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The 100 Unhappiest Endings
4 years ago
General
https://www.pastemagazine.com/movie.....s-of-all-time/
Paste magazine argues that film noir (a term as difficult to define as pornography) speaks to us in the here and now, in stories frighteningly relevant to our 21st century lives. "Its characters were dirty, displaced, disillusioned, distrustful, just plain dumb. Everyone was running some kind of scam, even the cops -- especially the cops."
The piece goes on to say, "And so noir cast its misfits...into a seductive, violent postwar labyrinth, in which the terror was internal and external. Fear of the next world conflict, fear of each other, fear of never getting back to a pure time, the fear in realizing there never really was one."
You'll have to follow the link to read Paste's witty summaries of these movies, which explain why they're on this list in the first place. And like all such lists, this is a good starting point, not a canon.
100. Angel Heart (Alan Parker, 1987)
99. Hard Eight (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1996)
98. A Simple Plan (Sam Raimi, 1998)
97. Croupier (Mike Hodges, 1998)
96. After Dark, My Sweet (James Foley, 1990)
95. Angel Face (Otto Preminger, 1953)
94. The Grifters (Stephen Frears, 1990)
93. The Naked City (Jules Dassin, 1948)
92. State of Grace (Phil Joanou, 1990)
91. Devil in a Blue Dress (Carl Franklin, 1995)
90. Kiss of Death (Henry Hathaway, 1947)
89. The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, 1995)
88. Black Widow (Bob Rafelson, 1987)
87. Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998)
86. Gaslight (George Cukor, 1944)
85. Obsession (Edward Dmytryk, 1949)
84. Se7en (David Fincher, 1995)
83. Tension (John Berry, 1949)
82. King of New York (Abel Ferrara, 1990)
81. Oldboy (Park Chan-wook, 2003)
80. Bound (Lilly & Lana Wachowski, 1996)
79. The Asphalt Jungle (John Huston, 1950)
78. Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011)
77. The Prowler (Joseph Losey, 1951)
76. Lady in the Lake (Robert Montgomery, 1947)
75. Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)
74. D.O.A. (Rudolf Maté, 1950)
73. Detour (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1945)
72. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
71. Key Largo (John Huston, 1948)
70. The Sound of Fury (aka Try and Get Me!) (Cy Enfield, 1950)
69. Brick (Rian Johnson, 2005)
68. Force of Evil (Abraham Polonsky, 1948)
67. Angels with Dirty Faces (Michael Curtiz, 1938)
66. T-Men (Anthony Mann, 1947)
65. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Shane Black, 2005)
64. Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick, 1957)
63. Fargo (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1996)
62. The Limey (Steven Soderbergh, 1999)
61. Red Rock West (John Dahl, 1993)
60. The Verdict (Don Siegel, 1946)
59. Shoot the Piano Player (François Truffaut, 1960)
58. Gun Crazy (Joseph H. Lewis, 1950)
57. Sexy Beast (Jonathan Glazer, 2000)
56. Clash by Night (Fritz Lang, 1952)
55. The Last Seduction (John Dahl, 1994)
54. Miller's Crossing (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1990)
53. Le Doulos (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1962)
52. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
51. The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman, 1973)
50. Le Samouraï (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1967)
49. One False Move (Carl Franklin, 1992)
48. Journey Into Fear (Orson Welles & Norman Foster, 1943)
47. Sorry, Wrong Number (Anatole Litvak, 1948)
46. The Blue Dahlia (George Marshall, 1946)
45. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (Lewis Milestone, 1946)
44. Body Heat (Lawrence Kasdan, 1981)
43. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)
42. The Hitch-Hiker (Ida Lupino, 1953)
41. White Heat (Raoul Walsh, 1949)
40. Pickup on South Street (Samuel Fuller, 1953)
39. Odd Man Out (Carol Reed, 1947)
38. L.A. Confidential (Curtis Hanson, 1997)
37. Blood Simple (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1984)
36. Nightmare Alley (Edmund Goulding, 1947)
35. Murder, My Sweet (Edward Dmytryk, 1944)
34. Night Moves (Arthur Penn, 1975)
33. Crime Wave (André de Toth, 1954)
32. Criss Cross (Robert Siodmak, 1949)
31. Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986)
30. The Set-Up (Robert Wise, 1949)
29. Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
28. Night and the City (Jules Dassin, 1950)
27. Mildred Pierce (Michael Curtiz, 1945)
26. The Postman Always Rings Twice (Tay Garnett, 1946)
25. The Wrong Man (Alfred Hitchcock, 1956)
24. The Big Heat (Fritz Lang, 1953)
23. The Killing (Stanley Kubrick, 1956)
22. In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1950)
21. Drunken Angel (Akira Kurosawa, 1948)
20. The Lady From Shanghai (Orson Welles, 1947)
19. The Killers (Robert Siodmak, 1946)
18. Thieves' Highway (Jules Dassin, 1949)
17. Raw Deal (Anthony Mann, 1948)
16. They Live by Night (Nicholas Ray, 1948)
15. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951)
14. Elevator to the Gallows (Louis Malle, 1958)
13. Gilda (Charles Vidor, 1946)
12. The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)
11. The Maltese Falcon (John Huston, 1941)
10. Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950)
9. Laura (Otto Preminger, 1944)
8. Kiss Me Deadly (Robert Aldrich, 1955)
7. Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur, 1947)
6. The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949)
5. Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958)
4. Chinatown (Roman Polanski, 1974)
3. Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944)
2. The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946)
1. The Woman in the Window (Fritz Lang, 1944)
Paste magazine argues that film noir (a term as difficult to define as pornography) speaks to us in the here and now, in stories frighteningly relevant to our 21st century lives. "Its characters were dirty, displaced, disillusioned, distrustful, just plain dumb. Everyone was running some kind of scam, even the cops -- especially the cops."
