spiderguy524

23 May 2012

Terrible ending ruined what could have been a great film!

Man the ending of this film is so terribly unwatchable and dated thatmy entire film aesthetics class laughed like crazy. Now most of therest of the film was okay. It had a few unintentionally funny scenesbut had a few real good camera shots and editing. Yes Alderich is agreat director who made FLight Of The Phoenix and Whatever Happened TOBaby Jane among others. The problem isn't with direction, acting oranything technical. The movie is just destroyed in the third act. Why?The murders, twists, turns and characters have all been revolvingaround NUCLEAR MATERIAL? What the heck was the writer smoking when hecame up with that? The way it just comes out of nowhere may have beenthe biggest Deus Ex Machina in history. For all the complaints aboutBurton's Planet of the Apes, THe life of David Gale or Notorious Ithink THIS is the worst ending ever. What a let down.

oconnor0930

23 May 2012

I would kiss this movie back if it werent for the Awful Ending

"Kiss Me Deadly" is a classic film noir and its cinematography is spoton with smart lighting that creates a liberal use of shadows. Thisplays into the mystery that is "Kiss Me Deadly". Director RobertAldrich also cleverly works with tilted camera angles. Ralph Meekergives a wonderful performance as the crooked detective who seems tobreak all the rules to solve the mystery to which he was personallyinvolved in.The main weak point of "Kiss Me Deadly" is the lackluster script. Thedialog lacks everything that a good script has. There is littlechemistry and not one memorable line. However, by far the mostdisappointing part of this film is the ending. The audience is activelyinvolved in the mystery only to be sorely disappointed. What a letdown.The violence is very graphic for its day. People seem to drop likeflies and the bodies are piling up. This coupled with a classic filmnoir make all but the ending a good experience. However, this flawedending is a big flaw and severely hurts the movie.

moosekarloff

23 May 2012

One of the Worst Films Ive Ever Seen

After watching this cinematic abomination, I felt embarrassed foranyone remotely associated with it, down to the Script Girl, SceneDresser and the Caterer. One of the worst examples of noir as it's awatered-down version of the Genuine Article that makes clumsy,gratuitous use of early Cold War paranoia in a most cartoonish manner.Because of its weak script and maladroit direction, the performances ofseveral usually competent actors (Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, PaulStewart, Jack Elam, Cloris Leachman) are either sub par or wasted.Meeker tries to make a go of the Mike Hammer character, but he's toopudgy and soft-looking to be convincing in the role of red-blooded,iron-fisted tough guy. Since the script is so lame, ill-focused andfull of extraneous padding, the motivations and actions of hischaracter seem vacant or tentative. His brooding doesn't convey a senseof inner struggle, rather, he comes off as blank-looking and a tad dim.Also, as Hammer has his gun license suspended in the early going of thefilm, the character without the gat is like Jason Giambi off steroids.The film does not have enough plot or character development to justifyits 100+ minute running time: as perhaps 20 minutes of the pictureshould have been left on the cutting room floor, the pacing of themovie is sluggish and its narrative management is meandering. There aredozens of very long takes in the film where not much is happeningnarratively: it seems that the characters are just Doing Things andKilling Time, merely fulfilling the duration requirements of a featurefilm.Too many of the film's undercurrents and plot twists are leftunexplained. Perhaps this was meant to enhance the intrigue of thepiece, maybe this was a tip of the hat to design features of the noirgenre, i.e., evanescent and nebulous plot lines, contradictorynarrative elements, etc., that add to the mystery of the story andsuggest the nature of human reality (that matters don't always tie upat the end into a neat bundle). But I think not: this is just a case ofa sloppy, wheezy and ill-managed script not delivering on theresponsibility of bringing the audience sufficiently into the loop.What I found particularly annoying was the insistence on including inthe cast ethnic types with bogus foreign accents, jabbering away in anover-the-top fashion. This happens in three instances. Equally annoyingwas Meeker's/Hammer's habit of drinking out of other people's glasses,taking cigarettes out of other people's pockets, etc.The handling of the "whatsit" (some sort of vague nuclear material) waspretty hokey, too. Naive and magical treatment of the film's centralnarrative motivation that was laughable in its implausibility. It wasnever explained how the Cloris Leachman character got tied up with thisatomic intrigue, nor was the justification of crime figures' interestin the black market material. We can make assumptions on the secondissue, but the first truly exercises the audience's suspension ofdisbelief.Extremely lame ending, too. Hammer, with a slug in him, and Veldawaltzing about in the surf while maverick nuclear material merely burnsdown the beach house. Right. No thought of the ensuing contamination,obviously, by the writers, director and producer of this piece of crap.Also what was truly rich in this regard was the scene at the healthclub when Hammer opens the box for the first time and is left with aburn on his wrist. No radiation sickness ensues. Right. And just whatis that magic box made of that it can contain such virulent material?And the film just kinda ends, somewhat arbitrarily, immediately afterthe big Hollywood special effects finish. No narrative rundown, nosuggestion of what would likely to come next. The incomplete feel tothe ending makes one think that maybe they just ran out of film stockat that point.Also, the women in this flick, excepting Ms. Leachman, are pretty beatup looking. If you're going to have starlets in eye candy, windowdressing roles, at least get some babes who look like something. Thatsweaty actress who played Velda was built like Marcel Marceau andlooked like she needed a good bath.The only positive attributes of this film were technical issues andstyle points. Some of the scenes were very well composed and shot,there was some good camera movement and the lighting was indeed topnotch. The art direction did capture that cheezy mid-1950s feel and theflick was indeed atmospheric, but these are ancillary concerns inrelation to the primary purpose of film-making, i.e., storytelling.Loved that 1955 (1954?) Corvette Hammer drove, though...I saw this film last evening at a theater in downtown Manhattan: mostof the audience was laughing out loud at how dreadful this picture is,and there was a palpable sense of relief in the auditorium when itended.But all these negatives aren't particularly surprising when youconsider who directed this fiasco. Robert Aldrich made a career ofwriting, directing and producing really lame, stupid, unbelievable andunconvincing films, and this tepid attempt is typical of his third rateoeuvre.

Film Dog

22 May 2012

High camp.

A cult classic because, for 1955, it was considered ultra-violent andultra-sleazy. Mike Hammer solves all with wanton violence. Not the best offilms, but quite interesting and campy as all get-out.

Steve Tarter

20 May 2012

Mike Hammer the anti-hero lives in 50s L.A.

This movie is something of a museum piece looking back at it now--over 45years after its release. The settings are fine and there's genuine mystery in the story. Unfortunately, it's weighed down by a penchant for death and violence thatmars what could have been an excellent film noir effort.Ralph Meeker looks great as Mike Hammer and he plays it mean. This guy justdoesn't care. But the writers have cut out his heart--and his brain. Heroes don't have to be nice guys--and Hammer is certainly not that--butwhen he stumbles out of a bar drunk to rescue his girlfriend, it's just notbelievable. OK, he's upset they've killed his friend, the ebullient Nickthe mechanic--but up against a gang that's already erased half the cast--noway!There's a real 50's ending which we won't reveal here.

20 May 2012

Although 55 years old, this film is still fun to watch

This black and white movie is 55 years old, but the plot in the story is still interesting and suspenseful, and the acting is good. Ralph Meeker plays a tough private investigator who handles simple divorce investigations, and hasn't investigated any crimes. He is driving in his beautiful convertible when he is flagged down by a naked woman who is covered by a trench coat. She is running from an insane asylum. Hammer picks her up and drives into a murder case where he is almost killed several times.A car with several thugs purposely crashes into Hammer's car. The woman is killed in the crash. The thugs think that by pushing the car over a cliff they are also killing Hammer, but he survives. Hammer discovers that both the thugs and the police are interested in the woman. Both are trying to find something the woman had. Both warn Hammer not to get involved in the case. The police suspend Hammer's PI license and revoke his ability to carry a gun, but Hammer can handle himself without a gun. The criminals try to kill him several times. But Hammer preservers.As is usual with DVD covers, the picture on the cover of this DVD is not in the movie. The title of the film, as with many Mickey Spillane books, upon which this film is based, focuses on what happens at the end of the story.

