Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[CBHampson]

Happy NOIRvember people!

I'll be starting my month with yet another viewing of the greatest noir, DOUBLE INDEMNITY.

[MifuneFan]

Noirvember is here, and there's a number of sales happening all at once, and they all have some Noir titles in them.

1.) First off, we have Bi-annual 50% off Criterion Sale at Barnes and Noble. You can pick up some great titles like Kiss Me Deadly, In a Lonely Place, Ride the Pink Horse, etc...

Sales link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/50-o...ction/_/N-2dy8

2.) Kino has two sales going.

a.) Direct sale, where titles are $11.98, and free shipping with $50. Apply code CMH6F for an additional 20% off

Noir titles from this sale include: Boomerang (1954), Cry of the City (1948), House on 92nd Street (1945)

Sales link: https://www.kinolorber.com/list/view...uraypromonov16

b.) They also have an Amazon sale, with titles going for $13.99.

Noir titles include: 99 River Street (1953), Hidden Fear (1957), Ox-Bow Incident, The (1943), Shield For Murder (1954)

Sales link: https://www.blu-ray.com/deals/?showp...&regioncoding=

3.) Deep Dscount has a sale on Warner Archive titles, plus they have a $5 off $25 coupon code (TREE) which is good till Noon CST today. This brings 3 titles to about $12 each, which is about as good as you'll do these days for WAC.

Noir titles include: The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, I, Confess, Key Largo, Murder My Sweet, Out of the Past, Possessed, The Wrong Man

Sales link: http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/warne...y-sale/b230119

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Noirvember is here, and there's a number of sales happening all at once, and they all have some Noir titles in them.

1.) First off, we have Bi-annual 50% off Criterion Sale at Barnes and Noble. You can pick up some great titles like Kiss Me Deadly, In a Lonely Place, Ride the Pink Horse, etc...

Sales link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/50-o...ction/_/N-2dy8

2.) Kino has two sales going.

a.) Direct sale, where titles are $11.98, and free shipping with $50. Apply code CMH6F for an additional 20% off

Noir titles from this sale include: Boomerang (1954), Cry of the City (1948), House on 92nd Street (1945)

Sales link: https://www.kinolorber.com/list/view...uraypromonov16

b.) They also have an Amazon sale, with titles going for $13.99.

Noir titles include: 99 River Street (1953), Hidden Fear (1957), Ox-Bow Incident, The (1943), Shield For Murder (1954)

Sales link: https://www.blu-ray.com/deals/?showp...&regioncoding=

3.) Deep Dscount has a sale on Warner Archive titles, plus they have a $5 off $25 coupon code (TREE) which is good till Noon CST today. This brings 3 titles to about $12 each, which is about as good as you'll do these days for WAC.

Noir titles include: The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, I, Confess, Key Largo, Murder My Sweet, Out of the Past, Possessed, The Wrong Man

Sales link: http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/warne...y-sale/b230119

Damn, the code for the Kino-Lorber site expired for me.

[jetthead]

The pre-order for Cohen's release of Sudden Fear is currently $15.59 on Amazon. That's a pretty nice price.

SUDDEN FEAR

[The Great Owl]

Double-posting from the Kino Lorber thread...

Last night, I watched my Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Hidden Fear (1957).

Film noir stalwart John Payne (Kansas City Confidential, The Crooked Way, 99 River Street) plays an American policeman who travels to Denmark after his sister, a nightclub performer, has been arrested for the murder of her partner. His investigation, with the reluctant blessings of the Denmark authorities, leads him to a group of counterfeiters who are led by an ex-Nazi ship commander. The insanely sexy Anne Neyland plays the friend and fellow nightclub performer of Payne's sister, and she commands attention on the screen every time she shows up to help.

Hidden Fear is a fast-paced and fun thriller that benefits from good action sequences. In fact, the fist fights in this movie must have been quite intense for the time. A long vehicle chase around Copenhagen toward the end is a cool touch. John Payne's character is also quite abrasive, and he does not hesitate to hit anyone who is bothering him. His temper provides much of the "antihero" vibe that makes this feature barely fit into the noir genre. André De Toth, who directed such greats as Pitfall, Crime Wave, and House of Wax, keeps things moving quite nicely.

Unfortunately, Hidden Fear ranks on the lower rungs of the films noir that I have seen over the years, because its short run time does not allow for the best of cohesive storytelling. Characters appear and disappear without much explanation, and I had to rewind a couple of scenes during the first half, since the film can be somewhat difficult to follow. The villain's wife, with her world-weary appearance and her strangely poetic musings, was an extremely interesting character to me, and I would love to have watched more scenes that explained her behavior and mannerisms, but this movie just sort of plows full speed ahead over all of that and all over other such potentially engaging story aspects.

