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DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK
Director- Roy Ward Baker
Cast- Marilyn Monroe, Richard Widmark
Country of Origin: US
Writer: Tyler Miller
Airline pilot Jed Towers (Richard Widmark) is finally in town of the grand New York City. But his love life isn't going over too hot. His girlfriend is a popular cowgirl like singer named Lyn Lesley (Anne Bancroft) who sings in the Bar at the McKinley Hotel. The two of them are having a rough spell and it seems like it may be the end of their relationship. Also, in the hotel is elevator operator Eddie (Elisha Cook Jr.) and he is welcoming his shy niece Nell (Marilyn Monroe) to her new babysitter job. When Jed notices Nell across the Hotel, he calls her up and tries to have a one-night stand. But it seems like Nell isn't quite the lady she says to be.
DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK (1952) is a strange animal of a movie. On the surface it seems like a decently produced low budget quickie, the kind that Fox usually pushed out in great numbers but hidden within is a stylish thriller. It was also the first big starring vehicle for Marilyn Monroe. And to those who are only familiar with GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, you're in for a stunning surprise.
This was the first US film for Director Roy Ward Baker (billed here as simply Roy Baker), and here he delivers a masterly crafted and modest picture. Better known for directing movies at Hammer Studios, like THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, Baker mixes some of the Black comedy and genuinely disturbing set pieces. The movie is set bound and only uses the one location, the hotel. But it never becomes dull. The hotel has a life of its own with subtle moments like the dodgy elevator, the cowboy themed lounge, and of course the wired speakers that reach down to the bar. So, the sounds of Bancroft singing are always present.
The film marked a turning point for Monroe with this being her first dramatic role. She is both sad and scary as the emotionally disturbed Nell. While not reaching the lengths of PLAY MISTY FOR ME, she gives a fine crazy performance. The camera lingers on her with plenty of small moments like crying by the window or the slow revel of her razor marks on her wrists. The slow build from stealing jewelry to full on assault on a small child.
In terms of the rest of the cast, Richard Widmark (KISS OF DEATH) makes an endlessly watchable lead. Equal parts sleazy and charming, Jed is a character that you grow to like even when he is going into clear danger. Anne Bancroft does well here in her first role, even at times stealing the movie away from Monroe. As a singer it's hardly believable, but her interplay with Widmark and the quiet little moments they share, make it easy to see why she would become such a star. And of course, we can't forget Elisha Cook Jr. In another quirky role. Here he is zany and likeable. He also plays off the rest of the cast and makes the nothing role special.
DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK is a quick 70-minute thrill ride and a welcomed surprise.
Twilight Time does it again with another solid Transfer and sound mix. The English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track is clear of hiss or pops. The sound mix is leveled and sounds like it was recorded yesterday. Speaking of sound, per usual, we get an isolated music track, that shows off this handsome musical arrangement.
The 1080p HD is bold and really highlights the handsome Black and white cinematography. The greys aren't too bright, and the black levels are smooth. There is some natural film grain here or there. The level of detail is impressive with little to no motion blur.
On the extras front we get two documentaries produced by A&E for their Biography program. They are Marilyn Monroe: The Mortal Goddess and Richard Widmark: Strength of Characters. Both are filled with trivia and film clips. Both are worth a watch. There is also the original theatrical trailer. Rounding out the package is the usual excellent liner notes by Julie Kirgo. She covers the whole production and why this is such a strong title in Monroe's career.
The Film 4/5
Audio/ Video 4.5/5
Extras 4.5/5
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UNDERWORLD USA
Director- Samuel Fuller
Cast- Cliff Robertson, Dolores Dorn, Beatrice Kay.
Country of Origin: US
Writer: Tyler Miller
14-year-old Tolly Devlin is learning the ropes of how to be the right kind of hustler from his father. But life is suddenly shaken up for Tolly when he witnesses his father being beaten to death by four mobsters. Flash forward twenty years later, the now grown Tolly (Cliff Robertson) has only one mission in life, to revenge his father. After finding one of the men in prison, he gets the names of the other three. But as his thirst for blood continues he goes down a path of self-destruction.
In the liner notes for this Blu-ray, Julie Krigo discusses how some critics called the movies of Sam Fuller (NAKED KISS, SHOCK CORRIDOR) "The Cinema Fist". And with UNDERWRLD USA (1961) it's not hard to see why. The movie is a gutsy and brutal gangster epic. And not to mention one of the cruelest revenge stories. Based on a real-life story by Joseph F. Dinneen, UNDERWORLD USA was a ripped from the headlines story. In the trailer for the film, Fuller himself hosts and describes the motivation for the story. The finished product being a masterful and underrated gem.
