Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[BlueRagtop]

One of the reasons I posted that list is because, unlike so many lists of this type, I actually agreed with it! I've seen all of the films -- except for Shield for Murder -- and think that every one of them is a very good example of film noir. You really can't go wrong with any of them.

If I had to single out my personal favorites, however, they are Criss Cross and Night and the City, with Raw Deal, Born to Kill, and Act of Violence close behind. (I like my noir dark.)

[chas speed]

Originally Posted by BlueRagtop

One of the reasons I posted that list is because, unlike so many lists of this type, I actually agreed with it! I've seen all of the films -- except for Shield for Murder -- and think that every one of them is a very good example of film noir. You really can't go wrong with any of them.

If I had to single out my personal favorites, however, they are Criss Cross and Night and the City, with Raw Deal, Born to Kill, and Act of Violence close behind. (I like my noir dark.)

I just ordered the "Shield for Murder" Blu-ray directly from Kino Lorber. It's almost impossible to find on Blu-ray anywhere else. It certainly has the most crooked cop I have ever seen in any movie. The scene where he pistol whips someone is really over the top for the 1950's!

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by BlueRagtop

Wanted to share this article from SlashFilm.com

Our 15 Favorite Underrated Noirs

Winners

• Born to Kill
• The Narrow Margin
• The Breaking Point
• Raw Deal
• Criss Cross
• Elevator to the Gallows
• The Set-Up

OK-ish

• Shield for Murder
• Odds Against Tomorrow
• Woman on the Run
• Night and the City

Duds

• He Walked by Night
• The Prowler
• Force of Evil

[filmlover22]

Duds
He Walked by Night
The Prowler
Force of Evil

Huh???

[crazednoir]

Originally Posted by lemonski

Winners

• Born to Kill
• The Narrow Margin
• The Breaking Point
• Raw Deal
• Criss Cross
• Elevator to the Gallows
• The Set-Up

OK-ish

• Shield for Murder
• Odds Against Tomorrow
• Woman on the Run
• Night and the City

Duds

• He Walked by Night
• The Prowler
• Force of Evil

Cant agree that The Prowler and He walked by night were duds. Force of Evil wasn't that great

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by crazednoir

Cant agree that The Prowler and He walked by night were duds. Force of Evil wasn't that great

Ha! I think after Criss Cross, Force of Evil is the best of the bunch!

I actually think every film on the list is great, except [B]Shield for Murder, which I think is pretty good too. Though I've only seen it once— probably due for a revisit.

[deadsincebirth]

Force of Evil is one of the best! John Garfield is great as always but Thomas Gomez steals the show! The scenes with his brother and that last scene he's in with book maker. Gold!

Edit: Yes sorry Thomas Gomez! Always great!

[Thomas Veil]

I get the dislike of Force of Evil but for me it's simply not a Garfield fan. Not saying he wasnt talented just his style (Brando like) kinda turns me off. What can I say,some actors/actresses just don't click with you.

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by deadsincebirth

Force of Evil is one of the best! John Garfield is great as always but Thomas Mitchell steals the show! The scenes with his brother and that last scene he's in with book maker. Gold!

You mean Thomas Gomez, buddy And I agree. Absolutely positively agree!

[mogwai_macabre]

Originally Posted by lemonski

Winners

[Show spoiler]

• Born to Kill
• The Narrow Margin
• The Breaking Point
• Raw Deal
• Criss Cross
• Elevator to the Gallows
• The Set-Up

OK-ish

• Shield for Murder
• Odds Against Tomorrow
• Woman on the Run
• Night and the City

Duds

• He Walked by Night
• The Prowler
• Force of Evil

Oh man I just don't know about this. Night and the City is one of my favorites. I never get tired of watching the walls cave in on Richard Widmark, and I wish all noir could be this bleak.

And The Prowler is a strong contender for best homme fatale in all of noir. Maybe not as objectively good as others on the list, but it's so juicy and fun.

