PBS' AMERICAN CINEMA EMBRACES THE DARK SIDE: THE FILM NOIR EPISODE IS ON YOUTUBE

Yeah, I spent an unreasonable amount of my weekend peering up at The Hollywood Theatre's screen during Noir City Portland.  Do I regret it at all?  Of course not; if I have any regrets, it's that I missed 3 of the 8 features, but sometimes a guy has things he's gotta do, y'know.  Even so, those other priorities haven't kept me from spending a good deal of time thinking about and craving more noir and film noir related highs.  For instance, after skipping out on the third feature on Saturday night, I still ended up streaming Gun Crazy at home on the Warner Archive Instant service.  

DEADLY IS THE FEMALE aka GUN CRAZY

I was also pleased to stumble across the film noir episode of the fairly great 1995 PBS series American Cinema on YouTube.  I hadn't viewed the series since it first aired on public television, so it was great to take another look at a series that, at the time of its release, had a strong influence in reinforcing my obsession with old films.

Anyone with even a mild interest in noir should get a kick out of the episode (introduced by series host John Lithgow).  So here it is, narrated by one of my all-time favorite noir actors, Mr. Richard Widmark (Pickup on South Street, Panic in the Streets, Kiss of Death, & Night and the City), and featuring great insights by Martin Scorsese, Kathryn Bigelow, Paul Schrader, and many of the writers, actors, and directors responsible for some of the greatest entries in the genre:

 

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THE GOLDEN COACH & LE NOTTI BIANCHE: HANGING OUT WITH RENOIR AND VISCONTI THIS WEEKEND

A couple of great films are coming to my workplace this weekend.  Luchino Visconti's fatalistically romantic 1957 adaptation of Dostoevsky's "White Nights," Le Notti Bianche is Marcello Mastroianni's first outing as a leading man playing opposite Maria Schell.  Also on tap, Jean Renoir's The Golden Coach has Anna Magnani playing an actress with three men actively vying for her favor.  The latter film will be screened on 35mm.

Le Notti Bianche (White Nights) screens Friday, September 27th and Sunday, September 29th at the NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium (in the Portland Art Museum).  Click here for more info.

The Golden Coach screens at the NW Film Center.  Click here for more info.

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