Hammett (1982)

Dashiell Hammett embroiled in a mystery only he could write

I had never even heard of Hammett until a few years ago, which seemed odd – celebrated German auteur Wim Wenders coming to Hollywood to tackle hard-boiled detective writer Dashiell Hammett sounds like the kind of curiosity that any film geek would go out of their way to track down. Apparently the film suffered an almost epic level of production issues, but the result is a delightfully shaggy, inebriated enterprise – driven by an iconic lead performance from Frederic Forrest, with colorful supporting performances (Peter Boyle!), a labyrinth plot, and wonderfully chaotic mise-en-scène sumptuously recreating 20s era San Francisco. Witty and entertaining, this meta-noir is a worthy oddball.