The Long Goodbye, The Lady in the Lake, Murder My Sweet, and Strangers on a Train will screen this weekend at the Brattle. Check the Brattle Theatre website for showtimes. The Chandler festivities start today, Friday, August 3.

The Brattle takes their noir fixation to the next level with a whole weekend of movies dedicated to the work of Raymond Chandler. The theater is showcasing a new print of 1973's The Long Goodbye, in which Robert Altman offers his take on Chandler's famous novel.

The setting is scuzzy, swinging, '70s LA, and Chandler's detective Phillip Marlowe is portrayed by Elliott Gould, of all people. Gould looks more than a little confused, but his Marlowe is intended to be a smartass slacker with a dash of integrity. When trying to help out a friend in a jam, he gets sucked into the world of an aging author and his young, beautiful wife.

Gould's Marlowe practically sleepwalks his way through the case, only occasionally is he jolted awake by some shocking moments of brutality. Much of the pleasure of the movie comes from watching him wise up and settle some scores. Also, keep an eye out for a young Arnold Schwarzenegger as a toughie.

Here's the trailer: