The fantastic folks over at Arrow Films have brought one of those classics; The Killing, to life and revived the underseen and underrated Killer's Kiss too. This is a terrific and surprisingly dark, noir double bill in outstanding 1080p quality.
The Killing
Dir: Stanley Kubrick
Year: 1956
Cast: Sterling Hayden, Elisha Cook Jr., Marie Windsor
Genre: Film-Noir/Crime/Thriller
Running Time: 85 mins
Cert: 12
Synopsis
Review
Though he had issues with cinematographer, Lucien Ballard, his vision still clearly comes through and with great power. Visually it moves so fluid, it feels like a standard crime film with a nice bit of flair on top, compared to Killer's Kiss which also looks superb, but fits into the film-noir style of creative stationary shots and harsh lighting.
Filled with genuine intensity and some legitimately shocking moments, this spectacular noir will surely not disappoint any crime fans. It includes a notable device of hiding a shotgun within a box of flowers, continuously borrowed from modern action films and thrillers.
The 1080p transfer is something to marvel, it's strikingly high quality print and clear audio. It does the film a well deserved justice. All of the extras are fantastic too, two great informative interviews about Kubrick himself and a French TV interview from 1970 with Sterling Hayden. British director, Ben Wheatley's interview was especially enjoyable as I share almost all of the same opinions as him, I had the pleasure of doing a masterclass with him in 2014 and was lucky enough to get my copy of Kill List signed.
It also features classic trailers for both The Killing & Killer's Kiss. The Killing selling itself highly on the violence - it feels like a Grindhouse trailer! I would have liked a few more extras in terms of the creation of the films but I suppose only so much was actually available.
This is definitely a must buy for any avid crime fan and a fine addition to the remastered Kubrick collection.
Killer's Kiss
Dir: Stanley Kubrick
Year: 1955
Cast: Jamie Smith, Frank Silvera, Irene Kane
Genre: Film-Noir/Crime/Drama/Thriller
Running Time: 65 mins
Cert: 12
Synopsis
Review
While this is technically an extra feature, I'm going to review it as a separate film. Kubrick made this as just 27 and it still stands the test of time; with more control and it being a smaller production, he constructed one of the most tense and interestingly shot noir films ever made. Capitalizing on strong performances and diving into the seedier themes of the film-noir world, he made possibly his most visually striking film of his early career.
Featuring startlingly realistic fight scenes, chases and nail bitingly intense stunts (mainly involving a real harpoon and a real axe), this film is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Some expert lighting and cinematography make it all the more engaging. It runs at just over an hour and you feel the time go by, in a good way. It's a clear influence on the cinematography and fight choreography of Martin Scorsese's boxing masterpiece, Raging Bull.
I managed to see the DVD of this before and while the film itself was great, the transfer wasn't. It seemed like a slightly polished VHS transfer and it distorted the screen into 16:9 and looked garbage. This however was in its original 4:3 format and of almost crystal clear quality. The blacks were perfectly deep and there was no visual noise at all.
I think this is one of the quintessential films for demonstrating what can be done with what for the time was pretty much the minimum. Another must see for film-noir fans.
Rating
The Killing: ★★★★½
Killer's Kiss: ★★★★
Audio & Picture: ★★★★★
Audio & Picture: ★★★★★
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