I'm grateful that Kino Lorber is including subtitles on future releases, but I really could have used them on this particular title. The thick Danish accents in Hidden Fear rendered some dialogue nearly impenetrable. For the life of me, I cannot understand anything in the sentence that a policeman says to Anne Neyland's character in a late scene. As far as picture quality goes, this movie looks decent, if not demo-worthy, in high definition. In the end, though, I'm simply happy that Kino Lorber was able bring us this long-lost long-buried noir-stained thriller in any presentable form whatsoever.

[The Great Owl]

Last night, I watched my Film Detective Blu-ray (err...BD-R) of The Red House.

The Red House is directed by Delmer Daves, who helmed the original 3:10 to Yuma, Dark Passage, Jubal, and several other notable movies. Edward G. Robinson, whose work I have thoroughly enjoyed in films like Little Caesar, Double Indemnity, and Scarlet Street, is the top talent draw. Judith Anderson, best remembered for her supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca, is featured prominently in this film as well.

The Red House is a quite an unrecognized treasure. This feature can best be described as a backwoods gothic psychological thriller with a touch of shadowy film noir visual styles, blending aspects of Rebecca, Shadow of a Doubt, and Jane Eyre. Edward G. Robinson demonstrates his awe-inspiring acting range once again as a reclusive farmer who lives a seemingly idyllic existence with his sister, played by Judith Anderson, and his adopted daughter, played by Allene Roberts. When Lon McCallister's Nath is taken in as a hired hand on the farm and becomes intrigued with a spooky stretch of nearby forest, bottled tensions and sinister secrets begin to seep out of the woodwork. Memorable appearances by Julie London, a poster girl for the era, and Rory Calhoun complete the equation. Although Edward G. Robinson has top billing, I believe that the adorable Allene Roberts commands just as much attention with her expressive portrayal of a girl caught in the middle of a dark family history. A beautiful score by Miklós Rózsa lends a majesty to the proceedings. The cinematography from Bert Glennon, best known for his work on several John Ford films, carries this low-key suspense story to unexpected heights. I grew up in a rural Georgia city, and, for me, The Red House captures the joy of exploring in unknown forests and discovering new landmarks along makeshift trails. That spirit of reckless adventure is worth the price of admission in its own right.

Allene Roberts, who can also be seen in the films noir, Union Station and Knock on Any Door, was born in Birmingham, Alabama with a strong Christian upbringing, and she stayed true to her values during her brief stretch as a Hollywood actress. She left Hollywood after a few years when she got married and returned to Alabama to raise a family. One cannot help but wonder what sort of career Roberts would have had if she had remained in Hollywood, since she was quite a beautiful woman with a great deal of talent.

This Film Detective disc of The Red House bests my Film Chest Blu-ray version quite noticeably in terms of picture quality, although the presentation is still not demo-worthy. I'm grateful for the inclusion of subtitles on this release. My only complaint about the Film Detective release, in fact, is that it is a BD-R and not an officially-pressed Blu-ray.


(If a lot of my above review seems like a cut/paste job from my review of the Film Chest Blu-ray edition, then it's not your imagination. I'm in a lazy way this morning after my run, and I've only got a few minutes until the Doctor Strange morning matinee at the theater down the street.)

[John Ross Ewing]

Happy Noirvember everyone! I haven't watched any noir this month, and actually I think the only movie I watched this month so far was a western. I've ordered nine noirs recently including during the Criterion, Kino, and Deep Discount sales. In a few days I'll start watching them.

By the way, this is my 200th post. I'm glad it's in my favorite thread on the forum.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by John Ross Ewing

Happy Noirvember everyone! I haven't watched any noir this month, and actually I think the only movie I watched this month so far was a western. I've ordered nine noirs recently including during the Criterion, Kino, and Deep Discount sales. In a few days I'll start watching them.

By the way, this is my 200th post. I'm glad it's in my favorite thread on the forum.

I watched Body Heat last night. Such a masterpiece.

[The Great Owl]

Double-posting from the Olive Films thread, because this will appeal to those who are interested in British films noir...

Last night, I watched my Olive Films Blu-ray of Appointment with Crime.

William Hartnell, best known for his role in the 1960s Doctor Who television series, plays Leo, a thief who is injured and imprisoned after his employers abandon him after a failed jewelry store break-in attempt. After his release, Leo seeks vengeance on his employers by plotting a meticulous scheme to part them of their money and put an end to them altogether. Raymond Lovell (49th Parallel) plays the main object of Leo's anger, while the gorgeous Joyce Howard plays a naive nightclub dancer who sympathizes with Leo.

I consider Appointment with Crime to be a second-tier British film noir effort, mostly because William Hartnell's Leo is one of the least engaging lead characters that I have seen in recent memory, with his constant bitterness and his odd look and mannerisms, which resemble those of a snapping turtle. The film is still a worthwhile and interesting viewing, however, simply because of Leo's meanness, which takes a turn for the worse at every opportunity. An early sequence, where Leo goes on a serial mugging spree and victimizes darn near half of the city, sets the stage for the story and makes him a character that is basically unsympathetic across the board. Appointment with Crime turns into a police procedural of sorts during much of its running time, thanks to the efforts of a police detective, played by Robert Beatty, to apprehend Leo, but the detective is not exactly the most engaging persona in the world either.

