The Charlie Chan Chanthology (The Secret Service / The Chinese Cat / The Jade Mask / Meeting at Midnight / The Scarlet Clue / The Shanghai Cobra)

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Though the Charlie Chan film franchise has earned brickbats for its casting of Caucasian actors as the Asian sleuth, the movies have retained popularity among aficionados of '40s-era B-crime pictures, and the six-disc Charlie Chan Chanthology, all featuring Sidney Toler as Chan, should please that crowd. The Missouri-born Toler starred in 11 Chan pictures for Fox before purchasing the rights to the character from creator Earl Derr Biggers's widow and bringing it to budget studio Monogram, where he starred in 11 more Chans before his death in 1947 (Roland Winters replaced him in six more features until 1949). At Monogram, Chan became a Secret Service Agent (a move calculated to cut down on exotic locations and sets), and comedy was integrated into the plots via Mantan Moreland's chauffeur Birmingham Brown; Benson Fong also joined the cast as Number Three Son Tommy, with occasional appearances by daughter Frances (Frances Chan) and son Eddie (Edwin Luke, brother of Keye Luke, who played Number One Son Lee in the Fox Chans).

Other than that, the six films collected here (the first six Chans for Monogram, and all but five directed by Phil Rosen) are largely indistinguishable from one another save for the murder victims and their demises. In The Secret Service, Chan investigates the death of a wartime inventor; a San Francisco socialite expires in The Chinese Cat; daughter Frances is involved in the murder of a psychic in Meeting at Midnight (a.k.a. Black Magic); another government scientist is killed in The Jade Mask, and death by remote control is the focus of The Scarlet Clue. Director Phil Karlson (Kansas City Confidential) adds some noirish atmosphere to The Shanghai Cobra, which has bank employees dying from apparent snakebites. Dated and controversial as they may be, the Chan films are engaging diversions for vintage mystery fans. No extras are featured in the set. --Paul Gaita

Description

Disc 1: CHARLIE CHAN IN THE SECRET SERVICE Disc 2: THE CHINESE CAT Disc 3: THE JADE MASK Disc 4: MEETING AT MIDNIGHT Disc 5: THE SCARLET CLUE Disc 6: THE SHANGHAI COBRA

Customer Reviews:

Marketing over Matter.......2007-08-15

I've seen this boxed set many times, prominently featured in a chain bookstore. Thank goodness I bought it used: it's expensive at half the price.

MGM has given us six Charlie Chans from Monogram, three from 1944, three from 1945, each running slightly more than an hour. Each is on a separate disk, with scene selection and subtitles, but nothing more.

All six feature the reliable Sidney Toler and the consistently entertaining Mantan Moreland. Benson Fong appears in three as No. 3 Son Tommy Chan. The rest of the actors are mostly tried-and-true, long-lived career bit and character actors like Al Bridge (perennial cowboy), Gene Roth (perennial heavy), Cyril Delevanti (perennial butler), and George Chandler (perennial comic working stiff).

All six films are written by George Callahan, an inept, "Swiss cheese" writer: plots full of holes. Five of the six are directed by Phil Rosen, who started out as a cameraman for Edison and never did progress beyond the "filmed stage play" phase of cinema history.

The prints are all good quality visually, though a couple of them do not always track steadily. Monogram is responsible for dark scenes being consistently underlit. (One film, "Black Magic," is marketed under its TV title "Meeting at Midnight," which, an imposed subtitle tells us, was the "original title.")

The best film in the set is "The Shanghai Cobra." The director is Phil Karlson, best known for Kansas City Confidential (1952), the Phenix City Story (1955), and Walking Tall (1973). He brings a noir sensibility to the visualization, and he uses locations often and effectively (the other films are almost entirely studio-bound).

I get the strong feeling that writer Callahan needed and took strong guidance from those around him. Thus, the McGuffin in "Shanghai Cobra" is a cache of radium, not the usual jewels or war plans; the film has, uniquely, a romantic duo and a flashback. In "The Jade Mask" Al Bridge delivers more country corn than Toler ever did Confucius. The weakest of the six films, "The Scarlet Clue," is redeemed only by Mantan Moreland's "mindreading act" with fellow vaudevillian Ben Carter.

(In my library I have an old playscript entitled "The Haunted House: An Ethiopian Entertainment." Be aware that much of Moreland's comedy is of that ilk. Be aware also that he was a talented entertainer, well worth watching for that--often the only entertainment on the screen at all.)

Let me close by admitting that, having seen most of these films in the distant past, I didn't watch any of them continuously, but kept stopping and starting the show. The only way I could find them interesting was by referring constantly to the Internet Movie Data Base, reading cast lists and actors' credits. These films are typical Poverty Row product.

Not great--just very entertaining.......2007-07-05

These Sidney Toler Charlie Chans move well-- good dialogue-humor is well done--Sometimes a bit too stereotypical--but it's easy to see why these movies were so popular in their day. All in all they hold up better than I would have expected. Most enjoyable.

charlie chan chanthology.......2007-07-04

Wonderful! Just what I remember it being when I was young....If you remember the Chan mystery series then this is the one, Charlie Chan's children are in these series. The Dvd's came on time and couldn't wait to watch them..my teenage son came home and started watching with me, he was entranced and we had a marathon and watched all of them. Great product!

Charlie is my hero.......2007-07-03

This vendor responded to my purchase very quickly. Well-packaged, no damage. I'm in Chan heaven. Charlie Chan rocks!

Warner Oland, Why Did You Die?.......2007-06-27

These Chan films are from the Monogram series, long after the series, which had begun so brilliantly with Warner Oland at 20th Century Fox 10 or more years earlier, had fizzled. Fox dropped it after a handful of Sidney Toler films (which aren't available yet on DVD). Supposedly Toler bought the rights to the name Charlie Chan from the widow of author/creator Earl Derr Biggers and then sold himself and the rights to Monogram. The films suffer terribly. Toler is a tired old man in ersatz oriental makeup, and cheap, boring, repetitious "comedy" relief is provided in extremis by Mantan Moreland as a cliché blabbering, superstitious black lackey. The stories are so-so, but whatever values there may be are undermined by those two main stars. Benson Fong, as Number Three Son, is generally good -- charming though not so enthusiastic as Keye Luke -- but most of the time he has to play opposite Moreland or, in one pathetic film, a Chinese actress named Frances Chan as his sister of the same name...and she couldn't act her way out of a wet paper bag.

There are two more Warner Oland Chan movies that have yet to make it to DVD. It would be nice if Fox would release those along with the early Toler films. But forget these Monogram pot boilers.

Nacho Libre (Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Outrageously Funny & Much Better Than I Expected
Give me a break, this movie is HILARIOUS
NaCHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! "It's the best!"
Nacho funny Nacho
Effective in what it sets out to do, just not over the top hilarious...

Nacho Libre (Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Jack Black , Ana de la Reguera , Héctor Jiménez , Darius Rose , and Moises Arias
Director: Jared Hess
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000HRMAPO
Release Date: 2006-10-24

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This Jack Black vehicle seems, on the surface, like a perfect fit for the actor: an opportunity to showcase Black's unique style with the extreme facial gestures and exuberant physicality that have become his forte. Black plays Ignacio, a lowly cook in a monastery in central Mexico who feeds orphans by day, and wrestles in the town square at night. Ignacio teams up with Esqueleto (Hector Jimenez), a street urchin who tormented him, to form a tag-team duo that goes up against the strangest wrestlers Mexico has to offer. Besides doing it for money to feed the orphans, Ignacio is also fighting to win the forbidden affections of Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera) with predictable difficulty. While the movie has likeable characters and the plot is enjoyable enough, it can't overcome its plodding pace and formulaic structure enough to keep the movie interesting throughout. Jack Black is a very strong comedic actor, and the wrestling scenes offer plenty of chances for slapstick, physical comedy, but watching him run around in red briefs and blue tights amounts to half the laughs in the movie, and there's just not enough here for him to really work with. When he plays a more well-formed character, as in School of Rock and High Fidelity, his strengths really show. But in Nacho Libre he's saddled with a caricature. Weighed down by too much low-brow humor and a script that goes nowhere, Nacho Libre just can't make full enough use of Black's talents to overcome the obstacles. --Daniel Vancini

