A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir: The Essential Reference Guide (Applause Books) - Hardcover

Grant, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1557838313 ISBN 13: 9781557838315

Publisher: Applause, 2013

Synopsis

Featuring rumpled PIs, shyster lawyers, corrupt politicians, double-crossers, femmes fatales, and, of course, losers who find themselves down on their luck yet again, film noir is a perennially popular cinematic genre. This extensive encyclopedia describes movies from noir's earliest days – and even before, looking at some of noir's ancestors in US and European cinema – as well as noir's more recent offshoots, from neonoirs to erotic thrillers. Entries are arranged alphabetically, covering movies from all over the world – from every continent save Antarctica – with briefer details provided for several hundred additional movies within those entries. A copious appendix contains filmographies of prominent directors, actors, and writers.

With coverage of blockbusters and program fillers from Going Straight (US 1916) to Broken City (US 2013) via Nora Inu (Japan 1949), O Anthropos tou Trainou (Greece 1958), El Less Wal Kilab (Egypt 1962), Reportaje a la Muerte (Peru 1993), Zift (Bulgaria 2008), and thousands more, A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir is an engrossing and essential reference work that should be on the shelves of every cinephile.

About this title

About the Author:

John Grant (Hewitt, NJ) is the Scottish-born author of some 60 books, including Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters, Masters of Animation, and a number of movie pocket references. He was coeditor with John Clute of The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, for which he wrote the movie entries; he also wrote the cinema section of David Pringle's The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. He has received the Hugo Award (twice'), 'the World Fantasy Award, and a number of others.

From Booklist:

Film noir continues to be a popular genre in cinema. Nevertheless, its definition and time frame remain questionable. In his introduction, author Grant applies a broad definition, using operational criteria such as character archetypes, settings, and plots. He also notes the importance of including pre-noir inspirations and neo-noir films, thus extending the time frame. The volume is an alphabetical, annotated listing of 3,500 film-noir and related-movie entries. American films make up the bulk of the entries, but representative films from other continents, mainly Europe, are included. Entries range in length from two paragraphs to a half page and include the following information: title and translated title, as appropriate; release date; country of origin; film length; black and white or color; studio; director; producer; screenwriters; story developer; cinematographer; cast; and plot summary. Some entries include editorial remarks, such as film inspirations or legacy. Related movies are also listed (such as sequels or remakes). Appendixes include an alphabetical list of directors, major actors, and major authors whose books formed the basis of films—each list noting birth and death years and the person’s associated films. There is also a five-page selective bibliography. There is no index. Six sections of photographs feature stills of film-noir images (mainly black and white): “Classic Noir” (e.g., Double Indemnity, Gilda); “A Gallery of Directors” (including Clouzot, Hitchcock, Ishii); “A World of Film Noir” (non-U.S. films, such as Breathless and Il Bandito); “The Faces of Noir” (e.g., Isabelle Adjani, Raymond Burr, Ida Lupino, Edward G. Robinson); and “The New Noir” (e.g., Blade Runner, Fargo, Klute). The strength of this book is its extensive list of film noir in its broadest sense. Its critical nature is limited, and the introduction lacks analysis. Other reference works, such as Scarecrow’s Historical Dictionary of Film Noir (2010) and Sink Press’s Worldwide Film Noir Tradition (2013), are more selective, with deeper treatment; but for the price point, this volume provides a useful resource list and beginning image collection. --Lesley Farmer

About this edition

• Publisher: Applause
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1557838313
• ISBN 13: 9781557838315
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 765