Charles H

18 May 2012

overrated but somewhat interesting

The film the French critics fell in love with because of its obsession with the dark side of man and it's philosophical overtones is also a fairly straightforward sleazy dime novel film. The second half is better than the first.

18 May 2012

One of the great P.I. noir films, with the restored ending!

This review is from: Kiss Me Deadly (DVD) Robert Aldrich's 1955 detective thriller, "Kiss Me Deadly," came at the end of the American classic film noir cycle, and shows the genre at its most violent, surreal, cruel, cynical, and visually bizarre. It's the last great explosive moment of the classic era of film noir -- and I do mean explosive. This is one detective film, like "Chinatown," which you won't soon forget.Aldrich and screenwriter A. I. Bezzirides took on Mickey Spillane's popular P.I. Mike Hammer, but aside from keeping the basic plot outline of the original novel, they completely changed the nature of the character in a very reactionary move. Spillane's Mike Hammer is a New York detective-avenger, a self-righteous vigilante who deals out justice when the paralyzed forces of the law can do nothing: he's a vicious knight on a mean-spirited quest to right wrongs through brute force. (The title of the first Hammer novel, "I, the Jury" pretty much sums up his attitude.) The movie relocates Hammer to Los Angeles and turns him into a shallow con-artist who only cares about his car and his looks. He's a lousy detective too, relying on knocking people around for information, often innocent inoffensive folks, and never really paying attention to the important details of the case. His detective work is entirely matrimonial, where he and his `assistant' Velda put the squeeze on couples to blackmail them. Hammer's motto is simple: "What's in it for me?" Ralph Meeker is perfect in the role, looking as if someone carved him out of slab of meat.No doubt, in this story Hammer is in way over his head...if only he knew it. He picks up a nearly naked girl (Cloris Leachman in an early role) who throws herself in front of his sports car. Later, they're run off the road, and faceless gangsters torture her to dearth and leave Hammer for dead. Hammer sets out to find out what's up; not because he cares what happened to the girl, but because he sniffs out big money and he'd like to get the guys who wrecked his sports car! Hammer finds himself in a violent quest to locate an object that everyone desires: a package called `The Great Whatsit.' The Great Whatsit isn't a meaningless red herring or Hitchcock McGuffin, however. Its contents are the great surprise of the plot, and the perfect exclamation point on a movie taking place in a chaotic world that seems to be falling apart. I won't tell what the Great Whatsit is (and shame on the reviewers here who have!), but...oh wow!And this brings us to the issue of the ending, and the only extra on this disc. (Don't worry, I'm not going to spoil the ending.) For years, "Kiss Me Deadly" had a mysteriously abrupt finale that many people praised for its surreal, weird quality. This was how I first saw it. However, in 1997 the original ending was discovered in Aldrich's personal print of the film by editor Glenn Erickson and film noir scholar Alain Silver. Apparently, an accident involving a careless projectionist snipped off part of the ending, so what we had enjoyed and critiqued for years was actually a mistake! The new ending shown on this disc fortunately doesn't change the tone of the film: it's still pretty astonishing, filled with a brilliant use of light and sound effects. However, there's still something about that abrupt ending that gets to people. The DVD contains the option to watch this original abrupt ending so you can make up your mind which one `feels' more right to you: what the director intended, or the mistake that many embraced as a stroke of brilliance.No matter which ending you like, "Kiss Me Deadly" is a fabulous piece of brutal crime cinema. The photography is amazing, filled with weird and surreal images and crazy camera angles. The performances are all dead-on: Meeker's ugly Mike Hammer; Albert Dekker as the sinister and poetry spouting Dr. Soberin; Wesley Addy as Hammer's police acquaintance Pat, the sole voice of reason in the mess; Paul Stewart as a smarmy L.A. gangster; the late Jack Elam as freaky thug; and Gaby Rodgers in the film's strangest performance as the distant, weird, but ultimately very dangerous (to every living thing on the planet!) Lily Carver.If you love detective films and film noir, "Kiss Me Deadly" is a great must-see classic. For a 1950s film, it is surprisingly violent and far ahead of its time. And either end will leave you shivering in shock. If only they had the guts to end films this way today!

