Dark Passage)

Starring:Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead, Tom D'Andrea, Clifton Young, Douglas Kennedy, Rory Mallinson, Houseley Stevenson, Dude Maschemeyer, John Arledge, Ross Ford, Clancy Cooper, Patrick McVey, Michael Daves, Bob Farber, Mary Field, Ian MacDonald, Shimen Ruskin, Anita Sharp-Bolster
Director: Delmer Daves, Tay Garnett, Vincente Minnelli
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

The Third Man - Criterion Collection (2-Disc Edition)

Average customer rating:

The second coming of The Third Man
The Third Man
The Third Man
The Third Man
WOW! talk about Must-have!!

The Third Man - Criterion Collection (2-Disc Edition)
Starring: Nelly Arno , Leo Bieber , Hedwig Bleibtreu , Martin Boddey , and Siegfried Breuer
Director: Carol Reed
Manufacturer: Criterion Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
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Army of Shadows - Criterion Collection
Sansho the Bailiff - Criterion Collection
Naked City - Criterion Collection
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Brute Force (Criterion Collection)

ASIN: B000NOK0GM
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com essential video

There have been few better movies in the history of the planet than The Third Man, and fewer still as brilliantly directed from second to second. Orson Welles played the title role, and his legend has tended to engulf the film. But it was directed by Carol Reed and written--except for a Wellesian riff on the Borgias--by Graham Greene, and the credit for this masterpiece is properly theirs. Theirs and Joseph Cotten's; for awesome as Welles is, his Citizen Kane second banana is onscreen about six times as much, and Cotten uses every minute to create one of the most distinctive--if also forlorn--of modern heroes.

You know the story. Holly Martins (Cotten), a writer of pulp Westerns and one of life's congenital third-raters, arrives in post-WWII Vienna only to learn that his old pal Harry Lime, the guy who sent him his plane ticket, is being buried. Everybody, from a cynical British cop named Calloway (Trevor Howard) to Harry's Continental knockout of a girlfriend (Alida Valli) and his sundry absurd/Euro-sinister business associates, feels that Holly should get on another plane and go home. He doesn't. Things come to light. Other deaths follow. The world lies in utter ruin.

The Third Man completed a sublime hat trick--an international critical and popular smash following upon the success of Reed's Odd Man Out ('47) and The Fallen Idol ('48). Although other filmmakers had begun to use war-ravaged Europe as a great movie set, The Third Man is so vivid in its canny mix of gray semidocumentary and insanely angular, Expressionist/Surrealist chiaroscuro that it seems to have imagined not only the postwar thriller but also postwar Europe itself singlehandedly.

What great movie moments: The throwaway details like a mourner who forgets to drop his wreath on a newly dug grave. The sly editing whereby thick-headed Sergeant Paine (Bernard Lee, once and future "M" to 007) goes on leafing through a magazine, knowing just the moment he must rise and subdue the nervy Yank who would take a punch at his boss. The way Anton Karas's legendary zither score seems to jangle in the very guy-lines of a bridge where, far below Robert Krasker's Oscar-winning camera, the Third Man calls a war council. The shadow of a dead man towering, big as Europe, over the nighttime streets of Vienna. --Richard T. Jameson

Studio description

Cynical pulp novelist Holly Martins arrives in shadowy Vienna to investigate the mysterious death of his old friend, black-market opportunist Harry Lime, and thus begins an ever-thickening web of love, deception, and murder that adds up to one of cinema's most immortal treats, as well as one of its trickiest. Thanks to brilliant performances by Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, and Orson Welles; Anton Karas's timeless, evocative zither score; Graham Greene's razor-sharp dialogue; and Robert Krasker's haunting deep focus shots, off-kilter angles, and dramatic use of light and shadow, The Third Man, directed by the inimitable Carol Reed, only grows in stature as the years pass.

Customer Reviews:

The second coming of The Third Man.......2007-06-30

The folks at Criterion never give up short of perfection. They've been reissuing some of their own material lately in newer, better versions, and while I *won't* get another Brazil just because they neglected anamorphic the first time (and I have an up-converting player/TV combo that helps somewhat anyway) I will gladly shell out more cash for improved prints of Seven Samurai, M and now this, The Third Man.

But this is more than just a new transfer. Here you get a second disc of wonderful features. Well, one of the features could have been wonderful: it's a 90-minute documentary made a couple years ago that played at Cannes in 2006. While the information is fascinating, and will shed much light on this noir, the filmmaker's style is pretentious, and distracts from the content.

Other extras are the original U.S. trailer (grossly inappropriate for this movie, but probably closer to the type of film Selznick wanted to make), vintage footage of Vienna and Zitherist Anton Karas, and a photo album of the production--all also included in the prior Criterion release. There's also a mini-doc on the film--much more straightforward and to me more interesting--with all still photos. Even though it's all stills I found this short 10 minute presentation very riveting. Then there's a featurette that shows many of the scenes of German-speaking players with their lines translated (they were deliberately left untranslated in the film so that the audience would feel as confused as Holly), a UK vs. US comparison of the openings, several of the radio shows that used the Harry Lime character, and a profile of writer Graham Greene from a 1968 British television program. Oh, and did I mention there are two commentaries, one from filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Tony Gilroy and one from film distorian Dana Polan. Oh, and there's a very stylish 26-page booklet insert. And you know what? There's probably other stuff I've forgotten. These discs are cram-packed.

In short, this is a whole college-level course on The Third Man in a little box. It'll keep you watching for weeks.

In case Amazon ever deletes the first Criterion edition of this DVD from their site, here's a cut-and-paste of my original review of the film itself:

###
Reportedly Orson Welles replied to people who asked if he'd "really" directed The Third Man that Carol Reed didn't need his suggestions. Yet this feels very much like Welles in many ways. First of all there's the subject matter--like Citizen Kane, this film deals with money and power, shattered idealism, and an elusive figure everyone knows *of* yet few people know. Like Kane, the cinematography is striking (though in a different way) and an integral part of the plot. Like Kane, the music is memorable and tells much of the story, yet again in a different way. Like Kane, the film was greeted coldly by many critics on its initial release and had to be shelved for many years before people realized it was a masterpiece. And last but not least, like Kane, it stars the great Joseph Cotten.

The Third Man benefits enormously from being shot in post-war Vienna (in record time by using three crews simultaneously). You can taste the atmosphere. The locations are a "star" as much as any of the human players. Selznick wanted Reed to film on Hollywood back lots, and he wanted Jimmy Stewart to star. He objected to the zither music. He objected to the canted shots. (William Wyler reportedly gave Reed a level to put on his camera after seeing The Third Man!) Most of all, Selznick wanted a happy ending, where Holly gets the girl. But without Reed's vision, the film would have been a typical glossy Hollywood film now seen at 2 am on local UHF channels if at all.

Reed gave Welles one of the great entrances in screen history. Welles gave Reed a hard time by refusing to work in a sewer and returning to England, forcing Reed to build a sewer set there just for Welles' part. Welles says he only wrote the "Cuckcoo clock speech," but leave it to Orson to give us the most memorable dialogue in a movie filled with memorable dialogue.

Then there is the issue of The Woman. Often she will make or break a film like this, and here Alida Valli (or "Valli" as she preferred to be billed in the film...maybe it's an Italian thing that started long before Madonna) is the perfect choice, brooding and un-glamorous and yet all the more alluring because she's un-glamorous. It's easy to see how impressionable Holly would fall for her. It's harder to see why she would still defend Harry, but love is not always logical. Or is this just selfishness? There doesn't seem to be room for love in Reed and Greene's postwar Vienna...