A favorite of the Cahiers du Cinema crowd of Critics, Fuller was a no-nonsense writer, producer, and director. The screenplay is filled with colorful expressions and quotable lines like "Elite Espresso where all they do is sit around and drink coffee", and "We got a right to climb out of the sewer and live like other people". Every scene is sharp and fast, with no fat left on the screen. It showcases some truly nasty people and the frank depiction of police corruption.
In an iconic role, Cliff Robertson (THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, SPIDERMAN) is scar faced and charming as Tolly. Here getting to show his range on all gears. HE also makes the character likeable with his relationship with his mother figure Sandy. Sandy is played by Beatrice Kay (TV favorites like Bonanza and The Rifleman) and she too gives a signature performance as the tough as nails former club owner. In what starts as a thankless role as Cuddles, Dolores Dorn (PHANTOM OF THE RUE MORGUE) turns this frighten woman, into a full blown and loved character.
UNDERWORLD USA is one of the best-looking film noirs I've seen with its rich black and white cinematography by Hal Mohr. The dance of shadows and sweat make it a thrilling and suspenseful sit. This is Fuller at his best and a must see for Noir fans.
Twilight Time goes the extra mile with upgrading UNDERWORLD USA to Blu-ray. The transfer and sound mix are out of this world. The English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track is clear as a whistle. The sound mix is well balanced and doesn't have any issues with pops or hiss. The soundtrack by Harry Sukman sounds like it was recorded yesterday. Speaking of, Twilight Time gives us their usual Isolated Music track, and this one doesn't disappoint. English Subtitles are included.
The 1080p HD transfer is simply fantastic. Showing off all the moody black and white lighting. The black levels are smooth, and the greys aren't too bright. There is some minor film grain, but it never looks messy.
In terms of extras, we get a full-length documentary on Fuller called Sam Fuller Storyteller, and a featurette Martin Scorsese on UNDERWORLD USA. Both look at Fuller's work and why his films have left such a huge impact. Including the tough as nails hard boiled style. There is also the original theatrical trailer that is hosted by Fuller. Rounding out the package is the usual excellent liner notes by Julie Kirgo.
The Film 4.5/5
Audio/Video 5/5
Extras 4/5
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THE NEW CENTURIONS
Director- Richard Fleischer
Cast- George C Scott, Stacy Keach
Country of Origin: US
Writer: Tyler Miller
Rookie LAPD Cop Roy (Stacy Keach) is loves his new job. At first it only servers to make money while going to college. But soon it turns into a full-blown obsession. Roy's partner is the ace officer Kilvinski (George C Scott) who has a short fuse and knows how to get around the rules. But as Roy soon finds out, being a cop isn't always what it's cracked out to be.
THE NEW CENTURIONS (1972) is a complex cop drama, that works as a character study and a commentary on law enforcement in the 1970's. The 1970's is one of my favorite decades because of the creative freedom that busted out the scene. American cinema reached new heights and dared to push buttons. CENTURIONS being one of the many police thrillers of the day that showed the greys and dread of being a cop.
Based on the book of the same name by Joseph Wambaugh, CENTURIONS is seen through the eyes of young upstart Roy. Despite some grueling nights on the graveyard shift, He seems to have a gift as a cop. Able to stay cool under all the sudden outbursts of crime. Some as outlandish as driving a paddy wagon full of hookers around town, to a soul crushing conflict involving a drunken mother who drops her child. In terms of tone, the movie doesn't pull any punches. The cruel realism of many of these situations is still fresh even today.
Being a film of the 1970's, it does tackle some deep subjects and topics. The racism of the era is seen in small bits with a corrupt landlord who is over charging a single room apartment filled with Mexican workers. The polices attitude to this is unexpected and avoids an easy target for police brutality. With George C Scott's character servicing as one of the most balanced cops in the area. As for the job itself, the side effects and stress are shown in full force, with intense gun shootouts, descents into alcoholism, and family drama. One area that sadly hasn't dated well is a subplot that has a stakeout for a mad gay man. The cartoonish results are hilarious but in bad taste.
Scott and Keach turn in two of their best performances. Keach goes from the lovely family man into a drunken shell of his former self. Scott gets to deliver some of his scene stealing fits of rage, and even turn in some of the comic timing. THE NEW CENTURIONS is a movie that handles a series of tough topics, and even shows how burned out the police can become with nonstop hate from the citizens. Instead of a right wing think piece, we get a well-balanced character drama that doesn't pick sides. One of the best cop thrillers of the 1970's.
Twilight Time releases the movie with a great transfer and sound mix. The English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track is smooth and clear. There is no hiss or pops. The score by Quincy Jones sounds wonderfully remastered. Which speaking of, Twilight Time includes their usual Isolated music track. English subtitles are included. The 1080p HD picture is clear with some natural film grain. The black levels are well defined, and the colors pop off the screen.
For Extras we get two audio commentaries. Up first is with actor Scott Wilson, and film historian Nick Redman, and the second track is with film historians Lee Pfeiffer and Paul Scrabo. Of the two tracks I prefer the second. But both are packed with information on all aspects of the production. Rounding out the package is the original theatrical trailer and a booklet of liner notes written by Julie Kirgo.
The Film 4.5/5
Audio/Video 5/5
Extras 4.5/5
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FOREVER AMBER
Director- Otto Preminger
Cast- Linda Darnell, Cornel Wilde, George Sanders
Country of Origin: US
Writer: Tyler Miller
During the 1600's A young woman named Amber (Linda Darnell), fights to get to the top by any means necessary including becoming the mistress to many a Nobel man. Like Bruce (Cornel Wilde), a leader in a group of cavaliers. But an empowered woman in the 1600s may become trouble for the higher class, including King Charles II (George Sanders).
FOREVER AMBER (1947) was a big lavish adaptation of the book of the same name by Kathleen Winsor. A taboo book, with plenty of vice and sin. With this in mind and knowing the director at the helm, Otto Preminger, I thought I was in good hands. But sadly, the movie is a big misfire in my eyes.
Otto Preminger was known for his pushing the envelope controversial movies like MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (1955) and some of his stylized Noirs like the masterpiece LAURA (1944). All well-crafted movies, that may seem tame by today's standards, but were notorious and eye-opening back during the hays code. Known for pushing the theatrical aspects of his screenplays, it's a shame to see the subject matter be handle here in such a dull fashion. The idea of a sexually free woman using her wits and sexuality to gain success is something that could be stunning. But thanks to the censorship, the story is too watered down.
The film does have its fine points. The cinematography by Leon Shamroy, is dynamic and eye popping with its candy colors. And moody shadows. The musical score by David Raksin is also fine and haunting in spots. In terms of cast Linda Darnell (NO WAY OUT, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE) seems to be sleep walking through her role as Amber and doesn't demand any attention. The big stand out is of course George Sanders (JUNGLE BOOK, GIRL FROM RIO) who makes anything he stars in slightly interesting.
Twilight Time gives FOREVER AMBER a splendid looking transfer and sound mix. The English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio is bold and free of any error. There is no hiss or pops. The musical score too stands out and is CD quality. Speaking of, Twilight Time includes their usual Isolated Music Track. English Subtitles are included. The 1080p HD transfer is sharply focused and colorful. There are some brief moments where the colors get too washed out. The black levels too are a little soft.
In terms of extras, the main one is Linda Darnell: Hollywood's Fallen Angel. A biography documentary on the actress that covers most of her career. Also, as usual the Disc itself comes with an insightful booklet of liner notes written by Julie Kirgo. Who seemed to enjoy the movie more than me.
The Film 2.5/5
Audio/Video 4.5/5
Extras 3/5
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Harry and Walter Go to New York
Director-Mark Rydell
Cast-James Caan, Elliott Gould, Diane Keaton
Country of Origin: US
Writer: Frederico Chicolini
In 1973, Universal Pictures scored a critical and commercial smash hit with the Robert Redford-Paul Newman con caper The Sting. It was inevitable that every other studio in Hollywood would want to capitalize on its success, but their attempts usually resulted in complete failure. Case in point, Mark Rydell’s misbegotten crime comedy period piece Harry and Walter Go to New York, a film that had the potential to be much more than it was and whose tanking at the box office in the summer of 1976 permitted several of the principal players in its creation to speak candidly about how much they thought it sucked.
I watched it for the first time in order to write this review as it was just released to Blu-ray by Twilight Time and I can emphatically state that Harry and Walter does…. not ….suck. It isn’t a winner either, it just sits comfortably on the line separating victory and defeat, classic and mediocrity, and that’s all.
