CLASSICS & ANTHOLOGIES
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
This autumn, CINEMATEK invites you on a journey to the heart of 1990s America, a decade in which neo-noir experienced a spectacular resurgence, making the genre ubiquitous under the impulse of influential figures such as Quentin Tarantino, John Dahl, and the Coen brothers, and through emblematic works like L.A. Confidential and The Usual Suspects.
For decades, the definition of film noir has fueled the most passionate debates among film lovers. The term was first introduced in 1946 by French film critic Nino Frank in an article where he analyzed several Hollywood crime films that stood out for a much darker tone and atmosphere than their predecessors. Generally, film noir refers to a series of films (often independently produced) from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. These films are heavily influenced by American detective fiction and crime novels (Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, etc.) and are distinguished by a singular aesthetic: high-contrast black and white, a cynical or even fatalistic tone, sometimes enhanced by a disillusioned voice-over and characters with ambiguous morality. The genre reached its peak in 1958 with Orson Welles' Touch of Evil, widely considered the last great film of the classic film noir period.
In the decades that followed, noir persisted in American cinema, albeit less frequently. Neo-noir remained true to its founding themes while exploring new territories, becoming a mirror of the anxieties of its time (the Vietnam War, Watergate, urban decay). Over the years, these films became more explicit in terms of violence, sexuality, and psychological complexity. Works like Point Blank (1967), Taxi Driver (1976), and Body Heat (1981) contained obvious noir elements while radically pushing the genre's boundaries.
The 1990s marked a significant resurgence of noir sensibilities. While the neo-noir of this decade still drew on the aesthetics and themes of classic film noir, it also constantly moved away from its origins. 1990s neo-noir was more self-referential (The Player), postmodern (Pulp Fiction), diverse (A Rage in Harlem, Bound), experimental (Lost Highway), and did not hesitate to hybridize with other genres, from science fiction (Dark City) to horror (Lord of Illusions). Some films embraced classicism (L.A. Confidential), but most reinvented the genre in a contemporary context, questioning or even subverting its conventions.
This period cannot be understood without mentioning the handful of directors who left their mark on the genre. In 1992, Quentin Tarantino shook everything up with Reservoir Dogs: his unique style, mixing stylized violence, pop culture references, non-linear narration, and sharp dialogue, reinvented the very essence of noir for a new generation. Less famous but just as essential, John Dahl gave us two of the decade's greatest neo-noirs: Red Rock West, which infuses the classic noir themes with rare elegance and a modern sensibility, and The Last Seduction, in which Linda Fiorentino embodies one of the most memorable femmes fatales of the decade (rivalling Sharon Stone's character in Basic Instinct). Her character is no longer a simple male fantasy but a strong, assertive, and autonomous protagonist. Unlike the classic femmes fatales of the 1940s, who were often punished for their power, she takes control of the narrative, escapes all punishment, and redefines what it means to be both dangerous and feminine in a patriarchal world.
The Coen brothers broke through in the 1990s with three noir-influenced films: the retro neo-noir Miller's Crossing, the mythical Fargo, and The Big Lebowski, where the genre crosses paths with comedy. Finally, David Fincher, with Se7en and Fight Club, pushed neo-noir into even darker and more existential territories in the second half of the 1990s, paving the way for filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, and Nicolas Winding Refn in the 2000s.
Monday 01.09 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
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US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
La Loi de la nuit
Night and the City
- Irwin Winkler, USA 1992 ⁄ Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange, Jack Warden ⁄ color ⁄ 103' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Monday 01.09 21:15 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Delusion
- Carl Colpaert, USA 1991 ⁄ Jim Metzler, Jennifer Rubin, Kyle Secor ⁄ color ⁄ 96' ⁄ V: EN ⁄ ST - OND: —
Tuesday 02.09 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Hot Spot
The Hot Spot
- Dennis Hopper, USA 1990 ⁄ Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, Jennifer Connelly ⁄ color ⁄ 129' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Wednesday 03.09 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
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US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Un faux mouvement
One False Move
- Carl Franklin, USA 1992 ⁄ Bill Paxton, Cynda Williams, Billy Bob Thornton ⁄ color ⁄ 105' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Wednesday 03.09 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
Sunday 14.09 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Miller’s Crossing
- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, USA 1990 ⁄ Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro ⁄ color ⁄ 115' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Thursday 04.09 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Les Arnaqueurs
The Grifters
- Stephen Frears, USA 1990 ⁄ John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening ⁄ color ⁄ 110' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
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US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Un coup d’enfer
Best Laid Plans
- Mike Barker, UK 1999 ⁄ Alessandro Nivola, Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin ⁄ color ⁄ 92' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Friday 05.09 21:30 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Basic Instinct
- Paul Verhoeven, USA, France 1992 ⁄ Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza ⁄ color ⁄ 126' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Saturday 06.09 17:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Copland
Cop Land
- James Mangold, USA 1997 ⁄ Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta ⁄ color ⁄ 104' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
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US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Affliction
- Paul Schrader, USA 1997 ⁄ Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, James Coburn ⁄ color ⁄ 113' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Saturday 06.09 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
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Saturday 20.09 17:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Lost Highway