Criterion has done a loving restoration of The Third Man. While not up to the standard of the Citizen Kane DVD (which is not done by Criterion, incidentally) it is superb considering how poorly prints of this film have been handled over the years. Criterion performed many computer-repairs of tears and splices that make once-damaged scenes play perfectly. The gray scale is finally restored! (So many prints of this film are stark and grainy black and white and nearly unwatchable.) There are some extras, such as footage of Anton Karas performing on his unique instrument, documentary footage of the real Vienna sewers, the original trailer, the re-release trailer*, the alternate American opening, and fascinating production photos and commentary. Once again Criterion hits a home run.
###

Make that a grand slam.

*Not included in this version.

The Third Man.......2007-06-29

Fantastic movie, every time I watch it I see something new. Great cinematography, acting is superlative and story is gripping

The Third Man.......2007-06-27

The DVD case was smashed-in like it had been stacked under some weight. Contacted Amazon and they sent me a replacement.

The Third Man.......2007-06-25

One of the all-time great mysteries, the excellence of this production is reflected in the talents of its key contributors: old Mercury Theatre colleagues Welles and Cotten, screenwriter Graham Greene, producers Alexander Korda and David O. Selznick, and director Carol Reed. Together, they create a haunting, intricate thriller, with corrupted souls inhabiting decimated Vienna like so many vultures. "Man" also features one of the best music scores in all film, with Anton Karas's original zither score adding to the ominous proceedings. Stunningly shot on location, this is a must-see.

WOW! talk about Must-have!!.......2007-06-18

I was reading Criminal,the Marvel comic series
by Ed Brubaker, who also wrote the Sleeper for DC/Wildstorm
(my all time favorite)...

and in the back of the issue, he talked about this movie.
being a big fan I had to see what it was about...

AND I'M SO GLAD I DID!!

its PERFECTION

Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Act of Violence / Mystery Street / Crime Wave / Decoy / Illegal / The Big Steal / They Live By Night / Side Street / Where Danger Lives / Tension)

Average customer rating:

10 lesser-known but excellent Film Noirs make it to DVD

Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Act of Violence / Mystery Street / Crime Wave / Decoy / Illegal / The Big Steal / They Live By Night / Side Street / Where Danger Lives / Tension)
Starring: Van Heflin , Robert Ryan , Janet Leigh , Mary Astor , and Phyllis Thaxter
Director: Fred Zinnemann , John Sturges , and André De Toth
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Ace in the Hole - Criterion Collection
The Woman in the Window (MGM Film Noir)
Myrna Loy and William Powell Collection (Manhattan Melodrama / Evelyn Prentice / Double Wedding / I Love You Again / Love Crazy)
Cult Camp Classics 4 - Historical Epics (The Colossus of Rhodes / Land of the Pharaohs / The Prodigal)
Tyrone Power: The Swashbuckler Box Set (Blood and Sand / Son of Fury / The Black Rose / Prince of Foxes / The Captain from Castile)

ASIN: B000PKG7DE
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Description

Ex-World War II pilot Frank Enley (Van Heflin) is a respected contractor and family man. Then his troubled, gimp-legged bombardier (Robert Ryan) shows up with a gun and a score to settle. Perhaps neither man is what he seems to be as director Fred Zinnemann (The Day of the Jackal) guides a searing Act of Violence, "the first postwar noir to take a challenging look at the ethics of men in combat" (Eddie Muller, Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir). Murder lives on Mystery Street. John Sturges (The Great Escape) directs a revealing-for-the-era procedural about a Boston cop (Ricardo Montalban) solving a whodunit with the help of a Harvard forsensic expert (Bruce Bennett). Welcome to CSI Noir.

Customer Reviews:

10 lesser-known but excellent Film Noirs make it to DVD.......2007-04-25

This collection is the DVD debut for all ten of these films, and I don't even know if any of them are available on VHS. I've only seen them thanks to Turner Classic Movies playing them at odd hours, along with other cable channels presenting them over the years. They are excellent but not well remembered film noirs. I would rate them all between 4 and 5 stars. I thought I would list their descriptions, stars, and special features below, not in any particular order:

Crime Wave: (1954) Starring Sterling Hayden and Gene Nelson. An ex-con is trying to go straight, but circumstances force him into crime one more time. Gene Nelson plays a hard-nosed cop. Note a young Charles Bronson playing a minor role.
Commentary by James Ellroy and Eddie Muller
Crime Wave: The City is Dark
Theatrical trailer

Decoy: (1946) Starring Gene Gillie and Edward Norris. Sci-Fi meets Film Noir in this story of a woman who will stop at nothing to retrieve 400K stolen in a robbery. Gillie would make Barbara Stanwyck proud as she chews up man after man in her quest.
Commentary by Stanley Rubin and Glenn Erickson
Decoy: A Map to Nowhere
Theatrical trailer

Illegal: (1955) Starring Edward G. Robinson and Nina Foch. Robinson plays a D.A. whose upwardly mobile career faces a train wreck when a man he convicted is executed and then found to be innocent. After he hits bottom he resurrects his legal career, this time as a criminal attorney. The plot can be hard to follow, but Robinson's performance is great.
Commentary by Nina Foch and Patricia King Hanson
Illegal: Marked for Life
Behind the Cameras: Edward G. Robinson
Theatrical trailer

The Big Steal: (1949) Starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer. The lead duo from "Out of the Past" trade wisecracks and insults in a cross-country chase over a suitcase full of stolen money. For once, Mitchum is actually not the bad guy. Almost too much fun to be considered Film Noir.
Commentary by Richard B. Jewell
The Big Steal: Look Behind You

They Live By Night: (1948) Starring Cathy O'Donnell and Farley Granger. The story of an escaped convict trying to live a normal life with the help of his girlfriend. Granger plays the convict who isn't entirely bad, but not entirely reformed either.
Commentary by Farley Granger and Eddie Muller
They Live By Night: The Twisted Road
Theatrical trailer

Side Street: (1950) Starring Cathy O'Donnell and Farley Granger. Granger plays a struggling husband trying to make ends meet when he spots some cash lying around in an office one day. He takes the money, but finds out it is much more than he thought. When he tries to return the money, he gets caught up in a murder mystery. Hitchcock-like in its twists and turns.
Commentary by Richard Schickel
Side Street: Where Temptation Lurks
Theatrical trailer

Where Danger Lives: (1950) Starring Robert Mitchum and Faith Domergue. The plot is somewhat unbelievable, even for Film Noir, but Mitchum gives a strong performance that makes it worthwhile. Mitchum plays a doctor who becomes taken with a patient. Due to a concussion, his judgement becomes clouded and he believes he has murdered the patient's husband. He and the woman go on the run, have some strange adventures, and then Mitchum realizes what kind of illness his new girlfriend was being treated for in the first place.
Commentary by Alain Silver and James Ursini
Where Danger Lives: White Rose for Julie
Theatrical Trailer

Tension: (1950) Starring Richard Basehart and Audrey Trotter. Basehart plays a mild-mannered man whose salary and disposition are not enough for his wife. She leaves him for a tough and wealthy man. Why Basehart would want her back is anyone's guess, but he does and plans to murder his wife's new boyfriend. The tough guy is murdered, but not by Basehart's character.
Commentary by Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward with Audrey Trotter
Tension: Who's Guilty Now?
Theatrical Trailer

Act of Violence: (1948) Starring Van Heflin and Robert Ryan. Van Heflin plays a family man trying to adapt to life after the war and internment in a prison camp. Enter Robert Ryan, who plays a man with Terminator-like determination in his quest to murder Heflin's character for something that happened during their joint stay in the German prison camp.
Commentary by Dr. Drew Casper
Act of Violence: Dealing With the Devil
Theatrical Trailer

