Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[SeanJoyce]

Originally Posted by noirjunkie

I would argue that it's one of the best, if not the best, B noir ever made. I'm hoping WAC puts it out sooner rather than later.

I'd say that honor belongs to Detour, but I do love The Narrow Margin...especially the great dust-up between McGraw and Clarke.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I don't suppose we can hope that the third Mann/Alton title is He Walked by Night. I know that Alfred Werker is the credited director, but Mann directed some of it without credit, and it was included in Roan's The Film Noir of Anthony Mann DVD set (along with T-Men and Raw Deal).

The only other Mann/Alton title it could be would be the historical Reign of Terror. They also collaborated on the crime/noir Border Incident and western Devil's Doorway, but both of those would be with Warner.

On edit: Oops. AuteurTheory beat me to it.

He Walked By Night would be my guess. It appears to be a PD title, though MGM have released their version of it, and likely have superior elements than what's out there. I could even see a situation where both ClassicFlix, and a label like Kino both released it, similar to what happened with a title like Hollow Triumph (aka The Scar).

[noirjunkie]

Detour is coming to blu-ray. (No, unfortunately not that one.) This recent neo-noir takes its name from the original as inspiration, but it's not a remake.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

I'd say that honor belongs to Detour, but I do love The Narrow Margin...especially the great dust-up between McGraw and Clarke.

Ehhh, Im with noirjunkie on this one, The Narrow Margin is king.
Tom Neal drove me insane in Detour even though overall it was good.

[The Great Owl]

I'm double-posting my review from the dedicated thread for this movie...


Last night, I watched my Kino Lorber Blu-ray of I Wake Up Screaming.

A tough-talking promotor, played by Victor Mature (Kiss of Death, My Darling Clementine), bets some friends that he can turn a waitress into a superstar model and actress. The waitress, played by the gorgeous Carole Landis, becomes an overnight sensation, but she is murdered before making her break for Hollywood. The most obvious suspect, the promoter, finds himself being pushed from all sides by the police, but soon finds solace in a relationship with none other than the murdered model's sister, played by the beautiful Betty Grable. Elisha Cook Jr. (The Maltese Falcon, The Killing) has a minor role as a switchboard operator. Laird Cregar (This Gun for Hire) plays an obsessive police officer who is hellbent on sending the promoter to the electric chair.

I Wake Up Screaming is widely acknowledged as a film noir, but I'd personally consider it a proto-noir that, despite its release a few years before film noir really took off, features many visual and storytelling elements that would become staples in the genre, mainly the use of flashbacks, the creative use of shadows and darkness, and some snappy dialogue that skirts the edges of what was allowable by the Production Code at the time. It's an odd little film that has a few double-take sequences, especially ones that are inexplicably soundtracked by the "Over the Rainbow" instrumental music from The Wizard of Oz.

Strict film noir classifications aside, though, I Wake Up Screaming is a fast-paced and enjoyable movie across the board. I was somewhat sleepy when I started the movie last night, but I remained awake and engaged the entire time.

The picture quality and audio quality of this Kino Lorber Blu-ray are both competent and even impressive, especially considering the source material. Eddie Muller's commentary track makes a great case for this film's inclusion in the classic film noir genre

[The Great Owl]

I'm double-posting my review from the dedicated thread for this movie...


Last night, I watched my Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Boomerang!

I've seen this movie before, because I own the Fox Blu-ray that is included in the Kazan at Fox: Volume 1 box set. I was too lazy last night to bother comparing the transfers, but I give high marks to the Kino Lorber release because of the natural filmic look of the feature and because of the two commentary tracks, the first from film noir expert Imogen Sara Smith and the second from film noir experts Alain Silver and James Ursini. This Blu-ray is worth the double-dip.

Boomerang! literally starts off with a bang, as a local priest is murdered on a small town street and the unidentified killer runs away. The subsequent search for the killer sends the town into a frenzy, with politicians placing pressure on the authorities on the eve of election season. When a suspect, played by Arthur Kennedy (Lawrence of Arabia, High Sierra, Crashout), is arrested, a seemingly watertight case is built against him. The prosecutor, played by the great Dana Andrews (Where the Sidewalk Ends, Laura), expresses doubts, however, and finds himself on the ill end of political motivations from various townsfolk. A strong cast of supporting actors, namely Lee J. Cobb (12 Angry Men, On the Waterfront, The Exorcist), Jane Wyatt (Gentleman's Agreement), Ed Begley (12 Angry Men, Hang 'Em High), Cara Williams (The Defiant Ones), and Karl Malden (On the Waterfront, Where the Sidewalk Ends), helps to keep this film fast-paced and engaging.

Boomerang! is a courtroom thriller, first and foremost, but it also falls squarely into the film noir genre because of its unflinching look at political corruption. Everyone in this film has an agenda, and, unfortunately, many of them are willing to further their agendas at the expense of one man's life. Arthur Kennedy really shines in this movie as a pawn who is at the mercy of a legal system that is being pulled by strings from all directions. For me, this is a good follow-up to Fritz Lang's While the City Sleeps and Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, because of the noir developments concerning corruption among authority figures. Director Elia Kazan excelled at movies about one man struggling against a crooked system, and this is one of his strongest outings.

