Films I Watched for Noirvember 2025

I didn’t get much reading done this month as I watched so many movies for Noirvember. I have been reading but I just haven’t finished anything. So here are quick reviews of eight films. The first two were re-watches while the rest were all new to me. 

Something that added to my enjoyment of these films was watching the intros and outros that author and noir scholar Eddie Muller did for them for Noir Alley on Turner Classic Movies. They're currently available on YouTube. The information he shares is well researched and insightful.

This Gun for Hire (1942)

Directed by Frank Tuttle

Starring Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, and Laird Cregar

A killer-for-hire seeks revenge after he’s double crossed. Adapted from the book by Grahame Green. 

Alan Ladd is so cool, Laird Cregar is so creepy, and Veronica Lake is so alluring. One of the first film noirs that I ever watched from back in my DVD collecting days. I’ve been a Veronica Lake fan ever since. Two negatives: I rolled my eyes at the closing line, and it feels like whoever chose the end credits music must not have watched the film.

Rating: 4/5

Laura (1944)

Directed by Otto Preminger 

Starring Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, and Vincent Price

A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he’s investigating. 

I first watched this many, many years ago not knowing much about noir and knowing nothing about the plot, and it made a big impression on me. Part noir, part mystery, and part soap opera. Somehow it works. Probably because it has a great cast, a superb twist, and some really sharp dialogue. It was cool to see a very young Vincent Price. 

Rating: 5/5

Gilda (1946)

Directed by Charles Vidor 

Starring Glenn Ford, Rita Hayworth, and George Macready 

A gambler runs into his old flame, but she’s now married to his new boss. 

My first Rita Hayworth film. They named an atomic bomb “Gilda,” after Rita Hayworth's character from this film? (Watches Gilda) Of course they did. (Reads that she was highly offended) I love this woman.

The double entendres fly fast and furious in this incredibly intense noir love triangle that mixes sexy dance numbers with dialogue so sharp at times that it will make you bleed. While I thought the ending worked, it keeps the film from getting a 5/5 score from me. 

Rating: 4.5/5

Force of Evil (1948)

Directed by Abraham Polonsky

Starring John Garfield and Beatrice Pearson 

A lawyer helping a gangster consolidate a numbers racket runs into trouble when his brother, a small-time numbers operator, doesn’t want to get involved.

Director Martin Scorsese calls this film a strong influence on his gangster films, and I can see why. A statement on greed and ruthless ambition that holds up extremely well today. Some poetic dialogue and lots of atmospheric cinematography from George Barnes who worked on Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940) and Spellbound (1945), featuring New York skylines and sets that go from fully lit to shadow filled as the story gets darker. It’s all very well done, it’s just not that exciting until the end. 

Rating: 3/5

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Directed by Billy Wilder

Starring William Holden, Gloria Swanson, and Erich von Stroheim

A down on his luck screenwriter gets roped into writing a screenplay for an eccentric former silent film star and soon finds himself in over his head. 

Engaging narration and witty dialogue with excellent performances from a perfect cast. Movie magic. 

“All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup.” 

Rating: 5/5

The Woman in the Window (1944)

Directed by Fritz Lang 

Starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, and Dan Duryea

A seductive woman gets a middle-aged professor mixed up in murder. 

I loved the cast. Edward G. Robinson was good, but Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea were fantastic. It was really interesting to see a young Joan Bennett, who I only knew from her role in my favorite horror movie, Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977). Excellent direction and cinematography. On the other hand, the missteps from Edward G. Robinson’s character went from understandable to laughable, and don’t get me started on that cop out of an ending. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Double Indemnity (1944)

Directed by Billy Wilder

Starring Fred MacMurry, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson 

An insurance salesman and a seductive housewife plot to kill her husband and collect the insurance. Based on the book by James M. Cain. Crime author Raymond Chandler, who co-wrote the film script with Billy Wilder, has a cameo. 

This adaptation of James M. Cain’s book takes it to the next level with the cast, the visuals, the soundtrack, and the dialogue. Such great chemistry between Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwick, and Edward G. Robinson is on fire in every scene he appears in. I can see why Eddie Muller describes this as the definitive film noir. Not a fan of Stanwyck’s wig though. I understand what it’s supposed to represent but it pulled me out of scenes more often than not. 

Rating: 5/5

Scarlet Street (1945)

Directed by Fritz Lang 

Starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, and Dan Duryea

A seductive woman and her criminal boyfriend take advantage of a middle-aged man who paints in his free time and who is suffering a mid-life crisis. 

The same director and cast were a misfire for me in The Woman in the Window. But here on Scarlet Street? Chef’s kiss. This is the noir I’m looking for.

“They’ll be masterpieces.” 