Mystery Street: (1950) Starring Ricardo Montalban and Sally Forrest. Montalban plays a detective who, working with a forensics expert, tries to solve a murder case and exonerate the lone circumstantial suspect. One of the first films I know of to use science to help solve a murder decades before DNA made this aspect of crime solving so interesting and important.
Commentary by Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward
Mystery Street: Murder at Harvard
Theatrical Trailer

Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)

Average customer rating:

Double Indemnity
Classic film noir from the great Billy Wilder
It doesn't get any better than this blistering jewel
a great example of the early days of film noir.......
Lust and Greed Lead to Murder

Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)
Starring: Fred MacMurray , Barbara Stanwyck , Edward G. Robinson , Porter Hall , and Jean Heather
Director: Billy Wilder , and Jack Smight
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Maltese Falcon (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)
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Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3 (Border Incident / His Kind of Woman / Lady in the Lake / On Dangerous Ground / The Racket)
The Conformist (Extended Edition)
Laura (Fox Film Noir)

ASIN: B00005JNG5
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Amazon.com essential video

Director Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard) and writer Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) adapted James M. Cain's hard-boiled novel into this wildly thrilling story of insurance man Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), who schemes the perfect murder with the beautiful dame Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck): kill Dietrichson's husband and make off with the insurance money. But, of course, in these plots things never quite go as planned, and Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) is the wily insurance investigator who must sort things out. From the opening scene you know Neff is doomed, as the story is told in flashback; yet, to the film's credit, this doesn't diminish any of the tension of the movie. This early film noir flick is wonderfully campy by today's standards, and the dialogue is snappy ("I thought you were smarter than the rest, Walter. But I was wrong. You're not smarter, just a little taller"), filled with lots of "dame"s and "baby"s. Stanwyck is the ultimate femme fatale, and MacMurray, despite a career largely defined by roles as a softy (notably in the TV series My Three Sons and the movie The Shaggy Dog), is convincingly cast against type as the hapless, love-struck sap. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews:

Double Indemnity.......2007-06-21

One of the quintessential noir films, Billy Wilder's "Double Indemnity" is a masterpiece of stark atmosphere and carefully stylized suspense. The talented Barbara Stanwyck, a familiar face in the 1940s noir universe, assumes her role with feline deviousness, while "My Three Sons" TV dad Fred MacMurray--narrating the film via flashback--brilliantly plays against type. Raymond Chandler's screenplay sizzles with hard-boiled repartee and the great Edward G. Robinson is aces as always as the dogged investigator hot on the lovers' trail. Sinister, tense, and cynical, Wilder's "Indemnity" is riveting film suspense.

Classic film noir from the great Billy Wilder.......2007-06-10

"Double Indemnity" is one of the first films of the genre that would come to be known as "Film Noir".

The plot is classic film noir - a smug, womanising insurance salesman Walter Neff (played by Fred MacMurray) gets in over his head with a conniving femme fatale Phyllis Diedrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) who wants rid of her boorish husband. Neff must also be wary of a suspicious claims manager at his insurance company Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson).

Naturally the story has some dated elements (it was made in 1943) but it still holds up pretty well as entertainment for a modern audience.

MacMurray is excellent in his role as a heel making a change from his usual nice guy roles. He helps make the character sympathetic whereas Stanwycks role has few redeeming features - she really is "rotten". Her turnabout at the end is also somewhat unconvincing. The great Edward G. Robinson steals every scene he's in as the tenacious investigator who has a soft spot for Neff.

The DVD includes a good commentary by Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman with useful insights on the film but it also continually laments the decline of Hollywood, which I think is a trifle unfair.

Like most Billy Wilder films "Double Indemnity" doesn't really have a message - it just provides great entertainment aimed at adults. It also marks a growing shift in the 1940s towards more maturity in Hollywood film-making.

It doesn't get any better than this blistering jewel.......2007-05-30

What else remains to be said about one of the true classics of noir? Fred Macmurry is just right as the sap who thinks he's a lot smarter & sharper than he really is; Edward G. Robinson shines as a dedicated & inexorable seeker of the truth, even as his concern & disappointment for his fallen friend shows clearly; and Barbara Stanwyck scalds the screen as the trashy, blatantly sexy femme fatale with the morals of an alley cat & an icy ruthlessness that stops at nothing -- just look at that cover art! Wrap these characters in moody, bleakly beautiful black & white cinematography, give them a witty, scathing script by Raymond Chandler, and you've got a sordid masterpiece about small-timers whose greedy, self-centered dreams are much larger than their shriveled souls. I can't recommend this film highly enough!

a great example of the early days of film noir..............2007-05-20

DOUBLE INDEMNITY, a 1944 film by Billy Wilder, is one of the most definitive and beautiful examples of early film noir (literally, "black film") at its best. For those of you unfamiliar with the genre of film noir, this was a type of film made popular in the 1940s and 1950s, features very dark cinematography (plenty of shadows intermixed with light), as well as equally dark subject matter. Common themes are murders, affairs and grizzly illegal activity. DOUBLE INDEMNITY is a great example of this style at its best.

Fred MacMurray plays wily insurance man Walter Neff, who finds himself drawn to a beautiful, married woman, Phyllis Dietrichsen, played by the lovely Barbara Stanwyck. Together, they cook a plot to murder her husband, so Walter can make off with the policy money. Of course, things don't go quite according to plan. Enter Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), an investigator who gets wind that "something is rotting in Denmark." Keyes knows that there is something decidedly un-kosher about the whole arrangement between Neff and Dietrichsen, and he is determined to find out where that feeling is coming from.

This film is beautifully acted, directed with great zest, and very, very engaging. Even though some of the dialogue is (delightfully) dated, you are still going to have a great time watching DOUBLE INDEMNITY. There is no question that this is an example of filmmaking, at its best.

Lust and Greed Lead to Murder.......2007-05-15

Late at night a man enters an office building. Mr. Walter Neff is working overtime. Dozens of desks for the clerical workers are void of life. In his office he begins to speak into his Dictaphone about the Diedrickson claim. It all started when Neff went to see about an auto insurance renewal. Mr. Diedrickson wasn't home, but his wife Phyllis was. [The dialogue between them shows Raymond Chandler's skills.] Claims manager Mr. Barton Keyes is skilled in sniffing out false claims. Neff returns to Diedrickson for the auto insurance renewal. Phyllis asks about an accident policy for her husband. Could she get one without her husband's knowledge? Neff explains why she could never get away with it. But Phyllis visits Neff to better explain her wants, and there is a meeting of their minds. [Use your imagination.] Phyllis doesn't like her stepdaughter Lola, and Lola doesn't like her stepmother (there is a reason for this).

Neff explains how insurance companies know all the tricks used to make a murder look like an accident. But Neff impulsively decides to help Phyllis remove an inconvenient husband. [Is this plausible? Like the rain in Los Angeles.] Mr. Diedrickson is concerned about Lola's activities. Neff explains to Phyllis why Mr. Diedrickson must travel by train. Lola also has problems with her boyfriend. Neff plans their surreptitious meeting where they can plot the crime. The film show how they could then check if a doorbell of telephone rang. The murder is cold-blooded and horrible, but off scene. [Did they leave fingerprints on those crutches?]

The actuarial tables are cited to show the encyclopedic knowledge of insurance companies. But Keyes has noticed a discrepancy in this case, and begins to question the apparent facts. Then there is another glitch, something that wasn't foreseen. Daughter Lola meets Neff and tells him some old facts, and some new ones! Keyes surmises how this accident was concocted. There is now great danger for Phyllis and Neff. More surprising complications arise in this story until the shocking ending. [Could a person who murders another be implicitly suicidal?]

One important part of this story is the background of life in 1944 Los Angeles. How much was changed in just twenty years! [There was no mention of war-time rationing or shortages in that grocery supermarket.]

Average customer rating:

Great "Who done it..??"
One Misstep Leads to Murder
Dvd...? Hello...?
DVD?
Fritz Lang intrigue with a twist - rightly 4 1/2 stars

The Woman in the Window (MGM Film Noir)
Starring: Edward G Robinson , and Joan Bennett
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Act of Violence / Mystery Street / Crime Wave / Decoy / Illegal / The Big Steal / They Live By Night / Side Street / Where Danger Lives / Tension)
The Stranger (MGM Film Noir)
Ace in the Hole - Criterion Collection
Kansas City Confidential (MGM Film Noir)
A Bullet For Joey (MGM Film Noir)

ASIN: B000PMFRW4
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Customer Reviews:

Great "Who done it..??".......2007-04-29

Stars Edward G. Robinson as a college professor who meets regularly with colleagues at a mens club. Next door to the club is a portrait of a beautiful woman in the window of a studio. The men come look at the portrait and admire her beauty. One evening Robinson meets the woman and goes to her apartment for a drink. Her boyfriend bursts in and in the ensuing scuffle is killed. But things are not really as they seem and Robinson eventually learns the truth behind his chance meeting with the "woman in the window". A Very good mystery with good performances.

One Misstep Leads to Murder.......2007-03-01

The film shows "Gotham College" in New York, founded in 1812. Professor Richard Wanley lectures his class on the psychological aspects of homicide. His wife and children leave for vacation, leaving him a summer bachelor. His friend the DA tells about the troubles for middle-aged men who try to act like a young colt. Professor Wanley stares at a portrait of a woman in a shop window, then at the model herself. Alice Reed talks to him, then invites him over. One thing leads to another. Alice's boyfriend returns to her apartment; there is a fight and the Professor stabs the man. At first the Professor picks up a telephone to call the police, then pauses to review the events. He decides to cover up this crime, and makes a deal with the woman. There is suspense when the Professor removes the body for disposal. Things don't go as planned, but the body is dumped beside a highway. The next day the newspapers report that financier Claude Masard was murdered. The police have the footprints and the tire tread, a blood sample form the man who dropped off the body, and some wool thread from the man's coat.

There is another complication. Masard had a bodyguard who followed him, but he has also disappeared. This bodyguard showed up at Alice Reed's apartment. He knows much, but will take a payoff to keep the secret. The Professor explains there are three ways to deal with a blackmailer. Will one death lead to another? The bodyguard is worldly-wise, and not easily fooled. He wants his payoff, and he gets it in an unexpected way. Alice Reed calls the Professor but does not get an answer. Will this nightmare ever end?

This film serves as a checkpoint to criminology, the art of detection from the clues left behind. Edmond Locard says a criminal always leaves something at the crime scene, and takes away something. The Professor received a cut from barbed wire, and touched poison ivy to get an infection.

Dvd...? Hello...?.......2007-01-18

I first saw this picture when I was 17, perhaps 18 - a long time ago, anyway. I remember my boyfriend at the time called me on the phone during the commercial break and I also remember what I told him: "I'm going to bed NOW. I can't stand this!" I remember having a similar reaction to a totally different movie - "Whatever Happened to Babby Jane?", by Aldrich, a few years later. Which speaks volumes. This is an absolute classic. We need the dvd!

DVD?.......2006-10-30

Why isn't this classic on DVD? Joan Bennett has never been lovelier. Great film - DVD whomever?

Fritz Lang intrigue with a twist - rightly 4 1/2 stars.......2005-07-20

The affable Edward G. Robinson plays criminal psychology professor Richard Wanley in "The Woman in the Window". After spiriting his wife and children away on vacation he goes to his club to spend time with his friends, one of whom being D.A. Lalor played by the angular Raymond Massey.

After they depart, Robinson becomes enraptured with a portrait of a beautiful young woman displayed in the window of an art gallery next to the club. Robinson is startled when he sees a face reflected in the window of the woman in the portrait. After his initial shock, Robinson engages the gal Alice Reed played by Joan Bennett in converstaion. They eventually wind up in her apartment for an innocent nightcap. Quite suddenly and unexpectedly an agitated unknown man bursts into Bennett's apartment and in a jealous rage starts to choke the life out of Robinson. Protecting himself, Robinson grabs a pair of scissors and stabs the man in the back killing him.

Bennett and Robinson are conflicted as to what to do and ultimately decide to cover up the crime and move the body to a distant location. Since they are both amateurs, very soon evidence starts to mount as the body is quickly found. It turns out that the gentleman was a millionaire who had been missing since arriving in New York's Penn Station. Massey, not suspecting Robinson involves him in the investigation. Robinson starts getting panicky when the noose starts tightening around his neck. Things really start going awry when Dan Duryea, a bodyguard of the millionaire arrives at Bennett's pad threatening extortion.

Lang creates an intense sense of fear, dread and intrigue as his plot evolves greatly aided by nice acting performances by a solid ensemble. Lang's finale is a bit of a cop out but didn't spoil the overall fine quality of the flick.

Average customer rating:

Excellent movie
Soooo Freakin Good
A nice DVD package.
Frank Miller Fan
a 12 year olds review

Sin City
Starring: Robert Rodriguez , Frank Miller (II) , Jessica Alba , Devon Aoki , and Alexis Bledel
Manufacturer: Dimension
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005JNTX
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Amazon.com

Brutal and breathtaking, Sin City is Robert Rodriguez's stunningly realized vision of Frank Miller's pulpy comic books. In the first of three separate but loosely related stories, Marv (Mickey Rourke in heavy makeup) tries to track down the killers of a woman who ended up dead in his bed. In the second story, Dwight's (Clive Owen) attempt to defend a woman from a brutal abuser goes horribly wrong, and threatens to destroy the uneasy truce among the police, the mob, and the women of Old Town. Finally, an aging cop on his last day on the job (Bruce Willis) rescues a young girl from a kidnapper, but is himself thrown in jail. Years later, he has a chance to save her again.

Read our interview with Frank Miller.

Based on three of Miller's immensely popular and immensely gritty books (The Hard Goodbye, The Big Fat Kill, and That Yellow Bastard), Sin City is unquestionably the most faithful comic-book-based movie ever made. Each shot looks like a panel from its source material, and director Rodriguez (who refers to it as a "translation" rather than an adaptation) resigned from the Directors Guild so that Miller could share a directing credit. Like the books, it's almost entirely in stark black and white with some occasional bursts of color (a woman's red lips, a villain's yellow face). The backgrounds are entirely digitally generated, yet not self-consciously so, and perfectly capture Miller's gritty cityscape. And though most of Miller's copious nudity is absent, the violence is unrelentingly present. That may be the biggest obstacle to viewers who aren't already fans of the books and who may have been turned off by Kill Bill (whose director, Quentin Tarantino, helmed one scene of Sin City). In addition, it's a bleak, desperate world in which the heroes are killers, corruption rules, and the women are almost all prostitutes or strippers. But Miller's stories are riveting, and the huge cast--which also includes Jessica Alba, Jaime King, Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Michael Clarke Duncan, Devin Aoki, Carla Gugino, and Josh Hartnett--is just about perfect. (Only Bruce Willis and Michael Madsen, while very well-suited to their roles, seem hard to separate from their established screen personas.) In what Rodriguez hopes is the first of a series, Sin City is a spectacular achievement. --David Horiuchi

More Sin City at Amazon.com

The Graphic Novels and Books
Films by Robert Rodriguez
From Graphic Novel to Big Screen

