Colour us black by MATTHEW HAYS Blessed be our local rep house, the Cinéma du Parc. Or the cinema's clever programmers, rather. They've chosen to highlight some classic and lesser-known film noir movies this month. Still a point of debate among film scholars, (is film noir a genre or merely a style?) these movies rank among my favourites. An astute reflection of the horrid state the American psyche found itself in during and after World War II, the films arguably represent some of the very best moments in the American cinematic canon. Call this an over-the-top rave? Consider this true story: years ago, I told my hairdresser about my fondness for film noir. He replied, between clips of his scissors, that he didn't really like watching black and white movies. I promptly switched hairdressers, never allowing that superficial queen to touch my fair locks again. Consider that a warning! Among the films I recommend in the series: Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder's epic freak show, also doubles for its pure camp value. Gloria Swanson is Nora Desmond, the faded mental case whose golden days before the spotlight have all faded into obscurity. American Beauty took its screenwriting cues from Boulevard; the film opens with the narration of a dead character. Speaking of dead or dying people, D.O.A. has Edmund O'Brien trying to solve the mystery of who poisoned him. Told in flashback, the film is a portrait of despair; O'Brien clearly isn't going to make it through this. A shockingly dark film with a great premise. Also included is the rerelease print of the rare-but-essential Nightmare Alley . A true oddity, it's a film about some twisted racketeers involved with a travelling carnival. I've said it before, but it warrants saying again: this is a fantastic opportunity to see the films on the big screen. Drag yourself away from that ball and chain that is your VCR and TV and get thee to the rep house. Somewhat mysterious is the Parc's classification of Kubrick's The Killing as neo-noir. What up? That film--also a brilliant one--is dated 1956, making it qualify for the tail end of the first noir cycle. Missing from their list, sadly, is Chinatown, perhaps the most successful neo-noir film (God love Faye Dunaway, even if Roman Polanski and Jack Nicholson didn't). The film was recently rereleased with a batch of new prints. Will someone please book this right away? And frankly, I would have skipped Angel Heart, an obvious and unsubtle film by the most obvious and unsubtle director ever born, professional knob Alan Parker. Be sure to check out A Moment on the Set: An Ephemeral Tribute to Movie Magic, which runs for two days only (this Saturday and Sunday, April 8-9) at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. On exhibit will be sets inspired by various films, including Blade Runner, The English Patient and Fellini's Satyricon, all designed by local artists. Admission is $8. COMMENTS: matt_hays@babylon.montreal.qc.ca