The Philosophy of Neo-Noir (The Philosophy of Popular Culture) (Hardcover)

by Mark T. Conard PhD (Editor)
Key Phrases: postmodern noir, classic noir, new sincerity, New York, Los Angeles, Miami Vice (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Much has been written about neo-noir's distinction from classic noir... but the 13 new essays in this anthology edited by Conard rejuvenate the discussion." -- Library Journal

Review

"Conard can fell confident that these terrific essays will be of interest to film enthusiasts, particularly fans of Neo-Noir. Additionally, for those who come to this volume with some background in philosophy, not only will they be pleased to find fellow philosophers offering accessible introductions to philosophical thinkers and ideas but they are sure to increase their understanding of noir, Neo-Noir, and many familiar film titles, as well as more deeply appreciate the ways in which popular film and television offer wide and varied avenues to doing good philosophy. -- Kimberly A. Blessing, co-editor of Movies and the Meaning of Life" -- Kimberly A. Blessing, co-editor of Movies and the Meaning of Life

"Much has been written about neo-noir's distinction from classic noir... but the 13 new essays in this anthology rejuvenate the discussion. Strongly recommended.-- Library Journal" -- Library Journal

"Is Neo-Noir anything more than film noir in technicolor? Taking up such latter-day classics as Chinatown, Blade Runner, and Memento, this volume explores how contemporary filmmakers have taken up the challenge of classic film noir and broadened the genre. In this analysis, even the pastel shades of South Beach take on a dark coloring in Miami Vice. These probing essays locate what is neo in Neo-Noir and thus define it as a postmodern genre.-- Paul Cantor, author of Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization" -- Paul Cantor, author of Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalizatio

""This collection will serve as a terrific interdisciplinary guide through the chaotic, intriguing world of postmodernist thought as it relates to film and philosophy." -- A. F. Winstead, Our Lady of the Lake University" -- Choice, publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 222 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky (January 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813124220
• ISBN-13: 978-0813124223
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #619,139 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most intriguing books I have read, February 23, 2007

By	James Xabregas "JamesX" (Townsville, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As the title suggests, this book covers the philosophical background behind films defined as neo-noir. Surprisingly this contains a large number of films most people wouldn't readily identity as Film Noir. Blade Runner, Memento, A Simple Plan and the works of Quentin Tarantino and the Cohen Brothers are amongst some of the movies that are analysed in depth. Many other movies are touched upon including Fight Club, Minority Report, The Bourne Identity and many others. The essays in this book give new insight into these movies and are easily readable by those without any background in philosophy. I would highly recommend it.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars noir techniques, perspectives, and subjects of second wave of movies in the genre, January 30, 2007

By	Henry Berry "Henry Berry" (Southport, CT) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Neo-noir films incorporated the visual style, characterizations, and subject matter of the classic film noir of the 1940s and '50s. But this latter film genre was able to employ more advanced film techniques; and with the replacement of the moralistic Production Code with the more flexible modern ratings system, neo-noir film was able to add new dimensions of subject and visual matter. The 1974 "Chinatown" may be "the first authentic neo-noir," writes Richard Gilmore, professor of philosophy at a Minnesota college. The TV program "Miami Vice"--first program, September 1984--was set in the Great Miami area for its "cycle of decline, decay, development, and renewal (invariably followed by further repetitions of the cycle) [which] affirmed the indeterminacy and contingency of the postmodern noir," as Stevens Sanders, emeritus professor of philosophy at a Massachusetts university writes. Thirteen essays by these and other philosophy professors relate neo-noir films not only to the film noir which preceded them, but also philosophical thoughts and ethical perspectives of Sartre, Plato, Kant, Kierkegaard, Marx, and others. Blade Runner, L. A. Confidential, The Onion Field, Parallax View, Dances With Wolves, and Raiders of the Lost Arc are among the films analyzed as neo-noir or which contain elements of this genre. This collection of essays is a companion of the editor Conard's "The Philosophy of Film Noir."