The Soundtrack
Films by guest director Quentin Tarantino
Crime on DVD

Description

An amazing cast of big-screen favorites is directed by Robert Rodriguez (DESPERADO, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN), Frank Miller -- and special guest director Quentin Tarantino (KILL BILL 1 and 2, PULP FICTION) -- in an acclaimed and visually stunning hit that's the coolest movie of the year! Straight from the pages of Miller's hip series of "Sin City" graphic novels, Bruce Willis stars as a cop with a bum ticker and a vow to protect a sexy stripper (Jessica Alba -- FANTASTIC FOUR); Mickey Rourke (MAN ON FIRE) as an outcast misanthrope on a mission to avenge the death of his one true love (Jaime King -- PEARL HARBOR); and Clive Owen (KING ARTHUR) as Dwight, the clandestine love of Shellie (Brittany Murphy -- LITTLE BLACK BOOK), who spends his night defending Gail (Rosario Dawson -- THE DEVIL'S REJECTS) and her Old Town girls (Devon Aoki and Alexis Bledel) from a tough guy (Benicio Del Toro -- 21 GRAMS) with a penchant for violence. Also starring Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Michael Madsen, Carla Gugino, and Michael Clarke Duncan.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent movie.......2007-07-01

This is one of my all time favorite movies. There is a short list of DVDs that I own which infinitely keep my attention, and Sin City is one of those I can watch three or four times in a row and not get bored. I am only giving this DVD set 4 stars however, only because there is no option to watch all the uncut parts together in full length. I kind of understand why the DVD was put together like this but it would have been nice to see the whole thing cut together so we can watch it beginning to end with all the added scenes integrated. Obviously it's good to have the full disc with the original cut, and this is the one I generally watch but it was great to see the uncut scenes as well. The added graphic novel to the box set was a nice touch as well. 5 stars for the film, but 4 for this edition. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Soooo Freakin Good.......2007-06-19

So, you watch movies to be entertained and that's what you get with this movie. You never want to stop watching AND then you want to watch it again. There is a lot of gore but, it's kind of abstracted by the comic book setting but overall it's a pretty rough movie. Still, it was good enough we are planning to watch it again.

A nice DVD package........2007-05-30

This is a nice package for a film such as this. My only wish, is that it would contain more interviews with Frank Miller and how he brought Sin City to life as a comic book. But other than that, there's a nice selection of interesting features on how they made this fantastic film. Plus, this DVD contains a complete copy of The Hard Goodbye, which is one of the original graphic novels. It's fun DVD to have. I hope you like it!

Frank Miller Fan.......2007-05-26

This is an amazing two-disc release. Director Robert Rodriguez brilliantly brings to life Frank Miller's graphic novels, and does not hold back with the development of these gritty characters. Mickey Rourke alone deserves 5 stars for his portrayal of Marv. This set is worth having strictly on the merits of the development of that character. For anyone who has a love for the making of films and the time consuming processes involved in the "behind the scenes", the bonus disc will satisfy your appreciation for the multifaceted areas of story telling. Let's hope that when Frank Miller's "300" is released to DVD, that the extras will be just as enjoyable.

a 12 year olds review.......2007-05-26

i have never read the comics but i got to say that this is one of the best movies ever!!!! lots of great action vilonce and some humor i loved this movie so much i have seen it about 6 or 5 times sooooo good i love this movie. i give it a 5 outta 5 i have to say that this movie is a cult classic!!!!!!(but my friend said he didn,t like it)!!!!!!
i love it and i hope every one else loved it.(by the way i am not michelle hall thhis is my moms account lol)!

Lucky Number Slevin (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Interesting concept fails in execution
Things to do in NYC when you are out of luck.,
I Can't Think Of A Reason To Rate It Under 5 Stars
Willis at his badest
Overdone revenge

Lucky Number Slevin (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Josh Hartnett , Bruce Willis , Lucy Liu , Morgan Freeman , and Ben Kingsley
Director: Paul McGuigan
Manufacturer: Weinstein Company
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000FKO5QK
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

How boring it is to label a movie Tarantino-esque anymore. The thing is, when it comes to an offering like Lucky Number Slevin, the shoe fits, and the result is anything but boring. Gruesome killings, arid wit, self-reflexive pop culture references, an A-list cast, and style-heavy production values abound, which gives the proceedings an epoxy bond that seals the Q.T. homage factor. Josh Hartnett--who spends a lot of buffed-up time with his shirt off--is Slevin Kelevra, a hapless fellow visiting his New York friend Nick. But Nick has disappeared, which sets off a mistaken-identity thrill ride when two goons grab Slevin (he's in Nick's apartment so he must be Nick) and take him to their crime lord boss, the Boss (Morgan Freeman). The Boss doesn't care about Slevin's wrong-man protests; he just wants the $96,000 Nick owes him. In one of many offers he can't refuse, Slevin has to agree to murder the son of the Boss's felonious arch rival, the Rabbi (Ben Kingsley) or take the bullet himself. But Slevin turns out to be no ordinary patsy. Thrown into the ingeniously designed production, clever plot twists, and academic nods to Bond, Hitchcock, and obscure old cartoons are Lucy Liu as a sexy coroner, Stanley Tucci as an obsessed cop, and Bruce Willis as a wily hit man with his finger in many pots. With so much visual and narrative trickery, there's almost too much to absorb in one viewing of this convoluted jigsaw puzzle of revenge and entertaining mayhem. Lucky Number Slevin isn't quite up to par with similarly brainy thrillers like Memento and The Usual Suspects, but the prospect of seeing it again in order to get your bearings is just as appealing.--Ted Fry

Description

Down-on-his-luck Slevin stumbles into a running feud between two New York gangsters, The Boss and The Rabbi. Tracked by the mysterious assassin Goodkat and distracted by his flirtatious neighbor, Slevin must use his wits to cheat death.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting concept fails in execution.......2007-06-29

a bit of Internet sleuthing reveals that this is a remake of the Kurosawa film "Yojimbo".

This movie appears to have a lot going for it at first. A classic story borrowed from Kurosawa. An all star cast (Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Lucy Liu, Josh Hartnett and Bruce Willis). A Guy Ritchie esque plot with confusing changing alliances in the gangster world. And Tarantino-esque dialogue.

Unfortunately its a real stinker.

Let's start with the dialogue. The film wants to pick up the torch of "Pulp Fiction" and "Seinfeld". At key dramatic points characters will stop to have mundane discussions or discuss semantics, etc.

In addition to the fact that we've all seen this a million times before, the film's writers can't quite pull it off. The whole script just comes off sounding like someone who's trying way too hard to be funny. Most of the time I was watching this film I was cringing out of embarrassment for the writers. Part of the blame lies with the uninspiring delivery of the main actor Josh Hartnett, who's no Jerry Seinfeld. But most of the blame must go to the writer. All the rest of the actors sound just as corny when trying to mouth this dialogue.

There are a few surprise plot twists in this film and a few characters who are not what they seem at first, but that is almost to be expected in these kind of films.

The two rival gangsters in this film are Morgan Freeman as "The Boss" and Ben Kingsley as "The Rabbi". The Jewish mobster faction under "The Rabbi" are such a cliche collection of Jewish stereotypes as to further add to the embarrassment of this film. (Hasidic dress, a Rabbi who quotes scripture and talks about the Kosher ways to kill people, an alert button in the shape of a Star of David).

Admittedly I'm being slightly hypocritical now in that I've forgiven other films for a lot worse when it comes to Jewish stereotypes. But in the past I generally thought that the films had a satiric point to make, or were being deliberately irrelevant of everything (South Park, Family Guy). I guess you could argue that this film as well was satire, but you can't tell me it is good satire. It's just plain dumb.

