Any classic noir films of the past several decades? And NO, I don't mean the parodies. Like, Sin City or its sequel. Dark City is cool but more sci-fi than noir. Or Roger Rabbit.

I'd say, L.A. Confidential or Chinatown (but not Two Jakes). But that's going far back. And honestly, the best noir films tend to have black & white cinematography to be most effective.

@movie_nazi said:

Speaking of femme fatales one of all time greats as far as looks goes and being a low down dirty dog is Ava Gardner in The Killers. Also a great cast and very well acted.

Yes; and let's not forget the incomparable Marie Windsor (a former Miss Utah) and her famous "bedroom eyes." She did a lot of noir, and was particularly memorable as the manipulative, double-crossing wife of Elisha Cook, Jr. in The Killing. As her bio states:

"Often cast as an adulterous wife, slutty girlfriend, female gang leader or gun moll, she proved so convincing in those roles that she often received Bibles in the mail with passages underlined that covered the "sins" she had committed onscreen, warning her that she would go to hell if she didn't reform. Several of those types of letters dwelt so much on her "immorality" and "evil ways" that, unnerved, she turned them over to the police."

@catmydogs said:

Any classic noir films of the past several decades? And NO, I don't mean the parodies. Like, Sin City or its sequel. Dark City is cool but more sci-fi than noir. Or Roger Rabbit.

I'd say, L.A. Confidential or Chinatown (but not Two Jakes). But that's going far back. And honestly, the best noir films tend to have black & white cinematography to be most effective.

I'm not a big fan of so-called neo-noir. Even the remakes of classic noir films tend to pale by comparison to the originals. But, depending on how broadly you want to define the category and how far back you are willing to go, some folks have put together various lists, e.g.:

http://www.fandango.com/movie-news/11-modern-film-noir-movies-you-must-see-748489

http://www.popcrunch.com/best-modern-noir-films/

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/the-ten-greatest-neo-noir-films-a7340126.html

Also, although I often agree w/Wikipedia lists, their noir list is, I feel, way too broad/long; but there are some good picks there, too, once you sort through all the questionable ones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_neo-noir_titles

@catmydogs said:

Ever watch "Sorry, Wrong Number?" Starred Barbara Stanwyck, too. It's not quite a film noir, but it is a classic film that was based on a classic episode of the radio show Suspense. The original episode starred Agnes Moorehead, and in fact, she did several repeat performances of Sorry Wrong Number. I like the radio version better because it is more...suspenseful! But, the movie version is pretty good too and fleshes out more of the backstory.

Another good movie - The Spiral Staircase.

Sorry, Wrong Number (1948 version) is an excellent film, and is, broadly speaking, noir. The Spiral Staircase is also an excellent film, but I personally wouldn't classify it as noir. I'd say more in the mystery/thriller/horror genres.

Lol I once looked at The Spiral Staircase and couldn't get into it at all. I agree with PT in that I don't see it as noir at all. It doesn't even have any of the elements that film noir is so well known for.

@catmydogs said:

Any classic noir films of the past several decades? And NO, I don't mean the parodies. Like, Sin City or its sequel. Dark City is cool but more sci-fi than noir. Or Roger Rabbit.

I'd say, L.A. Confidential or Chinatown (but not Two Jakes). But that's going far back. And honestly, the best noir films tend to have black & white cinematography to be most effective.

L.A. Confidential is not going that far back and although B&W may have been a staple of the origins of film noir, I believe it is not necessary to capture the spirit. But speaking of a modern B&W noir, Memento is an excellent one. Another modern Noir and not known is a film called Romeo Is Bleeding starring Gary Oldman. There are many neo noirs worth a peek in my book. Basic Instinct is another one and Chinatown most definitely is. I would even go as far and say Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs is neo noir and a wonderful film.

@catmydogs said:

Agreed. One of my favorite film noirs.

Does The Third Man count?

Abso-fkn-lutely it counts as noir. One of the best as well.

@pt100 said:

And yes, I'd put Stanwyck, in Double Indemnity, at the top of the femme fatale list, followed closely by Jane Greer in Out of the Past. I think Double Indemnity is the only film that rivals Out of the Past for my top-ranked noir film. With both films, everything is so great--writing, directing, casting/acting, cinematography, etc. The perfect package.

Agreed. I'd also like to submit a vote for the great Audrey Totter, who appeared in many often underappreciated noir classics, almost always as the femme fatale. These include: Tension; The Set-Up; Lady in the Lake; The Unsuspected; and Alias Nick Beal. She always gave a fine performance; and these noir films, that included great supporting casts, are definitely worth seeing.

@ZurichGnome said:

I'd also like to submit a vote for the great Audrey Totter, who appeared in many often underappreciated noir classics, almost always as the femme fatale. These include: Tension; The Set-Up; Lady in the Lake; The Unsuspected; and Alias Nick Beal. She always gave a fine performance; and these noir films, that included great supporting casts, are definitely worth seeing.

Yes, Tension is a terrific noir film; and Audrey's tense, powerful performance is absolutely spectacular. POSSIBLE SPOILERS: The plot: A meek pharmacist creates an alternate identity under which he plans to murder the bullying liquor salesman who has become his wife's lover. Great all around. And you are correct, she does turn in fine performances in those other noir films you mentioned.