Red Rock West feat. Jake Tropila

Writer and podcaster Jake Tropila returns for a dive into the dusty, hard-nosed pleasures of John Dahl's 1993 neo-noir western 'Red Rock West'. The film has been newly restored and released on blu-ray in a great edition courtesy of Cinématographe, a new sub-label from the folks behind Vinegar Syndrome. We start with a discussion of the career of John Dahl, an underrated director with a sharp style that made him a prime helmer of small, smart thrillers of the era alongside his skilled conteporaries like Bill Duke and Carl Franklin. Then we turn to Red Rock West, its influences, and where it exists downstream from the success of the Coen Brothers' 'Blood Simple', a film that bolstered a neo-noir resurgence in the late 80s and early 90s. Finally, we discuss the relative absence of the neo-noir in the modern cinematic landscape, the migration of these sorts of stories into longform, episodic television, and some hopes for the genre's future, courtesy of some recent releases like the latest Rose Glass film 'Love Lies Bleeding', a film that had yet to be released when this episode was recorded. Follow Jake Tropila on Twitter. Listen to and support Optimism Vaccine. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish.