The "Czar of Noir" Eddie Muller is an author, filmmaker, film noir historian, and a San Francisco native. Muller is also the founder and President of The Film Noir Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicating to preserving film noir movies. In 2003, Muller and the Film Noir Foundation held the first Noir City film festival, which is now the largest noir-specific event in the US! This year, Noir City celebrates its 10th anniversary with a 10-day festival at the Castro Theatre January 20 - 29th. Read all about it on the Amoeblog!

In honor of the big festival, Amoeba San Francisco and Amoeba Berkeley have set up displays of selections from Muller's Top 25 Noir Films list! If you're going to trust anyone's taste in film, it's this guy's! Come on down to either Bay Area location and browse this terrific selection. You won't be dissapointed!

Additionally, Muller had the chance to stop by Amoeba San Francisco for a little shopping recently and talked with Amoeba's Audra about what was in his bag! 

1) Black Milk Album of the Year (Fat Beats)

2) Eminem Recovery (Aftermath, Interscope, Shady)

3) The Roots How I Got Over (Def Jam)

4) Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam)

5) Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. (Interscope)

Thanks to Ricky Ray Rivere at the Hollywood Amoeba Music for this week's hip-hop top chart, which features some releases that have been out for a minute -- most notably the still-going-strong Black Eyed Peas' summer 2009 album The E.N.D. "It's a singles driven market," noted Ricky, adding that the Peas "always have a current hit single it seems." One of the newer chart entries is Black Milk's recently released follow up album to Tronic, the twelve track Album of the Year on Fat Beats that most people seem to be feeling.

Last Sunday, Sept. 19th, 2010, marked the one-year anniversary of the tragic death of New York DJ extraordinaire Roc Raida of the X-Men/X-Ecutioners fame. He was a much loved champion DJ & gifted turntablist (and really nice guy). The occasion has been marked by many over the past week both online and in the clubs.

 
You never know who you'll run into at Amoeba. For example, I've seen all kinds of people from my childhood in Virginia, old co-workers, classmates, circus performers, models, ballers, family members and even witnessed one wedding proposal. Within the last five years I've caught sight of, personally helped, or conversed pleasantly with many a celebrity customer and I have to say it always brings me a quiet thrill. No matter how many times I've been surprised by the variety of people I've bumped into while working at Amoeba, nothing prepared me for the reality of being held in the arms of a man that at one time was nothing to me but a glossy poster on my pre-teen bedroom wall. It's just the sort of situation that I never thought I'd find myself in, but there I was in between Simon Le Bon and John Taylor, flashing my best "cherry ice cream smile" in a momentary Duran Duran sandwich. 

The only thing better than experiencing the nostalgic high that my brief, friendly encounter with John and Simon provided is the on- the-spot "What's in My Bag?" interview they both consented to. Part of what makes rubbing elbows with all walks of life at Amoeba so special is that, generally speaking, everyone who comes to the store treads a common ground built from a mass appreciation of the arts. Meeting all kinds of folks is one thing, but being in a position to peruse and discuss music, cinema, and the enjoyment of both with virtually anyone you run into at Amoeba is something of a special indulgence of mine. I like to look at the ever-expanding array of "What's in My Bag?" interviews featured on the Amoeba website as an open window for world to experience the kind of social satisfaction we, the often misjudged record store employees, encounter day after day. Please check out this excellent vignette: