So many film noir fans have been celebrating Noirvember (a term coined by Marya at Cinema Fanatic) for much longer than I have, but next month will start my fourth year of participation. There’s so much great film noir out there to choose from (far more than was available on DVD and Blu-ray just a few years ago), which may be a challenge for someone wanting to participate in their first Noirvember. Most of my watching from the past three years has come from the “established” or “recognized” era of film noir, roughly 1941 to 1958, but if you peruse my lists, you’ll see lots of times when I strayed off the path. You’re welcome to look through these lists, click on the links, and hopefully add a few titles to your own Noirvember lists. I’d be honored.
If this is your first Noirvember, I can’t think of a better starting point than Eddie Muller’s list of “25 Noir Films That Will Stand the Test of Time.” Okay, so it’s only 25 films; you’ll have to come up with five more if you're shooting for 30. I’ve got over 90 on my lists above, so you’re good to go. Yet don't feel like you have to watch 30 films in 30 days. That's entirely up to you. The main thing is to have fun.
Need further inspiration? This video, “The Endless Night: A Valentine to Film Noir” by Serena Bramble is the best presentation I’ve seen for recruitment in the film noir ranks. I’ve shown it to several people, many of whom are breathless at the end. Once they’ve recovered enough to speak, they usually say, “Where do I start?”
For my own preparation, I’m looking forward to Noir City DC, a two-week exploration into the wonders and thrills of “A” and “B” noir, October 12-25 at the AFI Silver in Silver Spring, MD. You can find out more about it here.
My own plans for Noirvember? Probably a healthy dose of British film noir. I’ve picked up several Brit noir titles this year and plan to include at least 10 of them into the mix. Beyond that, I’m wide open.
I’d love to hear your plans and inspirations for Noirvember. You’ve got plenty of time to prepare; make the most of it and enjoy!