Film Noir Collection Volume I & II from Sony: 11/3/09

[NoirFan]

The Film Noir Collection, Vol. 1
A San Francisco detective traces a series of seemingly random killings to a sharp-eyed loner who uses his rifle as a means to exact deadly revenge on the women who have rejected him, in The Sniper (1952). Adolphe Menjou, Arthur Franz, Gerald Mohr star. Four college pals plot to rob a casino in Reno just to prove it can be done, in 5 Against the House (1955), but their plan to return the money is threatened when one of them intends to keep it for himself. Brian Keith, Guy Madison, Alvy Moore, Kim Novak star. Then, when a mother and her young daughter unknowingly destroy a stash of heroin, a pair of hit men must keep them alive long enough to explain it to their boss, in The Lineup (1958). With Eli Wallach, Robert Keith. Finally, Murder by Contract (1958) is a gritty, atmospheric drama starring Vince Edwards as a professional hit man hired to kill a woman who is about to turn in evidence against the seedy mobster he works for. Caprice Toriel, Phillip Pine, and Herschel Bernardi co-star. Also includes The Big Heat (1953).

The Film Noir Collection, Vol. 2
First, Pushover (1954) stars Fred MacMurray as a detective who gets mixed up with the hot-to-trot girlfriend (Kim Novak) of a suspected bank robber, leading to a world of deception and double-crosses. Phil Carey, Dorothy Malone, E.G. Marshall co-star. A man falsely accused of robbery and murder goes on the run, persuading the woman he loves and an insurance investigator to help find the real culprits and clear his name, in Nightfall (1957). Aldo Ray, Brian Keith, Anne Bancroft star. The Brothers Rico (1957) finds a former Mafia accountant pulled back into the dangerous world of organized crime when he learns that the Mob and the cops are looking for his brother. With Richard Conte, Dianne Foster. And, an escaped convict comes into possession of a deadly radioactive substance, in City of Fear (1959). Can the authorities track him down before it either kills him or destroys all of Los Angeles? With Vince Edwards, Lyle Talbot, John Archer. Also includes In a Lonely Place.

I'm hoping In a Lonely Place will include a commentary this time around, it's a heartbreaking masterpeice.

[mike7162]

Wow, Sony is really bringing it this year! While most of their upcoming sets are not perfect, it's nice to see some of the lesser known titles getting some attention.

[KillerCannibal]

This sounds fantastic. Never seen any of these titles, but I'm a noir whore so how can I resist?

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by KillerCannibal

Never seen any of these titles

The two previously released films, The Big Heat and In a Lonely Place, are definitely worth Netflixing in the meantime.

[riotinmyskull]

[nitin77]

some nice titles (The sniper, nightfall, the lineup) but are The Big Heat and In a Lonely Place re-releases or new discs?

[rw2516]

Disappointed Drive A Crooked Road wasn't included. One of Columbia's better ones. Mickey Rooney as a wannabe race car driver with a disfigured face who's conned into being getaway driver for crooks pulling a heist. There's some real gems here, Pushover, The Sniper and especially Murder By Contract.

[theWitcher]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

The two previously released films, The Big Heat and In a Lonely Place, are definitely worth Netflixing in the meantime.

Gloria Grahame married both her 'Lonely Place' director and his son (her former stepson!)

But Lee Marvin should not have done what he did.

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by theWitcher

But Lee Marvin should not have done what he did.

Yeah, she was pretty burned up about that.

[Matthew Ackerly]

Cant wait to pick these up.

The Sniper is fantastic.

[Trevor]

I'm in.

[Ethan VanSciver]

Okay, me too.

[kingtopher]

Any word on MSRP?

[rw2516]

$50 or $60. Can't remember which. Listed at Amazon.

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by Classic Flix

Although not officially announced, Sony has scheduled a November 3rd release date for Film Noir Classics, Vol. 1.

It's expected to be a five disc set with four titles new to DVD (The Sniper, 5 Against the House, The Lineup & Murder by Contract) and a re-release of The Big Heat. Whether or not Heat will be remastered is unknown.

Bonus features are:

* Martin Scorsese on The Sniper, The Big Heat and Murder by Contract
* Michael Mann on The Big Heat
* The Influence of Noir with Christopher Nolan (The Lineup)
* Commentary with Author's Eddie Muller and James Ellroy (The Lineup)
* Commentary with Author Eddie Muller on The Sniper

It will retail for $59.95.

[obscurelabel]

What's the correct AR for The Big Heat? The current DVD is 1.33 (or 1.37) to 1. It was released in October 1953 (according to IMDB), by which time matting to 1.66, 1.75, or 1.85 to 1 would likely have been recommended, although I don't know Columbia's specific policy, or if there was a specific exception for this title. IMBD says 1.37:1, but they also say that for Island in the Sky, released in September 1953; on one of the Paramount Batjac DVDs, a documentary has newsreel footage of its premier, at which the marquee announces that it's in "WIDESCREEN."

[NoirFan]

DVD Beaver on Volume I.

[NoirFan]

DVD Times
Where's Volume II?

[Ash Ketchum]

The only title in both collections that I would unequivocally classify as "noir" is Fritz Lang's THE BIG HEAT. Cases can be made for some of the others, but only if you really stretch the definition of noir. I've seen all of these films and I'm lukewarm on all of them, even THE BIG HEAT. Glad I saw them, but none are noir classics on the order of DOUBLE INDEMNITY, THE BIG SLEEP, OUT OF THE PAST, THE KILLERS, BRUTE FORCE, WHITE HEAT, CRISS CROSS, DEAD RECKONING, PHANTOM LADY, MURDER MY SWEET, THE BLUE DAHLIA, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, RAW DEAL, and a few others I could name but that escape my mind at the moment.

[souvenir]

Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum

The only title in both collections that I would unequivocally classify as "noir" is Fritz Lang's THE BIG HEAT. Cases can be made for some of the others, but only if you really stretch the definition of noir. I've seen all of these films and I'm lukewarm on all of them, even THE BIG HEAT. Glad I saw them, but none are noir classics on the order of DOUBLE INDEMNITY, THE BIG SLEEP, OUT OF THE PAST, THE KILLERS, BRUTE FORCE, WHITE HEAT, CRISS CROSS, DEAD RECKONING, PHANTOM LADY, MURDER MY SWEET, THE BLUE DAHLIA, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, RAW DEAL, and a few others I could name but that escape my mind at the moment.

Those films you listed are all from the forties except Strangers on a Train, which I'm not sure I'd even consider noir. Certainly these Columbia titles aren't in the classic private detective and femme fatale noir mold, but I do think they are, for the most part, still film noir. Forties noir and fifties noir aren't the same but, to me at least, there are plenty of examples of each which would qualify.

[NoirFan]

It looks like Sony has replaced In a Lonely Place with Human Desire on their upcoming second Noir set:

The next volume, Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics ll which will be released in 2010, will have five films all new to DVD - Human Desire, The Brothers Rico, City of Fear, Nightfall and Pushover.

Link
That'll teach me to sell a DVD in anticipation of a re-release. Now I have to buy it again!

[Sean O'Hara]

Maybe Sony's planning a Bogart set?

[BillWatkins]

Or a Nicholas Ray set.

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by BillWatkins

Or a Nicholas Ray set.

That's a distinct possibility. A box set in the vein of their Powell and Boetticher sets, with commentaries and featurettes, would be nice. It would include Knock on Any Door, Hot Blood and In a Lonely Place.

[BillWatkins]

Bitter Victory as well.