Description

Jack Black is at his comic best as Ignacio, a disrespected cook at a Mexican monastery that can barely afford to feed the orphans who live there. Inspired by a local wrestling hero, he decides to moonlight as the not-so-famous Luchador "Nacho Libre" to earn money for the monastery -- not to mention the admiration of beautiful nun Sister Encarnacion.

Customer Reviews:

Outrageously Funny & Much Better Than I Expected.......2007-09-13

I make no apologies for liking this movie. It seemed everyone at the video store, from the manager on down, all thought otherwise....but I took a shot, rented it, and laughed my butt off watching this film. Now I own it.

Jack Black was hilarious as the monk-pro wrestling wannabe "Nacho." The premise alone is humorous: an overweight Mexican monk who would rather be a famous wrestler. It doesn't say much for his spirituality, but it made for a lot of laughs.

It's all outrageous, absurd humor, not meant to do anything but: evoke laughs, at any cost......just harmless fun. Detractors should keep that in mind. Black's tag-team partner, "Esquelito" (Hector Jimenez) was just as funny as the main star, if not funnier. None of these "monks" in here were realistic figures, especially the nun: "Sister Encarcion." (Ana de la Reguera ). No offense, but only in the movies are nuns this beautiful. Wow, Reguera looked like a cross between Penelope Cruz and a young Winona Ryder.

Although it's a comedy, the story had some nice touches of sentimentality and humanity, namely: "Nacho's" attitude adjustment, his genuine compassion for orphaned kids that the Brothers and Sisters took care of, and his basic desire to do good despite a very weak commitment to "vows." Maybe that's why there are so many critics of this film: it wasn't mean-edged and nasty enough to satisfy them.

Also, if you appreciate bold, beautiful colors, you'll find this an attractive movie. There was a feast of brilliant colors shown. I was impressed how much effort was made to make this movie look nice in addition to getting laughs.

Give me a break, this movie is HILARIOUS.......2007-09-04

I do not understand how people are not finding this movie to be one of the funniest ever. I actually had no high hopes for this movie therefore, took forever to see, and was greatly suprised at how funny it is. As well, the more I watch it, the funnier it gets. There are so many little details in this movie that get my stomach hurting laughing so hard. The soundtrack to this movie is exceptional as well. Nacho's song to Ramses 'at the party' gets me EVERY time. Just hilarious.

NaCHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! "It's the best!".......2007-08-11

Jack Black in stretchy pants - need I say more? You either "get" this movie or you don't. I get it big time. Laughed my asterisk off. Could watch it weekly. Should have been nominated for an Oscar, but life just isn't that fair.

Nacho funny Nacho.......2007-07-11

We absolutely LOVED this movie. I thought the accent was perfect, and my kids ages 8 and 4 along with my husband and I could not stop laughing. We are about to buy the movie for our collection.

Effective in what it sets out to do, just not over the top hilarious..........2007-07-06

`Nacho Libre' was referred to us by some friends and so, despite not caring to much for seeing it, my wife and I decided to give it a try. Immediately I saw comparisons to `Napoleon Dynamite' and realized that this may just be funny. Gladly I can say that the money was well spent. `Nacho Libre' succeeds in making me laugh, and I'm sure it will bring quite a few laughs to each and every viewer. It's far from perfect and will not be remembered as comic genius, but then again it's a small Nickelodeon film with dry humor and fart jokes so it's not to be expected to reign supreme. It delivers what it sets out to deliver, easy laughs. Jack Black is not the funniest guy around, but he knows how to poke fun at himself in order to rouse a laugh, and here he has plenty of playing field with his pudgy physic and boyishly immature charm.