James Caan and Elliott Gould, respectively, play Harry Dighby and Walter Hill, a pair of low-level con men who masquerade as variety performers in late 19th century America and swindle their impoverished audiences out of their hard-earned money. One such scheme gets our hapless duo busted and sent to prison, where they meet Adam Worth (Michael Caine), a debonair criminal and sophisticated man about town whose illegal exploits have made him a darling of the national media. He’s even treated like royalty behind bars, making Harry and Walter his willing servants.
They don’t have an angle to play until firebrand newspaperwoman Lissa Chestnut (Diane Keaton) pays a visit to the prison to interview Worth and they snap a photo of diagrams Worth has gotten ahold of detailing the complicated security system of his next high-value target, the Lowell Bank and Trust in New York City. After burning the original copy and escaping prison with their photo of the diagram, Harry and Walter head for NYC to seek the help of the unsuspecting Lissa in beating Worth to robbing the bank before their gentlemanly rival can get to it himself. Initially reluctant to help, Lissa agrees to help the guys take down the Lowell just to spite Worth and drafts the good-hearted staff of her newspaper to assist.
It's hard not to give Harry and Walter Go to New York marks for making an effort to be rascally entertainment, but at the same time the film is nowhere nearly as funny as it thinks it is. Caan and Gould make a fine team though; I mean, these guys were kings among 1970’s male movie stars. Plus, they were cast in Rydell’s feature alongside the likes of Michael Caine and Caan’s fellow Godfather trilogy alum Diane Keaton. But it takes far more than unbeatable star power to create a film worth seeing, and Harry and Walter Go to New York has about as much smarts and originality in its possession as the titular duo’s slick singing routines that act merely as cover for their haphazard confidence schemes.
Rydell’s specialty as director was star-powered dramas like The Rose and On Golden Pond, but he never seemed to have a flair for the screwball comedy that Harry and Walter promises but fails to deliver. It certainly has plenty of scenes where the characters talk and yell over each other, run along flailing their arms, and more in the name of generating what precious little artificial chaos they can. Those scenes are the poorest in the film since Rydell permits them to run on longer than is actually necessary and they fail to build any genuine comic momentum. The film has a running time of 111 minutes, but because it has a story that could be summarized in half a paragraph and little else but star charisma to keep it from sinking, the length tends to feel twice that time.
Caine certainly has his moments as the dashing professional criminal, as does Keaton’s crusading journalist and her inexplicable decision to take up crime in the name of preserving decency. The film might have been better if it had focused on their characters because the always watchable Caan and Gould are often left to their own devices when the screenplay by John Byrum (Inserts) and Robert Kaufman (Freebie and the Bean), which Rydell reportedly rewrote in an effort to strip most of the humor away, gives them little else to do but bicker. The gorgeously smoky camerawork from the great Laszlo Kovacs (Close Encounter of the Third Kind), jaunty score composed by David Shire (The Conversation), and Harry Horner’s (The Hustler) detailed production design perform beautifully in creating an evocative mood for the film.
One thing’s for sure, Rydell sure knew how to cast a picture. Thanks to legendary casting director Lynn Stalmaster, Harry and Walter Go to New York’s supporting cast is a Murderer’s Row of the finest character actors in the business. I’m talking Burt Young (Rocky), Charles Durning (Dog Day Afternoon), Lesley Ann Warren (Clue), Jack Gilford (Cocoon), Dennis Dugan (The Howling), Carol Kane (The Princess Bride), David Proval (Mean Streets), Ted Cassidy (The Addams Family), Michael Conrad (The Longest Yard), Bert Remsen (McCabe & Mrs. Miller), George Gaynes (Tootsie), and a young Brion James (Blade Runner) in one of his earliest movie roles. Though the screenplay and Rydell’s direction doesn’t give them much to do but act as living scenery at times, their familiarity gives the movie a spark of life of which it could have used more.
Twilight Time’s Blu-ray release of Harry and Walter Go to New York is fine. The transfer appears to be a simple upscale of the older master prepared for Sony’s 2002 Region 1 DVD rather than a fresh scan of original film elements. Presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, video quality is a notch above standard definition thanks to the 1080p resolution bump. The picture isn’t a dazzler, but Kovacs’ rich period cinematography looks crisp and the color scheme dominated by aged browns and reds is properly timed and authentic. Grain content is balanced, while print damage is nowhere to be found. The film’s theatrical mono sound mix is recreated with good results in the form an English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track, which is well-rounded and features strong central activity and a lack of distortion. Dialogue is very audible, and the music and sound effects never overwhelm or clash. English subtitles have also been provided.
