Fox Noir Collection

Gregory · **Joined:** Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm **Posts:** 2024

Quote:

From a post on HTF:

The new Film Noir series will debut on March 15th with three titles: CALL NORTHSIDE 777 (1948, with James Stewart), LAURA (1944, with Dana Andrews), and HUSH...HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE (1964, with Bette Davis).

That's strange. I'd think it would make more sense to put Leave Her to Heaven in the Noir Collection and release Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte as a Studio Classics title. Leave Her to Heaven has solid noir elements, while Hush really came along really late to be part of a classic film noir collection.
Well, I'll definitely be getting Laura, anyway.

Harold Gervais · **Joined:** Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:09 pm **Posts:** 127

eye socket wrote:

That's strange. I'd think it would make more sense to put Leave Her to Heaven in the Noir Collection and release Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte as a Studio Classics title. Leave Her to Heaven has solid noir elements, while Hush is really came along really late to be part of a classic film noir collection.
Well, I'll definitely be getting Laura, anyway.
I wonder if these will be $15 or $20 SRP.

That was my first thought. Calling Hush film noir seems to be quite a stretch to me.

Ashirg · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:08 pm

Extras for House of Bamboo:
Commentary by Alain Silver and James Ursini, trailer, spanish trailer, Fox Movietone News Cips: Behind the scenes footage, Landing In Japan, Fox Noir: Call Northside 777, Laura, Panic In The Streets, The Street with No Name.

cafeman · **Joined:** Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:19 am **Posts:** 256

Ashirg wrote:

Extras for House of Bamboo:
Commentary by Alain Silver and James Ursini

I`m currently reading their Taschen coffetable 'Film Noir' book, which is excellent (and their individual commentaries for Out of the Past and Murder, My Sweet were also outstanding work). Can`t wait to hear the two of them together on no less that three essential noir movies, all three of which I haven`t seen yet, but couldn`t wait to.

Another thing-in the trailes bunch (also referred to as Fox Film Noir Wave 1), Laura and The Street with No Name are included alongside the three announced titles. I wonder if these will come out in March as well or...? But, I guess just knowing all of this is coming out is quite enough.

Ashirg · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2004 7:43 pm

I was surprised to see at Mondo Digital Upcoming Releases that Kiss of Death(1947) is going to be released by Anchor Bay and not as part of Fox Noir Collection.

From The Digital Bits:

Quote:

Fox's first wave of film noir titles is set for March 15th, but the titles are changed from those originally planned. The officially announced films are Call Northside 777 (1948, with James Stewart), Sam Fuller's House of Bamboo (1955, with Robert Ryan), and Panic in the Streets (1950, with Richard Widmark). Supplements include audio commentaries by James Ursini and Alain Silver, newsreel footage, and trailers. All will be in their OAR which means 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen for House of Bamboo and full frame for the other two. Laura has apparently been moved back to wave 2 scheduled for June 7 and currently slated to include Nightmare Alley and Street with No Name. Wave 3 is tentatively set for September 6 and to include The Dark Corner, The Lodger, and Hangover Square. Given the last-minute changes in wave 1, one should not, however, take the wave 2 and 3 news to the bank.

Anonymous · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:23 pm

Looks like the Lodger won't be a criterion. oh well. It's also weird for Kiss of Death to be Anchor bay.

Is The Dark Corner a Siodmak film?

Ashirg · **Posted:** Thu Dec 16, 2004 5:53 pm

No, it's Henry Hathaway film.

Siodmak film is The Dark Mirror and it's Republic Pictures (currently Artisan/Lions Gate, soon to be by Paramount)

The Lodger is more likely the 1944 John Brahm version for Fox with Laird Cregar than it is the Hitchcock (though that would make a nice "extra"). Especially since it's owned by Fox and they will also release Hangover Square.

Looks like Laura took place of House of Bamboo - link here

Matt · **Posted:** Thu Dec 16, 2004 6:01 pm

Could they play musical chairs with this batch of releases any more?

For the slow-witted among us (chiefly me), the titles now expected on March 15 are Laura, Panic in the Streets, and Call Northside 777.

No House of Bamboo or Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte for now (though those are the only two I really wanted).

htdm · **Joined:** Wed Nov 03, 2004 3:46 am **Posts:** 540

Me too!!! I hope House of Bamboo doesn't just "disappear" from the line-up now!
Would it be too much to hope for a double feature with House of Bamboo and Crimson Kimono? (or even China Gate just to keep the Asian theme going?)

DrewReiber · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:27 am **Posts:** 797

dmkb wrote:

Me too!!! I hope House of Bamboo doesn't just "disappear" from the line-up now!
Would it be too much to hope for a double feature with House of Bamboo and Crimson Kimono? (or even China Gate just to keep the Asian theme going?)

Me three! And yes, it would be too much to hope. Sony (Columbia/Tri-Star) owns the Crimson Komono. Hey, anyone know which studio owns Verboten!, Warner or Sony?

Ashirg · **Posted:** Thu Dec 23, 2004 8:21 am

Here's the cover for Laura and others. House of Bamboo may be coming in March after all.

david hare · **Joined:** Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:01 pm **Posts:** 5576

Incredible first movie. I am dying to hear comments from other viewers. I still have the LD from 95 and This is clearly a (a) different print, and (b) still shows signs of damage, but I am finding a bit of variation in the print quality. I am basically very happy with this but do any other posters have an issue with the variable grain and contrast within the print?

(I am not going into the misleading cover package dopeiness about "Original Opening" , "deleted scene" etc.) This DVD is pretty good, but I think ti could have been better...

david hare · **Joined:** Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:01 pm **Posts:** 5576

I have realized I sound more negative about LAURA than I meant to. It is in fact the best print of it I have ever seen. The menu and cover info ARE annoying in the way they refer to "extended version" (i.e. with the two minutes of Cliffy's flashbacks of "making over" Laura) as this version has been back in circulation since 1990 (and is the original cut.) Anyhow I made some comparisons between the new DVD and the LD from 94/95 and the improvements are remarkable. What is interesting is that the wide shots are quite grainy but the CUs and two shots actually look smoother. This is not a criticism and may well have been Lashelle's intention.
Anyhow I am also wondering aloud - with Alandau - if this isn't the time to start up a Fox Classics subsection? Also superb transfers are Panic in the Streets, Leave her to Heaven (a marked improvement from the LD also) Ghost and Mrs Muir and others. These really are at the level of Warners/Criterion if more spartan on extras (and commensurately cheaper.)

alandau · **Posted:** Sat Mar 19, 2005 1:37 am

Quote:

these really are at the level of Warners/Criterion if more spartan on extras (and commensurately cheaper.)

Compare the extras on Laura and Criterion's Thieves' Highway. Are Fox really more spartan on extras?

david hare · **Joined:** Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:01 pm **Posts:** 5576

Still waiting Alandau (next mail I hope plus Warners Musicals) But I agree some of the Fox extras are better than average - I mean they seem to be trying wth these, although on Laura poor old David Raskin can't remember anything and obviously needed better production, and also seems to be in another time-space mode from the woman from Gene Tierney';s estate.. But still . Another piece of nonsense on the Laura liner notes "Preminger has no definable mise-en-scene" or words to that effect.

EXCUSE ME?? (Sorry going into Cliffy mode.) Just look at the picture - Preminger doesn't set up a POV shot for the first 30 minutes - everything is done with rapid montage, rapid camera movement and the other elements of the production to deliver his very first mastery of the mise-en-scene of ambiguity, which is still formidable.

Anyhow - who's complaining about Fox. Are you thinking we should give them time to really perfect these DVDs and then give them a subby?

Gregory · **Joined:** Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm **Posts:** 2024

FYI, here's the quote in question from the Laura insert:
"Though Laura is generally considered one of the more atmospheric of noir films, Director/Producer Otto Preminger believed every film had to be approached differently and to him, the best films were all about realism. As a result, he didn't indulge in camera gimmicks or fancy angles or have a particular style."

A very poorly written bit of insert filler, but I think it remains true that Preminger did (intentionally) seem to many an impersonal filmmaker and that his filmmaking style varied quite a lot across his career. For example, flixyflox mentioned his use of rapid montage in Laura, but in many of his other films he used a lot of long takes.

david hare · **Joined:** Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:01 pm **Posts:** 5576

Thanx Gregory. Inded!

Kudzu · **Joined:** Mon Nov 22, 2004 2:55 pm **Posts:** 46

According to Amazon, House of Bamboo has been pushed back to June 7.

cafeman · **Joined:** Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:19 am **Posts:** 256

Ashirg wrote:

I was surprised to see at Mondo Digital Upcoming Releases that Kiss of Death(1947) is going to be released by Anchor Bay and not as part of Fox Noir Collection.

According to my Laura insert, Kiss of Death is coming in the second wave of Fox Noir.

Ashirg · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:36 pm

According to Amazon, Kiss of Death is going to be released in October by Anchor Bay.... But according to DVD Times, there's a cover of Kiss of Death as part of Fox Film Noir... I won't trust anyone and will wait for official announcement.

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=56448

justeleblanc · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2005 7:19 pm

Ashirg wrote:

According to Amazon, Kiss of Death is going to be released in October by Anchor Bay.... But according to DVD Times, there's a cover of Kiss of Death as part of Fox Film Noir... I won't trust anyone and will wait for official announcement.

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=56448

Could one be a Region 2 release?

milk114 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 05, 2005 3:33 am

next wave this tuesday?

Ashirg · **Posted:** Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:42 am

Yes. And Home Theater Forum posted info about next 2 waves (subject to change):

Quote:

According to the insert in the recent selections of the FILM NOIR Collection (House of Bamboo), the following titles are the next 2 groups of titles.

SEPTEMBER:

THE HOUSE ON 92ND STREET
SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT
KISS OF DEATH*

*RELEASE DATE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

DECEMBER:

THE DARK CORNER
NO WAY OUT
WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS

Note: KISS OF DEATH is now slated for a October release by Anchor Bay and NO WAY OUT is also being touted as a STUDIO COLLECTION title.

Jeff · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2005 10:45 pm

Specs for wave 3 from DVD Times:

Quote:

Fox Home Entertainment have announced the Region 1 DVD release of three titles as part of Film Noir Wave 3 due on 6th September 2005. Priced at $14.98 SRP each are...

House on 92nd Street
A stentorian narrator tells us that the USA was flooded with Nazi spies in 1939-41. One such tries to recruit college grad Bill Dietrich, who becomes a double agent for the FBI. While Bill trains in Hamburg, a street-accident victim proves to have been spying on atom-bomb secrets; conveniently, Dietrich is assigned to the New York spy ring stealing these secrets. Can he track down the mysterious "Christopher" before his ruthless associates unmask and kill him?

Features include:

* 1.33:1 Full Screen Presentation
* English Mono & Stereo
* Spanish Mono
* English and Spanish subtitles
* Commentary by Film Noir Historian Eddie Muller
* Original Press Booklet
* Photo Gallery
* Fox Noir: Somewhere in the Night, The Street with no Name, Where the Sidewalk Ends, & No Way Out

Somewhere in the Night
George Taylor returns from the WWII with amnesia. Back home in os Angeles, he tries to track down his old identity, stumbling into a 3-year old murder case and a hunt for a missing $2 million.

Features include:

* 1.33:1 Full Screen Presentation
* English Mono & Stereo
* English and Spanish subtitles
* Audio Commentary with Eddie Muller
* Theatrical Trailer
* Fox Noir: The Street with no Name, Where the Sidewalk Ends, & No Way Out

Whirlpool
The wife of a psycho-analyst falls prey to a devious quack hypnotist when he discovers she is an habitual shoplifter. Then one of his previous patients now being treated by the real doctor is found murdered, with her still at the scene, and suspicion points only one way.

Features include:

* 1.33:1 Full Screen Presentation
* English Mono & Stereo
* English and Spanish subtitles
* Audio Commentary by Richard Shickel
* Theatrical Trailer
* Fox Noir: Call Northside 777, Dark Corner, House of Bamboo, Laura, Nightmare Alley, Panic in the Streets, & A Street with no Name

cafeman · **Joined:** Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:19 am **Posts:** 256

With the new wave coming out, I though I should *bump*

Fox Noir Collection

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