17 May 2012

Kiss Me Deadly (1955) ... Ralph Meeker ... Robert Aldrich (Director) (2001)

United Artists presents "KISS ME DEADLY" (18 May 1955) (106 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Regarded by many critics as the ultimate film noir, and by many more as the finest movie adaptation of a book by Mickey Spillane, Kiss Me Deadly stars Ralph Meeker as Spillane's anti-social private eye Mike Hammer. While driving down a lonely road late one evening, Hammer picks up a beautiful blonde hitchhiker (Cloris Leachman), dressed in nothing but a raincoat. At first, Hammer assumes that the incoherent girl is an escaped lunatic; his mind is changed for him when he and the girl are abducted by two thugs. The men torture the girl to death as the semiconscious Hammer watches helplessly. He himself escapes extermination when the murderers' car topples off a cliff and he is thrown clear. Seeking vengeance, Hammer tries to discover the secret behind the girl's murder. Among those who cross his path in the film's tense, tingling 106 minutes are a slimy gangster (Paul Stewart), a turncoat scientist (Albert Dekker), and the dead woman's sexy roommate (Gaby Rodgers). All clues lead to a mysterious box -- the "Great Whats it," as Hammer's secretary Velda (Maxine Cooper) describes it. Both the box and Velda are stolen by the villains, at which point Hammer discovers that the "Whats it" contains radioactive material of awesome powers. The apocalyptic climax is doubly devastating and we now know there are two endings to the film just recently discovered.Ralph Meeker made an excellent contribution as Mike Hammer. He dominates the film with his presence. Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Mirian Carr, Maxine Cooper and especially Cloris Leachman, in her screen debut, make this film the favorite it has become.Director Robert Aldrich transcends Kiss Me Deadly's basic genre trappings to produce a one-of-a-kind melodrama for the nuclear age.Under the production staff of:Robert Aldrich [Director/Producer]Mickey Spillane [novel "Kiss Me Deadly"]A.I. Bezzerides [Screenplay] Victor Saville [Executive Producer]Frank De Vol [Original Music] Ernest Laszlo [Cinematographer]Michael Luciano [Film Editor] BIOS:1. Robert Aldrich [Director]Date of Birth: 9 August 1918 - Cranston, Rhode IslandDate of Death: 5 December 1983 - Los Angeles, California2. Ralph Meeker [aka: Ralph Rathgeber]Date of Birth: 21 November 1920 - Minneapolis, MinnesotaDate of Death: 5 August 1988 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, Californiathe cast includes:Ralph Meeker - Mike Hammer Albert Dekker - Dr. G.E. Soberin Paul Stewart - Carl Evello Juano Hernandez - Eddie Yeager Wesley Addy - Lt. Pat Murphy Marian Carr - Friday Maxine Cooper - VeldaCloris Leachman - Christina Bailey Gaby Rodgers - Gabrielle Nick Dennis - Nick Jack Lambert - Sugar SmallhouseJack Elam - Charlie MaxMr. Jim's Ratings:Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 StarsPerformance: 5 StarsStory & Screenplay: 5 StarsOverall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]Total Time: 106 min on DVD ~ United Artists ~ (06/19/2001)