The film focuses on Ignacio, a cook in a monastery who dreams of being a pro wrestler. He desires to help the orphans whom he feeds and all in all is a decent kind hearted man. When the beautiful nun Sister Encaracion moves into the monastery he begins to try and woo her but he runs into opposition and inside competition. After being attacked by a street urchin by the name of Esqueleto he decides to team up with this man in order to tag-team wrestle for money. This way he can purchase fresh and tasty food for the orphans and hopefully win the heart of Sister Encaracion.

The acting is decent, what's to be expected from a film of this caliber. It's not supposed to be brilliant acting so do be disappointed when you realize it's not. Jack Black is his usual funny self, if you find him usually funny, but to me it was Hector Jimenez who proved to be best in show. His Esqueleto has the best one liners and he has the physic of a thirteen year old corpse so the physical comedy is golden. Ana de la Reguera is pretty much a prop here, she's pretty and that's all they really need her to be, someone we believe Black's character would fall for, but also someone we believe could fall for Black. She works just fine.

The real heart of the laughs here comes from the outrageous wrestling matches. The fighters get crazier and crazier and the moves are as outlandish as they are painful to watch. Black and Jimenez really shine here with their physical comedy and they provide some of the only `laugh out loud' scenes in the film. That's not to say that the film is a waste if not for a few fight scenes, but these scenes are the only scenes, at least for me, that excite a vocal reaction. There are other funny scenes but they are laughs I can keep to myself. The script could have been a little tighter maybe, but when you sit back and see the style of comedy they were going for it actually works well. If you're a fan of the humor used in `Napoleon Dynamite' then you'll enjoy `Nacho Libre' and if you're a fan of Jack Black then I'm sure you've already added this family comedy to your DVD library.

Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu)

Average customer rating:

A couple of gems, a couple of rarities and 2 duds
Pre-Hays Code Wildness, Camp and Hilarity!
Good collection of horror films at a great price
My kind of Entertainment...
THE DREAM TEAM FOR NIGHTMARES

Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu)
Starring: Lionel Atwill , Fay Wray , Lee Tracy , Preston Foster , and John Wray
Director: Michael Curtiz , Vincent Sherman , and Karl Freund
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GRUQJW
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Amazon.com

Universal ruled the monster movie in the 1930s, but this hugely enjoyable DVD set offers a counter-argument from MGM and Warners. Its half-dozen horror titles run the gamut from classic vampirism to baroque romanticism, and gather horror luminaries such as Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Peter Lorre.

The greatest film of the bunch is Mad Love (1935), a rich and oft-imitated bit of perversity with a deeply romantic streak. Concert pianist Colin Clive (from Frankenstein) has his hands wrecked, and his actress wife (Frances Drake) turns to the obsessive Dr. Gogol (Lorre), who has long worshipped her. But the doctor replaces the pianist's hands with those of a murderous circus knife-thrower! Superbly directed by Karl Freund (The Mummy), this eerie film is shaped by Lorre's subtle, uncannily sympathetic performance.

Karloff reigns in The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932), which offers more minute-for-minute lurid action than any other movie in this set. Connoisseurs of horror will be well pleased by the roster: a crocodile pit, deadly snakes and spiders, poisons, various forms of torture including a man strapped beneath a giant reverberating bell, and Fu Manchu's sexy daughter (Myrna Loy). MGM designer Cedric Gibbons runs wild with a wonderfully daffy Deco-meets-Orientalism scheme. There are some undeniably racist epithets thrown in the direction of the evil Dr. Fu Manchu, but he gives as good as he gets, and the character is ultimately as irresistible as any evil mastermind. Karloff gives one of his juiciest performances ever.

