Blu-ray Review T-Men: Special Edition Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

Matt,

How would you compare this audio commentary by Alan Rode to commentaries done for other films by Eddie Muller?

Definitely comparable. I really enjoyed it and appreciated that the actors even in smaller roles got identified and spoken well of.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Just wow! It was only in July when Turner Classic Movies Noir Alley showed this film. The video and audio presentations of this Blu-ray is as different as that TCM showing as it is night and day. It was like watching this film for the first time again. The outstanding camera work John Alton and direction of Anthony Mann is on full display with this Blu-ray. This is one of those films that you watch and study for its photography and direction. Without a doubt, many great directors and cinematographers have made note of this film. The shot selection in this film is just legendary. Some greaf location shots in and around Los Angeles and Detroit in 1947. I can do without the Treasury Department stuff, but the rest of the film makes up for it. Also, really good acting performances by Dennis O'Keefe, Alfred Ryder, Wallace Ford, Charles McGraw and a small part for June Lockhart daughter of Gene Lockhart many years before Lost in Space hit our TV screens.

The audio commentary was very good and I really enjoyed Into the Darkness: Mann, Alton and T-Men featurette. Looking forward to watching He Walked by Night coming out in less than a month.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Amazon dropped the pricing to $27.99!

The link below will take you directly to the product on Amazon. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

 

[ClassicFlix]

Just wow! It was only in July when Turner Classic Movies Noir Alley showed this film. The video and audio presentations of this Blu-ray is as different as that TCM showing as it is night and day. It was like watching this film for the first time again. The outstanding camera work John Alton and direction of Anthony Mann is on full display with this Blu-ray. This is one of those films that you watch and study for its photography and direction. Without a doubt, many great directors and cinematographers have made note of this film. The shot selection in this film is just legendary. Some greaf location shots in and around Los Angeles and Detroit in 1947. I can do without the Treasury Department stuff, but the rest of the film makes up for it. Also, really good acting performances by Dennis O'Keefe, Alfred Ryder, Wallace Ford, Charles McGraw and a small part for June Lockhart daughter of Gene Lockhart many years before Lost in Space hit our TV screens.

The audio commentary was very good and I really enjoyed Into the Darkness: Mann, Alton and T-Men featurette. Looking forward to watching He Walked by Night coming out in less than a month.

Thanks for the glowing post Robert! We worked hard on this and gave it the big budget we think it deserves so I'm gratified to know that you and so many others are pleased with it.

- David

 

[Robert Crawford]

Amazon dropped the pricing to $27.99!

The link below will take you directly to the product on Amazon. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

Pricing has dropped to $25.99!

 

[Robert Crawford]

It just dropped another dollar to $24.99

 

[revgen]

I watched it last night. Absolutely beautiful to watch on my OLED. In my humble opinion, it's the 2nd best blu-ray of the year behind Flicker Alley's The Lost World (1925). Round of applause to all of those involved.

 

[ClassicFlix]

I watched it last night. Absolutely beautiful to watch on my OLED. In my humble opinion, it's the 2nd best blu-ray of the year behind Flicker Alley's The Lost World (1925). Round of applause to all of those involved.

Thanks Revgen. Your support is very much appreciated!

- David

 

[haineshisway]

Mine just arrived and I shall watch it this evening, and you know I will report back

 

[Mark VH]

Just ordered this and You Only Live Once. Love seeing a boutique label give these important films the time and attention (and money) they deserve. Glad to support them in doing so.

 

[haineshisway]

Many years ago circa around 1977 I happened to get 16mm prints of T-Men and Raw Deal - they were recommended to me, the price was reasonable, but I'd never seen either film and knew nothing of Anthony Mann other than El Cid. Thus began my love affair with the films of Anthony Mann - both prints were extraordinary for 16mm - I then proceeded to get every Mann film I could lay my hands on and I got most of them, including an IB Tech El Cid (even though it wasn't called letter boxing then, that's what his print was, rather than scope), Tech Naked Spur, well, all the the Stewart/Mann movies, including a Tech Glenn Miller Story, a Tech/Scope Man from Laramie, a decent Eastman/Scope of Man from the West, and on and on.

And way back then, before anyone had ever done such a thing, I programmed a film festival in my house - every Saturday night a double bill of Mann films, which I called Mann Made Movies. People were blown away by these films, but none of them astonished more than T-Men and Raw Deal, which were the favorites. I have seen just about every video incarnation of T-Men and Raw Deal since - some were okay, some were much less than okay, but none even approached what they should look like.