robin_davidson

16 May 2012

Would like to know how David Lynch rates this one

On my most recent viewing the director I was most reminded of was DavidLynch, and the films Mullholland Drive and Wild at Heart. I mean, atthe most obvious, compare the beginning of Mullholland Drive; and thelook chosen for Isabella Rossellini in Wild at Heart compared with GabyRodgers as Lily. There is also something of the same messing with themechanics of film making (sound, camera angle, cuts) to profoundlydisturbing effect. A twisting of narrative, too; above all a sublimefloating of narrative events above a hidden but cast-iron solidunderpinning of logic. The performances share some of the samequalities: Meeker inhabits Hammer sleekly, as if the role wereskin-tight; yet others, especially Rodgers and Wesley Addey, have alooser feel, as though the characterisations were uncertain forinitially unknown reasons. This too draws me back (or forward) toLynch.

12 May 2012

Between Marlowe Bond.

Aldrich was a successful film director with more than 30 titles in his account. Many were great "hits" as "What ever happened to Baby Jane?" (1962) and "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), some other were standard stuff. With "Kiss Me Deadly" (1955) he deal into Film Noire genre and delivers an interesting piece.As other reviewers pointed out, this film shows a change of style from the classic Film Noire stories of the precedent years to the Bond-like or Bullitt-like films of the Sixties.Mike Hammer, the main character, is a ruthless egotistical PI interested only in profit. He is a womanizer but without Bond's charm. He is successful in his business but ethical biased, capable of selling information to both sides in conflict. He doesn't mind to risk his friends' lives for his benefit or send his lover-secretary into dangerous searches without concern.The story opens with a barefooted woman running madly on a road trying to stop a car for help. She finally succeeds in stopping Mike's car. He reluctantly helps her but both are trapped, the woman murdered and Hammer nearly defunct.From this point on a wild chase starts full of surprises, endangered innocent looking ladies, menacing crooks, pressing cops and Mike stolidly running the line.After lots of plot twists, murders & bare handed foul fights the tale comes to a quite surprising end.Ralph Meeker as Mike Hammer is quite inexpressive In the other hand women characters in the film are more believable: Maxine Cooper as Velda her full of sex appeal enamored secretary, Gaby Rodgers as the mysterious Lily Carver and Marian Carr as Friday (even if her part is very small) give very good acting pieces. A final mention must be done for the very good black& white photography delivered by Ernest Laszlo, he was seven times Oscar nominated and one time awarded between 1966 and 1977. I think Film Noire lovers will enjoy this movie.Reviewed by Max Yofre.

11 May 2012

Hammer drives Kiss home in style

THIS is the real Mike Hammer! As his name suggests, he's as cold as steel and hits twice as hard. A streetsmart dick who drives his point home through the barrel of a gun or his fists. When you see Ralph Meeker's gritty portrayal of Mickey's Spillane's famous detective (dappled in the seedy gloss of film noir), you'll never go back to the tamer, slower made-for-t.v. Hammer. In Kiss Me Deadly, Hammer is one hundred percent mercenary. He's out for himself, but finds more, as he bobs and weaves his way through the duplicity that is L.A. in search of a killer. In many ways, Kiss plays like a hard-edged episode of James Bond, with Hammer's sporty car and his to-die-for bachelor pad. For whatever reason though, Kiss Me Deadly is sort of hard to find, and rarely comes on t.v. anymore. Not many of my friends have heard of it, but it's well worth the effort to see. It's one of the best detective movies made, and sadly, one of the last good films noir.

aliciac1605

10 May 2012

Bad acting killed this film

Kiss me deadly is a Robert Aldrich film released in 1955.It's real fastpace. Which I usually enjoy, I hate when a film drags out, but this onewas not appealing to me. I had a hard time with this film. I did likethe dark elements, low key lighting, how the tone of the movie wasgood. It had a dark feeling to it which corresponds with the filmsplot. The music was too over the top for me. So overly dramatic to thepoint that it came across as corny. There is something about the actingthat just kept me unfocused. It was dull and boring. The conversationdon't flow, overall it just looks fake and really takes away theverisimilitude of the film. I payed more attention to the setting ofthe scenes than to the films plot. I never realized how bad acting canreally turn you off of a type of film you would normally enjoy until Iseen this one.

