Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[mdanderson]

I know this is a bluray thread but beginning around 5:30 p.m.CT on TCM Tomorrow there is some very good film noir showing and going into the next day. Dillinger, Detour, The Setup,The Big Steal, Narrow Margin just to name a few.

[Hoke Moseley]

Does anyone have a clue which film De Palma is talking about here?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8hn...ature=youtu.be

1:10:

an adaptation of an old classic noir picture called Pimento

It sounds like "Pimento" but that doesn't appear to exist, and I can't think of a noir with a similar title.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by mdanderson

I watched Framed the other night on a OTA Channel called Movies and I really liked it as well. It had Glenn Ford and Barry Sullivan in it. I hope that one gets released also.

While it's not a blu-ray, you can own it on DVD as part of this box set (and the transfer is very strong):

[GeoffOliver]

Just saw Postman Always Rings Twice on the big screen at a local Alamo Drafthouse. I’m already a massive fan of the film (it’s my favorite noir), but it was fantastic at the theater. I’m not sure if the transfer is the same one used for the Blu-ray, but it looked gorgeous. This was obviously a real DCP, unlike the B&W Fathom Events I’ve seen. It’s definitely the best-looking vintage B&W film I’ve seen. It was really sharp, but it also had a very natural grain structure, although some shots looked much grainier than others. It was clean too, and I think it probably came from the negative, or at most one generation removed. Decent-sized crowd too, including some others around my age or younger (early 20s). It was my first experience at a dine-in theater, and I’m not the biggest fan because the waiters are distracting walking around, but it wasn’t quite as bad as I thought. If they help keep real cinemas alive and thriving, I won’t complain. The best part of digital cinema is that it’s suddenly much easier for theaters to play older films. I never in a million years thought I would ever see this film on the big screen. They’re also playing The Big Sleep, and another local cinema is playing Gilda and The Third Man for Noir-vember. I also caught Double Indemnity as a Fathom Event a few years ago.

[SeanJoyce]

I wish I liked Postman more than I do. It's a classic noir that I happily own, but it goes too much off the rails at the end.

[GeoffOliver]

I like it in part because it’s such a crazy, melodramatic movie, but the emotions still always feel genuine. I haven’t seen another noir that’s nearly this passionate and emotional (and I’ve seen plenty), and Cora is such a fascinatingly dark and complex character. It’s also shot nicely, and has some great dialogue and suspense, and it has some powerful themes involving fate and karma. Just a delicious movie all around.

[SeanJoyce]

I just can't help comparing it to Double Indemnity and thinking that Wilder's film did everything so much better (and I'm a big Garfield fan.) I'd even easily take Body Heat over Postman.

As I said though, happy to own it.

[javy]

I already have Kino's upcoming blu ray of Naked Alibi pre-ordered at Bullmoose, but I would still like to hear from anyone who wouldn't mind sharing their thoughts on it.

[GeoffOliver]

Oh I love Double Indemnity too, but The Postman Always Rings Twice is more my taste because it has more melodrama, passion, romance, tragedy and fascinating characters. It just makes me feel so much more. I love the film so much, I even have a small poster for it in my bedroom. Definitely in my top 10. I do think the first half of the film is much stronger, but it gets good again in the last reel.

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

I just got a response from Joshua of Flicker Alley re the release date of Trapped (1949) and another release:


Hopefully they haven't skipped Los Tallos Armargos (1956). The FNF are also have new 35 mm prints of No abras nunca esa puerta (Don't Open That Door) (1952), Si muero antes de despertar (If I Die Before I Wake) (1952), Apenas un delincuente (Hardly a Criminal) (1949) and El vampiro negro (The Black Vampire) (1953)....maybe they could bundle them all as an Argentinian noir box set. The rate FA release stuff though, they seem to be in a foot race with the heat death of the Universe.

[XhcnoirX]

Originally Posted by Hoke Moseley

Does anyone have a clue which film De Palma is talking about here?

It sounds like "Pimento" but that doesn't appear to exist, and I can't think of a noir with a similar title.

Maybe he's referring to the 50s Italian crime film Pentimento (not that I've seen it)?

