Once again, the good folks at Kino-Lorber have found their way into my wallet and wreaked cinematic havoc with my credit card. It seems like I just managed to store all the items I picked up during the last sale, making sure everything is alphabetized and in its proper place. At this point, I have to say Kino has become my boutique label of choice, even more than the Criterion Collection. Their catalogue is endlessly eclectic, and I've always had good luck with the quality of their products. My only complaint is that if I continue life as a Kino junkie, I'm going to need a bigger movie room. Or maybe just taller shelves! Here's a look at my recent purchases.
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ROCK, PRETTY BABY! (1956) Full disclosure: This is one of Kino's new releases and wasn't included in the summer sale. But I've always loved this movie, so I was more than happy to pay full price, even though I already had a fairly decent DVD copy from The Video Beat. There's nothing profound going on in this combination of music and Teen Angst drama. It's all about a group of high school boys who form a rock and roll band and all of the obstacles they face in trying to achieve fame and fortune. Well, OK, not exactly fame and fortune. But they're at least trying to get a few gigs and make a few bucks and then enter a Big Contest. The band leader is John Saxon, and his main obstacle is his father, Edward Platt, who wants the kid to drop the guitar playing and go to medical school. That's just about the whole plot, with a little romance thrown in between Saxon and Luana Patten. There's a strong "TV sitcom" vibe about this movie, meaning that the Teen Angst is much more family friendly than what was portrayed in recent blockbusters like BLACKBOARD JUNGLE and REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, both released in 1955. What makes it so interesting is that Sal Mineo, who became a sensation after appearing in REBEL, is the top-billed star in ROCK, PRETTY BABY, and Edward Platt also had a prominent role as the police detective in REBEL. Mineo is used mainly for marquee name value, and his persona in this film is nothing like his troubled youth in REBEL. As the band's drummer, Mineo spends most of his screen time being overly cocky, sarcastic and chasing girls. His character isn't really all that important, but Mineo was a big draw for the teenage audience. The center of the film is John Saxon, who fulfills the promise of his previous film, THE UNGUARDED MOMENT. Saxon has just the right combination of edgy rebelliousness and sensitivity that makes us care about him but also wonder when he might turn dangerous. Saxon, more than anyone else, raises the dramatic quality of the film, and his father/son scenes with Platt are quite moving and believable. Also featuring Fay Wray, Shelley Fabares, George "Foghorn" Winslow and Rod McKuen. McKuen composed some of the music, and the entire soundtrack is surprisingly good.
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SUPERNATURAL (1933) I hadn't seen this movie since the early 1960s, and all I remembered about it were the opening credits and the theme music. The plot is so far-fetched, I can't possibly do it justice here. It has to do with seances, soul transference, and possession. Carole Lombard, in a departure from her usual comedy roles, becomes possessed by the soul of a woman executed for murder. She does her best to look creepy and the movie is fascinating, as much as a curio as anything else. Featuring Randolph Scott and H.B. Warner. Filmed at Paramount, not Universal, and directed by Victor Halperin (WHITE ZOMBIE).
FILM NOIR: THE DARK SIDE OF CINEMA XIX
Kino-Lorber continues to expand the definition of Film Noir with its series of box sets under this genre umbrella. I love digging into these releases, as many of them were unfamiliar to me. And it's always fun to explore that age-old question: Is it Noir, or isn't it? Some of them are straightforward crime dramas, while some are romantic melodramas with a criminal element. But what usually brings them into the Noir universe is some kind of fatalism or bad choice in a character's past that comes back to haunt him or her.
DARK CITY (1950) Produced by Hal Wallis at Paramount and directed by William Dieterle, this is a genuine Noir classic. Charlton Heston makes a solid impression in his film debut. He is supported by an amazing cast of actors: Lizabeth Scott as a husky voiced (What else?) torch singer, Viveca Lindfors, Dean Jagger, Don DeFore, Mike Mazurki, Jack Webb and Harry Morgan. A real gem.
