It is hard to believe, but the latest volume is 27. Yes, you read that right. Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXVII is now on Blu-ray. Let's look at the films included in this set.
Movie Rating:
****=Don’t Miss it!
***=Worth a look.
**=An Ok way to spend an evening.
*=You haven’t missed anything.
The Great Train Robbery(1941) Duke Logan (Milburn Stone) and his gang hijack an entire train carrying gold bullion and passengers including nightclub entertainer Kay Stevens (Claire Carleton). Will Kay be saved by railroad detective Tom Logan (Bob Steele), who vows to halt the criminal activities of his brother Duke? Fast-paced direction by Republic’s top Western-maker, Joseph Kane (The Maverick Queen). ***
Unmasked (1950) Raymond Burr (TV’s Perry Mason) sizzles as a sleazy tabloid publisher who tricks wealthy women into investing in his ventures. His latest conquest is the rich wife of a once-successful producer who has lavished her with expensive jewelry. The tabloidman promises her marriage after she is granted a divorce. Instead, she is granted murder—in this lean, mean noir gem. ***
The Man Is Armed (1956) Framed by another man, truck driver Johnny Morrison (Dane Clark, Moonrise) serves a year in prison. After his release, Johnny confronts the man, who plunges off a roof to his death. However, Johnny later finds out that it was his old boss (William Talman, The Hitch-Hiker) who had framed him, and who now has blackmail on his mind. Twists and turns abound in this nifty thriller. ***
Each of these film run around 1 hour, which is the perfect time frame for film noirs. Not too long. Not too short. I really enjoyed each of these film noirs. Even though this kind of genre may not be everyone's favorite.
Kino Lorber has given each of these films their own dedicated Blu-ray disc and case with spectacular artwork. Each film has been transferred to Blu-ray in 1080p with The Great Train Robbery and Unmasked presented in 1.37:1 aspect ratio and The Man is Armed presented in 1.66:1 aspect ratio.
There is no restoration listed for these films, so I would gather that these are just transfers from the best copies possible. Now what results on these Blu-rays are surpringl good looking transfers. The black and white image is crisp and clean and the audio is clear. Even without a restoration, these films look nice on Blu-ray.
Special Features:
* NEW Audio Commentary for The Great Train Robbery by Film Historian Gary Gerani
* NEW Audio Commentary for Unmasked by Author/Film Historian Alan K. Rode
* NEW Audio Commentary for The Man is Armed by Mystery Writer and Filmmaker Max Allan Collins with Film Historian and Host of Cereal at Midnight Podcast, Heath Holland
Each Blu-ray film gets its own brand new audio commentary. That is a nice little bonus feature. I kind of wished there were a bit more bonus features. That would have been nice, but I can't complain when you get three films on one set.
As with all of these Blu-ray volumes of Film Noirs from Kino Lorber there is a lot of bang for your buck here on this set. Not one, not two, but three movies on one set is tremendous. If you love film noirs and have been enjoying collecting these sets from Kino Lorber, what are you waiting for? Head over to Kino Lorber or Amazon and order your copy of Volume 27 today.
Out of 4 film reels (4 being the best) the Blu-ray of Film Noir The Dark Side of Cinema XXVII receives.....
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