10 May 2012

Entertaining Detective Story, but Not Great Noir To Me.

"Kiss Me Deadly" is based on the novel of the same name by Mickey Spillane and features his private detective Mike Hammer, who is more a con artist than an investigator. Mike (Ralph Meeker) picks up a panicked woman on the road at night, only to be run off the road by her faceless pursuers shortly thereafter. When Hammer regains consciousness, the woman is dead, he is laid up in the hospital, and federal investigators are asking questions. Contemptuous of the law, Mike stonewalls the authorities. But he decides to stray from his usual fare -making sure he profits from both sides in divorce cases- and investigate the case himself. With the assistance of his loyal secretary Velda (Maxine Cooper) Mike sets out to find out who the dead woman was, who she was running from, and why she was killed. Mike Hammer is not an appealing or sympathetic character. He doesn't investigate out of any sense of justice for the woman who met a horrible death, or even out of vengeance for his own treatment. He simply thinks he must be onto some valuable blackmail material. Ralph Meeker does a superb job with this role. But "Kiss Me Deadly" is a film without likable characters and, in fact, without interesting characters either. This is a film noir that came late in the classic noir cycle: 1955. Unlike the noirs of the 1940s, which were thematically concerned with the 1930s, "Kiss Me Deadly" has a very post-war feel: the cutting edge technology of Mike's reel-to-reel answering machine, Cold War intrigue, crinolined skirts and prominent bustlines. "Kiss Me Deadly" is thoroughly entrenched in the 1950s. Prominent film noir theorists have declared it one of the greats, but it's so unlike the films of the 1940s that it doesn't have the same appeal. The femmes fatales are bimbos with petty ambitions, not smart, articulate women. Mike Hammer is misogynistic, self-important, and completely lacking in introspection. He's not angsty or doomed, as noir men frequently are. But an extroverted protagonist doesn't interest me, because there is no more to him than meets the eye. To me, "Kiss Me Deadly" is a sleek, well-directed, detective story that goes through the motions, but simply has no depth. It's entertaining as such, but it's as superficial as its characters. Many film noir fans will disagree with me, so you'll have to judge for yourself.The DVD: There is a theatrical trailer (2 minutes) and an alternate ending (1 minute). The alternate ending is shorter than the one in the movie and was actually the more common ending for the film. There is no difference in meaning between the two endings. The shorter one just uses less footage and isn't quite as good. Subtitles available for the film in French and Spanish.

09 May 2012

Cautionary TaleSci-Fi flick Wrapped up in Film Noir

This intense story starts off fast and continues at a breakneck pace until its "didn't-see-that-coming" conclusion. The ending is very atypical of the film noir genre (hence the title of my review), but everything leading up to it is noir at its finest. Ralph Meeker's portrayal of Mike Hammer is nothing short of sensational. He's the kind of guy you love to hate for how he conducts his business, but secretly wish you were half as cool. Some have noted his character as "bumbling", but I found him to be quite the opposite; he was able to handle just about any situation with either brute force or sly cleverness (ok, maybe he didn't do some follow-up work on Christina Bailey's roomate Lily Carver, which cost him, but I think we can overlook that). He's at his best when he's smacking someone around, which he does throughout. You couldn't have asked for a better performance.I thought the development of the secondary characters was done quite well, e.g. even though Nick the mechanic didn't have much screen time, how bad did you feel for him when he met with his fate? And Doc Kennedy who performed Christina Bailey's autopsy. You could tell after 30 seconds that this guy was scum. I also enjoyed the two brutes Sugar and Charlie Max. Those guys had some of the best facial expressions ever filmed.All this aside, my favorite aspect of the film was the cinematography. Filmed in glorious black & white so rich you'd think you were watching it unfold live in front of you. Also included are some of the best camera angles from the genre. One scene that sticks out is when Hammer tells Carver to meet him outside once she hears him honk the horn. They show Hammer running down the stairs from the vantage point of the top of the stairs. When Carver makes the same trip down they lensed it from the bottom. Really made an impact with me.You should enjoy this movie if you have any interest in either noir or older b&w movies.