- David Lynch, USA, France 1996 ⁄ Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty ⁄ color ⁄ 133' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Sunday 07.09 17:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
The Player
- Robert Altman, USA 1992 ⁄ Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward ⁄ color ⁄ 123' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Sunday 07.09 19:15 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Usual Suspects
The Usual Suspects
- Bryan Singer, USA, West Germany 1995 ⁄ Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri ⁄ color ⁄ 105' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Tuesday 09.09 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Patrick’s Choice : US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
L’Impasse
Carlito’s Way
- Brian De Palma, USA 1993 ⁄ Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller ⁄ color ⁄ 144' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
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Wednesday 10.09 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
U-Turn : Ici commence l’enfer
U-Turn
- Oliver Stone, USA 1997 ⁄ Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte ⁄ color ⁄ 124' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Thursday 11.09 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Un plan simple
A Simple Plan
- Sam Raimi, USA 1998 ⁄ Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda ⁄ color ⁄ 121' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Friday 12.09 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
Saturday 20.09 19:30 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Reservoir Dogs
- Quentin Tarantino, USA 1991 ⁄ Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen ⁄ color ⁄ 99' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Saturday 13.09 17:00 LEDOUX Cart
Wednesday 17.09 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Prête à tout
To Die For
- Gus Van Sant, USA, UK 1995 ⁄ Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Joaquin Phoenix ⁄ color ⁄ 106' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Monday 15.09 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
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Thursday 25.09 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Jade
- William Friedkin, USA 1995 ⁄ David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri ⁄ color ⁄ 95' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Monday 15.09 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Sables mortels
White Sands
- Roger Donaldson, USA 1992 ⁄ Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson ⁄ color ⁄ 101' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
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Monday 22.09 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Heaven’s Prisoners
- Phil Joanou, USA, UK 1996 ⁄ Alec Baldwin, Kelly Lynch, Mary Stuart Masterson ⁄ color ⁄ 131' ⁄ V: EN ⁄ ST - OND: —
Saturday 20.09 21:30 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Red Rock West
- John Dahl, USA 1993 ⁄ Nicolas Cage, Lara Flynn Boyle, J. T. Walsh, Dennis Hopper ⁄ color ⁄ 97' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Monday 22.09 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Bound
- Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, USA 1996 ⁄ Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly, Joe Pantoliano ⁄ color ⁄ 108' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Wednesday 24.09 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
True Romance
- Tony Scott, USA, France 1993 ⁄ Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Michael Rapaport ⁄ color ⁄ 119' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Saturday 27.09 17:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Suture
- Scott McGehee, David Siegel, USA 1993 ⁄ Dennis Haysbert, Mel Harris, Michael Harris ⁄ B&W ⁄ 95' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Sunday 28.09 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
Saturday 11.10 17:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
The Big Lebowski
- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, USA 1997 ⁄ Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore ⁄ color ⁄ 116' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Sunday 28.09 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
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Tuesday 07.10 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Dans l’ombre de Manhattan
Night Falls on Manhattan
- Sidney Lumet, USA 1996 ⁄ Andy Garcia, Richard Dreyfuss, Lena Olin ⁄ color ⁄ 112' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Monday 29.09 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
2 jours à Los Angeles
2 Days in the Valley
- John Herzfeld, USA 1996 ⁄ Danny Aiello, Jeff Daniels, Charlize Theron ⁄ color ⁄ 103' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Tuesday 30.09 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Fight Club
- David Fincher, USA 1999 ⁄ Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter ⁄ color ⁄ 139' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
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Friday 10.10 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Mulholland Falls
- Lee Tamahori, USA 1996 ⁄ Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Chazz Palminteri ⁄ color ⁄ 106' ⁄ V: EN ⁄ ST - OND: —
Thursday 09.10 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Sex Crimes
Sexcrimes
Wild Things
- John McNaughton, USA 1998 ⁄ Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon ⁄ color ⁄ 108' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Sunday 12.10 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
Wednesday 29.10 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
Sunday 30.11 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Pulp Fiction
- Quentin Tarantino, USA 1994 ⁄ John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis ⁄ color ⁄ 154' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
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Friday 24.10 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
L’Anglais
The Limey
- Steven Soderbergh, USA 1999 ⁄ Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda, Lesley Ann Warren ⁄ color ⁄ 88' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
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Thursday 23.10 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Love Crimes
- Lizzie Borden, USA 1992 ⁄ Sean Young, Patrick Bergin, Arnetia Walker ⁄ color ⁄ 89' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Monday 20.10 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Le Diable en robe bleue
Devil in a Blue Dress
- Carl Franklin, USA 1995 ⁄ Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals ⁄ color ⁄ 101' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Tuesday 21.10 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
Saturday 01.11 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Patrick’s Choice : US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Jackie Brown
