Film Noir Custom Covers (1 Viewer)

[Ric Easton]

Dang! Just received "Black Widow" (along with Daisy Kenyon and Dangerous Crossing) from Amazon today and noticed its another widescreen/color film. Looks like Volume 4 will have to be revamped to emulate the back of volume 1 (with "House of Bamboo").

Are there any others from my list that are in color and or widescreen?

Also, have their been any announcements as to future Fox Film Noirs?

 

[GlennH]

Thanks. I have access to a big paper cutter at work. I also have Photoshop Elements, but little experience using it. Anyway, I'm sure I'll figure it all out with a little trial and error and print preview. Not sure when I'll be able to get to this project but the tips will be helpful.

 

[Ric Easton]

Here's a big tip for you Glenn... Print out a test sheet at draft mode and on just regular legal size paper to make sure its coming out the right size (and not wasting a lot of ink!).

 

[GlennH]

Ric, I was reading the synopses on the covers and noted these on Volume 3.

- Under "Fallen Angel" the first sentence isn't a good sentence. It seems to be two sentences combined. It should either break after "Stella" or be reworded to be correct grammatically. Also, the comma after "Pop's Eats" should be inside the quote mark.

- While not technically wrong, I also think the first sentence under "The House on Telegraph Hill would sound better as "Victoria has survived a Nazi concentration camp ..."

 

[Ric Easton]

Glenn, I'll look into these. Basically I copied and pasted the descriptions from DVD Profiler, which seemed to be taken directly from the backs of the covers. I did catch a couple of mistakes (by whoever inputed them in), but obviously not all. On Volume 5 and had to cut down the descriptions a bit to get it all to fit.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Ric Easton]

Glenn,

I went into Volume 3 to make those corrections and was trying to figure out how that messed up sentence was supposed to go when I decided to grab the original cover. Well, despite what I said before, apparently all of the descriptions for DVD Profiler were not taken verbatim from the original DVDs! This one (And probably several others) was very different. I replaced it with the "official" description.

The corrected versions are now in the original downloads. These may be rife with more errors, I guess I'll count on eagle-eyed folks like yourself to find 'em all for me. Hey, even when I write the stuff, I'll discover months later that something is messed up. I need an official proof-reader!

Anyway, here is Volume 6...



Download the skinny cover here and the fatter one here!

I have given more thought to trying to keep films from a studio together and have been thinking of putting in the three disc Maltese Falcon in with the the last disc of double features (Volume 8) and leaving two more from Warner in there. Maybe Postman and another Bogie. I guess my question is... Do you think The Maltese Falcon really belongs in with these sets? Is the movie (and packaging) too special to be lumped in with the rest of these?

 

[Douglas Monce]

I just watched Dangerous Crossing a few days ago. I love the classic "my husband has disappeared and no one believes me" plot!

Doug

 

[Geoffy]

These are utterly superb. I'm usually ruthless with DVD packaging; nearly all covers go into recycling & the cases donated to charity shops, but I haven't had the heart to do it to the noirs - I'll be using these covers for sure though, many thanks

 

[Ric Easton]

Thanks, Geoffy!

I really felt the same way about most of those great covers for the noir films, but space was becoming way too much of a consideration. While I felt bad about losing all that art, when I saw the space I gained back (I'm using those super slim sixes), it really made it all worth it to me. Right now, I have 38 films taking up about 4 inches of shelf space!

 

[Ric Easton]

Here's a revamped list for the already released and the future plans. I took some of Deepak's suggestions into account (and also ordered some MGM noirs!).

