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Rating: 
Summary: Best Book on Film Noir
Review: Being in the film industry I have seen many of the greats in film history go down the drain while the box office blockbusters rein. Meyer's first and second books bring the art of film making back into perspective. He offers up "the" guide that supercedes the the majority vote (Those guys that loved "Titanic" and "Dances Like Wolves"!) and brings us back to the true artistic talant of Hollywood. Funny, insiteful, and concise. Get it!
Rating:
Summary: A Wild Ride Through Cinema's Dark Side
Review: David N. Meyer's A GIRL AND A GUN (The Complete Guide To Film Noir On Video) is the book for which many of us have waited years!! Thoughtfully written, stylishly presented, and wonderfully irreverent, A GIRL AND A GUN is a perfect companion to Meyer's previous video guide, the indispensable THE 100 BEST FILMS TO RENT YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF. Many among us have heard (and even used) the phrase "film noir" without having a real grasp of the meaning of the term. Meyer brings home all of the moodiness, the danger, and the claustrophobia that envelopes the genre - and that's just in the first 25 or so pages, as he explains how these elements come into play in the films he discusses in the body of the guide itself. The synopses of each film (and Meyer's choices are impeccable) are prefaced by Meyer's "mood guide" (summing up the vibe in a few words); a set of clever icons (explained at the outset of the guide) which indicate "at a glance" which of the classic noir elements are contained in the film under discussion; and the usual background details (year, director, country of origin, etc). A quick-n-dirty plot summary is followed by a more in-depth discussion of the film - a discussion, I might add, not of the dry-as-dust, academic cinema-snob variety, but a witty, rollicking, pop-culture-signpost-identifying discourse by someone who DIGS *MOVIES* (as opposed to those who "revere the cinema" but never leave their homes, except to go to Blockbuster or a theatre). This book, like Meyer's previous, is a blast. No true movie fan's home should be without a copy. And if you're a fan of the "dark side" of the movies, A GIRL AND A GUN is the book YOU TOO have been waiting for!!
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful introduction to film noir--highly recommended
Review: I never get depressed.Well,almost never. Maybe three, four times a year.When it happens I don't leave the house and submerge myself in countless videos. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to discover Meyer's first book "100 Great Films" and how even more excited I am to know Meyer might be on to a series or something with his latest "A GIRL AND A GUN," especially since I'm no film expert and have made countless mistakes renting unknown videos recommended by unknown sales clerks. In fact, I am probably the exact person for whom Meyer has written his books. Let me tell you about this past weekend when depression hit with a vengence. It began Friday night when I came home from work exhausted and cancelled all plans knowing I was going under. I browsed through Meyer's book, called up several stores and by midnight I had gathered up La Femme Nikita, Laura, An American Friend and The Third Man. I started with Laura on Saturday morning. I wanted something old and romantic, where women are idealized, idolized and elegant. So what if they have "no personality of their own," as Meyer writes, men adore them! That's what I want to see - a man inflamed by love!,not to mention beautiful clothes, fancy apartments, lunches at the Ritz and super dramatic lighting! and Laura has it all! Then, thanks to Meyer's great guide I rented An American Friend, mostly because I love Patricia Highsmith and her Tom Ripley character and had never known (until Meyer's book) he/it had been made into a film, by Wim Wenders no less! Oh,was it good! Dennis Hopper plays Ripley nothing like Highsmith wrote it but who cares he's so, so good! As Meyer so marvelously describes him,"there's Ripley (Dennis Hopper): a speed freak, a hustler, a stylish, rootless hustler with the attention span of a gnat, the arrogance of a vampire, and the aggressive instincts of a wolverine." Sunday morning begins with The Third Man because I adore Graham Greene and Orson Welles, and because Meyer's Mood! Guide tells me this is a "Witty thriller of moral decadence, where intrigue and broken hearts abound." Once again, Meyer's guide and comments are right on! and finally on Sunday night I end all this movie madness with La Femme Nikita, which I adore because I have dreamt of being a female action hero myself and it just doesn't get any better than Anne Parillaud! By Monday morning I feel absolutely great! Empowered like Nikita, elegant like Laura, ready to return to work!