08 May 2012

STARK - GRITTY - DARK FILM NOIR BUT IF THERE IS THERE A POINT, I JUST DONT GET IT!

MAYBE I JUST DON'T GET IT:This is one of those great films that, for some reason, I missed when it was originally released in 1955. If I had seen it, I'm not sure I would have remembered it. In fact, I still think that maybe I don't get it. Recently, I've watched "Kiss Me Deadly" several times and I guess I'll have to try seeing it again and reevaluating my review at that time.MIKE HAMMER: THE ULTIMATE ANTI-HERO - BUT:Ralph Meeker aptly plays Mike Hammer and portrays Hammer very convincingly as a scoundrel with a P.I. license. For me, this anti-heroic slant on the protagonist colors the film for the worse. Without admirable traits, it is difficult to root for the the hero, because he isn't a hero. In fact, there are no heros in this film. In "D.O.A.", the protagonist, Frank Bigelow, played by Edmond O'Brien, had faults, but he had virtues that allowed us to get behind him and care as to whether he survived or not, unlike Ralph Meeker's characterization of Mike Hammer in "Kiss Me Deadly". Nevertheless, the integrity of "Kiss Me Deadly's" construction and execution are unique and flawless.THE FAMOUS "WHAT'S IT"!"Kiss Me Deadly" features at its core the famous "What's It" box - clearly a Pandora's box, of sorts. This is no afterthought or cheap trick and is one of the films most compelling plot elements.BOTTOM LINE:I'll have to see this film again, when I have waited long enough to get a fresh perspective. In the meantime, I feel like the "poor dummy" who hears a great joke and is the only person in the audience not laughing. Naturally, all the elements for an excellent film noir are present but, if there is a point, I just don't seem to get it.IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A GOOD REVIEW & HAVE NOT FOUND IT HERE:The two reviews in the spotlight are excellent and don't give away too much of the plot to spoil the film. Also see the "All Movie Guide" as it has a useful review. ABOUT THE DVD:Excellent transfer. Alternate ending is a nice touch.

07 May 2012

Disappointing attempt at film noir

"Kiss me Deadly" was made in 1955 and it ranks as one of the poorest examples of film noir and maybe the worst film portrayal of Mike Hammer. Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer was created in 1947 ("I, the Jury") at the very peak of film noir and he went on to be featured in numerous films including "I, the Jury" (1953), "My Gun is Quick" (1957), and "The Girl Hunters" (1963). He was played by Biff Elliot (1953), Robert Bray (1957), Armand Assante (1982), and even Mickey Spillane (1963). The character is most associated with Stacey Keach who played him in film (1983, 2003) and on TV (1984-7), although personally I prefer Darren McGavin's interpretation (1957-8).Unlike his fellow literary gum shoes Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, Hammer tends to be more pragmatic and brutal, however, as portrayed by Ralph Meeker, Hammer is reduced to a psychopathic sadist who makes his living by pimping out his secretary/girl friend. It's no wonder the novel's author discredited the film.The film has a great cast, but the poor script leaves them with little screen time and even less to do. If you sneeze you can miss great character actors like Cloris Leachman, Strother Martin, Jack Elam, Percy Helton, and Albert Decker, and even the longer parts given to Paul Stewart and Wesley Addy are not very meaty.Blame it all on director Robert Aldrich (1918-83), who ultimately turned into a first rate director ("The Dirty Dozen", "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane", "Ulzana's Raid", "The Longest Yard"), but this was one of his first film outings and it was made in a mere 3 weeks and at a modest cost of $425,000. Since Aldrich was also involved in the production, he gets twice the blame.When the film was released, film noir was past its classic period, but there are certainly good film noir from the mid 50s - "Night of the Hunter" (1955), "The Killing" (1956), "Touch of Evil" (1958), etc. While this film does showcase many of the film noir conventions (e.g., hero is a detective, shot on location in major urban area, lots of night scenes and unusual angles, cast of seedy characters), there really isn't a femme fatale and there is a (more or less) happy ending. Moreover, even when the film sticks to convention, the application is poor. For example, the characters are seedy but we never get a chance to see them for more than a few seconds and their true "seediness" is never developed. Compare these characters with the seedy crew from films like "The Maltese Falcon" or "The Killing" and you'll see what I mean.Bottom line - a disappointing addition to the film noir library.