Rating: 5/5

Whew. I think I’ll slow down on movies and try to get more reading done next month. As always though, we’ll see. 

Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy

My reading slump continues. I haven’t been reading much but I have been watching stuff. I just finished a rewatch of Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy, aka The Man with No Name Trilogy even though Eastwood's character is named in each film, a marketing gimmick dreamed up by American distributor United Artists.

Leone is one of my favorite directors and this loose trilogy includes some of my favorite spaghetti westerns. You can really see Sergio Leone growing as a director with each film. Watched on Blu-ray as I’m slowly rebuilding my physical media collection. It’s nice to have a library of my favorite films and I love watching the extras that are included. 

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Yojimbo as a western with Clint Eastwood in the starring role. Loved the soundtrack, the direction, the way the shots were framed, all the close-ups, and how they all moved the story forward. 

For a Few Dollars More (1965)

After A Fistful of Dollars, Sergio Leone ups his game story-wise, direction-wise, and final shootout-wise with For a Few Dollars More. I loved seeing Clint Eastwood paired up with Lee Van Cleef. I still prefer A Fistful of Dollars over this one though. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)

Extended version. I really like how Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach play off of each other. There were lots of scenes where Leone just lets the camera tell the story and I loved it. It’s a long movie but all the sweeping vistas, the character moments, the twists and turns, as well as the direction and that amazing soundtrack from Ennio Morricone, held my attention throughout. From the character introductions to the final shootout, a spaghetti Western masterpiece that includes a strong anti-war message. 

For future viewing: Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), which has been on my to-watch list for quite a long time.

The RKO Films of Val Lewton

 “We tossed away the horror formula right from the beginning.” — Val Lewton 

When RKO hired writer and producer Val Lewton to head up their horror unit, he was given three rules:

• Keep each film’s budget under $150,000.

• Keep each film’s run time under 75 minutes.

• Make each film based on a title given to him by RKO.

Lewton made eleven films with RKO, nine of them horror/thriller films. He worked closely with directors Jacques Tourneur, Robert Wise, and Mark Robson to create horror films where the menace is often unseen and lurking in the shadows. He also worked with Boris Karloff in three films giving him roles where he could shine. I recently watched them and while I enjoyed some more than others, I enjoyed them all quite a bit. 

In his book Danse Macabre, Stephen King says he thinks they don’t hold up because it’s obvious they were all filmed on sets. A lot of people probably feel the same way today but not me. The combination of story, direction, and acting, drew me in each time. They’re not typical horror films. They each feature complicated characters in complicated relationships and Lewton slips in a variety of themes such as loneliness, alienation, abuse of authority, and science vs. superstition. 

Here are the nine films and my thoughts on them. 

Cat People (1942)

Directed by Jacques Tourneur 

A young man falls in love with a woman who turns out to be obsessed with the idea that she is descended from a group of people who transform into black panthers when aroused. I remember really liking this when I first watched it years and years ago, but I forgot how good it was. Mysterious, moving, and beautifully shot. Themes of alienation, repressed desire, and fears of intimacy. It’s amazing what this film accomplishes with its limited budget and short run time.

I Walked with a Zombie (1943)

Directed by Jacques Tourneur 

Val Newton was given the title I Walked with a Zombie and made a moody, gothic love story with noir lighting that touches upon colonialism and slavery. A haunting story with haunting visuals. 

The Leopard Man (1943)

Directed by Jacques Tourneur 

After a leopard escapes from a nightclub in a small town in New Mexico, things go from bad to worse. There’s one scene that keeps upping the suspense until it just explodes. It’s so devastating. A plot point towards the middle is a little silly but then we get back to the tension and suspense. Excellent use of sounds and shadows. 

Based on the book Black Alabi by Cornell Woolrich.

The Seventh Victim (1943)

Directed by Mark Robson 

A woman searching for her missing sister discovers a cult of satan worshippers in Greenwich Village, New York. There’s a creepy scene that brought Psycho to mind and the scenes with the cult members have real Rosemary’s Baby vibes.

More of a nihilistic noir than horror, possibly one of the bleakest films I’ve ever seen. It has its moments, but it was a bit convoluted. I felt like something was missing. Sure enough I learned that four key scenes were cut from the film after it was changed from an A picture that allowed for a longer run time to a B picture. I appreciate what it was trying to do but things didn’t quite come together. 

The Ghost Ship (1943)

Directed by Mark Robson

A young officer on his first voyage begins to suspect that his captain has an unhealthy obsession with authority and is mentally unbalanced. Making good use of shadows and the claustrophobic locations of a ship, this is a psychological thriller that slowly builds tension leading to a violent climax. A sign briefly seen in the captain’s cabin early on turns out to be well placed foreshadowing. 

