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Reservoir Dogs is fantastic and barked its way up to number 7 on my ballot. Miller's Crossing is excellent, but just missed my ballot.
Seen: 73/86
Seen: 73/86
The MoFo Top 100 Neo-noir Countdown
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Reservoir Dogs was maybe THE gateway film for me to seeking out different films than the ones I had watched up until that point. The opening scene where the guys are talking hooked my attention immediately up until the violent ending. I could probably name hundreds of films now that I would take over it but have never forgotten that hook from the opening scene. I had it at #15.
Miller's Crossing is one I watched maybe around the same time as RD but I haven't gone back and watched it again. Maybe soon.
Miller's Crossing is one I watched maybe around the same time as RD but I haven't gone back and watched it again. Maybe soon.
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And for those who are fans of Miller's Crossing but have never either read the novel nor seen the 1942 movie The Galss Key (which missed the Noir list) starring Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Brian Donlevy, Joseph Calleia, and William Bendix, do yourself a favor and make it a double feature some evening,
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71%
MF: Top Musicals
100%
MF: Top Noir Films
100%
MF: Top Films of 70s
100%
MF: Top Westerns
Miller's Crossing is an absolute gem of a film, and currently resides in my wife's Top 5 favorite films of all time. I have seen this film over a dozen times, and I have seen the Danny Boy scene much more than that, as I will fire that up from time to time as an example of how awesome the Coens can be whenever I run into a doubter. This usually comes right before I tell them we can't be friends anymore if they continue with this silly nonsense about the Coens not being geniuses. After that, I have them talk to The Dane. 
This one was certainly noir enough for me, so I ran it all the way up to #6 on my ballot.
Reservoir Dogs...was not on my ballot.
This one was certainly noir enough for me, so I ran it all the way up to #6 on my ballot.
Reservoir Dogs...was not on my ballot.
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2 for 2 today. Reservoir Dogs was one of Tarantino's talkier films (which is really saying something). If it wasn't for Death Proof it'd be my least favorite Tarantino. But hey, even his flawed movies are worth watching. He's obviously a talented director or else I wouldn't have seen every single one of his movies.
Haven't seen Miller's Crossing in years and years. I'm due for a rewatch. The Coens did a great job of world building and immersing you in that era. Neither of these made my list.
58 of 86 seen.
Haven't seen Miller's Crossing in years and years. I'm due for a rewatch. The Coens did a great job of world building and immersing you in that era. Neither of these made my list.
58 of 86 seen.
1. The French Connection (#58)
2. You Were Never Really Here (#50)
3. Get Carter (#49)
4. In the Heat of the Night (#98)
5. Blast of Silence (#48)
6. Won't make it
7. Definitely won't
8. Yes?
9. Thief (#29)
10. Nope
11. Maybe?
12. Yes?
13. Nope
14. No. Excellent movie, but no
15. It certainly qualifies but ...
16. Snowball's chance in hell
17. Dark City (#24)
18. One False Move (#73)
19. It should but they're already well represented so ...
20. Nope, no giallo
21. Another good one but no
22. It'd be nice but ...
23. Maybe. I certainly think the director is deserving
24. Point Blank (#72)
25. Collateral (#33)
2. You Were Never Really Here (#50)
3. Get Carter (#49)
4. In the Heat of the Night (#98)
5. Blast of Silence (#48)
6. Won't make it
7. Definitely won't
8. Yes?
9. Thief (#29)
10. Nope
11. Maybe?
12. Yes?
13. Nope
14. No. Excellent movie, but no
15. It certainly qualifies but ...
16. Snowball's chance in hell
17. Dark City (#24)
18. One False Move (#73)
19. It should but they're already well represented so ...
20. Nope, no giallo
21. Another good one but no
22. It'd be nice but ...
23. Maybe. I certainly think the director is deserving
24. Point Blank (#72)
25. Collateral (#33)
Played with the idea of including Miller's Crossing but it was a late cut. Upper tier Coens for sure. As usual the Coens fill the screen with an outstanding cast and a film that is uniquely theirs in look and feel. We all know about Reservoir Dogs. One of QT's best. Double nineties eh...seems like that countdown is ripe for redux.
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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
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#16. Reservoir Dogs (1992) - I have it on my ballot at #11.
