Movie review: Kiss Me Deadly

The other day a friend of mine told me noir novels and movies, the dark dramas and private eye tales from the 1930s through 1950s, were generally played for laughs.

Like any in other genre, some noir stories are humorous–unintentionally.

But certainly the likes of Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain were not writing comedy.  Some noir novels and movies, however, were not without a humorous take on the genre. Kiss Me Deadly comes to mind.

Some years ago I discovered this film and posted a review. Here’s a revised version of that commentary that’s expressly for noir fans who’d like to lighten up, not for those who see this as typical of the genre.

When you read the plot synopsis and cast list, Kiss me Deadly, adapted from a novel by Mickey Spillane, sounds like a run-of-the-mill detective movie: A private eye finds a lost girl along on a road at night. This film, however, is a bit more complex. Continue Reading →