The piece goes on to say, "And so noir cast its misfits...into a seductive, violent postwar labyrinth, in which the terror was internal and external. Fear of the next world conflict, fear of each other, fear of never getting back to a pure time, the fear in realizing there never really was one."
You'll have to follow the link to read Paste's witty summaries of these movies, which explain why they're on this list in the first place. And like all such lists, this is a good starting point, not a canon.
100. Angel Heart (Alan Parker, 1987)
99. Hard Eight (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1996)
98. A Simple Plan (Sam Raimi, 1998)
97. Croupier (Mike Hodges, 1998)
96. After Dark, My Sweet (James Foley, 1990)
95. Angel Face (Otto Preminger, 1953)
94. The Grifters (Stephen Frears, 1990)
93. The Naked City (Jules Dassin, 1948)
92. State of Grace (Phil Joanou, 1990)
91. Devil in a Blue Dress (Carl Franklin, 1995)
90. Kiss of Death (Henry Hathaway, 1947)
89. The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, 1995)
88. Black Widow (Bob Rafelson, 1987)
87. Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998)
86. Gaslight (George Cukor, 1944)
85. Obsession (Edward Dmytryk, 1949)
84. Se7en (David Fincher, 1995)
83. Tension (John Berry, 1949)
82. King of New York (Abel Ferrara, 1990)
81. Oldboy (Park Chan-wook, 2003)
80. Bound (Lilly & Lana Wachowski, 1996)
79. The Asphalt Jungle (John Huston, 1950)
78. Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011)
77. The Prowler (Joseph Losey, 1951)
76. Lady in the Lake (Robert Montgomery, 1947)
75. Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)
74. D.O.A. (Rudolf Maté, 1950)
73. Detour (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1945)
72. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
71. Key Largo (John Huston, 1948)
70. The Sound of Fury (aka Try and Get Me!) (Cy Enfield, 1950)
69. Brick (Rian Johnson, 2005)
68. Force of Evil (Abraham Polonsky, 1948)
67. Angels with Dirty Faces (Michael Curtiz, 1938)
66. T-Men (Anthony Mann, 1947)
65. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Shane Black, 2005)
64. Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick, 1957)
63. Fargo (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1996)
62. The Limey (Steven Soderbergh, 1999)
61. Red Rock West (John Dahl, 1993)
60. The Verdict (Don Siegel, 1946)
59. Shoot the Piano Player (François Truffaut, 1960)
58. Gun Crazy (Joseph H. Lewis, 1950)
57. Sexy Beast (Jonathan Glazer, 2000)
56. Clash by Night (Fritz Lang, 1952)
55. The Last Seduction (John Dahl, 1994)
54. Miller's Crossing (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1990)
53. Le Doulos (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1962)
52. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
51. The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman, 1973)
50. Le Samouraï (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1967)
49. One False Move (Carl Franklin, 1992)
48. Journey Into Fear (Orson Welles & Norman Foster, 1943)
47. Sorry, Wrong Number (Anatole Litvak, 1948)
46. The Blue Dahlia (George Marshall, 1946)
45. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (Lewis Milestone, 1946)
44. Body Heat (Lawrence Kasdan, 1981)
43. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)
42. The Hitch-Hiker (Ida Lupino, 1953)
41. White Heat (Raoul Walsh, 1949)
40. Pickup on South Street (Samuel Fuller, 1953)
39. Odd Man Out (Carol Reed, 1947)
38. L.A. Confidential (Curtis Hanson, 1997)
37. Blood Simple (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1984)
36. Nightmare Alley (Edmund Goulding, 1947)
35. Murder, My Sweet (Edward Dmytryk, 1944)
34. Night Moves (Arthur Penn, 1975)
33. Crime Wave (André de Toth, 1954)
32. Criss Cross (Robert Siodmak, 1949)
31. Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986)
30. The Set-Up (Robert Wise, 1949)
29. Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
28. Night and the City (Jules Dassin, 1950)
27. Mildred Pierce (Michael Curtiz, 1945)
26. The Postman Always Rings Twice (Tay Garnett, 1946)
25. The Wrong Man (Alfred Hitchcock, 1956)
24. The Big Heat (Fritz Lang, 1953)
23. The Killing (Stanley Kubrick, 1956)
22. In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1950)
21. Drunken Angel (Akira Kurosawa, 1948)
20. The Lady From Shanghai (Orson Welles, 1947)
19. The Killers (Robert Siodmak, 1946)
18. Thieves' Highway (Jules Dassin, 1949)
17. Raw Deal (Anthony Mann, 1948)
16. They Live by Night (Nicholas Ray, 1948)
15. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951)
14. Elevator to the Gallows (Louis Malle, 1958)
13. Gilda (Charles Vidor, 1946)
12. The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)
11. The Maltese Falcon (John Huston, 1941)
10. Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950)
9. Laura (Otto Preminger, 1944)
8. Kiss Me Deadly (Robert Aldrich, 1955)
7. Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur, 1947)
6. The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949)
5. Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958)
4. Chinatown (Roman Polanski, 1974)
3. Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944)
2. The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946)
1. The Woman in the Window (Fritz Lang, 1944)
Also the "tears in rain" line from Blade Runner. Just.... WOW!