Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[OceanBlue]

The World Noir: Volume 4 boxset was the highlight of the latest set of Radiance announcements from earlier today for me (intrigued by the one extra, the episode of the TV crime serial).

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by Qbrickanon

Not sure if they’re the biggest, but The Narrow Margin (1952) and Born to Kill (1947). D.O.A. would be high on my list as well— is there a problem with the existing film elements, or was that a rumor?

Very good call on these two!!! I'm sure WAC will do Born to Kill at some point!

[sherlockjr]

Originally Posted by Qbrickanon

Not sure if they’re the biggest, but The Narrow Margin (1952) and Born to Kill (1947). D.O.A. would be high on my list as well— is there a problem with the existing film elements, or was that a rumor?

Those were both RKO productions. "Problem with existing elements" is true for all too many RKO films.

RKO was financially precarious for much of the 1940s and 50s before shutting down production in 1957, so little money was spent on good film storage when RKO was a going concern. The film library went through a succession of owners and bankruptcies in the decades after RKO's collapse, which meant that the low generation film elements were moved, neglected, and abandoned all too often. The films were also the first major studio film library sold into TV syndication, necessitating the creation of lots of sources for TV prints so lots of rush job work in the film library.

What it comes down to is that most of RKOs film elements for even--maybe especially--their best films were used, abused, neglected and downright missing for the last 65 years. It's the very rare RKO film that has quality film elements.

I don't know anything specific about THE NARROW MARGIN and BORN TO KILL, but with RKO films the default assumptions is the film elements aren't good. If a desirable RKO film hasn't come out in BD, poor source material is very likely the #1 reason.

[TheHistorian]

I don't know what biggest means in this context.

Highest rated (in the reference book I happen to use)? Maybe The Mask of Dimitrios or The Threat.

Most recognizable name? Gotta be D.O.A.

[Gerby]

I would say D.O.A or maybe Andre De Toth's Crime Wave.

[jayrobb9]

Originally Posted by RiFiFi1955

What is the biggest Noir do we think hasn't hit blu-ray yet? Not your personal most wanted title but just biggest title. My most wanted is probably D.O.A or new restorations of The Red House and Kansas City Confidential but I am not sure what the biggest title is that hasn't been released. Dead Reckoning in the US I would think but it did get the Indicator release.

Kansas City Confidential exists on Blu-Ray (I own it). It was released by a mob called The Film Detective. For what it is - a public domain title using elements sourced from who knows where - PQ and AQ are perfectly acceptable.

Great movie, one of my absolute favourite noirs.

[Katatonia]

Originally Posted by jayrobb9

Kansas City Confidential exists on Blu-Ray (I own it). It was released by a mob called The Film Detective. For what it is - a public domain title using elements sourced from who knows where - PQ and AQ are perfectly acceptable.

Great movie, one of my absolute favourite noirs.

I've noticed that Blu-ray before, but is it any better than the official DVD release from MGM? I've surprised Kino or some other label with an MGM license hasn't tackled this by now.

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by Katatonia

I've noticed that Blu-ray before, but is it any better than the official DVD release from MGM? I've surprised Kino or some other label with an MGM license hasn't tackled this by now.

The Kino insider has suggested that Criterion has the license from MGM, and I guess they've been sitting on it for a while. Kino totally would have released it if they could have.

[Deadend45]

Film Detective's Noirs have awful pq.

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by Deadend45

Film Detective's Noirs have awful pq.

I think Kansas City Confidential's release is actually quite good as is their release of Suddenly, the only downside is that they are BD-R's.

[jayrobb9]

Originally Posted by Deadend45

Film Detective's Noirs have awful pq.

The one I have (Kansas City Confidential) is perfectly acceptable (for what it is). It's not the Criterion of Nightmare Alley, it's a public domain title made from who-knows-what elements.

[crazednoir]

Originally Posted by Katatonia

I've noticed that Blu-ray before, but is it any better than the official DVD release from MGM? I've surprised Kino or some other label with an MGM license hasn't tackled this by now.

For me, The MGM KCC DVD looks better than the Film Detective Blu-ray KCC
I prefer the MGM DVD.

[MifuneFan]

Kino have just announced a new French Noir Collection set

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!

FRENCH NOIR COLLECTION 2
• Rhine Virgin (1953) Starring Jean Gabin | Directed by Gilles Grangier
• The Beast is Loose (1959) Starring Lino Ventura | Directed by Maurice Labro
• Trapped by Fear (1960) Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo | Directed by Jacques Dupont
• The Passion of Slow Fire (1961) Starring Jean Desailly | Directed by Édouard Molinaro

[Gunsnroses092789]

Count me in!

[RobHolloway]

I have decided to start collecting the Kino Lorber Film Noir Box sets and just bought number 1. I think there are 28 box sets already - Are there any standout sets I should begin with? Many thanks

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by RobHolloway

I have decided to start collecting the Kino Lorber Film Noir Box sets and just bought number 1. I think there are 28 box sets already - Are there any standout sets I should begin with? Many thanks

You can always find at least one or two films in each set to enjoy, but I think that some of the more recent sets are the strongest. You can't go wrong with XVII (the Edward G. Robinson set), XVIII, XIX, and XXII (this one is probably the best).

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by RobHolloway

Are there any standout sets I should begin with? Many thanks

From the nine boxes I've fully finished:
VII: it's the probably one of the least "noir" of the boxes, tone wise, that I've watched thus far, but I found it to be one of the overall stronger boxes in terms of films ("The Boss" in particular is great).

XII: probably one of the "stronger" Universal-license boxes...but that's not saying much since it's a very low bar to begin with.

XVII: "Black Tuesday" is worth it alone (honestly, one of the better films put into these sets). "Vice Squad" is an okay police procedural and "Nightmare" feels almost like a retread of "Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (no surprise since Cornell Woolrich wrote both stories). Worth it for Edward G. Robinson.

XIX & XXII: These are both probably the more "accessible" boxes in terms of overall films.

[RobHolloway]

Thank you so much. I'll check them all out and have added them to a new list. I intend to buy a box set each week.

Originally Posted by noirjunkie

You can always find at least one or two films in each set to enjoy, but I think that some of the more recent sets are the strongest. You can't go wrong with XVII (the Edward G. Robinson set), XVIII, XIX, and XXII (this one is probably the best).

[RobHolloway]

Thanks so much - strikingly similar to the other suggestion (good thing). I'll definitely be buying a box each week for a few months.

Originally Posted by Dailyan

From the nine boxes I've fully finished:
VII: it's the probably one of the least "noir" of the boxes, tone wise, that I've watched thus far, but I found it to be one of the overall stronger boxes in terms of films ("The Boss" in particular is great).

XII: probably one of the "stronger" Universal-license boxes...but that's not saying much since it's a very low bar to begin with.

XVII: "Black Tuesday" is worth it alone (honestly, one of the better films put into these sets). "Vice Squad" is an okay police procedural and "Nightmare" feels almost like a retread of "Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (no surprise since Cornell Woolrich wrote both stories). Worth it for Edward G. Robinson.

XIX & XXII: These are both probably the more "accessible" boxes in terms of overall films.

[RobHolloway]

Thanks for the help. I have #I arriving today and #XVII arriving tomorrow. Will then try an add a box each week from now on.