Things to do in NYC when you are out of luck., .......2007-06-25

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

If you think you may have a bad day, consider the day Slevin Kelevra (Josh Hartnett) is having. He's just lost his job and his apartment, and found his girlfriend in bed with another man all on the same day. To top it off, he gets mugged, has his nose broken and loses all his ID cards when he comes to New York City to stay with his high school friend Nick Fisher who fails to meet him at the airport, disappears in the thin air and leaves Slevin stuck in a mafia-war between two families respectively headed by the Rabbi (Ben Kingsley, and he is the Rabbi and the gangster) and The Boss (Morgan Freeman as regal as usually. OT: just before we began watching "Lucky Number Slevin", we returned from "Evan Almighty." It was a double treat to see Morgan Freeman playing God and the mafia boss at the same day). A mysterious assassin Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis) seems to have plans on how to use Slevin as a "body" (does not sound too promising for Slevin if you ask me) for his present job. A tough NYC cop (Stanley Tucci) does not want a wild card Slevin in his city. The last thing Slevin needs is a romance with the Nick's next door neighbor Lindsey (Lucy Liu) who happened to word as a coroner for NYCPD while he tries to turn the tables on the gangsters. Yes, of course, the movie brings to mind the classics like "North By Northwest" with the case of a mistaken identity, "Pulp Fiction" (with its style, coolness, and sharp dialogs, and with the small details like a family watch with a long history, and three stars of three Tarantino's movies), "Usual Suspects" (with the way the story has been presented), and "Professional" (well, sometimes the world class assassins have hearts and feelings that they are not supposed to have) but the movie is very entertaining - it is paced extremely well, the use of flash backs is most effective, and the actors, all of them bring style and grace to their roles. Just to see the only scene between Freeman and Sir Kingsley is worth the price of renting. Between my husband and myself, we figured out the story and the secrets behind the lucky numbers rather early into the movie but we still enjoyed watching it and were riveted to the screen until the very last moment, and that's the sign of a well crafted and interesting movie for me.

I Can't Think Of A Reason To Rate It Under 5 Stars.......2007-06-15

You know I gave no attention to the previews for this movie at all. I'm pretty sure that I just didn't take it seriously. The preview portrays it too much in a comedic genre. What it really is a smooth assassin film with some comedy. The film starts out in a terminal with a man just sitting and waiting until an old man in a wheelchair (Bruce Willis) appears out of nowhere. The old man looks harmless of course and starts telling the guy about the story of a Kansas City Shuffle.

The story is based in 1979 and is about a fixed horse race and how everything goes wrong and people end up getting hurt. The purpose of the shuffle is actually to make someone look in another direction. What Willis does after he tells this Kansas City Shuffle tale well you'll have to watch and see. After this a man in present day named Sleven (Josh Hartnett) is introduced. He came to town to meet his friend but before he gets there some bad things happen to him. First he gets kicked out of his apartment, he catches his girlfriend cheating on him, and then he gets mugged.

He didn't have a rough week he had a rough day and so much more is coming for him. After he arrives a cute but annoying neighbor (Lucy Liu) greets him. She just won't leave him alone or stop asking him questions. While sitting in his friend's apartment in a towel someone knocks on the door. It's two guys coming to get him and take him to The Boss (Morgan Freeman) who is well the boss of a mob. The Boss informs him that he can't find his friend and because of this he owes him money. After Slevin is dropped off not too much later two men knock to take him to The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley). The Rabbi is well a Rabbi who also happens to be a boss of a mob.

What may be one of the longest synopsis ever or a least that I've ever had to write this film is definitely worth it. All that and that's only half of the movies story. So many things happen in this film that make it a bit predictable but exciting. The story was done nicely from the pace to the order of the events. It starts out sort of cool with Bruce Willis in the opening scene but then it goes into a bit of comedy. So already you don't really know what to expect from it. Then Lucy Liu is thrown into it and I'm thinking it might go more towards a comedy cause her character was wacky.

I was surprised because the twists were woven in perfectly. Lucy didn't mess with it at all and Hartnett did a nice job. Bruce Willis made the film, well him, Morgan, and Ben. I love the back-story, which was very original. The action or gunplay was just enough to give the movie a bit of a grimy feeling to it. Though this movie is predictable or at least some people will get it quickly I like how it was done. It makes you believe one thing never totally letting go of its seriousness and then they go a little deeper. This had a great cast, it was well written, and I would recommend this to anyone who just wants to see a good film.

Willis at his badest.......2007-05-13

This is what Willis does best, play cool, and as the character that sets the stage for everything that unfurls, he is at his peak. The movie reads like its another professional hit man flick but it goes way beyond that with some nice twists and refreshing plot threads. If Sean Connery's Bond set the mark for suave then Willis sets the bar for cool with this film.

Overdone revenge.......2007-05-05

I liked the acting was good; no wonder as they are talented actors. I did particularly like Lucy Liu effort that I thought was a nice touch in the story. The characters well several are overdone but it made for interesting stories. I was wondering how they all were to come together but when they did the stories with there twists were good. It was over the top but then that is Hollywood.

Average customer rating:

Laura
Orpheus in the Underworld
Laura
what a great old movie
Laura

Laura (Fox Film Noir)
Starring: Gene Tierney , Dana Andrews , Clifton Webb , Vincent Price , and Judith Anderson
Director: Rouben Mamoulian , and Otto Preminger
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B00008LDNZ
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Amazon.com essential video

This silky smooth film noir pits gruff police detective Dana Andrews, stiff and blunt in his street-bred manners, against a cultured columnist and acidic wit (Clifton Webb at his prissiest) in a battle of wits during a murder investigation. The cop is a romantic hiding under a hard-boiled exterior who falls in love with the beautiful victim through the portrait that hangs in her apartment. Gene Tierney, whose heart-shaped face mixes the exotic with the girl next door, brings the poise and calm of a model to her role as the object of every man's gaze and the target of a killer. Laura, handsomely shot in dreamy black and white, is the first and best of Otto Preminger's cool, controlled murder mysteries. In the gritty world of film noir it remains the most refined and elegant example of the genre, but under the tasteful decor and high-society fashions lies a world seething in jealousy, passion, blackmail, and murder. Vincent Price costars as a blithe gigolo and David Raksin's lush theme has become a wistful romantic standard. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Nominated for five Academy Awards®, this stylish mystery thriller twists and turns with new suspects, new evidence and unexpected revelations. A wealthy journalist (Clifton Webb) becomes entranced with a beautiful young career woman named Laura (Gene Tierney). But shortly before her wedding to a dashing young playboy (Vincent Price), she is found murdered. Stirred by her portrait, the detective (Dana Andrews) assigned to her case finds that he, too, is strangely under Laura's spell.

Customer Reviews:

Laura.......2007-06-25

Preminger's impeccable murder-mystery is in many ways the standard against which all other noirs tend to be judged. Eerie and smart, with lots of deliciously twisted feints and counter-feints around the central questions of murder, blackmail, and poisonous passion, "Laura" is a marvel of confounding revelations. Add to that a superb cast: Tierney, enchanting as always, as the lust object; Andrews as a cop with a weakness for beauty; Price as an effeminate rogue; Webb as a prissy critic with a viper's tongue; and Anderson as Laura's scheming, jealous aunt. Preminger's stylish touch and confident direction earned this clever, mesmerizing whodunit five Oscar nods--and movie lovers' eternal admiration.

Orpheus in the Underworld.......2007-06-22

What makes this film endlessly watchable is the fact that "Laura" is one of the great mythological stories of the movies -- the search for the dead woman in the underworld of the past -- interwoven with the elements of film noir. Almost everything about this film is perfect (I have a sneaking doubt or two about Vincent Price), especially the completely natural way in which Laura sleeps around, has lovers in her apartment, and is a professional sleeper-upper, and no one makes the slightest negative comment about her. This in the 1940's! The best thing about the film is, as everyone says, the moment when Laura appears: the fantasy fulfillment of all fantasy fulfillments (though maybe the hat is a little much). Second best is the interrogation scene: the harsh light on Laura reminds us that this is a film about the image of woman on film. Very influential on every subsequent film with this theme -- especially Out of the Past and Vertigo. A masterpiece.