Who does not heed the rudder

Shall meet the rock

Some reviews complain about the lack of ghosts. Again, given the title Ghost Ship, Lewton does something unexpected and creative with it. Besides, the ghosts are right there in the dialogue.

“You’re just like the captain, Tom. Lonely, austere, bitter, without family or friends. Condemning yourself to a bloodless ghost-like existence. And in the end, it’ll be only a ghost ship you’ll command.”

The Curse of the Cat People (1943)

Directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise 

This is a very unusual sequel that follows two characters from Cat People who are now married with a daughter named Amy. I wasn’t sure what to make of this at first but Amy with her active imagination and her difficulties with trying to make friends drew me in. There’s a scene that really spoke to me as it brought back a sad memory, where Amy feels helpless because an adult doesn’t believe her.

Once I realized that this was a dark fairy tale about childhood, loneliness, and imagination, I was all in. I believe that one of the strengths of this movie is that Lewton incorporated autobiographical details from his younger days. Not what I was expecting from the sequel to Cat People, but I loved it. I really admire Val Lewton for doing his own thing after the studio demanded a sequel.

The Body Snatcher (1945)

Directed by Robert Wise 

An entertaining adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson short story. I read the story before watching and while I thought it was okay, I think the film improves upon it. The elements added to fill out the story may be a little corny, but I thought they worked rather well. It was great seeing Boris Karloff working with Bela Lugosi, despite Lugosi having a minor role. Excellent performance from Karloff. 

Isle of the Dead (1945)

Directed by Mark Robson 

A psychological thriller about a group quarantined on an island graveyard after someone falls ill. Is it the plague? Or a vorvolaka, an undead creature from Greek folklore? It covers a lot of ground for such a short feature: war, disease, burial, and science vs. superstition. Another great performance from Boris Karloff. The beginning has a leisurely pace, but it all leads up to a gripping finale. 

Based on the painting by Arnold Bocklin titled Isle of the Dead. 

Bedlam (1946)

Directed by Mark Robson

In 1761 London a young woman named Nell has a falling out with her benefactor Lord Mortimer. Afterwards he conspires to have her committed to an asylum. Boris Karloff gives a suitably creepy performance as the asylum overseer. As with most Val Lewton films, it covers a lot of ground. Besides the mistreatment of those in the asylum, it speaks on class, politics, hypocrisy, and tyrants.

“You have no idea, Nell, what a great responsibility it is to be rich.”

Based on a series of paintings by William Hogarth titled A Rake’s Progress.

In Conclusion

Unfortunately, Val Lewton's career was cut short. He passed away in 1951 at the age of 46 after having two heart attacks. But he left us with some films that while low budget tried something creative and different each time. In my opinion he succeeded. I highly recommend them.

Books I Read and Films I Watched in September 2023

Only two books this month, probably because I watched so many movies. 

Lord of a Shattered Land by Howard Andrew Jones (Baen Books, 2023) 

An excellent book that reminded me of old school historical adventures mixed with sword and sorcery. My full review from last month: We Learn by Writing: Lord of a Shattered Land by Howard Andrew Jones

Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino (Harper Collins, 2022) 

Reading this felt a little like having director Quentin Tarantino in my living room rambling on about films. If that sounds cool, you’ll probably like this book. If not, you’ve been warned. I loved it. While quite a lot of movies are discussed, he focuses on the ones he grew up watching in the 1970s. Of the sixteen chapters in the book, thirteen of them are devoted to specific films. He also discusses a number of other films within those chapters though. Throughout the book he mixes autobiographical anecdotes with background information and film criticism. 

Rewatching or watching some of the movies for the first time, and then reading the corresponding chapters added to my enjoyment of the book. I think it also helped that I like most of the films he discusses, especially Bullitt with Steve McQueen and Rolling Thunder with William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, and Linda Haynes. Tarantino loves movies, has strong opinions, and tends to ramble, but he does it all with passion. This was a fun read. 

Here are the movies he devotes chapters to:

Bullitt (1968)

I watched this years ago and loved it. It’s convoluted but Steve McQueen does a good job portraying a calm and cool police detective. The car chase scene through San Francisco is amazing, both crazy and suspenseful. 

Dirty Harry (1971) 

Directed by Don Siegal and starring Clint Eastwood. I rewatched this one after first watching it years and years ago. Great cast, action scenes, and some great lines, but the second half didn’t hold up for me. It just gets too over the top towards the end. 

Deliverance (1972) 

I read the book and then watched this before reading the chapter in Cinema Speculation.  Excellent book and excellent film adaptation, but very dark. 

