New Noir part 3

—–

Sunday 8-22-10
The Sniper (1952)
Directed by Edward Dmytryk. Screenplay by Harry Brown and Edward & Edna Anhalt. Starring Adolphe Menjou, Arthur Franz and Marie Windsor.
A man with women issues decides to take out his frustrations with a rifle. This was a nice, tight film with a good ending and some great San Francisco locations. Part of Columbia Pictures first Film Noir collection.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

—–

Monday 8-23-10
Prince of the City (1981)
Directed by Sidney Lumet. Screenplay by Sidney Lumet and Jay Presson Allen from the book by Robert Daley. Starring Treat Williams, Jerry Orbach, Bob Balaban, Lindsay Crouse and Lance Henriksen.
A crooked narcotics cop decides to rat to the feds and finds out that the police department isn’t the only place that’s twisted and corrupt. Long and complex, but pretty good.
(I’m not the best person to comment on this film since I don’t generally care for books and movies about cops.)
3 out of 5 stars.

—–

Tuesday 8-24-10
Bury Me Dead (1947)
Directed by Bernard Vorhaus. Screenplay by Dwight V. Babcock and Karen DeWolf from the Radio Play by Irene Winston. Starring June Lockhart, Hugh Beaumont and Cathy O’Donnell.
June Lockhart dies in a fire and then attends her own funeral. The rest of the film is spent trying to figure out who actually perished in the flames and who wants Lockhart dead. A fast-moving B film with a nice amount of humor.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

—–

Wednesday 8-25-10
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
Directed by Sam Peckinpah. Screenplay by Frank Kowalski, Gordon T. Dawson and Sam Peckinpah. Starring Warren Oates, Isela Vega and Kris Kristofferson.
Featured in the 1978 book “The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (And How They Got That Way)” by Harry Medved, but called “A Masterpiece” by Roger Ebert. Any movie that has someone deliver a severed head to a baby’s baptism is okay in my book. Warren Oates gives a great performance. I have a feeling this one gets even better with repeated viewings.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

—–

Thursday 8-26-10
Radio On (1980)
Directed by Christopher Petit. Screenplay by Christopher Petit and Heidi Adolph. Starring David Beames, Lisa Kreuzer and Sting.
A man drives from London to Bristol to investigate his brother’s death. This description is from IMdB and makes it sound like something gritty like “Get Carter.” Instead it’s boring artsy-fartsy crap.
1.5 out of 5 stars.

—–