Volume 1: (FOX)
Laura
Call Northside 777
Panic in the Streets
House of Bamboo
The Street with No Name
Nightmare Alley
(6 films on 6 discs)

Volume 2: (FOX)
The House on 92nd Street
Somewhere in the Night
Whirlpool
The Dark Corner
Kiss of Death
Where the Sidewalk Ends
(6 films on 6 discs)

Volume 3: (FOX)
No Way Out
Fallen Angel
House on Telegraph Hill
Boomerang
House of Strangers
I Wake up Screaming
(6 films on 6 discs)

Volume 4: (FOX)
Vicky
Shock
14 Hours
Black Widow
Daisy Kenyon
Dangerous Crossing
(6 films on 6 discs)

Volume 5: (WB)
The Asphalt Jungle
Gun Crazy
Murder My Sweet
Out of the Past
The Set-Up
Act of Violence / Mystery Street (double feature disc)
(7 films on 6 discs)

Volume 6: (WB)
Born to Kill
Clash by Night
Crossfire
Dillinger
The Narrow Margin
Crime Wave / Decoy (double feature disc)
(7 films on 6 discs)

Volume 7: (WB)
Border Incident
His Kind of Woman
On Dangerous Ground
The Racket
Lady in the Lake
They Live By Night / Side Street (double feature disc)
(7 films on 6 discs)

Volume 8: (WB)
Illegal / The Big Steal (double feature disc)
Where Danger Lives / Tension (double feature disc)
The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Maltese Falcon (3 disc Special Edition including two previous versions of the movie)
(8 films on 6 discs)

Volume 9: (WB) All Bogie!
High Sierra
They Drive by Night
The Big Sleep
Dark Passage
To Have and Have Not
Key Largo
(6 films on 6 discs)

Volume 10: (MGM)
Kansas City Confidential
He Walked by Night
A Bullet for Joey
The Stranger
Woman in the Window
The Night of the Hunter
(6 films on 6 discs)

Volume 11: (Misc)
Double Indemnity (2 disc Special Edition)
The Naked City
The Third Man
The Lady from Shanghai
Touch of Evil
(5 films on 6 discs)

Volume 12: (Misc)
D.O.A.
Detour
Impact
???
???
???

I guess I’ll be perusing Amazon for those last three, or maybe I’ll wait and see if FOX releases another three. Any announcements or rumors in that regard yet?

Anyway, I'd say the list is pretty solid at least through volume 10. For those interested, I'll post Volume 7 tomorrow.

 

[Ric Easton]

Volume 7...



Download cover for thin (standard size) case here.

Download cover for case with 1 inch spine here.

 

[Geoffy]

Yet another peach - many thanks Ric

 

[GlennH]

Just some random thoughts.

After looking these over, I also very much like the idea of keeping the boxes exclusive to each studio as much as possible. I realize that many of us may not have all the individual titles in all the boxes as we go down the list (I know I don't). But I wouldn't mind having a box ready and filling them in as I get them later. Or just having a missing disc or two if I just don't want one. Having the box art show a movie I don't actually have doesn't bother me that much, but it might bother some.

Furthermore, I wouldn't see a problem with having interim box art on some of these now, with maybe only 4 discs shown, but room for 2 more for a future release. The cover art could be redone later when more titles are released.

For example, you could have:

Volume 11 (Universal):
Double Indemnity (2-disc SE)
Criss Cross
Big Clock
Black Angel
This Gun for Hire
(5 films on 6 discs)

This is Deepak's list and I agree. Those last four above came out on DVD at the same time and just seem to go together. In fact, I was surprised they weren't in a box together originally. Adding Double Indemnity rounds it out nicely. I have all these.

Volume 12 (Columbia):
Lady from Shanghai
Big Heat
Gilda
Dead Reckoning
In a Lonely Place
Harder they Fall
(6 films on 6 discs)

Again, Deepak's suggestion. I only have 3 of the 6, but intend to get "Dead Reckoning," In a Lonely Place" and "The Big Heat" eventually -- I've seen them all on TV (TCM or Retroplex) not long ago. Columbia's DVDs tend to be more expensive so I would rather wait for price drops or sales.

Volume 13 (Paramount):
The Desperate Hours
Sorry, Wrong Number
Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Detective Story
???
???

This one would be partial at this point. As more is released later this cover could be revised. Or, if you don't want partial sets just add in some other worthy non-Paramount releases, like Force of Evil (I have the Image version) and Scarlett Street (Kino). By the way, thanks for listing "The Desperate Hours" -- I somehow missed that one being out. I'll look to get it soon.

