Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir (Revised and Expanded Edition) (Turner Classic Movies)

I don't write a lot of reviews, see, 'cause I figure 99 percent of the time ya pays ya money and ya takes ya chances. Ya roll the dice and Lady Luck either smiles or (more likely) slaps you down hard and leaves you in a world of hurt. My take on this or that ain't gonna matter a tin-pot darn one way or the other. But on occasion I come across some swag that proves not every penny is bad and sometimes ya can make out like a bandit. This is one of those times, brother. The original paperback edition (published way back in '98) was a thing of beauty but I eventually had to have it rebound in hard covers because it was falling apart from so much use! It was that good. Well, partner, this new, revised edition is BETTER in pretty much every conceivable way. Not only is it a lovely sewn-binding hardcover right out of the gate but it's printed on fine glossy paper that really makes those beautiful black-and-white stills POP. In addition, it's almost 60 pages longer and has color poster pics and print interspersed throughout (the original was all B&W with a small color section at the rear). The text has been completely overhauled and updated to take into account nearly 25 intervening years of new discoveries and and knowledge about the genre. Eddie Muller is the reigning King of Noir. He knows whereof he speaks and broadcasts his genre chops and enthusiasm with grit and gusto. His book isn't merely educational, it's a true pleasure to read -- written by a guy who loves his subject and can't help but radiate that joy on every page. It's a busted fire-hydrant of information and deep knowledge but make no mistake -- this is no dry academic treatise but rather a mash note to the greatest of all film genres, written by a poor sap so deeply in love that it's become an obsession. If you're already a Noirhead then you obviously know Muller and don't need my encouragement to buy this. If you're not, then get with it, ya pathetic lunk, and take a trip to Dark City, where the men are mean, the dames are to die for and every street could be a one-way detour to The Big Sleep.

Advertised as "..a revised and expanded edition of Dark City." It is not. The revisions and additional information are so extensive, it is a totally new book. Both publications are worth owning, as they overlap but also compliment one another. The 1998 Dark City was easily my favorite book about film noir. This new volume is superior to the original in many ways: There are expanded discussions of key movies. These are consistently insightful. There are profiles of key individuals. While these profiles vary in length, each seems "right" in terms of details and information provided. You can find additional information elsewhere, but as biographic sketches, these brief portraits are perfect. While the structure of the original book remains, there are additional chapter headings and much more information. The quality of the photographs is excellent. This would be a great book even if only the photos were published without any print. Gone is much of the "1940's tough guy" dialogue, which can wear thin quickly. What remains is brief and totally enjoyable. Only two minor points of constructive criticism: 1. In both the original 1998 book and this volume, screenwriters receive minimal attention. They're infrequently noted, but film directors are far more emphasized. 2. On page 187, Richard Widmark's character in his favorite film is described as a "health inspector." In fact, Widmark played an Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. Calling him a health inspector is like referring to the Captain of a U.S. Naval vessel as a "deck hand." A tremendous publication that belongs in the library of any film noir aficionado. Six stars, at the very least.

My husband is a big fan of film noir and loves this book.

Happily, TCM decided to re-issue, complete with updates from Eddie Muller, “Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir” at what they used to call a popular price. You can get the earlier version, but for a much higher price than most people like to pay for a book. Muller brings his Noir Alley combination of expertise and comedy to the book, as in an obiter dicta about “711 Ocean Drive,” which “gave Edmond O’Brien a rare chance to play the lead – and have enough wardrobe changes to make Claire Trevor jealous.” “Dark City” offers as comprehensive look at noir films that you’ll find outside of an encyclopedic listing of the hundreds of pictures in the genre. Although there are exceptions (“Leave Her to Heaven”, “Desert Fury”) noir was a black and white genre, so the book is stuffed with well-chosen stills. Color is served by the posters, which even for B&W pictures were in color. As were the lurid paperbacks the movie scripts were adapted from. Even the endpapers of Dark City feature posters from such usual suspects as “Sunset Boulevard” and “Laura” to titles the obscure like “The Story of Molly X” and “The Sniper.” The discussion is arranged thematically so chapters are dedicated to newspaper noir, in which reporters, editors, photographers and bartenders in press bars, are“fast-talking newshound[s] who’ll do anything for a scoop.” This trope was introduced in the pre-noir era, in a 1928 stage play named “The Front Page,” by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur that has itself been filmed multiple times. And, because it’s noir, the reporters aren’t always heroes battling municipal corruption, as with Kirk Douglas in “Ace in the Hole.” “In noir, crooks are shaved, shined, and high-toned. They’ve folded their rackets into the capitalist economy.” The pictures follow their rise to the “Sinister Heights” and, because it’s noir, their fall. John Garfield’s “Force of Evil” posh office in lower Manhattan skyscraper is merely a place to betray and be betrayed. In noir, the men are bad and the women are worse, which is why actresses like these parts. In “Vixenville” women had agency and as often as not instigated the homicides and double crosses. Sometimes, as with Fred MacMurray in “Double Indemnity,” the men know they walking down a road where the last stop is gallows, but the pull of Barbara Stanwyck is too strong. As is that of “Gilda” (Rita Hayworth” for Glenn Ford. Bogart hopes that Lizabeth Scott is the real thing in “Dead Reckoning,” but….. The main chapters are interrupted with brief profiles of key noir players like “Dark City’s Beatnik Cowpoke” Robert Mitchum or “Gloria Grahame The Fallen Queen” or “A Good Man in a Bad Time” Robert Ryan. So if you choose to go down these mean streets, and you should, let “Dark City” and Eddie Muller be your guide.

