***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Sick of dancing sugarplums? Tired of interminable cheery music? Ready to start throwing nutcrackers on to the fire? Are you starting to think Scrooge was right after all? Is Pottersville starting to look like a lot more fun than Bedford Falls? Then get that saccharine taste out of your mouth with the 1st Annual (hopefully) HTF Winter Crime Challenge, and put some murder and mayhem back into your life!

Though the original scope for this challenge was to be classic film noir and gangster films (and I hope that those genres will still be strongly represented), all types of crime films are eligible: film noir, proto noir, neo noir, gangster films, detective films, caper films, police procedurals… if you can make a case for it, it’s in.

And now the rules (which should be familiar to participants of the HTF Scary Movie Challenge):

1. Watch 13 crime films before midnight on January 31, 2008 (use your own time zone to set the ending time).

2. Two of the above must be new discoveries, movies you’ve never seen before. The point of this is to see those few movies you’ve always meant to see, but never got around to. I recommend more than two, but two is the minimum to pat yourself on the head and say you completed the challenge. Please specify new discoveries in your film list by making them bold, adding asterisks, different colors, etc.

3. Come here and discuss them.

To make the Challenge a bit easier, here is a link to some extensive lists of film noir and related movies to choose from:

Film Noir: They Shot Dark Pictures, Didn’t They?

And by coincidence, TCM’s Star of the Month is James Cagney, so here’s a list of all his gangster/crime movies playing in January. All times EST.

January 2

8:00 PM Sinner’s Holiday (1930)
9:15 PM The Public Enemy (1931)
10:45 PM White Heat (1949)
1:45 AM The Roaring Twenties (1939)
3:45 AM Smart Money (1931)
5:15 AM The Doorway to Hell (1930)

January 3

9:15 AM City for Conquest (1940)

January 9

8:00 PM The Mayor of Hell (1933)
9:45 PM Each Dawn I Die (1939)
11:30 PM Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)
1:15 AM G-Men (1935)
2:45 AM Blonde Crazy (1931)
4:15 AM He Was Her Man (1934)

January 16

2:00 AM Love Me or Leave Me (1955)
4:15 AM Taxi! (1932)

January 17

6:45 AM Picture Snatcher (1933)

January 30

8:00 PM Lady Killer (1933)

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

First time viewing in RED.

1. The Violent Years (1956) (MST3K version)
2. Behind That Curtain (1929)
3. The Sinister Urge (1960) (MST3K version)
4. Born Reckless (1930)
5. Up the River (1930)
6. Little Caesar (1931)
7. The Public Enemy (1931)
8. M (1931)
9. The Maltese Falcon (1931)
10. The Black Camel (1931)
11. Kitten with a Whip (1964) (MST3K version)
12. Eran Trece (Charlie Chan Carries On) (1931)
13. Charlie Chan's Chance (1932) (recreation)
14. Scarface (1932)
15. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

First time viewings are BOLD.

I think I'll use letter grades this time.

1. Heist B
2. Bullets or Ballots B+
3. A Slight Case of Murder A-
4. Murder, My Sweet C+
5. Reservoir Dogs C-
6. Double Indemnity B+
7. Rush Hour 3 B
8. Shoot 'Em Up B-
9. War C+
10. Shooter A-
11. The Public Enemy (1931) B
12. The Thin Man A
13. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) A
14. The Petrified Forest (1936) C+

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Considering I've never gotten around to watching the bulk of the Fox film noir series (yet I've owned them for years), I guess it would be a good time to get watching them.

And while I wouldn't count it as part of this challenge, Turner Classic Movies also has the Martin Scorsese-produced documentary on Val Lewton on January 14 at 8 PM.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

It's funny but I've never really understood the term "film noir" but if you look at those Val Lewton films then everything that is considered "noir" can be found in them.