BEWARE, MY LOVELY (1952) After scoring big with the Noir classic ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1952), Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan team up again in this excellent, intense film. Lupino is a widow who hires Ryan, a total stranger, to do some handyman work around her house. She doesn't know that the man is mentally deranged, not only extremely paranoid, but also suffering from memory lapses. She becomes a prisoner in her own home. I'd never seen this film before, and it was excellent from the beginning to the totally unexpected ending.
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NO MAN OF HER OWN (1950) Barbara Stanwyck gives an excellent, restrained performance as an unwed expectant mother who befriends a young married couple (Phyllis Thaxter and Richard Denning) on a train, the wife also expecting a child. When the train crashes and the young couple are killed, Stanwyck takes the woman's place and goes to live with the husband's family to give a better life to her child. Unfortunately, her past, and her baby's crooked father, catch up with her. With John Lund.
FILM NOIR: THE DARK SIDE OF CINEMA XX
Two films from Paramount and one from Republic.
MAKE HASTE TO LIVE (1954)
From Republic Pictures we have this well-acted melodrama starring the always watchable Dorothy McGuire as a woman who finds out that her handsome, charming husband is also a killer. She flees with her young daughter and begins a new life. Years later, as the Noir rulebook would have it, her husband is released from prison and comes after her, setting his sights on their daughter. With Stephen McNally, Mary Murphy and Edgar Buchanan.
From Paramount Pictures we have two Alan Ladd starring vehicles:
CAPTAIN CAREY, U.S.A. (1950) and APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER (1951). I haven't watched either of these yet. Well, OK, I did start to watch APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER a few nights ago and fell right to sleep. I'm not blaming Alan Ladd. I'm blaming the strong Rum & Coke I consumed before turning on the movie. I'll be giving both films a fair shot when I'm wide awake.
FILM NOIR: THE DARK SIDE OF CINEMA XXI
In this box set, we have a spy film directed by the legendary Fritz Lang and a remake of a Noir classic, not to mention a perfect combination of spy thriller and Noir from Allied Artists.
CLOAK AND DAGGER (1946) Exciting war time thriller starring Gary Cooper and directed by Fritz Lang. Cooper is an American nuclear physicist recruited by the OSS to go to the European war front to investigate German attempts to manufacture a nuclear bomb. He finds allies in resistance fighters Lilli Palmer and Robert Alda.
SHACKOUT ON 101 (1955)
Terrific combination of action and spy intrigue. A seaside diner near a military instillation is the center of a ring of spies selling secrets to a mysterious group of foreign agents whose goal is to undermine the good old USA. Waitress Terry Moore takes on volatile Lee Marvin, a short order cook moonlighting as an anti-American agent. Featuring Frank Lovejoy, Whit Bissell and Keenan Wynn.
SHORT CUT TO HELL (1957)
Actor James Cagney, for his only effort at directing, chose to do a remake, or more accurately, a reboot of the 1942 classic THIS GUN FOR HIRE, but without the magical chemistry of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. Ladd's role is taken by Robert Ivers and Lake's by Georgann Johnson. The two young actors aren't bad, but they don't exactly light up the screen either. The action is fast-paced and there are interesting locations. The best thing about the film is the marvelous Yvette Vickers in a good supporting role. She manages to outshine everyone else in the cast. The lady deserved to be a star.
FILM NOIR: THE DARK SIDE OF THE CINEMA XXII
True star power shows up in this box set, courtesy of the legendary Humphrey Bogart. But there is also plenty of excitement to be found in two lesser-known films, which I highly recommend.
THE ENFORCER (1951)
Bogart shines as a crusading district attorney doing battle with the mob. The story is based on the real-life Murder, Inc. trials and the action is fast and furious. Also featuring Ted De Corsia, Zero Mostel, Roy Roberts and Everett Sloane. I already have this on a good DVD copy, but this makes for some happy double-dipping.