The Getaway (1972) 

Based on the novel by Jim Thompson. I watched this one about two years ago. I didn’t care for the book at all but I liked the film a lot. Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw had good chemistry (off screen as well it turns out…) and I liked the changes the film made to the book.

The Outfit (1973)

Based on one of the Parker crime novels by Richard Stark aka Donald Westlake. This is also one I watched just recently. Not a perfect adaptation but pretty darn close. Tarantino considers this film the best Parker adaptation. 

 

Sisters (1973)  

An early film directed by Brian DePalma starring a very young Margot Kidder. Also watched just recently. I like it but not as much as some of his later films. I liked the nods to Alfred Hitchcock. 

Daisy Miller (1974) 

Based on the book by Henry James, directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Cybill Shepherd. I didn’t watch this one. It sounds interesting but it's not high on my list.

Taxi Driver (1976) 

Directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Robert De Niro, with a script by Paul Schrader. I watched this years and years ago and I plan to rewatch. 

Rolling Thunder (1977) 

I watched this the first time a few years ago and just rewatched it. I liked it even more the second time. This also has a script by Paul Schrader but according to Tarantino, William Devane’s screenwriter friend Heywood Gould rewrote parts of it as they thought that the original script was much too dark. It worked for me as some of the scenes added by Gould were my favorites. 

Paradise Alley (1978) 

A sports drama directed, written by, and starring Sylvester Stallone that takes place in 1940s Hell's Kitchen, New York. I plan to watch. 

Escape from Alcatraz (1979) 

Directed by Don Siegal and starring Clint Eastwood. Another one I watched years and years ago.

Hardcore (1979)

Written and directed by Paul Schrader and starring George C. Scott. I’m familiar with it but have never watched it. 

The Funhouse (1981)

A horror film directed by Tobe Hooper. I plan to watch and then read the novelization by Dean Koontz which has extra background and characterization.  

Watching Films

Reading Cinema Speculation got me in a movie watching mood and I really wound up watching a lot this month. After watching and rewatching some of the films discussed in the book, I started watching the early films of Alfred Hitchcock. I watched a number of his later films when I was a university student but the only one I remember well is Psycho. 

His really early films aren’t as polished as his later films but there’s evidence of his genius from the beginning, and it’s been interesting seeing how he grows as a director. So far of his early films my favorites are Shadow of a Doubt (1943) and Notorious (1946). Both are so dark and so well written and directed. I got so caught up with his films that I added a Hitchcock list on my Letterboxd page:

‎Alfred Hitchcock , a list of films by JimReddy • Letterboxd

Currently Reading 

I didn’t finish many books this month but I’m still reading. My interest in movies has me reading three film related books now.

Once Upon a Time In Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino (Harper Perennial, 2021)

I love the movie and have had this on the shelf since it was released. It’s interesting so far as it’s not a typical movie novelization. Some scenes are in a different order, some scenes have been left out, and lots of scenes that weren't in the movie have been added. 

The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929 - 1968 by Andrew Sarris (Da Capo Press, 1996) First published in 1968.

This book includes over 200 entries on film directors by film critic Andrew Sarris. Also included are his two essays on auteur theory. His essays helped raise the awareness of the role of the film director in a time when the producer was given more credit. I had heard of the theory before but never knew the details. I learned that the theory began in France with French film critics, including Francois Truffaut before he became a director himself, and that it considers directors as the “author” of their works, putting their unique creative stamps on their films. 

Sarris ranks directors and the ones that don’t make his “Pantheon” category are regulated to lesser categories. It’s all rather subjective but it’s been interesting to read so far. He has good things to say about two of my favorite directors, Budd Boetticher and Alfred Hitchcock. I recently watched Boetticher’s Ranown Series westerns with Randolph Scott and loved them. It was interesting to learn that Sarris was singing the praises of Hitchcock at a time when he was not as well regarded as today and just considered another commercial director. Which leads to the next book…

Hitchcock/Truffaut Revised Edition by François Truffaut (Simon & Schuster, 1985) Originally published in 1966 and revised after Hitchcock’s death to include his final films. 

I’ve been dipping into this while watching Hitchcock’s films. This book is amazing. It’s based on fifty hours of conversations the two directors had over a week about all of Hitchcock’s work. Included are tons of stills from the films as well as photographs from the interviews. 

I learned that this book had a big part of establishing Hitchcock’s reputation as a director and master of suspense. Having never known a time when Hitchcock wasn’t considered a great director this was a surprise to me. It makes sense in hindsight of course, but it was eye opening. 

Thank you Patrick for making me aware of this book! 

Next Month

I’ll be continuing my journey through Hitchcock’s early films before moving on to his later films. Hopefully I’ll get some reading done too.