You know film noir when you see it: the shadowed setting; the cynical detective; the femme fatale; and the twist of fate. Into the Dark captures this alluring genre with a cavalcade of compelling photographs and a guide to 82 of its best films.

Film noir is one of the most intriguing yet difficult to define terms in cinema history. First associated with Hollywood thrillers of teh 1940s and 50s, film noir has become fully international in its nature and appeal, attracting the interest of great directors right up to our present time. In this Very Short Introduction James Naremore analyses classic examples of the films, as well as a few lesser known noir pieces, highlighting their key themes...

A hard-boiled detective becomes entangled in a web of girls, guns, and money, as he evades a number of crazed hitmen one fateful night in 1950's Los Angeles.

A cave collapse in New Mexico traps a man, and all eyes turn toward the tragedy ... including those of Charles "Chuck" Tatum (Kirk Douglas), a washed-up newspaper reporter who sees the incident as a ticket back to his former days at the top of the journalism heap. As the media circus begins to swirl around the trapped man's plight, Tatum takes command of the situation, embellishing the unfolding drama and prolonging the rescue effort ... while feeding...

Naomi, an Israeli Mossad agent is sent to Germany to protect Mona, a Lebanese informant recovering from plastic surgery to assume her new identity. Together for two weeks in a quiet apartment in Hamburg, the relationship that develops between the two women is soon exposed to the threat of terror that is engulfing the world today. In this game of deception, beliefs are questioned, choices are made, and their fate takes a surprising turn in this suspense-laden,...

Examines the movies and artists of film noir, describing the social climate and artistic skills that contributed to the genre.

In this influential crime drama, an embittered cop, Det. James McLeod, leads a precinct of characters in their grim battle with the city's lowlife. But while McLeod fights crime on the streets, his wife suffers from neglect at home. Based on Sydney Kingsley's Broadway play, this seminal movie was a prototype for everything from *Hill Street Blues* to *NYPD Blue*. Nominated for Best Actress (Eleanor Parker), Best Supporting Actress (Lee Grant), Best...

In this noir-thriller, three convicts are contracted by a mysterious benefactor to pull a bank heist. The four men, having worn masks during the crime, are complete strangers and are anonymous to one another, but plan to meet up in Mexico to divvy up the loot. Part of their master plan is to frame the robbery on Joe Rolfe, an ex-con himself--but little do they know, Rolfe has convinced the police of his innocence and has now been hired to catch the...

Collecting 100 noir movie posters of, arguably, the greatest noir films ever made in the genre (including classics The Maltese Falcon, Laura, and Double Indemnity). Reproduced in a stunningly designed, over-sized format that shows off the spectacular visual elan of Hollywood movie posters at their best, the book is not only a spectacular showcase of film noir art, but also establishes the crucial films, identifies their key characteristics, with critical...