[nitin]

Originally Posted by lemonski

Hopefully they haven't skipped Los Tallos Armargos (1956). The FNF are also have new 35 mm prints of No abras nunca esa puerta (Don't Open That Door) (1952), Si muero antes de despertar (If I Die Before I Wake) (1952), Apenas un delincuente (Hardly a Criminal) (1949) and El vampiro negro (The Black Vampire) (1953)....maybe they could bundle them all as an Argentinian noir box set. The rate FA release stuff though, they seem to be in a foot race with the heat death of the Universe.

Maybe they could collaborate with Arrow again to put out that Argentine noir box, would be a fantastic release and I am not even familiar with any of them but would buy it on the descriptor alone!

[mdanderson]

Originally Posted by javy

I already have Kino's upcoming blu ray of Naked Alibi pre-ordered at Bullmoose, but I would still like to hear from anyone who wouldn't mind sharing their thoughts on it.

I watched a public domain copy on YouTube and I really liked it. I am a big Hayden and Grahame fan and the quality was not very good but the bluray should look good.

[javy]

Originally Posted by mdanderson

I watched a public domain copy on YouTube and I really liked it. I am a big Hayden and Grahame fan and the quality was not very good but the bluray should look good.

I should have clarified that I meant thoughts on the film itself as I haven't seen it.

[mdanderson]

Originally Posted by javy

I should have clarified that I meant thoughts on the film itself as I haven't seen it.

As far as thoughts on the film itself I like the film very much and I thought the performances were very good all the way around. It's not a top tier Noir but it still held my attention quite a bit. Hayden has to go it alone and out of the country in order to track down a guy he believes committed a murder.

[belcherman]

I watched Shout's release of This Gun for Hire last night. It's a great film with a great transfer, but I wanted to talk about the commentary track. I don't usually listen to commentary tracks (so many films, so little time), but I always find commentaries by Alan K. Rode informative. This Gun for Hire had commentary by Rode and Steve Mitchell. I wasn't always sure which one was talking at any given time, but they generally kept their remarks focused on what was on the screen. It was a good mix of background info on all of the actors as well information about the production details involved with the filming. These guys know their stuff! I wasn't that familiar with Steve Mitchell before but I've enjoyed Rode's commentaries on T-Men and He Walked by Night. I'll be seeking out more of his noir commentaries.

So, a big shout out to Shout for this great release.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by belcherman

I watched Shout's release of This Gun for Hire last night. It's a great film with a great transfer, but I wanted to talk about the commentary track. I don't usually listen to commentary tracks (so many films, so little time), but I always find commentaries by Alan K. Rode informative. This Gun for Hire had commentary by Rode and Steve Mitchell. I wasn't always sure which one was talking at any given time, but they generally kept their remarks focused on what was on the screen. It was a good mix of background info on all of the actors as well information about the production details involved with the filming. These guys know their stuff! I wasn't that familiar with Steve Mitchell before but I've enjoyed Rode's commentaries on T-Men and He Walked by Night. I'll be seeking out more of his noir commentaries.

So, a big shout out to Shout for this great release.

Rode and Eddie Muller are two guys who actually know relevant information about the films they're watching and therefore discuss the background/production details on their commentaries (as opposed to just "this actor was also in 'X' movie" comments), which I've always appreciated.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by noirjunkie

Rode and Eddie Muller are two guys who actually know relevant information about the films they're watching and therefore discuss the background/production details on their commentaries (as opposed to just "this actor was also in 'X' movie" comments), which I've always appreciated.

Agreed. I personally am not a fan of Muller, but do admit that his commentaries are first rate. Rode is a class act all the way and a genuinely nice person on top of it. His commentaries are also very well done. Hey, Junkie, when are you going to do a commentary? I know how knowledgeable you are on noir and would love to hear you do one.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

Hey, Junkie, when are you going to do a commentary? I know how knowledgeable you are on noir and would love to hear you do one.

I was actually supposed to do one for a release of D.O.A. (1950) that never materialized. I need to get in touch with the person who was going to release it to find out if it's ever going to happen.

[SeanJoyce]

Speaking of Rode, he's mentioned quite a bit in this marvelous write-up I recently read about Robert Ryan (with specific attention to The Set-Up):

http://staging.streamline.filmstruck...-cinematheque/

Ryan really was a superb actor, and film noir was where he most excelled. If forced to choose a "Noir Mt. Rushmore" his face would definitely be chiseled there (alongside Bogart, Mitchum and Widmark.)