07 May 2012

Film noir, yes, Mickey Spillane, no

This review is from: Kiss Me Deadly (DVD) I admit to liking this movie. Spillane hated it and what Aldrich did to the character of Mike Hammer, turning from a violent angel of retribution to simply a violent and not too bright thug. The ending (or endings if you like) have to be the strangest ever for a film noir.

Donald J. Lamb

06 May 2012

Want to see a modern-day thriller made 43 years ago?

Kiss Me Deadly is an absolute joy to watch. There are no big-name stars,the director has never been mentioned in the same breath as a Hitchcock orHuston, and it's basically a simple Mickey Spillane story. How its presentedon the screen is the genius of the picture. Right from the opening creditsequence, you know you're in for something fresh and innovative. This is amust see for fans of Quentin Tarantino, and there is a curious boxcontaining a certain substance that glows when opened (Pulp Fiction,anyone?). It is one of the finest of the "film noir" genre, predominantlybecause of the moody black and white photography and its amazing 'timeless'appeal (I would rank it alongside Touch of Evil). It's great to know thefilm has been "rediscovered", and be sure to see a copy of the filmcontaining 2 different versions of the mind-boggling final sequence shot atthe time.

06 May 2012

A Rich Mixture of Marlowe Bond.

Aldrich was a successful film director with more than 30 titles in his account. Many were great "hits" as "What ever happened to Baby Jane?" (1962) and "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), some other were standard stuff. With "Kiss Me Deadly" (1955) he deal into Film Noire genre and delivers an interesting piece. This film shows a change of style from the classic Film Noire stories of the precedent years to the Bond-like or Bullitt-like films of the Sixties. Mike Hammer, the main character, is a ruthless egotistical PI interested only in profit. He is a womanizer but without Bond's charm. He is successful in his business but ethical biased, capable of selling information to both sides in conflict. He doesn't mind to risk his friends' lives for his benefit or send his lover-secretary into dangerous searches without concern. The story opens with a barefooted woman running madly on a road trying to stop a car for help. She finally succeeds in stopping Mike's car. He reluctantly helps her but both are trapped, the woman murdered and Hammer nearly defunct. From this point on a wild chase starts full of surprises, endangered innocent looking ladies, menacing crooks, pressing cops and Mike stolidly running the line. After lots of plot twists, murders & bare handed foul fights the tale comes to a quite surprising end. Ralph Meeker as Mike Hammer is quite inexpressive In the other hand women characters in the film are more believable: Maxine Cooper as Velda Mike's full of sex appeal enamored secretary, Gaby Rodgers as the mysterious Lily Carver and Marian Carr as Friday (even if her part is very small) give very good acting pieces. A final mention must be done for excellent black & white photography delivered by Ernest Laszlo, he was seven times nominated and one time Oscar awarded between 1966 and 1977. I think Film Noire lovers will enjoy this movie. Reviewed by Max Yofre.