Kino Lorber Studio Classics

[beamish13]

Originally Posted by Kino Lorber Insider

No, we may go ahead and release it with a commentary and no additional extras. The last two special editions of MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK and SPACED INVADERS have not sold well.

Shame about Spaced Invaders. You folks stacked it with wonderful extras. That has to be one of the most loaded KL discs since Miracle Mile

[johnnyknoxsvill]

Originally Posted by Kino Lorber Insider

No, we may go ahead and release it with a commentary and no additional extras. The last two special editions of MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK and SPACED INVADERS have not sold well.

I'll take anything at this point. With you guys handling it I'm sure it will be better than the Mill Creek version. Looking forward to a release date!

[dressedtokill]

KL Insider, any estimate on Desire? Thanks

[locomotive]

Originally Posted by Kino Lorber Insider

No, we may go ahead and release it with a commentary and no additional extras. The last two special editions of MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK and SPACED INVADERS have not sold well.

But are there subtitles then

[mja345]

Fun fact I learned from the extras of "Winter Kills": Richard Boone was absolutely hammered all the time. Never would have guessed it given his face started to resemble a catcher's mitt in his later films.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by mja345

Fun fact I learned from the extras of "Winter Kills": Richard Boone was absolutely hammered all the time. Never would have guessed it given his face started to resemble a catcher's mitt in his later films.

In Michael Winner's The Big Sleep he was quite literally plastered throughout, and not just his leg. But then with a cast including Robert Mitchum and Oliver Reed, that did boast casting by Alcoholics Anonymous.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Aclea

In Michael Winner's The Big Sleep he was quite literally plastered throughout, and not just his leg. But then with a cast including Robert Mitchum and Oliver Reed, that did boast casting by Alcoholics Anonymous.

Reed, Boone and Mitchum could have teamed up for a takeoff of "Three Men and a Baby" called "Three Men and a Bottle".

[Aclea]

Or competed for the title role in One Man and Three Bottles.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Or competed for the title role in One Man and Three Bottles.

I think Reed auditioned for that and commented, "It needs to be more realistic. If you up it from three to ten, then I'm in."

[Gunsnroses092789]

Out on Blu-ray today!

What a gem! Had a second watch of it last night, thanks to Kino's new Blu-ray, and was just as blown away as I was the first time I had seen it. Norman Foster directed this almost-hidden gem. He's best known for directing Journey into Fear starring Joseph Cotten, Dolores Del Rio & Orson Welles, and Woman on the Run starring Ann Sheridan. Here he delivers a complex tale of two complete opposites falling in love under very noir-ish circumstances. Burt Lancaster plays Bill, a man suffering from PTSD with some severe anger issues that get him into a lot of trouble, and who after accidentally killing a man will kidnap, in a manner of speaking, Jane (played by Joan Fontaine), a quiet nurse who is anything but violent. The film features some unexpected twists and turns, and extremely effective and plausible character arcs and shifts in equilibrium. Playing third fiddle is Robert Newton as a crooked blackmailer who creates mass obstacles for our protagonists.

The film features beautifully dark cinematography by noir veteran Russell Metty, having previously shot Welles' The Stranger and Montgomery's Ride the Pink Horse. Story-wise, this is a true film noir through and through. Morally torn and complex protagonists, pessimism,

[Show spoiler]doomed lovers, murder,

, running from authorities and

[Show spoiler]good people are forced to do bad things.

In my humble opinion, a minor, little masterpiece.

Kino's Blu-ray is very, very nice looking courtesy of a new 2K master. The film is slightly softer than we are used to with Kino's masters (like The Good Fairy or The General Died at Dawn), perhaps a product of the original photography, or perhaps that the best elements Universal has. However, it has beautiful contrast and a healthy, natural grain structure.

Must-have for fans of noir, Fontaine and/or Lancaster.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by MJD64

KL Insider, I seem to recall you mentioning last month the possibility of one of your larger sales in mid-July...will that be happening?

I'd love a larger sale with some Kino Classics in the mix--that list is getting long on my end.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by Gunsnroses092789

Out on Blu-ray today!

What a gem! Had a second watch of it last night, thanks to Kino's new Blu-ray, and was just as blown away as I was the first time I had seen it. Norman Foster directed this almost-hidden gem. He's best known for directing Journey into Fear starring Joseph Cotten, Dolores Del Rio & Orson Welles, and Woman on the Run starring Ann Sheridan. Here he delivers a complex tale of two complete opposites falling in love under very noir-ish circumstances...

In my humble opinion, a minor, little masterpiece.

Foster was one of those great talents who never got his due or opportunities. His movies for the Fox B-movie unit like Thank You Mr Moto punch considerably above their weight, but the studio wouldn't promote him to A movies - one of the perils of doing your job too well - and his move to being an independent didn't change his luck either. He's one of those I coulda been a contender directors who avoided skid row (though there is an intriguing period of several years working in Mexico) but never got the chance to really show what he could do in the big leagues.

[nitin]

A shoutout to one of the unsung proto noirish gems in Kino’s catalog, the 1929 British silent The Informer.

Based on Liam O’Flaherty’s novel and set in 1920s Dublin and following the betrayal by a man of his best friend, both members of the IRA, the silent film is actually directed by german director Arthur Robison and is shot with deep shadows in the german expressionistic style, making it almost as much of a proto-noir as some of Fritz Lang’s work from the same period. The overall artistry is not at Lang’s level but it also looks nothing like a regular British film from the same period.

The BFI, who restored the film, also commissioned a score from Irish violinist Garth Knox and I thought the score was an absolute knockout and complemented the fatalistic mood created by the visual style.

The film does descend into overly contrived melodrama towards the end but the performances are strong throughout, particularly from the expressive eyed Lya De Putti (see also Variete which is also available in a Region a blu from Kino).

O’Flaherty’s novel was apparently also adapted more faithfully by John Ford in 1935. There are changes made in Robison’s adaptation as compared to Ford’s adaptation that are also fascinating to read (I have not yet seen my WA DVD of Ford’s film).

Kino’s Region A blu is sourced from the same stunning restoration available on the BFI blu of the silent version from the OCN and some other elements where the OCN had deteriorated too much. A smoky lavender tint has been added to match theatrical prints and the end result is pretty striking. The lossless sound does a fantastic job of highlighting Knox’s score.

[critterdvd]

Originally Posted by beamish13

Shame about Spaced Invaders. You folks stacked it with wonderful extras. That has to be one of the most loaded KL discs since Miracle Mile

It's a fantastic disc! I spent all night last night going through the commentary and interviews and had a blast.

[Kino Lorber Insider]

Coming October 27th!

TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA (1970)
• Brand New 4K Restorations by Universal: 113:32 International Cut / 104:40 Domestic Cut
• NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox
• At Home with Clint: Vintage Candid Interview with Clint Eastwood in HD
• Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase
• Reversible Art
• Poster and Image Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer (New HD Transfer)
• 2 TV Spots
• 4 Radio Spots
• Two Dual-Layered BD50 Discs
• Optional English Subtitles

From Don Siegel, the legendary director of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Coogan’s Bluff, Dirty Harry, Charley Varrick, The Shootist and Escape from Alcatraz, comes this classic western starring screen legends Clint Eastwood (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, High Plains Drifter) and Shirley MacLaine (Sweet Charity, Irma La Douce). Eastwood is a hard-hitting drifter who rides into town and single-handedly rescues a local nun (MacLaine) from a gang of bandits. After meeting a band of Mexican revolutionaries bent on resisting the French occupation of Mexico, the cowboy and Sister Sara decide to join forces with the freedom fighters and set off on a deadly mission to capture the enemy’s garrison. But along the way, a steamy romance develops between them when the soft-spoken hero discovers the nun is not what she seems. Ending with a violent climax at the well-protected fort, this action-packed western classic cemented Eastwood’s status as a true cinematic superstar. Featuring a masterful score by the great Ennio Morricone (A Fistful of Dollars).

two mules.jpg

[DandyDancing]

Alright

[Kino Lorber Insider]

Originally Posted by BarnDoor

Kino Insider - I take it the 70s Universal TV series is still a while off? If a 2021 title, when might we expect an announcement? Thanks.

We plan to release it late November, the announcement should be a month or so from now.

[Guydowood]

Kino getting in on some slipcovers!

[Dailyan]

KLI, any possible updates on "The Lost Weekend"?

[Shanghai Express]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

KLI, any possible updates on "The Lost Weekend"?

According to KLI’s post from yesterday on Home Theater Forum, it’s still “coming soon”