I got started around 1am last night and watched a "B" noir from Columbia called THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK and was really disappointed in this one. I'll post my review later though.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

My list:

An Obsession ***
Attack the Gas Station **
Autumn ***
Big Bang Love, Juvenile A ***
Cause for Alarm **
Convoy Busters ***
The Depression of Detective Downs ***
Eastern Promises ***
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai ***
The Limey ***
Mario's Story ***
The Marquise of O ***
Miami Blues ***
Out of the Past ****
Rats: A Sin City Yarn ***
Sonatine ***
The State Witness ***
Stray Dog ****
Superfly ***
Suture ***
Thief ***
The Thin Man ****
The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse ***
3:10 to Yuma *
To Rob a Thief ***
Wiseguys Vs. Zombies **
Yo-Yo Girl Cop ***

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

First Time Viewings In BOLD

January 4
1. Zodiac (2007) (4.5/5)
January 5
2. Skidoo (1968) (2.5/5)
3. Goodfellas (1990) (5/5)
January 6
4. The Petrified Forest (1936) (4.5/5)
January 9
5. L.A. Confidential (1997) (5/5)
Janaury 17
6. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
January 19
7. The Ladykillers (2004) (3/5)
January 29
8. The Lady Vanishes (1938) (5/5)
9. Crook's Tour (1941) (3.5/5)
January 30
10. Little Caesar (1931) (4/5)
January 31
11. The Public Enemy (1931) (5/5)
12. Die 3groschenoper (AKA The Threepenny Opera) (1931) (5/5)
13. Scarface (1932) (5/5)

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

I'm in... and coincidentally enough, we watched our first film after the ball dropped last night. I introduced Reservoir Dogs (1992) to my wife, who had seen all of the QT movies except for that one. While looking at the IMDB entry for the movie, it saddened me to realize that Mr. Blue (Eddie Bunker), Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn), and Joe (Lawrence Tierney) are no longer with us.

Winter Crime Challenge 2008
First-Time Viewings are in Bold

001) 01/01/2008 - Reservoir Dogs (1992)
002) 01/02/2008 - Dark Passage (1947)
003) 01/04/2008 - White Heat (1949)
004) 01/06/2008 - The Thin Man (1934)
005) 01/13/2008 - Key Largo (1948)
006) 01/15/2008 - The Bank Dick (1940)
007) 01/17/2008 - His Girl Friday (1940)
008) 01/26/2008 - Taxi (1932)

---------------
Viewing Method
DVD: 6
TV: 2
HD DVD:

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

January Winter Crime Challenge - 26 seen

Movies in bold - seen for the first time

1/2 Catch Me If You Can (2002)
1/3 Collateral (2004)
1/3 White Heat ( 1949)
1/4 Fargo (1996)
1/6 Roaring Twenties (1939)
1/6 History of Violence (2005)
1/7 City For Conquest (1940)
1/7 Eastern Promises (2007)
1/10 G-Men (1935)
1/13 Larceny Inc. (1942)
1/13 Skidoo (1968)
1/14 Goodfellas (1990)
1/14 Mayor of Hell (1933)
1/14 Each Dawn I Die (1939)
1/15 Tequila Sunrise (1988)
1/17 The Last Gangster (1937)
1/18 Rebecca (1940)
1/22 Johnny Eager (1942)
1/23 Zodiac (2007)
1/23 Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
1/24 Saboteur (1942)
1/24 Marked Woman (1937)
1/25 Laura (1944)
1/26 People Against O'Hara (1951)
1/29 Sin City (2005)
1/30 Lady Killer (1933)

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Rats: A Sin City Yarn (2004)

Viewed 1/1/2008 (first viewing)

A war criminal's past catches up with him in this well done, fan-made short based on a Frank Miller story.

out of


Eastern Promises (2007)

Viewed 1/1/2008 (first viewing)

David Cronenberg's latest has a dour Russian chauffeur falling for the midwife who has damning evidence against the crime family he works for.

out of


Yo-Yo Girl Cop (2006)

Viewed 1/1/2008 (first viewing)

A teenaged girl is forced by the cops to ferret out student terrorists at a college. Her weapon: a yo-yo!
Fun J-thriller.

out of

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

I'm in! This well be my place holder. I'll be lucky to get in 13 though, I'm trying to knock off that ford At fox set.