- Quentin Tarantino, USA 1997 ⁄ Pam Grier, Robert Forster, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro ⁄ color ⁄ 154' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
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Tuesday 21.10 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Wednesday 29.10 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Monday 03.11 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
L’Heure magique
Twilight
- Robert Benton, USA 1998 ⁄ Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, Reese Witherspoon ⁄ color ⁄ 94' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Wednesday 22.10 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Thursday 30.10 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Maître de l’illusion
Lord of Illusions (Director’s Cut)
- Clive Barker, USA 1994 ⁄ Scott Bakula, Famke Janssen, Daniel von Bargen ⁄ color ⁄ 121' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Friday 24.10 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Last Seduction
The Last Seduction
- John Dahl, USA, UK 1993 ⁄ Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, Bill Pullman ⁄ color ⁄ 109' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Sunday 26.10 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Friday 31.10 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Tuesday 04.11 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
L’Œil public
The Public Eye
- Howard Franklin, USA 1992 ⁄ Joe Pesci, Barbara Hershey, Richard Riehle ⁄ color ⁄ 98' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Monday 27.10 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
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Wednesday 05.11 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Dernière limite
Deep Cover
- Bill Duke, USA 1998 ⁄ Laurence Fishburne, Jeff Goldblum, Charles Martin Smith ⁄ color ⁄ 108' ⁄ ST - OND: FR
Monday 27.10 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Thursday 06.11 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Plastic Nightmare
Shattered
- Wolfgang Petersen, USA 1991 ⁄ Tom Berenger, Greta Scacchi, Bob Hoskins ⁄ color ⁄ 97' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Tuesday 28.10 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Payback
- Brian Helgeland, USA 1999 ⁄ Mel Gibson, Maria Bello, Gregg Henry ⁄ color ⁄ 101' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Friday 31.10 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
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Sunday 09.11 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Le Flic de Miami
Miami Blues
- George Armitage, USA 1990 ⁄ Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Fred Ward ⁄ color ⁄ 96' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Saturday 01.11 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Cinélibre - Cinéart : 50 years
Little Odessa
- James Gray, USA 1994 ⁄ Tim Roth, Edward Furlong, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell ⁄ color ⁄ 98' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Sunday 02.11 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
Saturday 08.11 17:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
L.A. Confidential
- Curtis Hanson, USA 1997 ⁄ Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger ⁄ color ⁄ 137' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Tuesday 04.11 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Patrick’s Choice : US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Hors d’atteinte
Out of Sight
- Steven Soderbergh, USA 1998 ⁄ George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames ⁄ color ⁄ 123' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
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Friday 07.11 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
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Sunday 23.11 20:15 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Dernières heures à Denver
Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead
- Gary Fleder, USA 1995 ⁄ Andy Garcia, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lloyd ⁄ color ⁄ 115' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Saturday 08.11 21:30 LEDOUX Cart
Saturday 22.11 17:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Fargo
- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, USA 1995 ⁄ Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi ⁄ color ⁄ 97' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Sunday 09.11 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
Thursday 20.11 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
Sunday 23.11 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Seven
Se7en
- David Fincher, USA 1995 ⁄ Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey ⁄ color ⁄ 126' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Tuesday 11.11 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
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Friday 21.11 20:15 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Rage in Harlem: la reine des pommes
A Rage in Harlem
- Bill Duke, USA, UK 1991 ⁄ Forest Whitaker, Gregory Hines, Robin Givens, Danny Glover ⁄ color ⁄ 107' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Wednesday 12.11 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
Friday 21.11 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Heat
- Michael Mann, USA 1995 ⁄ Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd ⁄ color ⁄ 170' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Tuesday 18.11 20:30 PLATEAU Cart
Monday 24.11 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Friday 28.11 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Homicide
- David Mamet, USA 1991 ⁄ Joe Mantegna, William H. Macy, Vincent Guastaferro ⁄ color ⁄ 101' ⁄ V: EN ⁄ ST - OND: —
Wednesday 19.11 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Tuesday 25.11 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Sunday 30.11 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Kiss of Death
- Barbet Schroeder, USA 1994 ⁄ David Caruso, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicolas Cage, Helen Hunt ⁄ color ⁄ 100' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Wednesday 19.11 21:00 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Romeo Is Bleeding
- Peter Medak, USA, UK 1993 ⁄ Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Annabella Sciorra, Juliette Lewis ⁄ color ⁄ 108' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL
Thursday 20.11 21:15 LEDOUX Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Dark City
- Alex Proyas, Australia, USA 1998 ⁄ Rufus Sewell, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland ⁄ color ⁄ 100' ⁄ ST - OND: FR
Sunday 23.11 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Wednesday 26.11 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
US NEO-NOIR from the 1990s
Traumatismes
Liebestraum
- Mike Figgis, USA 1991 ⁄ Kevin Anderson, Pamela Gidley, Bill Pullman, Kim Novak ⁄ color ⁄ 113' ⁄ ST - OND: FR - NL