Doctor X (1932) is presented in a recently-restored 2-strip Technicolor process (a lot of throbbing greens and oranges), which gives the movie an antique appeal. Doctor Xavier (Lionel Atwill) brings his colleagues together to figure out which of them might be the Full Moon Killer; daughter Fay Wray and reporter Lee Tracy (a typical fast-talking role for this fun actor) tag along. Michael Curtiz directed; he also did the similar Mystery of the Wax Museum, again with Atwill (available on the House of Wax disc). The Return of Doctor X (1939) is more of a curio than a full-fledged horror movie, as it has Humphrey Bogart, resplendent in a Bride of Frankenstein hair streak, in a rare supernatural outing.

The other two films are directed by Tod Browning. Mark of the Vampire (1935) is a clear example of MGM trying to ride the Dracula gravy train, with plenty of smoky graveyards, scuttling possums, and Lugosi in a tuxedo striding through giant spider webs. Lugosi is peripheral here, as Lionel Barrymore hunts down the blood-suckers. It's slow going, but the touches are wonderful and there's a spooky vampiress. Browning makes The Devil-Doll (1936) a memorably oddball thriller, with Barrymore a wronged man seeking revenge--and exploiting a device that allows people to be miniaturized. All the films have lively commentary tracks, except Devil-Doll. Overall this is a very neat package; even the inclusion of Return of Doctor X makes sense as a pairing with its original. MGM and Warners seemed embarrassed by the horror genre in the thirties, but these examples prove they could rise to Universal's game. --Robert Horton

Description

Doctor X/The Return of Dr. X Mark of the Vampire/The Mask of Fu Manchu Mad Love/The Devil Doll

Customer Reviews:

A couple of gems, a couple of rarities and 2 duds.......2007-08-22

This collection from the vaults of Warner Brothers and MGM, studios more famous for other film genres, contains some great stuff but it could have been better with a few changes.

First, the good - the prints are generally excellent, the theatrical trailers are included and the commentary for "Fu Manchu" is outstanding, with "Mad Love" and "Doctor X" close behind. "Mad Love" benefits from stunning camera work, not surprising when the director is the famous cameraman Karl Freund.

Second, the mediocre - the print of "Doctor X", an early example of 2 strip technicolour, is probably as good as it gets but that still does not make it clearly visible. "The Return of Doctor X" is a B film and the plot is dumb in a typical B way. It does not really justify a commentary except that the director was still alive so we get a few first hand comments from the geriatric Vincent Sherman.

Third, the bad - "The Mark of the Vampire" was butchered before release and the film is arrant nonsense, a remake of a lost Lon Chaney film. The theatrical trailer promises much more than the film delivers. The commentary attached to the film is appalling so at least the commentators have matched the film.

As for the films themselves, "Mad Love", "Devil Dolls" and "Doctor X" are ripping yarns with excellent casts and good scripts. "Fu Manchu" is an outrageous pre-code gem and best, of all, the DVD has been cut from the original print with all the censored bits restored.

The Set is good value but I would have flicked "Mark of the Vampire" and included Michael Curtiz's "The Walking Dead", a far superior film. Also, a good commentary about "Devil Dolls" would have rounded out the set nicely.

Pre-Hays Code Wildness, Camp and Hilarity!.......2007-06-27

These films are such gems, each of them, and the restored prints are so beautiful, that this collection should not be missed whether you are a seasoned archivist or just discovering the Universal Horror Canon. The bonus features are sparse, comprising mostly commentary tracks from film historians and critics (although one,The Return of Dr. X, which stars a very creepy Humphrey Bogart, has commentary that includes the 100-year-old director!) and sometimes the theatrical trailer. But The Mask of Fu Manchu alone is worth thet price of the set for the chance to see, uncut, its pre-code craziness, high camp and very overt erotic and sadomasochistic overtones!
Barrymore, Atwill, Karloff, Lugosi, Lorre, Myrna Loy, Fay Wray... the list goes on. Whatever they're asking for this delightful box set, it's a pittance. It doesn't get much better than this.The Boris Karloff Collection (Tower of London / The Black Castle / The Climax / The Strange Door / Night Key)The Bela Lugosi Collection (Murders in the Rue Morgue / The Black Cat / The Raven / The Invisible Ray / Black Friday)

Good collection of horror films at a great price.......2007-06-13

Rather than just focusing on a few horror franchises and milking them for all they were worth with five or six B quality sequels apiece as Universal did with Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man, in the 30's and 40's Warner and MGM would usually take just one good idea and make just one good horror movie. This is a collection of six of Warner and MGM's better excursions into the horror genre during that era.