And now, thanks to this release, we finally have T-Men looking like it should - with deep, rich blacks and great contrast, showing off Alton's brilliant photography. And the most astonishing thing is, though I doubt many here take notice, is the humungous number of opticals there are and how good they look - in the first eleven minutes of the film there is exactly ONE shot that isn't an optical. And so it goes. When we're finally out of an optical the detail is incredible, but it's also pretty amazing in the opticals, too. So, many thanks to Classic Flix for doing this the right way. Pricey? Who cares? Anyone who loves great noir moviemaking or just plain great moviemaking owes it to themselves to order this immediately. What a movie.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Many years ago circa around 1977 I happened to get 16mm prints of T-Men and Raw Deal - they were recommended to me, the price was reasonable, but I'd never seen either film and knew nothing of Anthony Mann other than El Cid. Thus began my love affair with the films of Anthony Mann - both prints were extraordinary for 16mm - I then proceeded to get every Mann film I could lay my hands on and I got most of them, including an IB Tech El Cid (even though it wasn't called letter boxing then, that's what his print was, rather than scope), Tech Naked Spur, well, all the the Stewart/Mann movies, including a Tech Glenn Miller Story, a Tech/Scope Man from Laramie, a decent Eastman/Scope of Man from the West, and on and on.

And way back then, before anyone had ever done such a thing, I programmed a film festival in my house - every Saturday night a double bill of Mann films, which I called Mann Made Movies. People were blown away by these films, but none of them astonished more than T-Men and Raw Deal, which were the favorites. I have seen just about every video incarnation of T-Men and Raw Deal since - some were okay, some were much less than okay, but none even approached what they should look like.

And now, thanks to this release, we finally have T-Men looking like it should - with deep, rich blacks and great contrast, showing off Alton's brilliant photography. And the most astonishing thing is, though I doubt many here take notice, is the humungous number of opticals there are and how good they look - in the first eleven minutes of the film there is exactly ONE shot that isn't an optical. And so it goes. When we're finally out of an optical the detail is incredible, but it's also pretty amazing in the opticals, too. So, many thanks to Classic Flix for doing this the right way. Pricey? Who cares? Anyone who loves great noir moviemaking or just plain great moviemaking owes it to themselves to order this immediately. What a movie.

TBH, for the most part, I enjoy Mann's early film noirs more than his westerns. I'm not saying his westerns weren't good as they certainly were, but the Alton camera work, the characters and dialogue really appeal to me. Now, it looks like I'm going to be able to enjoy some of these early film noirs with better audio and video presentations than I previously experienced.

 

[haineshisway]

I prefer Raw Deal to T-Men and if it looks this good I will be very happy.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I prefer Raw Deal to T-Men and if it looks this good I will be very happy.

I prefer He Walked by Night to both of those titles. I can't wait until November 7th to see that one in 1080p. Mann is uncredited as the director, but it has his fingerprints all over it.

 

[Matt Hough]

Mann Made Movies: I love that, BK!

 

[Rodney]

I prefer He Walked by Night to both of those titles. I can't wait until November 7th to see that one in 1080p. Mann is uncredited as the director, but it has his fingerprints all over it.

Right there with you, Crawdaddy! This is my favorite Mann film, though I enjoy all his work. I think he was the second director (after Capra) that I really went out of my way to find when I was a kid, which was tough to do since you needed to either scour TV Guide each week to see what movies were coming on or hope a repertory theatre was showing one.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

I just got back from a trlp to San Diego and placed my order after reading Matt's glowing review.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

...

And now, thanks to this release, we finally have T-Men looking like it should - with deep, rich blacks and great contrast, showing off Alton's brilliant photography. And the most astonishing thing is, though I doubt many here take notice, is the humungous number of opticals there are and how good they look - in the first eleven minutes of the film there is exactly ONE shot that isn't an optical. And so it goes. When we're finally out of an optical the detail is incredible, but it's also pretty amazing in the opticals, too. So, many thanks to Classic Flix for doing this the right way. Pricey? Who cares? Anyone who loves great noir moviemaking or just plain great moviemaking owes it to themselves to order this immediately. What a movie.

I watched my copy last night and agree 100%. I haven't watched this for quite a while so it was great to see it looking so fresh. Passing this one up because it might be a little pricier than usual would be a big mistake, IMO. Well done ClassicFlix and can't wait for Raw Deal.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I watched my copy last night and agree 100%. I haven't watched this for quite a while so it was great to see it looking so fresh. Passing this one up because it might be a little pricier than usual would be a big mistake, IMO. Well done ClassicFlix and can't wait for Raw Deal.

Amazon is now selling this release for $24.99 while we buy Twilight Time releases for $29.95!

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Amazon is now selling this release for $24.99 while we buy Twilight Time releases for $29.95!

Yep, that makes this an even greater bargain considering the work that went into restoring it.