[silverlakephil]

The review on DVDBeaver of The Midnight Story from Kino’s Film Noir:The Dark Side of Cinema V notes there might be a rendering issue since the PQ notably changes during the 2nd half of the film:

“ Shot, again by Metty, that visual facet is strong but in the second half of the film, the source appears to lose density looking paler and flat - possibly a rendering error. Black levels weaken. The difference is notable.”

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

The review on DVDBeaver of The Midnight Story from Kino’s Film Noir:The Dark Side of Cinema V notes there might be a rendering issue since the PQ notably changes during the 2nd half of the film:

“ Shot, again by Metty, that visual facet is strong but in the second half of the film, the source appears to lose density looking paler and flat - possibly a rendering error. Black levels weaken. The difference is notable.”

What else is new? A few of the films from the other Dark Side of Cinema box sets have slightly out of sync audio/video. And The Sleeping City from set #3 has THE WORST audio noise reduction and artifacts I've ever heard on a legitimate release— it sounds like someone is playing the audio through a zoom call.

Since these are box sets of lesser titles, I think their QC cares less, and they won't be fixed if there are errors. But it is what it is. I'll, unfortunately, buy them anyway.

[filmlover22]

I tend to agree. Let's face it, on sale these sets cost $24-$25 a piece, which is about $8 a movie. Even with a few anomalies, I think they are worth it.

[BlueRagtop]

Re: He Walked by Night

No noir photographed by John Alton can be considered a "dud". (This is not an opinion, but a fact. )

It was also a direct precursor to "Dragnet", as Jack Webb got the idea for the show while acting in He Walked. Lastly, the chase-through-the-storm-drains finale took place a year earlier the celebrated conclusion to The Third Man.

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by filmlover22

I tend to agree. Let's face it, on sale these sets cost $24-$25 a piece, which is about $8 a movie. Even with a few anomalies, I think they are worth it.

Yup. And if you wait a bit and get them on a Target or Amazon B2G1 sale, you can even get them for about $18 a set. Definitely worth it either way.

[lemonski]

=filmlover22;19657098]Duds
He Walked by Night
The Prowler
Force of Evil

Huh???

I’m going by my ratings of them on first viewing: 2.5, 2.5 and 2.0 respectively. So not terrible films, but IMO don’t belong in a top 15 of anything and definitely not underrated.

If you were to ask me now what any of these three films were about, I couldn’t tell you. The winners I’d enthusiastically rewatch at any time.

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by Thomas Veil

I get the dislike of Force of Evil but for me it's simply not a Garfield fan. Not saying he wasnt talented just his style (Brando like) kinda turns me off. What can I say,some actors/actresses just don't click with you.

This is exactly my feeling about Garfield as well, his acting style always seems so completely out of step with everyone else - like he’s trying too hard. In saying that, he was great in The Breaking Point. Maybe he was just ahead of his time.

[Davidian]

And of course The Postman Rings Twice with the divine Lana Turner.

[SeanJoyce]

I'm a Garfield fan and The Postman Rings Twice is alright, but...it feels like such a pale husk of the inimitable Double Indemnity, and it goes so far off the rails in the final third that I don't regard it with the same reverence most other noir fans do.

Speaking of Garfield and noir, here's what I had to say in the "Noirvember" thread over at the Movies subsection:

John Garfield IS film noir; both the work and the man basically form the perfect encapsulation of what film noir is.

Not only did he star in many definitive noir classics, but he played the part of an archetypal noir lead in real life...the guy trying to do the right thing in way over his head against forces he's can't fully grasp or control, and who meets a tragically grim demise.

Love the guy and his early death is one of cinemas' greatest losses.

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

I'm a Garfield fan and The Postman Rings Twice is alright, but...it feels like such a pale husk of the inimitable Double Indemnity, and it goes so far off the rails in the final third that I don't regard it with the same reverence most other noir fans do.

I think that's sort of the general consensus, yeah. It's a good film (I like it a good deal) but it's certainly not top-tier noir quality. Tay Garnett was a solid director, but certainly not great like Wilder, Lang, Siodmak or Preminger, among other famed noir directors, and it shows with this film. It's even inferior to Visconti's unofficial adaptation Ossessione (1943).