Laura.......2007-06-14

This is what people are talking about when they say, "They don't make movies like this any more." Gene Tierney is luminous, Dana Andrews is tall, dark, and handsome, and the supporting cast are all creepily suspicious. Fascinating character development and witty dialogue. Timeless!

what a great old movie.......2007-05-07

LAURA IS A GREAT MOVIE SUSPENSE DRAMA AND WHAT A ENDING I AM GLAD I HAVE ADDED THIS TO MY COLLECTION OF THE OLDER MOVIES YOU MAY ALSO LIKE COVER GIRL A LIGHT MUSICAL ROMANCE BUT EXCELLENT MOVIE

Laura.......2007-04-05

this too is an old favorite and a treasure for my collection.If you haven't already seen this movie you wouldn't know the gem it is. Pure enjoyment.Films aren't made like this anymore..

Average customer rating:

Disappointed
A high school noir just as tough as its adult counterparts
(3.5 STARS) Engaging Modern-Day Noir Set in American High School
get a teen terp
Who took the brick?

Brick
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt , and Emilie De Ravin
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (Widescreen Edition)
Inside Man (Widescreen Edition)
V for Vendetta (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Little Miss Sunshine
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000FVQM2Y
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Amazon.com

High school collides with hard-boiled film noir in the twisty, cunning Brick. When he gets a mysterious message from his ex-girlfriend, a high school loner named Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mysterious Skin) starts to dig into a crisscrossed web of drugs and duplicity, eventually getting entwined in the criminal doings of a teenage crime lord known as the Pin (Lukas Haas), his thuggish henchman Tugger (Noah Fleiss, Joe the King), and a mysterious girl named Laura (Nora Zehetner, Fifty Pills). Brick has not only the seductive, labyrinthine plot of a crime thriller by Dashiell Hammett (The Maltese Falcon) or Raymond Chandler (Farewell, My Lovely) but also a dense high-school version of hard-boiled lingo that's both comic and poetic. The movie unfolds with headlong momentum as Brendan manipulates, fights, and staggers his way through layers of high-school society. Gordon-Levitt is excellent; between this and the equally compelling Mysterious Skin, he's left his 3rd Rock from the Sun days behind. Also featuring Meagan Good (Waist Deep) and Richard Roundtree (Shaft). --Bret Fetzer

Description

Brendan Frye is a loner, someone who knows all the angles but has chosen to stay on the outside. When the girl he loves turns up dead, he is determined to find the "who" and "why" and plunges into the dark and dangerous social strata of rich girl Laura, intimidating Tug, drug-addled Dode, seductive Kara, and the ominous Pin. But who can he really trust? These are the ingredients of Brick, a gritty and provocative thriller that critics describe as "a clever, twist-filled whodunit!" (Claudia Puig, USA Today)

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2007-06-24

Think Disney meets CSI. It's a really odd movie, and painful to watch. I was mad at the end. I gave it 3 stars for the good acting. The plot, script & directing are laughable though.

A high school noir just as tough as its adult counterparts.......2007-06-24

Thinking about high school, it's odd that no "high school noir" films existed prior to the last few years. High school is such a perfect setting for a film noir, and though it may seem ridiculous at first, there's many parallels between the world of a teenager and a character in a 1940s noir, be it the battle between the police and the shamuses and the battle between the administrators and the students or the shady meetings under bridges and the shady meetings in the parking lot after school. In 2004, Rob Thomas' Chandler-esque take on high school hit UPN (and later the CW) as "Veronica Mars," and one year later, "Brick" premiered at Sundance.

While "Veronica Mars" is on the lighter side of noir, "Brick" is a pitch black, gritty piece which recalls Howard Hawks' "The Big Sleep," with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. The resemblance isn't in the style of director Rian Johnson (which bears a striking similarity to that used by David Lynch in one of his own neo-noir's, 1992's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me"), but in the convoluted script, the conspicuous characters, and particularly the rapidfire, hard-boiled dialogue, delivered at a startling pace by a talented young cast. This includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, best known as the youngest alien explorer from "3rd Rock from the Sun," along with Emilie de Ravin of "Lost," Lukas Haas, Noah Fleiss, and Richard Roundtree, the original "Shaft." Gordon-Levitt's role is a far cry from his work on "Third Rock." He's cool, quick-witted, and tough, something of a much more contemptuous Sam Spade. Gordon-Levitt is truly excellent, and he shows real promise should he be cast in the right roles. Haas and Fleiss both play their roles quite well, but it's Meagan Good as a scheming drama queen (literally) who commands the most attention.

The film's plot, even at its barest, is quite clearly shaped in the noir mold: Gordon-Levitt's character, a high school student who keeps himself distanced from his classmates, thrusts himself into the cliques in an effort to find out who murdered his ex-girlfriend. His search leads him to the Pin (Haas), a 26-year-old drug kingpin. In one of the film's most memorable scenes, Gordon-Levitt meets with the Pin and his henchman in the kitchen, while the Pin's mother serves them breakfast and apple juice before kissing him goodbye. It's the one scene in "Brick" where writer/director Johnson acknowledges that all our characters are kids, and that the film itself revolves around high school, despite its utterly somber tone.

The rest of the movie is so relentlessly straight-faced and serious that you almost forget it's a film noir about high school. It's classic noir, though. The protagonist loner with a rocky exterior and a noble interior, looking to do the right thing; the suspicious, all-powerful, ominous villain, usually an obsese fifty-year-old businessman but in this case a twenty-something drug dealer living in his basement; the femme fatale, a beautiful seductress with a hidden agenda; even the flirtatious and manipulative female who usually is an actress or waitress or secretary, or something along those lines, but who here is the lead actress in the high school drama club. Much of the film's charm comes from consideration of its many allegories to "adult" noir tales.

The execution of this sort of idea matters so much, because, after all, what is a film noir if not cinema at its most stylish? Johnson is well aware of this, though. It shows not only in the maturity and seasoned approach of his directing, but also in the stimulating photography and, especially, in the stunning editing. It comes as no surprise that the editing, also by Johnson, is so good, since Johnson began his career editing his short film "Evil Demon Goofball from Hell!!!" and then Lucky McKee's popular "May." "Brick" would make an excellent sample film to show young editors, since Johnson - at 29, a young editor himself - has done such a spectacular job, fashioning a seamless flow of jump cuts, point-of-view shots, distorted lenses, and exposed film. Supporting this is an inventive, unorthodox score by Nathan Johnson, comprised of some sort of naiive bells and the woeful trumpet which Jerry Goldsmith used in his music for "Chinatown" and "L.A. Confidential."

It's a pity that "Brick" didn't get more notice. It was unquestionably one of the best films of 2005. I'd even go so far as to call it one of the top films I've ever seen. Viewed as a film from an experienced director, it's a stellar film, but when viewed as Johnson's debut, it's a fantastic achievement. Fortunately, Johnson seems to have received the attention he deserved from this film: his next project stars big-name actors like Rachel Weisz and Adrien Brody. I really hope Gordon-Levitt gets some decent roles, because he proves his acting prowess here. It's films with the originality and effort of "Brick" that keep the industry going, and if you haven't seen it, don't hesitate to leap up and hunt for it like Sam Spade for the maltese falcon.

(3.5 STARS) Engaging Modern-Day Noir Set in American High School .......2007-06-09

Imagine a really complicated murder mystery of 1940s-ish noir like "The Maltese Falcon" set in modern American high school, and you will get "Brick," first-time director Rian Johnson's experimental, but entertaining crime drama. Brendan, hard-boiled-type, Bogart-like high school student, is determined to find out the truths behind the death of his former girl-friend, and with a help from bespectacled buddy (Matt O'Leary), he confronts the thugs with knife and gun, and a grinning drug lord (Lucas Haas) while fending off the threat from the authorities ... not the police, but the vice-principal of the school.

