this crazed man is none other than George Steele, art critic, forgery expert, and lecturer at the museum.

Noir City 14: Rear Window (1954) and The Public Eye (1992)

Ever since film noir began to wrap its dark tendrils around my neck a couple of years ago, I knew it would eventually lead me deep into the heart of Noir City. This year, I could no longer resist. Although I could only attend six days of the festival’s ten-day schedule, I got a good sense of what Noir City, its films and its people, are all about.

Noir City Report – Coming Soon

Although I was only able to attend six days (out of ten) of Noir City 14 in San Francisco, I had a great time, saw some great films, and have lots to report during the next few days, including my Alfred Hitchcock San Francisco tour, a brief conversation with Eddie Muller, and much more. Right now, I need a little sleep…