|
 They
don't make 'em like they used to, when men were men and women were... femme fatales.
Today action movies often try to impress viewers by showing something impossible, something they have never seen before. In contrast, in classic movies
the action, violence and danger is usually not just more real, but all around us, everywhere. A bird may swoop down and attack, a drunken lout might lurch
across a bar room to attack just because you are in his line of sight, a country might start a war on a Sunday morning that will continue for years.
Also, most films today go for "shock" over "suspense". Shock is a villain bursting out of the closet, knife in hand. Suspense is knowing
the villain is there waiting, as the innocent walks up to the house, checks the mail, and casually walks into the room where the villain lays in wait.
Both shock and suspense have their place, but suspense gives you that creepy ants-in-your-pants feeling for a more sustained amount of time than the instant of
shock does. Film noir can almost be described as constant creeping suspense. The word "noir" alone means that something dark and not good is going on!
This site offers an appreciation of action and suspense films of days gone by, and some of the characters, directors, writers and stars involved in making
those films. There are articles on directors who specialized in the genre, articles on themed topics, and some photos, primarily of femme fatales like
Lynn Bari,
June Duprez,
Rhonda Fleming,
Gloria Grahame,
Doris Dowling,
Kim Novak and more. Take a look, and watch out for crop dusters! |