This film is based on an actual murder that took place in 1924, and on the ensuing investigation of a vagrant.


I found the waitress, played by Cara Williams, to be quite sexy in an offbeat way, although her character is unpleasant and, frankly, undateable.

[MifuneFan]

Powehouse Films (Indicator) in the UK have formally announced plans to release The Lady from Shanghai. It very likely will be the best release to date in terms of transfer, and extras. They have also announced the film Experiment in Terror, which we have on our list as a Late Period Noir. Both releases are limited to 3,000 Copies, and will be region free. Details below.

The Lady from Shanghai


http://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/pro...m-shanghai-dfe

(Orson Welles, 1947)
Release date: 24 April 2017
Limited Dual Format Edition (UK Blu-ray and DVD premiere)

Orson Welles’ delirious and inventive film noir classic is a dazzling cinematic jigsaw puzzle.
Welles plays a sailor who rescues a young woman (played by his real-life ex-wife Rita Hayworth) from a violent assault only to fall under her murderous spell…

LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
• 4K restoration from the original negative
• Original mono audio
• Audio Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich
•Simon Callow on 'The Lady from Shanghai' (2017, tbc mins): a new filmed appreciation piece by the acclaimed actor and Welles scholar
•A Discussion with Peter Bogdanovich (2000, 21 mins): the renowned filmmaker and author talks about Welles and The Lady from Shanghai
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by critic Samm Deighan
• UK Blu-ray premiere
• Limited Dual Format Edition of 3,000 copies
• More TBC

Experiment in Terror


http://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/pro...-in-terror-dfe

(Blake Edwards, 1962)
Release date: 24 April 2017
Limited Dual Format Edition (UK Blu-ray and DVD premiere)

Glenn Ford stars in Blake Edwards’ post-Psycho thriller with Lee Remick as a bank teller who is terrorized by psychopath 'Red' Lynch into stealing from the bank in which she works.

LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
• 2K restoration from the original negative
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary by film critic Kim Morgan
• New and exclusive filmed interview with actor Stefanie Powers (2017, tbc mins)
• Isolated score
• Original theatrical trailer
• TV spots
• Image gallery
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by critic Kim Morgan
• UK Blu-ray premiere
• Limited Dual Format Edition of 3,000 copies
• More TBC

[The Great Owl]

It would make no sense for me to triple-dip on The Lady from Shanghai, since I already own the TCM Blu-ray and the Mill Creek Blu-ray.

I've been known to do things that don't make sense, though. I love this movie.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I'm double-posting my review from the dedicated thread for this movie...


Last night, I watched my Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Boomerang!

I've seen this movie before, because I own the Fox Blu-ray that is included in the Kazan at Fox: Volume 1 box set. I was too lazy last night to bother comparing the transfers, but I give high marks to the Kino Lorber release because of the natural filmic look of the feature and because of the two commentary tracks, the first from film noir expert Imogen Sara Smith and the second from film noir experts Alain Silver and James Ursini. This Blu-ray is worth the double-dip.

Boomerang! literally starts off with a bang, as a local priest is murdered on a small town street and the unidentified killer runs away. The subsequent search for the killer sends the town into a frenzy, with politicians placing pressure on the authorities on the eve of election season. When a suspect, played by Arthur Kennedy (Lawrence of Arabia, High Sierra, Crashout), is arrested, a seemingly watertight case is built against him. The prosecutor, played by the great Dana Andrews (Where the Sidewalk Ends, Laura), expresses doubts, however, and finds himself on the ill end of political motivations from various townsfolk. A strong cast of supporting actors, namely Lee J. Cobb (12 Angry Men, On the Waterfront, The Exorcist), Jane Wyatt (Gentleman's Agreement), Ed Begley (12 Angry Men, Hang 'Em High), Cara Williams (The Defiant Ones), and Karl Malden (On the Waterfront, Where the Sidewalk Ends), helps to keep this film fast-paced and engaging.

Boomerang! is a courtroom thriller, first and foremost, but it also falls squarely into the film noir genre because of its unflinching look at political corruption. Everyone in this film has an agenda, and, unfortunately, many of them are willing to further their agendas at the expense of one man's life. Arthur Kennedy really shines in this movie as a pawn who is at the mercy of a legal system that is being pulled by strings from all directions. For me, this is a good follow-up to Fritz Lang's While the City Sleeps and Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, because of the noir developments concerning corruption among authority figures. Director Elia Kazan excelled at movies about one man struggling against a crooked system, and this is one of his strongest outings.

This film is based on an actual murder that took place in 1924, and on the ensuing investigation of a vagrant.


I found the waitress, played by Cara Williams, to be quite sexy in an offbeat way, although her character is unpleasant and, frankly, undateable.

What's your opinion of the Bogart film African Queen? I blind bought it a few months ago but haven't watched it yet strangely. For the most part I've heard its great but a friend of mine who is obsessed with classics doesn't really like it that much.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

What's your opinion of the Bogart film African Queen? I blind bought it a few months ago but haven't watched it yet strangely. For the most part I've heard its great but a friend of mine who is obsessed with classics doesn't really like it that much.