This book has a wealth of information, and Muller is deeply knowledgeable. I wasn't bothered by his focus on social ills or by the small font, as several other reviewers were. His attempted noir-ish, 1940s hip writing style was OK but eventually wore thin. I agree with one reviewer who wished Muller had discussed camera work and film technique a bit more. Yes, the landscape format is not well suited to easy reading, but I learned to deal with that. And, I found the structure a bit rambling - he even discussed a few films in two different sections. Two things that I feel strongly about that I have not seen mentioned in the reviews: 1. I read the whole book, making notes on the films that sounded interesting and that I want to watch one day. From his descriptions you can sometimes get a sense of which films are his favorites and/or are essential films to watch, but it was difficult to tell sometimes. My "watch" list I created from the book contains 66 films, but if writing a guide to the genre, why not give a list of his top recommendations for beginners and his next best choices? I'd like an Essentials list and an Also Good list? He never does that. 2. As a guide to the genre, he gives away too much! If he is discussing a film that he considers great he often tells the entire plot, including who dies, what their motivations are, who double-crosses whom, and how it ends. Granted, by the time I watch many of the films on my self-compiled 66-film watch list I may forget some of these details, but I feel potential readers should be forewarned that the whole book is a spoiler-fest - without warnings. It's an odd approach. I started to give this three stars, but he does such a good job of introducing the genre and outlining the background of the filmmakers and actors that I will begrudgingly make it four stars. So, great information, but note that it is spoiler-filled and that you have to read very closely and make a judgement call on which ones he would recommend.

The revised and expanded version of "Dark City: the Lost World of Film Noir" by Eddie Muller was recently released. The first edition, published in 1998, was a quality paperback. This edition is a hardback, with glossier paper (the copious stills look so much better), and 60 additional pages. It's my favorite book on film noir. The book is broken into chapters, each part of Dark City: Vixenville, The Precinct, Loser's Lane, Shamus Flats, etc. Each chapter covers several related films. (Sometimes the assignment of films to sections of Dark City is relatively arbitrary.) Each film gets relatively brief coverage, less than a page. I believe Muller covers every significant film noir and a sizeable number of other film noirs. The revised version has more coverage of neo-noirs and also classic noirs that were revived in the past twenty years. Muller writes well about each film. While reading, I would go back and savor paragraphs or mull over his comments. He's also very good on the classics that have been written about over and over, such as PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET, DOUBLE INDEMNITY or TOUCH OF EVIL (with interesting insights into Welles). Another strong point is his ability to point out the contributions of the producers and writers of the film (and the writers of the source novels). There are also great sidebar articles (typically two pages) about axioms of noir, such as Robert Ryan, Gloria Grahame, John Garfield, and Ida Lupino. There are more of these sidebar essays in the new edition. It's fascinating that even the more positive biographies still have their dark moments. And some start dark and get worse. This book is currently available for under $25 from amazon. It is highly recommended as an introduction to noir and as a great conversation, regardless of how much you think you know about noir.

Eddie Mueller is known as the Godfather of Noir, and if he isn't, he should be; this volume is an greatly expanded update from an earlier paper edition and is worth every dollar, crammed with plenty of accurate information--at times when a volume entitled "Film Noir" An Encyclopedic Reference" (Silver and Ward) is loaded with cast info, many of the summations are erratic, as if the reviewers had not seen the film recently. No such problem with Mueller and crew, who have seen the films, dugs up new treats with which the average filmgoer may not familiar, and the books is a richly assembled delight. Highest rating!

I have been a fan of noir thanks in large part to Eddie Muller. His intros and outros to the films he hosts on TCM give behind the scene glimpses into the good, the bad and sometimes sordid look behind the world of noir. This book is a delight to read; Eddie Muller's command of the English language makes for a hard hitting, no holds barred descriptive and thoroughly delightful read into the dark underworld of the noir genre. This IS a definite must read for both the newcomers and veterans of noir cinema. Everyone will learn something fascinating and perhaps disturbing about the names, faces and history that give noir it's well deserved reputation. It's genius!