The only bonus features are an informative audio commentary with film historians Eddy Friedfeld, Lee Pfeiffer, and Paul Scrabo, an isolated music track, the original theatrical trailer (2 minutes), and another set of liner notes written by Julie Kirgo.
The Film: 3/5
Audio/Video: 3.5/5
Extras: 2/5
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The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
Director-Paul Newman
Cast-Joanne Woodward, Nell Potts, Roberta Wallach
Country of Origin: US
Writer: Frederico Chicolini
Paul Newman only directed a handful of films during his illustrious and legendary career of silver screen supremacy, but they were masterfully made and often forgotten about. One of the best was 1972’s The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, an adaptation of Paul Zindel’s Pulitzer Prize-awarded play that didn’t come to Broadway until six years after the film version was released. Long MIA on home video for reasons undisclosed, Newman’s elegant, understated heartbreaker of a feature makes its long-awaited premiere on Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward (who had recently received an Academy Award nomination for her touching performance in Rachel, Rachel – Newman’s directorial debut) purchased the rights to Zindel’s play for Woodward to headline. She plays Beatrice Hunsdorfer, a brash, resilient widow raising her troubled daughters Ruth (Roberta Wallach) and Matilda (Nell Potts, Newman and Woodward’s daughter) in a broken-down old house in a lower-class Connecticut neighborhood. Newman changed the story’s setting to Connecticut, so he could film on location not close where and Woodward lived, but the alteration doesn’t affect the film in any way.
Beatrice does her best to give Ruth and Matilda a normal life, but being a typical mother simply isn’t in her nature. Ruth is the oldest of the daughters, and in addition to being an epileptic she has developed a rebellious streak that has her constantly in conflict with her overbearing mother. Matilda tends to stay isolated from the familial drama, preferring to focus her energies on an experiment involving marigolds grown from irradiated seeds given to her by her science teacher (David Spielberg) that she hopes will win her an upcoming science fair at her high school.
Under Newman’s direction, Marigolds becomes a challenging and effective drama that explores how relationships between parents and children can be altered by past traumas and the progression of the years. It accomplishes this through a series of interludes that are only connected by our three principal characters and are filled with understated humor and authentic emotion, the latter of which is achieved through performances from Woodward, Wallach, and Potts whose ultimate dramatic impact simply cannot be overstated. The chemistry between Woodward and Potts isn’t surprising given their real-life relation, but Wallach easily ascends to their level with her own complex portrayal of a young woman attempting to find peace in her home and school lives.
The world the Hunsdorfer women inhabit is bleak and only occasionally brightened by the small victories they can take from the day and the common ground they can find with each other in the most troubling of circumstances. Even if Marigolds doesn’t arrive at a conventional ending that would send audiences out with a warm feeling that everything will eventually be okay, we are left with the knowledge that as long as the spark of hope in Beatrice’s daughters is not extinguished, then all good things are possible. Newman’s aim for realism in his adaptation is further earned through the painterly cinematography of Adam Holender (The Panic in Needle Park) and Maurice Jarre’s (Lawrence of Arabia) magnificently understated original score that enhances the gun-punch emotional beats of the film rather than overwhelms them.
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the Moon Marigolds looks its best since first screening theatrically thanks to a new 4K restoration overseen by 20th Century Fox. Presented in the film’s original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, the transfer is crisp, filmic, and achieving a rust-covered beauty due to the preservation of the color timing that favored vibrant greens and dark browns and a grain structure that is heavy but never overwhelming and ideal for a film made in the early 1970’s. Clothing and set decoration look realistically aged and occupied and nothing feels fake. The English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 mono track performs fantastic work in making the basic but laudable sound mix sound revitalized with clear dialogue and an absence of damage. English subtitles are included as well.
Outside of the original trailer (3 minutes) and an isolated music and effects track, you won’t find any extras of substance on this Blu-ray. UK distributor Indicator Films has their own Region B edition coming out on April 23 and it will include the same restored transfer along with some actual supplements. If you love this film, that’s the Blu you really need in your life.
The Film: 4/5
Audio/Video: 4.5/5
Extras: 1/5
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