Interestingly, while I've constructed the ballot, this title disappeared from my mind. Couple of days before submitting, I saw it in some of the discussion threads here and I couldn't believe that I forgot about it.
I found this on a VHS at some local video rental shop in the mid 90's, as far as I remember just after watching Pulp Fiction and True Romance. This movie caught me hard then and I've seen it several more times since then. Love the Keitel-Buscemi scene.
Interestingly, while I've constructed the ballot, this title disappeared from my mind. Couple of days before submitting, I saw it in some of the discussion threads here and I couldn't believe that I forgot about it.
I found this on a VHS at some local video rental shop in the mid 90's, as far as I remember just after watching Pulp Fiction and True Romance. This movie caught me hard then and I've seen it several more times since then. Love the Keitel-Buscemi scene.
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Last edited by mrblond; 04-16-24 at 06:15 PM.
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I haven’t seen Blow Out but I’ve seen the others from yesterday and today. I don’t have any strong feelings about them though and didn’t vote for any of them.
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Jesus, Tom, I had Miller's Crossing all the way up at #3. If you ever read the book The Glass Key, you'll see that, while it is only a loose adaptation, it nails the overall tone of the book and its central character perfectly. The dialogue, too, is pitch perfect.
My List:
3. Miller's Crossing (#15)
4. Memories of Murder (#25)
5. True Romance (#60)
9. Nightcrawler (#21)
11. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (#100)
12. Branded to Kill (#71)
13. The Man Who Wasn't There (#27)
14. Blast of Silence (#48)
16. Sin City (#26)
18. Following (#84)
20. Jackie Brown (#18)
21. Mother (#67)
22. Purple Noon (#94)
My List:
3. Miller's Crossing (#15)
4. Memories of Murder (#25)
5. True Romance (#60)
9. Nightcrawler (#21)
11. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (#100)
12. Branded to Kill (#71)
13. The Man Who Wasn't There (#27)
14. Blast of Silence (#48)
16. Sin City (#26)
18. Following (#84)
20. Jackie Brown (#18)
21. Mother (#67)
22. Purple Noon (#94)
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Last edited by Kaplan; 04-16-24 at 11:03 PM.
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I think I caught part of Blow Out on tv once, but definitely haven't seen the whole thing. And despite all the praise I keep hearing about Miller's Crossing, I haven't yet bothered to add that it to my watchlist.
I've been meaning to rewatch Jackie Brown for ages now, but haven't ever gotten around to it. And yes, I know I've probably said that many times in the last couple weeks haha. I don't actually remember very much from it, so I really should've made it a higher priority before finalizing my list. It didn't make the cut, but Reservoir Dogs did.
So far that's 14 of the films on my list that have made the Countdown, and I think I'll end up with 20/25 when all's said and done. My #22 and 24 definitely aren't making it now, that's for sure.
Seen: 46/86
My List: 14
01.
02. Blade Runner 2049 (2017) - #44
03. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - #42
04.
05. Blue Ruin (2013) - #82
06. Mother (2009) - #67
07. Dark City (1998) - #24
08. Strange Days (1995) - #65
09.
10. The Man from Nowhere (2010) - #87
11.
12. Reservoir Dogs (1992) - #16
13.
14. Angel Heart (1987) - #31
15. Infernal Affairs (2002) - #91
16.
17. Memories of Murder (2003) - #25
18.
19.
20. The Usual Suspects (1995) - #20
21. Oldboy (2003) - #52
22.
23. Nightcrawler (2014) - #21
24.
25. The Chaser (2008) - DNP 1-pointer
I've been meaning to rewatch Jackie Brown for ages now, but haven't ever gotten around to it. And yes, I know I've probably said that many times in the last couple weeks haha. I don't actually remember very much from it, so I really should've made it a higher priority before finalizing my list. It didn't make the cut, but Reservoir Dogs did.
So far that's 14 of the films on my list that have made the Countdown, and I think I'll end up with 20/25 when all's said and done. My #22 and 24 definitely aren't making it now, that's for sure.
Seen: 46/86
My List: 14
01.
02. Blade Runner 2049 (2017) - #44
03. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - #42
04.
05. Blue Ruin (2013) - #82
06. Mother (2009) - #67
07. Dark City (1998) - #24
08. Strange Days (1995) - #65
09.
10. The Man from Nowhere (2010) - #87
11.
