We have arrived at the THIRD year of CINEMONSTER's next foray into a themed film festival. Here is Cinemonster's List for his MannVanuary Trois - complete with rules, criteria and whatnot.

This month-long challenge combines deep dives into both the WESTERN genre as well as the FILM NOIR genre! Plus highlighting black directors as well as various other genre directors!

Me Likey!!!

(Here are the links to my first two entries in both of the previous MannVanuary Challenges:
MannVanuary - Year 1 and MannVanuary - Year 2).

This year, I really leaned into watching films by black directors - most of these directors I'm watching this year I am completely unfamiliar with. This is yet another reason why I love Cinemonster's challenges - getting exposed to directors and films that have passed me by for one reason or another. I love filling in those blind spots in my film-watching world.

Here's how my films shake out (includes the links to all of MY REVIEWS of each film):

Cinemonster's Criteria:

1 Anthony Mann Film
* The Furies

1 Melvin or Mario Film
* Baadasssss!

1 Black Western
* God's Country

1 Italian Western
* Black Killer

8 films from Black directors
* (The Good Lord Bird) - Albert Hughes, Kevin Hooks, Darnell Martin
* (Judas and the Black Messiah) - Shaka King
* (To Sleep with Anger) - Charles Burnett
* (Shame) - Steve McQueen
* (Cooley High) - Michael Schultz
* (Two Trains Runnin') - Sam Pollard
* (His House) - Remi Weekes
* (The Burial) - Margaret Betts
* (Walkaway Joe) - Tom Wright
* (Haunted Mansion) - Justin Simien
* (Chi-Raq) - Spike Lee
* (The Final Comedown) - Oscar Williams

4 westerns from the following: Sergio Corbucci, John Sturges, Howard Hawks, Delmer Daves, Budd Boetticher
* (The Great Silence) - Sergio Corbucci
* (Hour of the Gun) - John Sturges
* (El Dorado) - Howard Hawks
* (Jubal) - Delmer Daves
* (Westbound) - Budd Boetticher

5 decades (western)
* (50's - The Furies)
* (60's - The Great Silence)
* (70's - Black Killer)
* (2010's - The Ballad of Lefty Brown)
* (2020's - God's Country)

7 decades (noir)
* (30's - Fury)
* (40's - The Crooked Way)
* (50's - Born to Be Bad)
* (60's - Le Deuxieme Souffle)
* (80's - Dressed to Kill)
* (2000's - Confidence)
* (2010's - Under the Silver Lake)

4 noir films from: Nicholas Ray, Edgar G. Ulmer, Fritz Lang, André de Toth, Robert Florey, Jean-Pierre Melville, James Foley
* (Born to Be Bad) - Nicholas Ray
* (Murder is My Beat) - Edgar G. Ulmer
* (Fury) - Fritz Lang
* (Crime Wave) - André de Toth
* (The Crooked Way) - Robert Florey
* (Le Deuxième Souffle) - Jean-Pierre Melville
* (Confidence) - James Foley

BONUS - 1 Spike Lee film (unseen) and "The Final Comedown"
* Chi-Raq
* The Final Comedown

I will keep track of my progress and MY REVIEWS below:

01. The Furies - 3.0 stars
02. Baadasssss! - 3.0 stars
03. God's Country - 1.0 star
04. The Ballad of Lefty Brown - 4.0 stars
05. Dressed to Kill - 3.5 stars
06. Under the Silver Lake - 3.0 stars
07. Judas and the Black Messiah - 3.5 stars
08. To Sleep With Anger - 1.5 stars
09. Shame - 4.5 stars
10. Cooley High - 3.0 stars
11. Two Trains Runnin' - 2.5 stars
12. His House - 4.0 stars
13. The Burial - 1.0 star
14. Walkaway Joe - 2.0 stars
15. Haunted Mansion - 3.5 stars
16. Black Killer - 2.0 stars
17. The Great Silence - 4.0 stars
18. Hour of the Gun - 4.0 stars
19. El Dorado - 4.0 stars
20. Jubal - 3.0 stars
21. The Good Lord Bird - 4.5 stars
22. Westbound - 3.0 stars
23. Born to Be Bad - 2.5 stars
24. Murder is My Beat - 3.0 stars
25. Fury - 4.0 stars
26. Crime Wave - 4.0 stars
27. Confidence - 3.0 stars
28. The Crooked Way - 2.0 stars
29. Le Deuxième Souffle - 4.5 stars
30. Chi-Raq - 2.0 stars
31. The Final Comedown - 2.0 stars