Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[MifuneFan]

Kino have just announced plans to release Fritz Lang's Secret Beyond the Door (1947) on Blu-ray. It will be sourced from a 4K scan. The film was previously released on BD by Olive Films.

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!
2022 HD Master – From a 4K Scan

SECRET BEYOND THE DOOR (1947) Starring Joan Bennett, Michael Redgrave & Anne Revere – Shot by Stanley Cortez (Night of the Hunter) – Music by Miklós Rózsa (Ben-Hur) – Directed by Fritz Lang (Scarlet Street, The Big Heat).

[filmlover22]

Secret beyond the Door also was released by Arrow in their Film Noir box set, loaded with special features. I found it an excellent transfer. It was region free, though I think it is OOP now.

[Hammerlover]

Looking forward to seeing the new resto of HE WALKED BY NIGHT. On a personal note, it was probably the first film noir I ever saw, on my local PBS station back in 1983.

[Dr. Humbert]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Kino have just announced plans to release Fritz Lang's Secret Beyond the Door (1947) on Blu-ray. It will be sourced from a 4K scan. The film was previously released on BD by Olive Films.

Hate to be that guy but I never understood the 'film noir' moniker for this one.

[BlueRagtop]

Originally Posted by Dr. Humbert

Hate to be that guy but I never understood the 'film noir' moniker for this one.

You're not the only one. I just didn't want to be the first to say it.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by filmlover22

Secret beyond the Door also was released by Arrow in their Film Noir box set, loaded with special features. I found it an excellent transfer. It was region free, though I think it is OOP now.

They re-released it in a slimmed down package (two films per amaray, no book). That's the one I've got. As far as I can tell, it's still in print.

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by Dr. Humbert

Hate to be that guy but I never understood the 'film noir' moniker for this one.

Probably just labeled as such because it's directed by Fritz Lang, and visually has that noir look, even if the story seems more like a gothic suspense-drama.

[MifuneFan]

Kino Insider just confirmed Secret Beyond the Door will include a new commentary from Allan K Rode. He had already did one previously for the Arrow UK release.

[SeanJoyce]

Originally Posted by Dr. Humbert

Hate to be that guy but I never understood the 'film noir' moniker for this one.

That's the case with a lot of movies around here.

[Dr. Humbert]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

That's the case with a of movies around here.

Yeah I guess, but this one is clearly not a film noir to me. Unless something like Hitchcock’s REBECCA is also a film noir.

[Member-880182]

Originally Posted by Dr. Humbert

Yeah I guess, but this one is clearly not a film noir to me. Unless something like Hitchcock’s REBECCA is also a film noir.

I've often heard Rebecca described as an early noir or proto-noir. It seems to be part of the unanswerable "when did noir begin?" question, I suppose.

[MifuneFan]

Yeah, Rebecca has been on and off the list at one time or another, but we could never really reach a consensus here, so I decided it best to just leave it off for now. I agree that there are plenty that aren't strictly film noir on the list, though it's such a loose term/genre that many get categorized as such. Secret Beyond the Door is part of Arrow's noir set, so it can't be excluded. Same with many in Kino's noir box sets which are noir-adjacent at best. I believe it was noirjunkie that said early on that it's better to cast a wider net here, and I like that philosophy. Odds are, the ones that aren't archetypal noir will still be enjoyed by film noir fans.

[Member-880182]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Yeah, Rebecca has been on and off the list at one time or another, but we could never really reach a consensus here, so I decided it best to just leave it off for now. I agree that there are plenty that aren't strictly film noir on the list, though it's such a loose term/genre that many get categorized as such. Secret Beyond the Door is part of Arrow's noir set, so it can't be excluded. Same with many in Kino's noir box sets which are noir-adjacent at best. I believe it was noirjunkie that said early on that it's better to cast a wider net here, and I like that philosophy. Odds are, the ones that aren't archetypal noir will still be enjoyed by film noir fans.

I see there's a Gothic Noir theme coming to the Criterion Channel next month. Secret Beyond the Door is not included, but there are several films in the list that are probably noir-adjacent as you described. I have only seen three of these... Ministry of Fear, Woman in Hiding, and The House on Telegraph Hill. There are a few here I've been meaning to see, such as Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (how can you not resist that title?).


Ministry of Fear (1944)
When Strangers Marry (1944)
My Name is Julia Ross (1945)
The Seventh Veil (1945)
Undercurrent (1946)
Lured (1947)
The Upturned Glass (1947)
Kiss the Blood off My Hands (1948)
The Sign of the Ram (1948)
Woman in Hiding (1950)
The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)
Lightning Strikes Twice (1951)

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by Lee2112

I see there's a Gothic Noir theme coming to the Criterion Channel next month. Secret Beyond the Door is not included, but there are several films in the list that are probably noir-adjacent as you described. I have only seen three of these... Ministry of Fear, Woman in Hiding, and The House on Telegraph Hill. There are a few here I've been meaning to see, such as Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (how can you not resist that title?).


Ministry of Fear (1944)
When Strangers Marry (1944)
My Name is Julia Ross (1945)
The Seventh Veil (1945)
Undercurrent (1946)
Lured (1947)
The Upturned Glass (1947)
Kiss the Blood off My Hands (1948)
The Sign of the Ram (1948)
Woman in Hiding (1950)
The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)
Lightning Strikes Twice (1951)

Nice, thanks for the heads up. I've seen all of these except for Undercurrent, and now I'll have to change that

Highlights here are me are The Upturned Glass, Kiss The Blood Off My Hands and The House on Telegraph Hill. Very glad Criterion often gives attention to "2nd tier" noirs that are often less known in comparison.

[Noir Black Schwarz]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Kino have just announced plans to release Fritz Lang's Secret Beyond the Door (1947) on Blu-ray. It will be sourced from a 4K scan. The film was previously released on BD by Olive Films.

So sourced from 4K but not on 4K? God I hate this. Why bother remastering a movie in 4K if you're not going to put it out on 4K?

[randian]

Originally Posted by Noir Black Schwarz

So sourced from 4K but not on 4K? God I hate this. Why bother remastering a movie in 4K if you're not going to put it out on 4K?

For archival purposes, no doubt. I assume this is newer than the source Indicator used.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by Noir Black Schwarz

So sourced from 4K but not on 4K? God I hate this. Why bother remastering a movie in 4K if you're not going to put it out on 4K?

For many films, the cost of putting out a 4K disc won't be recouped by the sales. Sourcing from 4K still almost always results in a superior 2K picture.

[filmlover22]

Originally Posted by Noir Black Schwarz

So sourced from 4K but not on 4K? God I hate this. Why bother remastering a movie in 4K if you're not going to put it out on 4K?

Sigh. putting a 4k master on a 4k disc is 6 to 8 TIMES MORE COST than putting a 4k master on a standard bluray. I am amazed that there are as many 4k discs released by Kino...

[FantasticMrFox]

Can somebody tell from which noir this scene is from? I bought an older book about noir, and this is the back of it. In the imprint it says the title is “Under Town”, but it seems a movie with this title doesn’t exist. The scene seems so very familiar, like if I even have recently watched it, but I can’t remember and it’s driving me totally nuts.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Noir Black Schwarz

So sourced from 4K but not on 4K? God I hate this. Why bother remastering a movie in 4K if you're not going to put it out on 4K?

Movies have been mastered in 4K since more than a decade now. The purpose of scanning and restoring 35mm materials in 4K is for archival purpose, so that the film materials do not need to be repeatedly handled.