NOIR/CRIME CHALLENGE 2008, FIRST TIME VIEWINGS IN BLUE

01 - 01/05 - CRUISING 4/5
02 - 01/05 - THE LODGER 3.5/5
03 - 01/06 - HANGOVER SQUARE 3.5/5
04 - 01/06 - ROAD TO PERDITION 3/5
05 - 01/10 - THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES 4/5
06 - 01/10 - THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES 3.5/5
07 - 01/11 - SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR 3/5
08 - 01/11 - SHERLOCK HOLMES & THE SECRET WEAPON 2.5/5
09 - 01/12 - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON 2.5/5
10 - 01/12 - SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH 2.5/5
11 - 01/13 - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE SPIDER WOMAN 3/5
12 - 01/13 - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE SCARLET CLAW 2.5/5
13 - 01/13 - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE PEARL OF DEATH 2/5
14 - 01/13 - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE HOUSE OF FEAR 1/5
15 - 01/13 - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE WOMAN IN GREEN 3/5
16 - 01/13 - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN PURSUIT TO ALGIERS 3.5/5
17 - 01/14 - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN TERROR BY NIGHT 2/5
18 - 01/14 - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN DRESSED TO KILL 2/5
19 - 01/17 - HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES 4/5
20 - 01/19 - ANATOMY OF A MURDER 3/5
21 - 01/20 - BUCKTOWN 3/5
22 - 01/20 - NIGHT AND THE CITY 3.5/5
23 - 01/20 - THE HITCH-HIKER 4/5
24 - 01/20 - EASTERN PROMISES 4/5
25 - 01/25 - PICK-UP ON SOUTH STREET 4/5
26 - 01/25 - THE NAKED KISS 4.5/5
27 - 01/26 - THE HONEYMOON KILLERS 3/5
28 - 01/26 - DISTURBIA 2/5
29 - 01/27 - CRISS CROSS 3.5/5
30 - 01/27 - FOLLOW ME QUIETLY 4/5
31 - 01/27 - RATED X 2/5
32 - 01/27 - SCARLET STREET 4/5
33 - 01/27 - BOOMERANG 4/5
34 - 01/27 - HE WALKED BY NIGHT 3.5/5
35 - 01/29 - DR. MABUSE THE GAMBLER 4/5
36 - 01/29 - DETECTIVE STORY 4/5
37 - 01/29 - KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL 4/5
38 - 01/29 - THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION - 5/5
39 - 01/30 - THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE - 5/5
40 - 01/30 - UNDYING MONSTER 2/5

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

01 Killer That Stalked New York, The (1950)

B-budget noir about a female diamond smuggler (Evelyn Keyes) who is trying to sneak some priceless diamonds into NYC from Cuba. While the police are tracking her down they learn that the woman also has smallpox, which threatens the entire city. The story here is a very interesting one but sadly the film never manages to do anything with it. The film really doesn't know if it wants to settle on the diamond story or the smallpox one and the two really don't mix well together. The biggest problem is the direction, which is also all over the place. With a story like this you'd expect some sort of tension or suspense but none never happens. Keyes is pretty good in her role but the screenplay really doesn't do her any justice as our feelings for her character are never really made clear. Charles Korvin, William Bishop and Dorothy Malone round out the cast. The ending is pretty good and picks the film up a bit but that's about all there is.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

002) Dark Passage (1947)

We watched Dark Passage for the first time tonight. It stars Humphrey Bogart as a fugitive desperately trying to clear his name and Lauren Bacall as the woman who finds him on the side of the road. Thanks to a plot twist, we don't actually see Bogart's face until past the hour mark in the movie. That first hour makes for some nifty camera work as most of the action takes place in a first-person perspective. There are a couple of memorable supporting roles, here (the restaurant owner and the cab driver,) but Bogart & Bacall's chemistry is the real story.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

I liked DARK PASSAGE the first time I watched it but I tried rewatching it a few years ago and barely got through it. Ed Wood ripped the film off with JAIL BAIT, which I might try to watch this month.


Another heads up for people but TCM is showing Otto Preminger's SKIDOO Friday at 2am as part of their TCM Underground series. This film has a pretty notorious history and deals with a group of gangster taking on those hippies.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Very entertaining Spielberg directed crime caper based on a true story.

