Film for 2/1/15: The Big Combo

1955's The Big Combo suits its name so well. It's a fantastic combination of all the central elements of the noir gangster film -- writ extra large. The film's director is Joseph H. Lewis, best known for his gangster flicks and...

Film for 1/25/15: BOUND

Just to mix things up, we'll leap forward into 1996 for this Sunday's #BNoirDetour adventure. Bound is the first film by the Wachowskis, written, directed, and produced by the duo that brought us The Matrix films and, alas, Speed Racer....

Why Double Indemnity Is Rotten to the Heart, Baby

I bring you the following remorseless critique of Double Indemnity as an exercise in contrarianism, to gripe because it’s unavailable on Netflix or YouTube, and at the encouragement of SisterCelluloid... First, let’s get the applause out of the way. I love...

1/18/15: HITCHHIKER’S NIGHT

The Hitch-Hiker (1953) is (arguably) the only film noir directed by a woman. Featuring almost no women characters in its tense, 71-minute cautionary tale, The Hitch-Hiker stars Edmund O'Brien (DOA) and Frank Lovejoy (staple of hard-boiled radio shows) as two...

1/11/15: Gilda!

Sunday, January 11, 2015: GILDA @BNoirDetour is proud to present Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, and George Macready in Charle's Vidor's Gilda - a cinematic tale of love, loathing, and criminal desires. How far will Rita Hayworth go to reveal all of who she...