Eric Ames is a professor in Germanics and Comparative Literature who specializes in cinema. Much of his research explores the enigmatic work of German filmmaker Werner Herzog, known by mainstream moviegoers for documentaries like “Grizzly Man” and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams.” Last quarter Ames taught a class on film noir, the genre of dark and moody thrillers that Hollywood churned out after World War II. “I can’t get enough of film noir,” he said. “The first thing I say to my students is, ‘This stuff is candy.'”