Announcing The Back in Black: Another Film Noir Blogathon

Anyone who has been a reader of The Midnite Drive-In knows how much I like the film noir theme. It is one of the types of movies that inspired me to become a film reviewer in the first place. My first ever blogathon that I ran was a Film Noir Blogathon back in 2016. It's been 10 years since that blogathon, so I thought it was high time to address the issue again. 

Film noir is something that I typically describe to the novice as being films where the good guys are not much better than the bad guys with the exception that the good guys have a moral compass. That may be a rather simplistic definition, of course, and not all movies that are classed as film noir could actually fit into said description. But it serves as an introduction to the genre, for me, nonetheless.

The heyday of film noir was in the 40's and 50's, but the essence of the theme has been used in films classed as "neo-noir" (Chinatown, Body Heat, L.A. Confidential), "future (or sci-fi) noir" (Blade Runner, Dark City, Upgrade), and even sometimes "comedy noir" (Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?)

My friend Rachel (Hamlette) shares an avid love of this classic genre. So we created this blogathon to celebrate what is one of the more intriguing (and accessible) themes in film. Although some genres tend to have a somewhat limited fan base (not everyone loves science fiction or horror), I think the film noir genre is one that even someone whose primary love is, say, musicals can get into.  

For the purposes of the Back in Black Blogathon you are encouraged to write about your favorite film(s) that exhibit the essence of film noir as it's theme. If you need help, any movie listed here (from the classic era) will automatically be accepted. But since we are including neo-noir and sci-fi noir (and other variations I may be missing), feel free to make your choice from elsewhere. For example: I am going with the 1988 remake of the classic D.O.A. (neo-noir) and The Thirteenth Floor (sci-fi noir) as two of my non-classic choices.

My co-host, Hamlette, created some fantastic looking buttons for this blogathon. Feel free to use one on your blog to promote this blogathon.

 

 

 

  

Let Hamlette or me know of your choices. There are plenty of options, so only one blogger per movie. But there is room for diversity. If someone has already chosen The Big Sleep another blogger could include it as part of an overview of Humphrey Bogart film noir films. And, if the whim hits you, you can choose to make multiple posts. (I'm doing 3 myself...)

So to sum up, the rules are:

1. Choose your movie(s) and let us know of your choice.

2. Promote the blogathon on your blog.

3. Let one us know when the blog is posted.

4. Above all, have fun. 

 

The Back to Black: Another Film Noir Blogathon blogroll:

The Midnite Drive-In: Out of the Past (1947), D.O.A. (1988) and The Thirteenth Floor (1999) 

Hamlette's Soliloquy: The Asphalt Jungle (1950)