Young Frank Abagnale Jr. runs away from home at 16 after finding out that his parents are divorcing. Unable to choose, he begins a life of crime by forging and passing bad checks and posing as a pilot, doctor and a prosecuting attorney. He is pursued relentlessly by FBI agent Carl Hanratty. Along the way they both develop a respect for each other.

Both Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks play their respective roles superbly. DiCaprio is one of a few actors that could probably play a 12 year old let alone a 16 year old and be quite believable. He is totally believable in the role. Tom Hanks was also excellent as the relentless agent. This story in a way is laughable and incredulous if I didn't know that it was based on a true story. Fun movie.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Place holder

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Collateral (2004)

A cab driver finds himself and his vehicle taken hostage by a hitman who was hired to eliminate 5 people before they can appear in front of the grand jury and give testimony against a drug cartel.

Tom Cruise has mostly been relegated to playing hero types or at least likable characters. He plays against type here for his character is a cold blooded killer and Tom pulls it off quite well. In fact I think I prefer him in this type of role rather than some of the others that he's done. This role is meaty and protrays a different side to his talent. Jamie Foxx was great as the cab driver who had the misforture of picking up Tom.
This is a well crafted movie that comes to a satisfying conclusion. Michael Mann never fails to disappoint.


White Heat (1949)

James Cagney plays Cody Jarrett a ruthless criminal who arranges to spend time in prison in another state for a crime he didn't commit. This way he can avoid death row. Undercover cop Hank Fallon shares a cell with Jarrett in order to find out information about a train heist and the location of the money.

This is Cagney at his best playing a role that he's familiar with. Not too many actors can play a gangster like Cagney can. Edmund O'Brien was also excellent as the undercover cop. He seemed to be able to hold his own against Cagney's scenery chewing. The rest of the supporting characters were great. This is a pretty good gangster flick.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Fargo (1996)

Classic Coen brothers flick based on a true story and set in Minnesota. Everything here is perfect from the acting, soundtrack, directing and especially cinematography. The all white scene with the lone truck coming toward the camera was just awesome. The script was just brilliant. You got to know these characters, quirks and all and like them or at least some of them. This movie is on my top ten favourites of all time. Great stuff.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

02 Doorway to Hell, The (1930)

Early gangster picture from Warner tells the rise and fall of Louie Ricarno (Lew Ayres) who started up a beer racket before retiring yet he gets back in after his youngest brother is killed by rival gangs. This film suffers from some technical issues like many films from this era in terms of sound recording but overall it's a pretty entertaining little film, although it's been forgotten today due to Little Caesar and The Public Enemy, which were released the following year. There's plenty of action and tough talk but Ayres is really the wrong guy for the lead. For starters, he looks like a kid so he never comes off too threatening and whenever he pushes the other gangster around it just makes them look like wimps. Ayres also comes off laughable during the scenes where he's trying to show outrage and anger. James Cagney steals the film as Ayres' sidekick and he's his typical, high energy self. Dwight Frye also has a small role here, which was the first of his career.

03 Public Enemy, The (1931)

James Cagney stars as a guy who grew up poor but quickly works his way up the criminal ladder. I think this is the best of all the early gangster pictures, although the film still has a few flaws. Even the flaws can't stand in the way of all the action, drama and laughs the film has going for it. I never really gave much credit to Wellman but since I've been watching countless films of his I paid closer attention to little details here that would later show up in others films of his. The way he takes the camera off the action is what really stood out and this gimmick always works for the director. It's used here when the man at the piano is shot and moving the camera off the action makes for more drama and works a lot better than if we had seen the shooting. Jean Harlow and Mae Clarke are both great in their roles but there's no denying that this is Cagney's picture from start to finish. This is certainly one of the greatest performances out there as Cagney's free and easy acting makes for a very memorable role. The way Cagney just seems to float within the scene adds to the fun. There are countless great scenes in the film including the grapefruit scene but my favorite is the one where Cagney is dressed in black walking towards the camera in the rain.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Placeholder!

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Apparently James Cagney was getting tired of being typecasted for mostly gangster rolls and this was the last picture of that type for ten years until he did White Heat in '49 according to Robert Osborne.

