Film Noir - LIST (1 Viewer)

[Multi-Region]

DVD release of CRIME WAVE:

patience, patience, patience...

[url=https://static.hometheaterforum.com/imgrepo/f/f0/htf_imgcache_5447.jpeg] [/url]

I had sent some updates to the IMDB and they were all approved. I expect WHIPLASH (1948) too.

 

[Irina]

According to the link below, Katharine Hepburn Collection will be released in R1 in May:
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=64075

It will contain a pretty good noirish 'lady in distress' drama Undercurrent with Robert Mitchum. It will be interesting to find out if Undercurrent will also be available as a single DVD.

 

[Gary Tooze]

NOTE: The new R2 The Big Steal is the Turner colorized version and not the black & white original.

Regards,
Gary

 

[Irina]

Gary,

Thanks for the information. It is simply shocking! I have contacted amazon.co.uk's customer service asking them to update The Big Steal DVD description - it never mentioned that it was colorized. I just hope that the other titles (especially The Blue Dahlia and The Glass Key which are not available commercially anywhere else) will be treated with more respect. I did not expect this from Universal!

Irina

 

[Multi-Region]

Wow... fortunately I cancelled The Big Steal.

Hmmm... and The Blue Dahlia transfer suffers some interlacing artifacts and, after 48 minutes, combing and echo's:

[url=https://static.hometheaterforum.com/imgrepo/8/84/htf_imgcache_5752.jpeg] [/url] ...Yeah, that should be Howard da Silva....

Universal-Europe, thanks :frowning:

 

[Oliver_Groth]

I received my copy of The Big Steal yesterday and the transfer is probably one of the worst I've seen in a very long time, except maybe some PD releases. Even when you turn off the color of your display the image looks fuzzy and out of focus. Nice job Universal!

 

[Jim_K]

transfer suffers some interlacing artifacts and, after 48 minutes, combing and echo's:

Whoa. I'm glad I held off buying the Ladd/Lake noirs.

It's amazing that 10 years into this format and these screw-ups still keep coming out. I wonder if they even bother to check their work or do they just say fuck it, lets just release it as is.

 

[rich_d]

Probably gets down to how close it is to G&T* time.




*Gin & Tonic

 

[Irina]

Universal really let us down big time. The quality of recording is bad and there are absolutely no special features. They really abused the popularity of film noir and figured that anything would go.

 

[Multi-Region]

Frankly speaking, the cover-art looked already cheap, now the contents are crap too. A balanced release

 

[Irina]

I agree - a truly shameful release. I hope that the missing from R1 titles (The Big Steal, The Glass Key, and The Blue Dahlia) will get properly released in R1 just like Double Indemnity did. I wil stay away from buying Universal UK film noir releases from now on. They are no better than some of the non-commercial recordings circulating around.

 

[Oliver_Groth]

It's not saying much, but The Blue Dahlia actually looks much better than The Big Steal.

 

[Gary Tooze]

Noir aficionados - Sorry to be the bearer of more bad news, but.... DVDBeaver has reviewed the Image Entertainment DVD of The Well (coming out next week). It's very poor.

Best,
Gary

 

[Craig Beam]

Well.... damn. Guess this is a renter instead of a purchase.

 

[Multi-Region]

The Glass Key and The Blue Dahlia R-2/PAL DVD's arrived this morning.

My DVD-player is RGB coupled with my tube-tv: no problems with combing and echo's, but there is too many contrast-boosting. Films are not restored, artifacts on both. Volume has less "body"; no extra's, just English langue subs.
The Blue Dahlia has a lot of hiss too.

The blue Dahlia has in "stand-by" that great The Blue Dahlia tune. And the famous "rainy-car-drive-scene" starts in menu 5, so, to choose direct.
Overall, I had expected worse, I am satisfied so far, but don'nt know the results with progressive-scan and on a LCD-screen.

 

[Craig Beam]

Encouraging news regarding the presumed-dead Fox Film Noir series! This comes straight from Eddie Muller in the latest Noir Sentinel:

"I’m not sure why Fox lost its momentum
last fall, but another three titles, none
of them are Boomerang or The Brasher
Doubloon, will be coming soon. From what
I’ve heard, Boomerang is dead in the water.
Those who got a copy before the recall have
collector’s items. I have no clue why
Doubloon has not been released."