This detective-story-in-high-school premise could have been a very bad joke with another director, but in fact the results are much better than you expect with strong acting of the cast, especially from Joseph Gordon-Levitt as hard-nosed Brendan, and sure-handed direction from Rian Johnson. It takes a while to get accustomed to the rhythm and mood of the film, and lots of slang too, but once you do, you find the film surprisingly engaging with the story of complicated mystery among a web of these eccentric characters.

Still I was a little disappointed with the film's female characters. There is no chemistry or sexual tension between Brendan and other female characters, especially with Laura played by Nora Zehetner in Chinese dress, and beautiful as she is, she is no Mary Astor. This kind of story needs a femme fatale, but how can you find a Barbara Stanwyck wearing an anklet in today's high school?

"Brick" is perhaps a love-or-hate film with its bleak mood and dry humor. Whatever your reaction might be, it is true that "Brick" is very unique nonetheless.

get a teen terp.......2007-06-04

You need a teenager to interpret some language in here. Heh, not really. It's just really interesting how the dialogue is throughout the film. After all, it is a teenager's quest to find out who killed his ex-girlfriend.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Brendan, who is a high-schooler and a former drug dealer. An ex-girlfriend of his, Emily, slips him a note for a telephonic rendezvous. She's scared but just cannot tell him what is going on. When a car passes, she hangs and disappears.

2 days later, Brendan finds Emily dead in a ditch. Piqued by Emily's last phone call, he's determined to find out who killed her and why. With the help of his only trusted friend, The Brain, his investigations takes him to some questionable characters. These characters are thespians, Gothic punks, drug dealers, thugs and a drug lord.

The dialogues throughout is just what made the film interesting. Plus, the suspense factor helped. The background music was wonderful and surely helped the buildup of suspense.

I'll definitely watch this one again!

Who took the brick?.......2007-06-03

As the story opens, high school student and former drug dealer Brendan Frey (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), receives a cryptic message from his ex-girlfriend, Emily. She dropped him when she started hanging out with the popular kids, and now she's missing. Brendan's search leads him through a maze of nasty jocks and violent drug dealers that eventually leads to Emily's dead body. Now Brendan must find the killer - is it the local drug lord, the drama queen, the hit man, or an enigmatic cheerleader?

If you're looking for something really different, "Brick" is for you. Rian Johnson wrote and directed "Brick" as an homage to the film noir style of the forties. To call the characters and dialogue "hard-boiled" would be an understatement. They are all so jaded and calloused and see little or no value in life. They speak in a teen/drug code that is so unique I actually had to turn on the subtitles to understand it. That didn't detract from the movie, however. Once I figured out what the slang meant, it was a fascinating new language.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has matured a lot since he was in "Third Rock From the Sun." He carries the movie with his James Dean-charisma and brooding charm. Lukas Haas gives a subtle, eerie performance as the club-footed drug lord. There is only one adult in the movie, making the teens seem even more alone and alienated from mainstream society. This is a moody, intense, and unflinching look at the teen drug world. (It's interesting that there are no curse words, no drugs are mentioned by name, and no drugs are taken on camera.) Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

It takes stones to steer clear of trouble andd wrong choices - Turturro
A Great Gambling Movie
rounders
Poker Players Only?
DVD Review

Rounders (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Matt Damon , Edward Norton , John Turturro , Paul Cicero , and Gretchen Mol
Director: John Dahl
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0002DRDB4
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com

A little drunk on its own arcane exotica as a gambling movie, Rounders is a film that takes us inside a world of high-stakes card players but falls short on such essentials as character development, relationships, that sort of thing. Still, it is a real curiosity, written by a couple of guys (David Levien and Brian Koppelman) who appear to know something about the dark underbelly of card hustling for fun and profit. Matt Damon stars as a reluctant law student who can't put aside his subterranean career of playing poker and blackjack for big money. After he loses his post-grad nest egg to a weird Russian kingpin (John Malkovich)--and also loses his disgusted girlfriend (Gretchen Mol) in the process--Damon's character turns to an unreliable old buddy (Edward Norton) for a dangerous game of sharking wherever there happens to be a game underway: frat boys, cops, bad dudes, you name it. Norton appears to be living out every young actor's fantasy of re-creating Robert De Niro's prototypical head case in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets, and while his performance is burdened by obvious quotation marks, his estimable talent still shines through. Damon's charm and intelligence bring some oomph to the curiously flat proceedings, and while his hushed, soul-bearing scenes with Martin Landau (as a law professor who takes a shine to the kid) seem gratuitous, they're still nice to watch. Behind all this is director John Dahl (Red Rock West), who is not exactly at the top of his game here but who brings his distinctive toughness to the crime-noir tone. --Tom Keogh

Description

Academy Award(R) winner Matt Damon (GOOD WILL HUNTING, Best Original Screenplay, 1997; THE BOURNE SUPREMACY) and Edward Norton (THE ITALIAN JOB) star in this story of passion, risk, and the extreme price of friendship! After losing a high-stakes card game, Mike (Damon) gives up gambling for law school and a fresh start with his girlfriend (Gretchen Mol -- CRADLE WILL ROCK). But then his best buddy (Norton) gets out of prison and in over his head with a ruthless card shark (John Malkovich -- BEING JOHN MALKOVICH). From there, Mike's strong sense of loyalty -- and the lure of the game -- draw him back to the tables in a game he cannot afford to lose! Also starring John Turturro (O BROTHER, WHERE ARE THOU?) and Oscar(R) winner Martin Landau (ED WOOD, Best Supporting Actor, 1994).

Customer Reviews:

It takes stones to steer clear of trouble andd wrong choices - Turturro.......2007-05-25

ROUNDERS (1998), with an exceptionally well chosen cast (John
Turturro, Ed Norton, Matt Damon, Martin Landay, and John Malkvich) is
a movie that will appeal to those above 25 / 30, considering the
strong mental and rational aspects that the movie emphasizes, coupled
with other human aspects that everyone will relate to, nonetheless.

If you believe that full stars should never be awarded to a story
that has a happy ending, (guy gets the girl and the money), then you
will understand how this movie is a remarkable achievement, yet not
the best I've seen, due to the Hollywood policy of avoiding tragic
endings, steering clear of despair, suffering from gambling
addiction or otherwise, due to entertainment reasons.

The acting is splendid and beyond reproach, from all actors, by
exposing the subculture of gambling as a hobby and as a social
networking and human release tool. It also exposes those players who,
naturally, take advantage and profit insidiously from the humanity
and compelling addition that exists in the weaker players at the
tables.

As such, the story is a somewhat of a microcosm of what goes on in
the financial markets, the greed and fear emotions that go back and
forth among the traders, the majority of whom lose as much as they
gain from the game, in the long run, not knowing when to stop or how
much is enough.

With a pleasing widescreen release, and sharp, professional
technique, and perfect transfer to DVD, the story underlines the
importance of one's reputation and ability to socially network to be
able to get a seat at the tables where the action occurs. It also
brings up the banking aspects, and loan sharks charging "juice", and
of collectors who are called on to act on difficult debts, the
pariah mechanics, the special visual reading skills needed to be
successful in beating opponents.

Perhaps unnoticed, is the aspect of the movie, that contrasts and
compares the various protagonists character, who they really are,
their destinies, how they found their niche, by choosing settings at
peep shows, or libraries of wealthy reputable judges, lawyers, at
police officers messes, intermixed with convicts, gambling addicted
people of all kinds, including innocent tourists to Las Vegas, etc.

Catchy one-liner: "It takes stones to steer clear of trouble and the
wrong choices" ... yet overall, the movie suggests to viewers that
those making

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The Soundtrack	Films by guest director Quentin Tarantino	Crime on DVD