It feels good to be back in black! Ever since the original noir genre tapered off in the 1950s, writers and filmmakers have kept returning to the dark theme. These five goos are famous for their work in neo-noir.



Patricia Highsmith

publication date: Friday, May 4, 2012

category: Literature

clue: By the time she dreamed up con artist Tom Ripley, Alfred Hitchcock had already adapted her first novel into a film in 1951.

explanation: Highsmith wrote The Talented Mr. Ripley and four other novels about the character, as well as Strangers on a Train. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Aaron Shurtleff


James Ellroy

publication date: Thursday, May 3, 2012

category: Literature

clue: He channeled his grief over his mother's murder into a novel about the Black Dahlia case, and went on to expose more of L.A.'s confidential secrets.

explanation: Ellroy wrote The Black Dahlia and L.A. Confidential. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Aaron Shurtleff


Kathleen Turner

publication date: Wednesday, May 2, 2012

category: Movies

clue: Her role as Matty Walker became such an iconic femme fatale that she was able to parodize the archetype as Jessica Rabbit.

explanation: Turner starred in Body Heat and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Aaron Shurtleff


Christopher Nolan

publication date: Tuesday, May 1, 2012

category: Movies

clue: This writer-director can turn out neo-noir films both large like Inception and The Dark Knight and small like Following and Memento.

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Aaron Shurtleff


Robert De Niro

publication date: Monday, April 30, 2012

category: Movies

clue: The star of Raging Bull, Cape Fear, Heat, Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Angel Heart, and countless other dark films might be the king of neo-noir.

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, and Jon Berry


Other Themes in Spring 2012

Life After Death

Just as spring follows winter, new life can follow death. To commemorate the addition of zombie players to the game, here are five celebrities who achieved significant success posthumously. Go »

Super Maximum

Life a real-life Arkham Asylum, the most famous villains of the United States are jailed in the super-maximum-security facility in Florence, Colorado, home of mobsters, gang leaders, drug lords, terrorists, and various enemies of state, including these five goos. Go »

Double Trouble

Most celebrities have non-famous siblings, but twins who achieve fame in the same field are especially rare. Have twice the fun this week guessing these five pairs of famous twins. Both names are required for your guess to be correct. Go »

Go Ahead, Make His Day

Once a star of macho action pictures, Clint Eastwood began directing movies in 1971 and has become one of America's most celebrated film-makers. These goos are inspired by five of his movies, both recent and classic. Are you feeling lucky? Go »

Eight-Legged Freaks

Do spiders make you squeamish? This theme may not be for you. This week, five goos inspired by arachnids are waiting for you to get trapped in their page on the Web. Go »

When in Rome

The ancient Romans founded one of the greatest empires of antiquity, excelling in government, war, arts, and general decadence. Get in a time machine and spend this week identifying some of the major figures of the Roman era. Go »

The Modern Woman

2012 has not been easy for women so far, as these five controversial ladies can attest. Each one made headlines, for better or worse, in the first few months of this year. Go »

Men are from Mars

The fourth planet from the Sun has long held the fascination of men, especially these five, who will forever be associated with the red planet. There's a reason why both Mars and men share the symbol ♂. Go »

Meow Mix

It's the final week of the regular season, and your last chance to save up nine lives. Can you identify these five celebrities with feline names? Real winners don't rely on performance-enhancing drugs like catnip. Go »

Spring 2012 Tournament

The dead shall rise! In this tournament, whenever an odd number of players remains, a defeated player will return as a "zombie" to challenge the top-seeded player. If successful, they'll gain full re-entry into the tournament. This time, it's not over until it's over. Go »

Spring 2012 Bonus Goos

What will you do on your summer vacation? With the tournament concluded and the next season ready to start on Monday, here are three days of extra goos that have no bearing on the season winner. Enjoy the break and come back refreshed next week. Go »