For a Friday the 13th might as well get scary...so raise a glass to the late lamented Video Hut - now closed after we rented the five seasons of The Wire as a fitting finale to our long love affair with the place. Death by Netflix. And I think I might still owe some late fees.
Back to the journal:
Our yearly noir outing offered lots of options, the most intriguing one was a double shot of Peter Lorre goodness, including his painfully sympathetic portrayal of the "Face Behind the Mask's" watchmaker and his creepy lurker on the third floor. James Ellroy made a surprise appearance, and the short he introduced was pretty good, and a nice showcase for guest Marsha Hunt.
Saturday, April 12 – 7:30 PM
Peter Lorre Double Feature:
STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR, 1940, Warner Bros., 64 min. Dir. Boris Ingster. A newspaper reporter (John McGuire) plunges into a nightmare of guilt, fearing that his "evidence" has sentenced the wrong man to death. A stunning example of cinematic expressionism, cited by many as the first studio film shot in a completely noir style. Peter Lorre virtually reprises the eerily convincing persona he created in Fritz Lang’s M, adding an emotion-wringing melancholia to his performance as a paranoid, lost soul. Featuring the astounding art direction of Van Nest Polglase and the brilliant cinematography of Nicholas Musuraca, as well as reportedly uncredited script work by Nathanael West (The Day of the Locust)! With Margaret Tallichet, Elisha Cook Jr. NOT ON DVD
Rare! New 35mm Print! THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK, 1941, Sony Repertory, 69 min. Dir. Robert Florey. "What fiendish fury turns man into monster?" Peter Lorre gives one of his most affecting performances as an immigrant watchmaker, horribly disfigured in a fire, whose despair and alienation lead him into a life of crime. A friendship with a young blind woman (Evelyn Keyes) offers him a shot at love and redemption. But … this is a noir film festival. An amazing blend of brutally efficient pulp theatrics and genuine pathos makes this one of Lorre's most unforgettable films. Presented in a brand-new 35mm print courtesy of Sony Repertory. NOT ON DVD
Plus, preceding the features, Eddie Muller’s short film directorial debut: "The Grand Inquisitor" (2008, 20 min.) Legendary blacklisted Hollywood actress Marsha Hunt, 90, makes a stunning return to the screen in this haunting short film that writer-director Eddie Muller describes as "a noir fairy tale, based on actual events." A young woman (Leah Dashe) discovers a cache of used books that she believes holds clues to solving decades-old crimes. When the authorities dismiss her, she takes matters into her own hands, ringing the doorbell of Hazel Reedy (Hunt), a lonely recluse who may or may not be the widow of America's most notorious serial killer. Their cross-generational confrontation, played out in real time, leads to an unexpected and shocking conclusion. Adapted from Eddie Muller's short story of the same name, published in A Hell of a Woman: An Anthology of Female Noir (Busted Flush Press, 2007). Discussion following "The Grand Inquisitor" and before the feature films with actress Marsha Hunt.
Couple of A/A-s there. Ah, the Film Noir Fest...thank you for making it worth living in the City of Angels...ever since I took a trip down the Thieves Highway with Brute Force, you've been there.
CP