 

[Gary Tooze]

Got this in email... VCI stuff

FORGOTTEN NOIR - Vol 4: The Man from Cairo & Mask of the Dragon
The Man from Cairo (1953) - Tough-guy Raft investigates the a theft of $100 million in gold hidden in the Algerian desert. Solid film noir with action, adventure and…Irene Papas in a tub! Mask of the Dragon (1951) - An American soldier is mysteriously killed after delivering a jade dragon from Korea to the US.
PRE-ORDER DATE: 4/6/2007 STREET DATE: 4/24/2007

FORGOTTEN NOIR - Vol 5: FBI Girl & Tough Assignment
F.B.I. Girl (1951) - A governor hires Raymond Burr to steal a file from the FBI that has fingerprint evidence proving he previously was a wanted criminal. Agent Cesar Romero is hot on the case. Tough Assignment (1949) - A newspaper reporter pursues a modern-day rustling gang whose truck driving "cowboys" are far more dangerous than their horse riding counterparts.
PRE-ORDER DATE: 4/6/2007 STREET DATE: 4/24/2007

FORGOTTEN NOIR - Vol 6: I’ll Get You, Fingerprints Don’t Lie
I’ll Get You (1952) - An F.B.I. agent illegally enters England following the disappearance of several noted atomic scientists. Fingerprints Don’t Lie (1951) - The identity of the murderer of a town's mayor is decided by fingerprints on the weapon…case closed. But is it?
PRE-ORDER DATE: 4/6/2007 STREET DATE: 4/24/2007

FORGOTTEN NOIR Collector's Set Vol 2
From 1949 thru 1953, a six-pack of forgotten film noirs that you won't want to miss. Murder, Mystery and Scandal…it’s all here! This incredible set includes the movie from Volume 4 thru 6.
I’ll Get You (1952)
Fingerprints Don’t Lie (1951)
F.B.I. Girl (1951)
Tough Assignment (1949)
Man from Cairo (1953)
Mask of the Dragon (1951)
PRE-ORDER DATE: 4/6/2007 STREET DATE: 4/24/2007

Knowing VCI these may not come out till the summer.

Best,
Gary

 

[Gary Tooze]

My DVD-player is RGB coupled with my tube-tv: no problems with combing and echo's, but there is too many contrast-boosting. Films are not restored, artifacts on both. Volume has less "body"; no extra's, just English langue subs.
The Blue Dahlia has a lot of hiss too.

The Blue Dahlia has in "stand-by" that great The Blue Dahlia tune. And the famous "rainy-car-drive-scene" starts in menu 5, so, to choose direct.
Overall, I had expected worse, I am satisfied so far, but don'nt know the results with progressive-scan and on a LCD-screen.

I would pretty much agree with this assessment by Multi-Region, but for those curious we have posted reviews with screen captures of both The Blue Dahlia and The Glass Key on DVDBeaver. These are by no means stellar transfers but I am at least happy to have on a viable DVD (as opposed to VHS-to-DVD bootlegs). We posted a comparison capture in The Blue Dahlia review.

Best,
Gary

 

[Steve...O]

Interesting. Thanks for posting. Eddie doesn't specifically say if there are only 3 more titles coming (which would finish off the initial 24 film plan) or if the run will continue.

Someone must have really been asleep at the switch over Boomerang if the rumored rights problems are really at fault. Isn't the legal department supposed to clear these things before the studio goes to the considerable expense of producing thousands of DVDs? Fox undoubtedly has a warehouse full of these things now.

Doubloon was rumored to have rights issues also (with the Chandler estate). If true, it seems strange that Warners could release their own Marlowe movies and Fox couldn't.

Has Fox made any kind of official statement on either of these titles?

 

[ted:r]

That news is encouraging. Any speculation on the three? My best guess would be "Road House" (oft-requested), "Cry Of The City" (rumored from somewhere at some time) and "The 13th Letter" (because Fox has released 4 other Premingers).