As a "Can't do the time, then don't do the crime" story, Appointment with Crime delivers in spades, although it probably falls more into the "noir-stained" category, as opposed to being a full-tilt film noir.

In terms of technical presentation, this Olive Films disc is quite impressive. The audio quality and video quality both ascend to a greatness above the normal Olive fare, and I applaud Olive's decision to include subtitles for this title.

[mogwai_macabre]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Double-posting from the Olive Films thread, because this will appeal to those who are interested in British films noir...

[Show spoiler]Last night, I watched my Olive Films Blu-ray of Appointment with Crime.

William Hartnell, best known for his role in the 1960s Doctor Who television series, plays Leo, a thief who is injured and imprisoned after his employers abandon him after a failed jewelry store break-in attempt. After his release, Leo seeks vengeance on his employers by plotting a meticulous scheme to part them of their money and put an end to them altogether. Raymond Lovell (49th Parallel) plays the main object of Leo's anger, while the gorgeous Joyce Howard plays a naive nightclub dancer who sympathizes with Leo.

I consider Appointment with Crime to be a second-tier British film noir effort, mostly because William Hartnell's Leo is one of the least engaging lead characters that I have seen in recent memory, with his constant bitterness and his odd look and mannerisms, which resemble those of a snapping turtle. The film is still a worthwhile and interesting viewing, however, simply because of Leo's meanness, which takes a turn for the worse at every opportunity. An early sequence, where Leo goes on a serial mugging spree and victimizes darn near half of the city, sets the stage for the story and makes him a character that is basically unsympathetic across the board. Appointment with Crime turns into a police procedural of sorts during much of its running time, thanks to the efforts of a police detective, played by Robert Beatty, to apprehend Leo, but the detective is not exactly the most engaging persona in the world either.

As a "Can't do the time, then don't do the crime" story, Appointment with Crime delivers in spades, although it probably falls more into the "noir-stained" category, as opposed to being a full-tilt film noir.

In terms of technical presentation, this Olive Films disc is quite impressive. The audio quality and video quality both ascend to a greatness above the normal Olive fare, and I applaud Olive's decision to include subtitles for this title.

Owl, I enjoy reading your reviews. Do you post your reviews on letterboxd?

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by mogwai_macabre

Owl, I enjoy reading your reviews. Do you post your reviews on letterboxd?

Nope. This site takes up enough of my spare time. I occasionally share my reviews on Facebook, but I usually spare FB friends from reviews of more obscure flicks like the one above.

[mogwai_macabre]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Nope. This site takes up enough of my spare time. I occasionally share my reviews on Facebook, but I usually spare FB friends from reviews of more obscure flicks like the one above.

You should consider it. You'd probably have a nice little following. It's a fun site, and a great way to find movies (depending on who you follow).

[drb124]

Got these in from the Kino Sale.

[tallrichard]

Originally Posted by drb124

Got these in from the Kino Sale.

Kino is the greatest this year. They priced their new releases as part of the sale in error.

Lived up to the their mistake and even shipped where the customers received the product a week before street!

I too got Boomerang and The House on 92nd Street and also Cry of the City for $11.98!

[silverlakephil]

I was tempted to buy the same two titles, but shipping is $9.00. Do you guys think this is too much?

[tallrichard]

They do motivate you to buy more...with 5, shipping is free to the US

[Cranston37]

Originally Posted by tallrichard

Kino is the greatest this year. They priced their new releases as part of the sale in error.

Lived up to the their mistake and even shipped where the customers received the product a week before street!

I too got Boomerang and The House on 92nd Street and also Cry of the City for $11.98!

I happily ordered the same, but why do you say the sale prices were an error? They were even listed in Kino's post of sale titles...

[MifuneFan]

They're part of the sale, no error.

[drb124]

I think the error they made was putting up some of the sale items on the 31st while they still had an active 20% off code. You did have to order 6 for free shipping as opposed to 5, but the savings more than offset the cost of the extra title. I ended up paying $9.58 per title for those 2. I need to compare the Kino and MoC releases of Boomerang for PQ as the Kino was to come from a 2K restoration.

[silverlakephil]

I watched BFI's Region B release of Odds Against Tomorrow last night and quite enjoyed it. I think this is one of the few classic Noir Films that tackled racism as part of its plot. Both Harry Belafonte and Robert Ryan were great in their lead roles as warring antagonists, who both held racist views and were very convincing. In real life they were close friends. I hope maybe a Region A version is released soon for this great Noir. Criterion maybe ?