Three buddies get out of the service after WW1 and one becomes a lawyer while the other two become bootleggers. This movie mostly takes place in the '20's where prohibition was in full-force.

This is quite an involving little movie with a great story. James Cagney who plays Eddie Bartlett is of course perfect for the role. No-one can play this type of role like Cagney can. In this movie though, he has a heart as indicated by his intercession on behalf of his lawyer friend. There are two ladies in Eddie's life, Jean Sherman who is played by Priscilla Lane. Eddie is devastated when she choses someone else. The other is Gladys George who plays Panama the owner of a speakeasy who gets Eddie started as a bootlegger. Both these actress were great in their respective parts.
Humphrey Bogart as one of the buddies was adequate in his role but nowhere near a great as Cagney who owned this movie. This was a good movie and a worthwhile watch.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Superfly (1972)

Viewed 1/5/2008 (first viewing)

Blaxploitation classic has a drug dealer named Priest desperately trying to get out of the buisness. But a hesitant partner and dirty cops stand in his way! Great score by Curtis Mayfield.

out of


Wiseguys Vs. Zombies (2003)

Viewed 1/5/2008 (first viewing)

Cheapo indie production has two hitmen transporting a cargo of illicit drugs and bodies from New York to Miami. After being stranded in a redneck South Carolina town they discover that the drugs have turned their victims into flesh-hungry and damn near unstoppable zombies! More entertaining than it ought to be, thanks to good chemistry between the leads.

out of

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

I gotta get into the game here. I just need to finish watching some other random DVDs that I got for Christmas first.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

As I said in another thread, I won't be taking part in this Crime Challenge because of various reasons (mostly family) - even though noir is one of my favorite genres and I still have a boatload of unwatched DVDs of that variety in my collection!

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

History of Violence (2005)

This movie explores the philosophical question, can an cold-blooded killer change and turn himself into someone he wasn't born to be. David Cronenberg has directed a taut, extremely violent but thoughtful movie.
After watching the excellent Eastern Promises, I decided to revisit this movie again.

Tom Stall is a gentle family man, the owner of a small diner in a small Mid-western town in Indiana. He's a loving husband and father of two children, a teenage son and a young daughter. He's an upstanding citizen, a church going man who is well regarded by the community. One night two gangsters enter his place of business and threaten his customers and employees. Tom takes matters into his own hands and kills these men thus becoming the town hero with his picture all over the news. Philly gangster
Carl Fogarty comes to the diner and calls Tom by another name, Joey Cusack. Tom denies it but when Fogarty threatens his son events escalate.

David Cronenberg has a reputation of making very violent and somewhat bizarre movies. This movie plus Eastern Promises are probably more mainstream but still extremely violent. Alot of people dislike David Cronenberg but I'm a great admirer of his especially after I saw this movie. Plus he's a fellow Canadian.
I don't know what prompted Cronenberg to choose Viggo Mortensen for the lead role. Whether he saw something special in him from Hidalgo or The Lord of the Rings movies, I don't know. Before LOTR, if someone had mentioned him to me I wouldn't have known who he was. I would have though, reconized his face in some of his past works. LOTR changed all that. Even though I liked his character Aragorn in the LOTR's movies, I didn't realize how good of an actor he was till I saw History of Violence. What a superb acting job. He was completely believable as both the mild-mannered family man and as the ruthless killer that he once was. The scene that cemented his abilities for me was when his son shoots Fogarty and Tom aka Joey graps the rifle from his son, the look of sheer hatred and evil that came over his face and then changed to the old Tom that we knew was chilling and remarkable acting. The supporting cast was uniformly excellent. Maria Bello as Tom wife was excellent. She was able to convey to the audience, the mixed feelings that she had regarding her husband. The violent scene on the stairs conveyed that. The rest of the supporting cast was also excellent which included Ed Harris, William Hurt in almost a cameo-like role and especially Ashton Holmes who played Tom's son.

I can't begin to explain how much I love this movie. It's more than just a violent thriller. My husband can watch extreme horror films, yet thought this one was excessively violent. Go figure! Can a cold-blooded killer change? I believe this movie answered that question.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

The Thin Man (1934)

Smart and funny who-dun-it with memorable characters, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Asta, the cowardly canine comic relief, almost accomplished the task of overshadowing the story itself. We enjoyed it enough to catch the rest of the movies in the future.

