About this title: Beginning with a general overview of film noir and covering its most important themes chapter by chapter (lovers plan murder, corrupt police, doomed love, psychological noir, etc.), this coplously illustrated handbook provides instant and in-depth access to the film noir genre for amateurs and aflclonados alike. Among the films covered are these "top ten": Double Indemnity, Kiss Me Deadly, Gun Crazy, Criss Cross, Detour, In A Lonely Place, T-Men, Out of the Past, The Reckless Moment, and Touch of Evil.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Taschen
Date Published: 2004-05-01
ISBN-13:9783822822616ISBN:3822822612
Description: Like New. May be shiny, in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, no damage to binding, may have a remainder mark. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Taschen
Date Published: 2004-05-01
ISBN-13:9783822822616ISBN:3822822612
Description: Very good. Very minimal damage to the cover (no holes or tears, only minimal scuff marks), in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, minimal to no highlighting/under. read more
Edition: F
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Woodstock, New York, The Overlook Press, 1979.
Date Published: 1979
Description: Dust Jacket Included. First edition, second printing. 4to (8 3/4" x 11 1/4"). Edited by Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward. Co-editors: Carl Macek and Robert Porfirio. Dust jacket (unclipped). Clean fresh copy. No signatures or bookplates. 393 pages. read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Overlook Press
Date Published: 1979
Description: Very Good in Very Good jacket. Second printing. Arranged alphabetically by film title. With some B&W photos. Book very good plus with a couple of scuffs to boards, a few edge spots. DJ also very good plus with edgewear, rubbing. 393 pp. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Overlook Press, Woodstock
Date Published: 1979
ISBN-13:9780879510558ISBN:0879510552
Description: Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. 0879510552. With 75 black and white photographs from classic films. Second printing. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket. read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Overlook Press, Woodstock, NY
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9780879514792ISBN:0879514795
Description: Fine. 4to-over 9¾"-12" tall. vi + 479 pp., illus. w/ b&w photographs. Square, uncreased binding. Essentially as issued. Revised and expanded edition of the now-standard reference on noir first issued in 1979. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Woodstock, NY: The Overlook Press, (1979).
Description: -Quarto, cloth backed boards, in a price-clipped dw. Lightly bumped; cloth lightly spotted; dw lightly rubbed with the top chipped & a price-sticker on the front flap. 393 pp. Very good. First edition. read more
Edition: Later Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Overlook Press no date, Woodstock
Date Published: 0000
ISBN-13:9780879510558ISBN:0879510552
Description: Near Fine in Near Fine jacket. Later [2nd] printing thus. With 75 photographs from classic films. Near Fine or better copy in Near Fine or better Dust Wrapper. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Overlook TP
Date Published: 1993
ISBN-13:9780879514792ISBN:0879514795
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Edition: First edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Overlook Press, Woodstock
Date Published: 1979
ISBN-13:9780879510558ISBN:0879510552
Description: Fine in Very Good DJ. 8-1/2 x 11 inches, 393 pages, 75 film photos. A one-inch tear and a three-inch crease on rear panel of dust jacket. read more
Description: Fine in fine dust jacket. Sharp corners slight yellowing on inside flaps. Photo is of actual book. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 393 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Edition: First Edition.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: THE OVERLOOK PRESS., WOODSTOCK
Date Published: 1979
Description: Fine in a virtually fine dj. (1/4"-inch tear at base of spine on dj. ) A lovely copy of the book which has become the standard reference for the genre. (BC) read more
Edition: 3rd Edition
Binding: Wraps
Publisher: Overlook Press, Woodstock, NY
Date Published: 1993
ISBN-13:9780879514792ISBN:0879514795
Description: VG. 10 3/4 x 8 1/4 Inches / 27, 3 x 21 Cm. 479 pp. photos; index; movies with plots, actors, directors, etc, from Abandoned (1949) to You Only Live Once (1937); appendices. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Taschen
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9783822822616ISBN:3822822612
Description: Acceptable. The copies are used. All copies in readable condtion may show signs of wear and folds at corners. Item is a readable copy with some highlighting or ink throughout the book. The binding and pages may show signs of edges curled. The book may be a library copy. Thank You for shopping with Goodwill Industries of North Louisiana. Your purchase supports our mission " Improving people's lives through the power of work. " read more
"Film Noir: An Encyclopedia Reference To The American Style is just what it says. It has everything listed and is a ready resource for some rare films you will want to see after reading one of the tidy intelligent explications in the book.
Each film listed in the book is covered completely with in-depth cast listings, Directors, Cinematographers, ADs, material that the film originated from and many incidentals that will be great at cocktail parties, or next time you’re mixing with one of your Sundance Festival wannabe buddies!
“City That Never Sleeps” and “Ride the Pink Horse” are 2 examples of fine noir films with very little profile but excellent stories, and Film Noir: An Encyclopedia Reference To The American Style gives them plenty of air. But also listed is “Dirty Harry” (a detective story with particular noir touches), and “Hustle” (a little-known Robert Aldrich film with Burt Reynolds cast with Catherine Deneuve!)- many treats are in this book!
The big down side is that there aren’t enough production photos to accompany the text. The story breakdowns are really fine, and the production details are in-depth, but because it’s so text-heavy the book feels a little too academic. We want to see how the films look - I mean the most important thing about movies is the visual stuff, right?!
The book does cover exceedingly well the characteristics and overall paradigm of the American Style called Film Noir (as the French tagged it). This style of film-making dictated more by budget than thematic expression developed in America in the 40s- and the French called it ‘black film’ or Film Noir as a nick name on the mood and visuals of the films of the period. It is more a mood than a style, so that many films can have ‘noirish’ qualities. Many of the New Wave films of the 60s coming out of France copied the Noir story-telling techniques and visual styling.
The introductory pages in Film Noir: An Encyclopedia Reference To The American Style is a complete and lucid overview and analysis of the Film Noir style, its human concerns, characteristics, and visual themes.
Many rare generally unknown films are given a good breakdown. I use the book to read about my favorite films such as “Kiss Me Deadly”, “The Big Sleep”, and “Touch of Evil”. I have also found that it is a great resource for info on films that I might want to see like “Fear In The Night”, a small but wonderful film starring Deforest Kelly who later starred as Dr. McCoy in the Star Trek series on TV.
Another gem I discovered by looking through the book is “Ride The Pink Horse” directed by and starring Robert Montgomery and based on Dorothy Hughes’ novel.
Also covered are what essentially considered neo-noir films like Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye”, based on Raymond Chandler’s novel- a reinterpretation of Philip Marlow in 70s Los Angeles, sloppy, slouchy and metaphoric of the anachronism of the noir style itself, and “Taxi Driver”, driven (pun intended) by Robert De Niro’s performance (… you talkin’ to me…?!), to re-establish the noir elements in our own fractured and schizophrenic Post-modern world.
Film Noir is said to be an exclusively American stylized film genre. In its world the rain-soaked streets, shadowy doorways, and marginally moral characters attract our attention because of the mystery they seem to be entrenched in."
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