Volume 14 & 15 (Criterion):

Pick them from Deepak's list to make up a couple of volumes. I think "Green for Danger" could also be added - strictly speaking it is a murder mystery but it has many noirish qualities that qualify it as much as some of the Fox noirs that are borderline. I think some folks may be reluctant to repackage their Criterions, since they have a collectible appeal of their own. I'm not sure how I feel about that. "The Third Man" is something most noir fans have, but it is problematic because many (like me) have the original one-disc release and are content with that for now, while others have the newer 2-disc version. So that would either be a 5 or 6 disc set depending on which you have. "The Killers" is also a 2-disc set, with two versions.

 

[Ric Easton]

Glenn,

I will definitely take your (and Deepak's) suggestions under advisement. Of course this would mean that I have to order those films that I do not have! You guys are gonna break my bank (I should have about 5 MGMs coming before the weekend)! Maybe I'll wait til the next DD 20% off sale!

Anyway...

Volume 8



Download cover for thin (standard size) case here.

Download cover for case with 1 inch spine here.

I decided not to list the bonus movies from The Maltese Falcon like the others (since they would probably not be considered noir), but included them in an expanded description instead...



I realize that Maltese Falcon is also the only movie where I listed any of the Special Features, but what the hey... I had the space.

After the next one (all Bogie) I may take a break. At least until those MGMs arrive.

Do I need some kind of little blurb for the top of the back of the all Bogie one? I can't really think of anything that would fit.

 

[Chris S]

Wow... absolutely fabulous work as always. Much appreciated!

 

[Deepak Shenoy]

The only title I would NOT recommend is A Bullet for Joey unless you are a completist of course. How can you have 3 great noir/crime picture icons (Edward G. Robinson, George Raft, Audrey Totter) in the same movie and still make it a listless mess ? Watch this movie if you want to find out but you may be better off not knowing (and saving your $10). The Fox Noir series does include a few weak titles but overall the noir titles that are available on DVD from the major studios are all worth your while.

-D

 

[GlennH]

I like that Bogie-centric cover for Vol. 8. Very nice. And I think you handled the bonus disc for Maltese Falcon the right way. I'd recommend the same approach for "The Killers" (Criterion) if you ever get to that. The 1946 B&W version is the noir. The alternate color version from 1964 is best listed as an extra only.

 

[Ric Easton]

Dang! Too late! It's already on its way!

Just curious, what is your feeling about MGM's Crime of Passion with Barbara Stanwyck and Sterling Hayden? Is it Noir?

And as far as "Is it Noir?" I guess that question can be applied to a few of these. I'm not sure some of the upcoming Bogie films would be considered true noir, but hey... I'm on a roll.

One thing, I think I'm gonna need a database (or at least fiddle with DVD Profiler) so that I know which movie is in which set!

And talk about Bogie-centric... the all Bogie set (though he was only second or third fiddle in "They Drive by Night) is now up (Hey, I used the word fiddle in two sentences in a row... Hey! Now that makes three!)...



Download thinner version.

Download wider version.

I am still waiting for those MGMs to come in, so next I might start on the 3 Prelude to Noir covers.

 

[Deepak Shenoy]

Now that is a title I don't have but I am sure it fits the Noir category far better than say Daisy Kenyon. I like Barbara Stanwyck and Sterling Hayden and so it looks like I will have to pick up this one.

-D

 

[Ric Easton]

I was playing around with the Warner's Gangster/Tough Guys sets and was wondering if you folks had a preference. Color, Black and White or Sepia...







I also redesigned the main title logo from the earlier 3D preview. I'm still not totally happy with "Prelude to Noir" (White Heat came out in 49 when Noir was well under way), but I can't think of anything I like better

I thought of just calling it Warner Bros Gangsters and Tough Guys, but I couldn't come up with a front title treatment for it that I liked. I didn't want to go with just "Gangsters" since volume 2 (originally Tough Guys) starred more cops than Gangsters.

I'm even thinking of making one or two modern Noir collections maybe called "Shades of Noir!" with films like Chinatown, Body Heat and L.A. Confidential... But that's getting ahead of myself...

Anyway, please let me know if you have a preference of the 3 covers above.