As a side note... the names Nick and Nora were a revelation to my wife; on our honeymoon, the fancy restaurant on our cruise ship (the Carnival Miracle) is named after the duo.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

City For Conquest (1940)

Thanks to Tim Tucker for the list of Cagney and film noir movies. I probably would never have watched this gem of a movie if it wasn't for this challenge.

Danny Kenny played by Cagney is a truck driver who turns into a prize fighter in order to pay his little brother's tuition at a music school. Ann Sheridan is Peg, Danny's childhood girlfriend who has career ideas of her own. Along the way, Danny loses his eyesight due to a blinding powder that was placed on his opponent's gloves. He remains undaunted by his misforture and continues to encourage his brother to fulfill his dream.

This is a very sentimental movie and I couldn't help but shed lots of tears but that's okay. The sentimentality didn't bother me in the least. Here James Cagney shows a softer, gentle side to his character. He is excellent as Danny the truck driver turned boxer with a heart of gold. Ann Sheridan also was outstanding as the girlfriend. Danny stood by her and loved her despite having his heart broken a few times. Arthur Kennedy was also outstanding as the younger brother.

This is a great tear-jerker if you're in the mood and I certainly was.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Time to get started:

* 1. The House on 92nd Street (1945) This is one of the film's from Fox's Noir line that has been sitting on my shelf for far too long. The plot revolves around the FBIs search for Nazi infiltrators in America during WWII. Most of the mandatory elements of a good noir are present except for the sex aspect. While there are several good looking women, sex is never used to gain anything. This was one of the first films to use extensive location shooting in New York, along with "The Lost Weekend" & "The Naked City", which both used the scenery to better effect. Although, I enjoyed the film, and was never bored, but in the end I found it slightly disappointing.

* 2. Harper (1966) Another film that has been rotting on my shelf since I acquired the Paul Newman boxset from WB. I wanted to enjoy this film a lot more than I did, but for some reason it just did not work for me. Newman was not bad in the role as private dick Harper, but the whole film seemed like a rehash of "The Big Sleep" only set in the 60s and in color. In fact, there are countless similarities between the two films including the kidnapping plot, a PI who has little interest in sex, the PIs customer who is in a wheel chair, & Lauren Bacall amongst many others. There were several humous moments including Strother Martin as the leader of a sun cult, but overall I found the film to be uneven and something that I doubt I will ever re-watch. There is a sequel in the boxset called "The Drowning Pool". I suppose that I should watch that one soon and see if it's any better.

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

Finally got watching some stuff this weekend. No way I'm going to hit my "Scary Movie Challenge" numbers. First timers are in police blue... I know, not the same thing as chilling blood red, but what can I do?

01 - 01/05 - CRUISING 4/5
Incredibly sleazy, but damn fine cop drama about an undercover cop in the hard leather gay community in New York. Disturbing and gripping, it was well worth the wait to watch. Pacino did a great job, and Paul Sorvino steals the show with his portrayal of the police Captain.

02 - 01/05 - THE LODGER 3.5/5
This is the 1940's one from the "Fox Horror Colelction". I remember during the scary movie challenge and when it was announced that both it and Hanover Square" were better suited in the Noir line so I'm counting them. This one was a darn good suspense thriller about a lodger potentially being Jack The Ripper. Not to spoil it, I would of preferred it to be a bit more ambiguous. Still good though with lots of atmosphere.

03 - 01/06 - HANGOVER SQUARE 3.5/5
Another great thriller. Tons of atmosphere and down right disturbing in ways. Craiger was fantastic.

04 - 01/06 - ROAD TO PERDITION 3/5
Decent enough crime drama. Hanks does all right playing against type, my main issue is the over all style of the film drew me out of it. Paul Newman is the shit though.