Rating:
Summary: Best Noir yet!
Review: I really liked it. Meyer doesn't take the movies too seriously -they're just movies for God's sake! I happen to hate the scholastic approach, so his style is quite refreshing.
He managed to communicate what's important and essential about the films whitout boring me to death. Yes, it's subjective, but that's the way art is perceived, and that's the way it should be reviewed --never trusted those critics that seem to know "too much"-.
He made me feel like watching more of the genre, that's good, right?
Rating:
Summary: Adds color to my Black and White films
Review: Talk about bad luck! Just as El Nino has finished its trip through California and the sun has come out, David N Meyer releases another fabulous book driving me indoors for more of the greatest film I have ever been exposed to. The five video stores in my immediate vicinity know me on a first name basis after the long rainy season which became almost cozy with his first book of hidden treasures, "The 100 Best Films to Rent You've Never Heard Of." Of course that book went beyond its claim and became the 100 BEST films I had ever seen, and then some, and then some more. I can't imagine a more complete or concise guide and reference book packed into 302 pages. The late night films that I grew up with are having new meaning and depth for me. His reviews are intimate and witty, his choices are superb, his opinions sizzle. I usually read his mood guide and plot summary; watch the film and follow with his review; and then frequently watch the film again. I am constantly overwhelmed by the richness of his recommendations and underwhelmed by the new releases now playing at the movie theatre. I carry his books in my car so I won't be caught near a video store without them! The more informed that I become the more I realize I have been living in a small dark room. Not anymore!
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Summary: This is a fantastic video guide for a host of great films
Review: The intro to A girl and a Gun provided a thorough and concise over view to the film noir genre... what makes a film "noir" and what can exclude one. I was not very knowledgable on the finer points of film in general, especially noir, and I always felt a bit overwhelmed in video stores as far as making choices. With Meyer's guide, I have been able to select films that suite my mood or company at the time, without the risk of renting a movie, then watching it and getting annoyed as I experience a good mood turn sour or a thoughtful mood becoming aggravated. Meyer highlights the themes of each film so that the viewer can more fully appreciate some of the finer points of cinematography, symbolism or music without having to watch the movie 50 times over 5 years to "get it". I think the review on La Femme Nikita is particularly good, as are the ones on The Man I Love and Le Samourai. If you ever feel that there is no guidance in the video store and you feel like a lost sheep as far as what to rent, grab this book, and grab some for your friends for their birthdays. As a Meyer fan, I also recommend his previous guide, The 100 Best Films to Rent That You Have Never Heard Of. Both of these are great gifts!!
Rating:
Summary: Provocative, witty and great fun to read
Review: The intro to A girl and a Gun provided a thorough and concise over view to the film noir genre... what makes a film "noir" and what can exclude one. I was not very knowledgable on the finer points of film in general, especially noir, and I always felt a bit overwhelmed in video stores as far as making choices. With Meyer's guide, I have been able to select films that suite my mood or company at the time, without the risk of renting a movie, then watching it and getting annoyed as I experience a good mood turn sour or a thoughtful mood becoming aggravated. Meyer highlights the themes of each film so that the viewer can more fully appreciate some of the finer points of cinematography, symbolism or music without having to watch the movie 50 times over 5 years to "get it". I think the review on La Femme Nikita is particularly good, as are the ones on The Man I Love and Le Samourai. If you ever feel that there is no guidance in the video store and you feel like a lost sheep as far as what to rent, grab this book, and grab some for your friends for their birthdays. As a Meyer fan, I also recommend his previous guide, The 100 Best Films to Rent That You Have Never Heard Of. Both of these are great gifts!!
Rating:
Summary: Delightful introduction to film noir--highly recommended
Review: This is a fond and engaging look at the dark world of film noir. The book is full of great movie reviews and interesting tidbits. My only minor complaint is the lack of video product code numbers to enable the reader to track down VHS or DVD copies of the movies mentioned in the text. Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about the world of film noir.
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