THE SCARLET HOUR (1956)
From Paramount Pictures and directed by Michael Curtiz, this excellent crime thriller introduces three fine young actors: Carol Ohmart, Tom Tryon and Jody Lawrance. Bored wife Ohmart is cheating on her husband, James Gregory, with young stud Tryon, an employee of Gregory's company. By a bizarre chance, the two lovers find a way to make big money real fast so they can run away together and find true happiness, at least until the sex is no longer terrific and Ohmart gets bored again. Anyway, there are more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the viewer's attention. With Scott Marlowe, Elaine Stritch, E. G. Marshall and a great song by Nat "King" Cole.
PLUNDER ROAD (1957)
I'd never heard of this film, but it turned out to be one of the best heist flicks ever. It would make a great double feature with Kubrick's THE KILLING. Five men, Gene Raymond, Wayne Morris, Elisha Cook, Jr., Stafford Repp and Steven Ritch, pull off a robbery of $10 million in gold bullion from a US Mint train headed for San Francisco. Then they split up the loot in three trucks and head off in different directions. The journey proves hazardous, but Raymond is finally reunited with his girlfriend and fellow criminal, Jeanne Cooper. Fantastic film that moves fast at only 72 minutes. A real sleeper, this one!!
IL LAGO DI SATANA aka THE LAKE OF SATAN (1966)
Finally, I certainly didn't need one more copy of this Barbara Steele horror flick from Italy, seeing as how I already have three DVD copies. But, you know, it's La Steele, right? And it's nice to have it on Blu-ray. Too bad the movie just isn't very good. In fact, this is the weakest of all the Italo-Steele horrors, especially because she isn't on screen all that much. A lot of people rave about the director, Michael Reeves, who only directed three films in his short life. I'm not among his fan base, however. Besides the lovely Barbara, the film features Ian Olgivy, John Karlsen and Mel Welles. The film's many titles include: LA SORELLA DI SATANA aka THE SISTER OF SATAN, THE SHE BEAST and REVENGE OF THE BLOOD BEAST. Pick one and go for it. The Blu-ray has a nice audio interview with Miss Steele in which she retells the story of her mythical career. I've heard most of it before, but I still hang on her every word!
Now that looks like a great haul, Mike! I'm really intrigued by that flick THE SCARLET HOUR. With director Michael Curtiz and sexy Carol Ohmart, it can't go wrong! That set also has Bogie's THE ENFORCER?! I think my credit card is going to suffer some havoc, too.
ReplyDeleteFlash, I think you would love The Scarlet Hour. Ohmart is at her very best and the plot has lots of cool twists. The Enforcer is definitely one of Bogart's best films of the 1950s. Get that credit card in gear!!
DeleteOught to be against the law to remake This Gun for Hire (1942). Such a great film.
ReplyDeleteLike the sound of Shackout on 101 (1955). I'll check out anything with Lee Marvin in it.
Only watched The Lake of Satan (1966) one time, and I doubt I'll ever watch it again. Definitely a fan of Michael Reeves's The Sorcerers (1967) and Witchfinder General (1968), however. The latter, being my favourite Vincent Price role after Theatre of Blood (1973).
Yeah, I tend to agree that trying to remake an incredible film like This Gun For Hire was a bad idea. I'm surprised that Cagney didn't want to do something original. Lee Marvin is turning into one of my favorite actors and I find myself wanting to catch up on as much of his work that I can find. I never saw The Sorcerers, but I must admit to negative feelings toward Witchfinder General, but I realize it's held in high esteem by most horror fans. I will give Vincent Price credit for his powerful performance. Thanks for commenting!
Delete"Supernatural" was the Halperin Bros. attempt to make a big studio chiller after their success with the ultra low budget "White Zombie". It was probably too weird a film for Paramount, and Lombard hated being in it.
ReplyDeleteShe hated doing it? Really? Well, it is a very weird film, and I can see why she might feel uncomfortable with a story that far-fetched. I mean, White Zombie almost makes logical sense compared to Supernatural!
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