The African Queen is not a film noir, but it is pretty awesome. It's sort of a forerunner to the Indiana Jones type adventure films, but it also has a great romance. Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn play off of each other so well.

The Blu-ray of The African Queen looks downright magnificent.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The African Queen is not a film noir, but it is pretty awesome. It's sort of a forerunner to the Indiana Jones type adventure films, but it also has a great romance. Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn play off of each other so well.

The Blu-ray of The African Queen looks downright magnificent.

I was thinking on a blind buy for Twilight Time's film noir new release Kiss of Death (1947). Would you say it's a safe blind buy? It seems like it would.

[silverlakephil]

TCM to Launch New Noir-Themed Programming Franchise Noir Alley



The "Czar of Noir" , Eddie Muller, will host a new weekly Noir show, Noir Alley, on TCM starting March 5th, every Sunday:

https://www.turner.com/pressroom/tcm...ise-noir-alley

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

I was thinking on a blind buy for Twilight Time's film noir new release Kiss of Death (1947). Would you say it's a safe blind buy? It seems like it would.

Yes, yes, yes! I'm happy to have upgraded my Fox DVD of Kiss of Death. Get it while it's hot.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

The "Czar of Noir" , Eddie Muller, will host a new weekly Noir show, Noir Alley, on TCM starting March 5th, every Sunday:

https://www.turner.com/pressroom/tcm...ise-noir-alley

This makes me really happy.

I don't have cable television at home, and I don't pick up any television channels by choice.
However...
My mother is going through chemotherapy right now, and, since it's not good for her to be at home by herself, I visit her every Sunday for three or four hours (roughly 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM) while my father is teaching Sunday school and attending church. Every Sunday morning, I go for an early morning run, and then drive 20 minutes up north to my parents' house to hang out with her until my father gets home.

My mother is pretty weak right now from the chemo, but her mind is still sharp, and we always just sit in the living room, watch TCM, and talk about the movies. We were watching High Society a couple of weeks ago, and my mother was reminiscing about how one of her older sisters modeled her wedding dress after Grace Kelly's wedding dress in that movie.

Anyway, this film noir series is timed perfectly for my visits with Mom. That's pretty great.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

TCM to Launch New Noir-Themed Programming Franchise Noir Alley

Detour (1945) is scheduled for March 12. I wonder if TCM has an HD master of it; it would be nice to see it, in all of its grimy glory, in high definition.

[drb124]

I finally got around to watching my Arrow Academy release of Woman on the Run today. Though I had heard opinions that it was a second tier noir, I really enjoyed it, though I agree it would not be in any top ten lists. I thought Ann Sheridan really carried the movie, and a short run time of 78 minutes helped keep things brisk. As good of PQ as can be expected considering the source. I did not get into the special features today, but I hope to shortly. As has likely been mentioned before, if you have a Region A player, the Flicker Alley logo and menu appear, with the Arrow menu appearing if you have a Region B player.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

TCM to Launch New Noir-Themed Programming Franchise Noir Alley



The "Czar of Noir" , Eddie Muller, will host a new weekly Noir show, Noir Alley, on TCM starting March 5th, every Sunday:

https://www.turner.com/pressroom/tcm...ise-noir-alley

Eddie might want to check that TCM advertising page-The Maltese Falcon was the first Noir? First time I've heard that.

[mogwai_macabre]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Eddie might want to check that TCM advertising page-The Maltese Falcon was the first Noir? First time I've heard that.

That's probably the most agreed upon "first" film noir, if you're going to draw a line in the sand. I've also heard strong arguments for I Wake Up Screaming, but as mentioned earlier in this thread, it lacks the tone of a true film noir.

Of course, plenty of earlier movies feature cinematography or dark subject matter associated with noir, but as a whole don't meet enough criteria to be classified as pure film noir.

The whole classification of noir is such a grey area that you could narrow it down to a few dozen movies, or expand it to hundreds. I think how you classify noir will impact your decision on which is the "first".

What's your pick?

[jetthead]

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

I was thinking on a blind buy for Twilight Time's film noir new release Kiss of Death (1947). Would you say it's a safe blind buy? It seems like it would.

Kiss of Death is quite good. Richard Widmark steals the show in his first film role.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by mogwai_macabre

That's probably the most agreed upon "first" film noir, if you're going to draw a line in the sand. I've also heard strong arguments for I Wake Up Screaming, but as mentioned earlier in this thread, it lacks the tone of a true film noir.

Of course, plenty of earlier movies feature cinematography or dark subject matter associated with noir, but as a whole don't meet enough criteria to be classified as pure film noir.

The whole classification of noir is such a grey area that you could narrow it down to a few dozen movies, or expand it to hundreds. I think how you classify noir will impact your decision on which is the "first".

What's your pick?

I don't embrace the term Proto-noir so I might consider something like You Only Live Once or even a Pre-code like I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang. If someone says it starts in the '40s I would say the title I often read was the first-Stranger On the Third Floor ('40) Honestly, I had never heard The Maltese Falcon referred to as the first and I've been around more years than I care to admit.