12. Reservoir Dogs (1992) - #16
13.
14. Angel Heart (1987) - #31
15. Infernal Affairs (2002) - #91
16.
17. Memories of Murder (2003) - #25
18.
19.
20. The Usual Suspects (1995) - #20
21. Oldboy (2003) - #52
22.
23. Nightcrawler (2014) - #21
24.
25. The Chaser (2008) - DNP 1-pointer
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WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... RESERVOIR DOGS
RT – 90%, IMDb – 8.3
Roger Ebert said:
Desson Howe, from Washington Post, said:
@Gideon58 said:
RT – 90%, IMDb – 8.3
Roger Ebert said:
"I liked what I saw, but I wanted more. I know the story behind the movie - Tarantino promoted the project from scratch, on talent and nerve - and I think it's quite an achievement for a first-timer. It was made on a low budget. But the part that needs work didn't cost money. It's the screenplay. Having created the characters and fashioned the outline, Tarantino doesn't do much with his characters except to let them talk too much, especially when they should be unconscious from shock and loss of blood." (read full review here)
"A nod to such noir crime classics as Stanley Kubrick's The Killing, the movie's more than savvy sensationalism. Suspense, horror and humor are expertly interwoven. There is also a distinct code of honor among these cursing thieves -- pride in their work, loyalty and occasional grace under pressure. They're individuals who happen to operate on the wrong side of the law." (read full review here)
"As always with Tarantino's direction, his eye for cinematic carnage is unapologetic as is his ability to get riveting performances from his hand-picked ensemble cast. There is standout work from Michael Madsen, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, and especially Steve Buscemi, who I don't think has ever been better." (read full review here)
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WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... MILLER'S CROSSING
RT – 93%, IMDb – 7.7
Roger Ebert said:
Olivia Rutigliano, from CrimeReads, said:
@crumbsroom said:
RT – 93%, IMDb – 7.7
Roger Ebert said:
"The pleasures of the film are largely technical. It is likely to be most appreciated by movie lovers who will enjoy its resonance with films of the past. What it doesn't have is a narrative magnet to pull us through -- a story line that makes us really care what happens, aside from the elegant but mechanical manipulations of the plot." (read full review here)
"It alternates between melodrama and stone-cold noir—with many of its characters, and especially its stony, wisecracking protagonist Tom, making conscious efforts to project indifference, trying to quell any inkling of sentimentality." (read full review here)
"While it may be a meticulously made noir homage, filled with all sorts of eccentric underworld hanger-ons, each sporting a mouthful of the tastiest pulp dialogue this side of Dashiell Hammet, Miller’s Crossing seems like an emotional wasteland as we watch. Mostly this will be because we are not permitted to share in any of its failures or triumphs. Only to watch and wonder who is pulling the strings here, if anybody. And, in this respect, it is fascinating. But the movie also seems as if it lacks some amount of heart, a fitting (and likely necessary) absence since the central question posed in the film revolves around whether or not Tom Regan is in possession of such a pesky organ." (read full review here)
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AWARDS?
Reservoir Dogs received several nominations and awards. These are some of the most notable:
Reservoir Dogs received several nominations and awards. These are some of the most notable:
- Six (6) Awards Circuit Community Award nominations, including a win for Best Original Screenplay (Quentin Tarantino)
- Three (3) Film Independent Spirit Award nominations, including a win for Best Supporting Male (Steve Buscemi)
- One (1) Sundance Film Festival nomination for the Grand Jury Prize
- One (1) Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor (Harvey Keitel)
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AWARDS?
Miller's Crossing received several nominations and awards. These are some of the most notable:
Miller's Crossing received several nominations and awards. These are some of the most notable:
- One (1) Casting Society of America Artios Award nomination for Best Casting
- One (1) National Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films
- One (1) National Society of Film Critics Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (John Turturro)
- One (1) Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival Critics Award
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Both are excellent movies, but both missed my list. In retrospect they probably both should've outranked Under the Silver Lake, but there are no take-backs here. 🤔
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List facts!
- Reservoir Dogs is Quentin Tarantino's third entry in the countdown. He already placed Pulp Fiction at #37 and Jackie Brown at #18.
- Miller's Crossing is also the Coen's third entry in the countdown, after placing The Big Lebowski at #38 and [i]The Man Who Wasn't There at #27.
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