When thinking of The Big Lebowski, one immediately recognizes certain scenes or elements. Roaches and white russians are staples of the character, while lines like “That rug really tied the room together.” and “I’m The Dude, man!” are some of the most iconic in recent history. It’s a wacky absurdist comedy that is as confusing as it is hilarious.

However, I bet there’s one thing that never crosses your mind when thinking about The Big Lebowski. Film Noir. Ladies and Gentlemen find your seats and get comfy because tonight we discuss The Big Lebowski, and analyze how it fits perfectly as a subversion of the noir genre.

Hello, and welcome to the show! I’m your gracious host, The Matinee Moviegoer. In today’s installment, we will be discussing Joker and Taxi Driver. More specifically, we will be discussing the archetype of the outcast protagonist, or as I like to call them, the lonely loners.

WARNING: Taxi Driver contains racism, antisemitism, misogyny, and extreme violence. I am in no way endorsing any of this, I am simply recognizing that these elements contribute to fleshing out a character

As we all know by now, Joker was a massive success not only for superhero movies, but for small budget “artisan” flicks in general. It’s stellar cinematography places you in a depressing and visceral urban environment that is in itself characterized through the mountains of trash, oozing smoke, and bat-shit crazy citizens. The score is unsettling and beautiful, much like Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as the titular character. Joker is an intriguing character study, and it’s success is reflected in It’s leading man winning an Oscar.

Upon first viewing Joker is nothing short of mesmerizing, as a superhero/character study movie like this has never happened before (or at least hasn’t been pulled of with this much success). However after a second viewing I began to question my initial perception of Joker. Sure, the beats still hit, but they certainly didn’t resonate nearly as much as they did during the first sitting. It began to feel much more shallow than I initially had believed it to be.

Obviously, this could be chalked up to the law of marginal utility, that being the more you watch something the less benefit you receive from watching it. However that wasn’t the case. After sinking my teeth into it I began to recognize the reason certain elements and scenes felt so empty. The reason being that Joker stands on the shoulders of a giant. Joker wouldn’t be the movie it is if not for the 1976 masterpiece, Taxi Driver.

Welcome to Matinee Moviegoer, a blog where content isn’t so much “fire,” but more like the gentle warmth from an overpriced bag of popcorn. It’s peaceful and probably not the best for you, but halfway through you figure, “I may as well finish it.”

You see, I want this place to feel like a matinee showing. At a matinee: the ticket cost is less, there are no lines for concessions, and there’s always plenty of seats. While maybe not as exciting as the Blockbusters, there’s a charm to the relaxed nature of a daytime showing. It’s not fancy. It’s friendly.

I imagine this place can be like that. I want everyone who likes movies to be able to come here, read some cheeky post, and leave with a smile or a smirk of some sorts. I just want all the casuals and cinema freaks to know this is a place where you can kick back and relax. A place where you can sit wherever you want with a box of junior mints in one hand and a greasy half-live chicken leg in the other.

On a less analogical note, I’m going to be posting a few type of things, all obviously having to do with Cinema. They Include: (and are subject to change)

• Movie Reviews– can range from detailed analysis to quick thoughts
• Movie News– I’ll be lending my two cents on whatever hot tea is spilled in Hollywood
• Variety hour– I might find inspiration to not necessarily talk about a movie, but a person, aspect of film, or some history. It’ll be fun don’t even worry.