The MoFo Top 100 Neo-noir Countdown

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*: and let's be honest, people trying to imitate Lynch or Pynchon usually ends badly.

It is indeed VERY difficult to imitate Lynch. I'm a fan of his surreal work (except for the return of Twin Peaks, but that's a different conversation), and there are two rules he always follows:


1. No matter how strange everything is, there must be consistent rules and logic that govern everything.


2. Never explain these rules to the audience.


Maybe part of Under the Silver Lake's problems is, by the end, it explains too much.



Following, Blue Ruin and Manhunter! Great films and nice to see them in this list. Brick too (which was my #23).

Under the Silver Lake is an intriguing film but not a great one. Silence of the Lambs is terrific but I didn't have it as a neo noir, I'd say it's straight up crime thriller.





Silence of the Lambs was #16 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1990s, #75 on the MoFo Top 100 Horror Films, and #50 on the 2010 reboot of that list.
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74
4lists55points
Cape Fear
Director

J. Lee Thompson, 1962

Starring

Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Lori Martin







73
4lists55points
One False Move
Director

Carl Franklin, 1992

Starring

Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Cynda Williams, Michael Beach





TRAILERS



Cape Fear - An attorney and his family are stalked by the vicious criminal he helped to send to jail.




One False Move - After a series of drug deals and murders, three criminals head to a small Arkansas town, where the town's sheriff prepares to face them.
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I've seen the Cape Fear remake, but not the original. I might have seen One False Move during the 90s, but I really don't remember. Sounds like something I might enjoy. Either way, I'm assuming I haven't seen it so no changes for me.


SEEN: 14/28
MY BALLOT: 3/25

My ballot  



I've seen Cape Fear and liked it, but it didn't make my ballot. I don't think I have seen One False Move.

Seen: 21/28



I should give Manhunter another chance. It left me cold, which is not how you want to react to a story that explores the depths of the psycopathic mind. My biggest issue with it is that the scenery chewed the actors; in other words, it's as if Mann was more concerned with the aesthetics than the people. Petersen is one of the director's great workaholic perfectionists, though.

At least we have season 3 of Hannibal's excellent take on this story (the less said about Red Dragon, the better).



Welcome to the human race...
no votes. have seen cape fear (1962) and remember thinking it was okay. haven't seen one false move.
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Cape Fear is great. Very good film. I will definitely take the original over Scorsese's remake. I'm sure some would argue with me on that. But I think we can all agree The Simpsons Cape Feare beats them both.



One False Move is good but it's not upper tier for me. Maybe another that needs a rewatch before I can officially say. But still, The Simpson Cape Feare episode am I right...

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Trying Real Hard To Be The Shepherd
I watched Cape Fear last year for the first time. I didn’t love it but I did enjoy it quite a bit and Mitchum is awesome in it.

I remember One False Move from working at Blockbuster, but never took it home. Ashamed to say it didn’t get back on my radar until Criterion decided to pick it up. When it hits the channel I will be checking it out.
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A system of cells interlinked
...it has that scene with the songwriter, which might be one of my favourite scenes in 2010s cinema.
Wanted to quote this, because I still to this day find myself thinking about this scene, or talking to someone about it quite frequently. This scene really blew me away, and was easily the strongest scene in the film. Not one person I mention this movie to has seen it or even heard of it for that matter. Definitely an underseen gem, flawed as it may be.
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Trouble with a capital "T"
I tried watching Cape Fear (1962)but didn't finish it, not my type of film...However I'm about to watch all of Gregory Peck's filmography and seeing how he stars in Cape Fear I will finally catch it.Not heard of the other one.



A system of cells interlinked
I had One False Move on my ballot at #19.



This film is in the Criterion Collection, and it is well-deserved. Extremely dark, this one. Excellent, memorable performances, wonderful locations, and just an all around solid neo. Not one I watch a ton, as it has some really brutal violence in the first act and am absolutely heartbreaking ending. Really unsettling, sort of blank stare sociopath in this one, also. A true noir!

Just quickly: Never considered The Silence of the Lambs or Manhunter for my ballot as I don't think either of these excellent films ticks enough noir boxes to make it. The Silence of the Lambs is easily one of the best films of the 90s, and belongs on a list, just not this list.

I enjoyed Under the Silver Lake quite a bit, but it is a flawed a somewhat overlong film, and it didn't come to mind as a noir. Good, but not great. Points for style and the scene Iro mentioned.

Cape Fear is great, but didn't make my list. I like the Scorsese version more.

Mona Lisa is a blind spot for me, as I had never heard of it. Will watch it soon.



Trying Real Hard To Be The Shepherd
I tried watching Cape Fear (1962)but didn't finish it, not my type of film...However I'm about to watch all of Gregory Peck's filmography and seeing how he stars in Cape Fear I will finally catch it.Not heard of the other one.
I am going to have to be a mofo for another 100 years to figure out your taste. I would have thought Cape Fear right up your alley because of the cast and pacing.



Trouble with a capital "T"
I am going to have to be a mofo for another 100 years to figure out your taste. I would have thought Cape Fear right up your alley because of the cast and pacing.
The thing is: I dislike the strong negative emotions created by a movie about helpless victims being threatened by an evil person for the duration of the film. Though I'm sure it's a great film, I know it's a classic. But feeling annoying anxiety until the very end of a film when the victims triumph over the evil person, just isn't fun for me. Though I'm guessing people must enjoy that release of their emotional tension with the killing of the evil person or evil creature. I hope that make's sense?

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