My running tally:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/3296151-post11.html

Re: ***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge***

04. Whistler, The (1944)

First film in Columbia's series has Richard Dix playing a man wanting to commit suicide due to the death of his wife but he doesn't have the courage to do so. Wanting to die, Dix hires a killer (J. Carrol Naish) to do the job but then he learns that his wife is still alive so he too must try and stay alive. Based on a radio show, this first film is actually pretty entertaining due to some nice direction by Castle and the two leads turning in fine performances. The story itself is pretty interesting and the B-budget gets all out of it that it can. Dix makes for a very good leading man and his performance is very good especially during his depression scenes. Naish is a great character actor and makes for a very good killer. Gloria Stuart plays Dix secretary and does nice work, although she has the weakest character.

05. Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)

Final film in Argento's animal trilogy has a musician (Michael Brandon) accidentally killing a stalker but then the real trouble starts when another stalker shows up trying to kill him. I guess since this isn't on DVD certain fans talk it up as if it's a lost masterpiece but it really isn't. That's not to say this isn't a decent little film but it's certainly no way near the director's best. Argento brings his usual nice style to the film and has some great murder sequences, which are full of suspense. The murder on the stairs is certainly one of the film's highlights. The director also manages to get some good performances from the cast with Brandon making a good leading man. Mimsy Farmer is good as the wife but it's Jean-Pierre Marielle who steals the show as a gay detective. I think the film's biggest problem is the story, which isn't that special. The idea of a guilty man being stalked is an interesting one but Argento does very little with it and I picked up on who the killer was very early in the film. Ennio Morricone's score also adds a lot of tension to the film and fits the movie nicely.

06. Power of the Whistler, The (1945)

Third film in the series has Richard Dix being hit by a car and losing his memory. A card reader (Janis Carter) befriends the man as the two search for his real identity but who he turns out to be is the real shock. Based on a radio show episode, this film manages to be somewhat entertaining, although it seems long even at just 66-minutes. It takes a while for the story to get going but the twist in the man's identity comes out of no where and is handled very well. This is when the film really picks up and leads to a very good final act. Dix is very good in his role and Carter comes off good as well. Landers steps in to direct this one after William Castle handled the first two. I was a little letdown that he didn't keep the action moving better because he usually handles these B films a lot better. There's some nice humor scattered throughout and also a rather mean spirited side, which includes killing of a lot of animals.

07. Skidoo (1968)

Extremely bizarre comedy has gangster battling hippies in the lovin' 60's. A retired gangster (Jackie Gleason) is asked by the top gangster, God (Groucho Marx) to break into prison and kill a rat (Mickey Rooney). On the outside Gleason's daughter has started dating a hippie and its up to them to try and save her dad. This was a notorious flop when originally released but it has gained a cult following over the years and in the end the film really isn't all that bad. I think the biggest problem is that Preminger simply wasn't the right guy to direct the material. He's got some great comic actors yet he gets very little from them. Most of the comedy comes from politically incorrect stuff or things that weren't meant to be funny but they come off that way. The highlight of the film is when Gleason is in prison and accidentally takes some LSD and has a wild trip afterwards. Marx also smokes some pot, which is somewhat funny but Rooney comes off rather lame. The supporting cast includes Carol Channing, Frankie Avalon, Peter Lawford, Burgess Meredith, George Raft and Cesar Romero. The film eventually runs out of steam in the final act, which again deals with an LSD trip but the jokes plays itself out way before the end.

08.Larceny, Inc. (1942)

Three convicts (Edward G. Robinson, Broderick Crawford, Edward Brophy) plan to rob a bank by buying the luggage store next door and digging through the wall. Everything is going as planned until the store becomes a huge hit and the men decide to go straight but another con (Anthony Quinn) shows up and wants the bank robbed. This is a pretty pleasant little comedy that has plenty of funny moments but also a lot of heart. Robinson is perfect in his role and brings a real cuteness to the film. Perhaps it's seeing this tough guy trying to wrap up some luggage but he comes off like a teddy bear and makes for a very loveable character. Crawford and Brophy add terrific support and their coming timing adds a great many laughs. The supporting cast is just as great with Jane Wyman, Jack Carson and Quinn doing nice work. I almost didn't recognize him but Jackie Gleason has a couple great scenes as a soda clerk. Highlights include a great scene where Crawford walks out in front of a car to get some money and a prison baseball game early in the film. Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks borrows very heavily from this film that there's really no question that Allen's film is a remake.