Everyone else has gone into the plots of these movies in detail, so I will not do the same. Let me point out, though, that "Return of Doctor X" is not really a sequel to "Doctor X" at all. The two stand alone. The only thing they have in common is the theme of a wise-cracking reporter on the trail of what turns out to be a mad doctor. As far as transfer quality, "Mad Love" has noticeable artifacts in the video, at least through the first half of the movie. It's nothing too distracting, though. With "Doctor X" you have to get used to the peculiarities of two-strip technicolor which includes occasional green skies and also green skin tones when people are shown in the dark. The rest of the films look quite good, and the audio quality is very good on all of the films. The extras that come with the films are as follows:

Special Features for Mark of the Vampire:
Commentary by genre historians Kim Newman and Steve Jones
Theatrical trailer

Special Features for The Mask of Fu Manchu:
Commentary by Greg Mank, author of Karloff and Lugosi: A Story of a Haunting Collaboration

Special Features for Doctor X:
Commentary by horror scholar Tom Weaver
Theatrical trailer

Special Features for The Return of Doctor X:
Commentary by director Vincent Sherman and Chronicles of Terror author Steve Haberman
Theatrical trailer

Special Features for Mad Love:
Commentary by Steve Haberman, author of Chronicles of Terror
Theatrical trailer

Special Features for The Devil Doll:
Theatrical trailer

Although not really a complaint, the packaging of this set somewhat surprised me. In particular, each DVD comes in a slim case rather than the thicker and sturdier keep case in which most of the DVDs in Warner DVD sets are packaged. At any rate, the set is a great deal for the money and I highly recommend it.

My kind of Entertainment..........2007-02-05

I won't go into the plots of all of these fine films, but will say that I bought it because of "Devil Doll". Those special effects are amazing. None of the films could be considered "Horror", though they all involve some terrific mystery plots. I was especially impressed with "Mad Love", and Peter Lorre was a very underrated actor. (See "The Beast with 5 Fingers" to verify this.) Early experiments with color also enhanced "Doctor X". This is, indeed, an excellent mystery collection, and any aficianado of the genre should have this in their collection.

THE DREAM TEAM FOR NIGHTMARES.......2006-12-07

This set has nice clean video, and of course you can't lose with the actors and titles. One of the most interesting to watch is MAD LOVE which was Peter Lorre's US film debut. The devotee of the old Universal Horror movies will see certain scene similarities to The Phantom of the Opera, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy, and Dracula in Mad Love, and the commentary track picks up on some (not all) of this. Interesting when you consider this is an MGM work. The only downside to this set, and it is a minor point, is the commentary track for Mark of the Vampire, where two obnoxious brits talk over each other saying little of worth. (I've noticed that on DVD commentary tracks when you put brits together, they continually talk over eachother, and it's hard to understand what they're saying. Perhaps that's why we won the Revolutionary War).
Anyway, if you love old horror movies, if you remember Famous Monsters of Filmland, if you want to see the US film debut of the man who said "You deespize me Reek, don't you?" in Casablanca--buy this set.

Forgotten Noir Collector's Set 2 (Man From Cairo / Mask of the Dragon / FBI Girl / Tough Assignment / I'll Get You / Fingerprints Don't Lie)

Average customer rating:

Another Entertaining Box Set
Dark Nights Underscored.
Great Selection
"Forgotten Noir Collector's Set - Series Two ... From 1949 thru 1953 ... VCI Home Video"

Forgotten Noir Collector's Set 2 (Man From Cairo / Mask of the Dragon / FBI Girl / Tough Assignment / I'll Get You / Fingerprints Don't Lie)
Starring: Richard Travis , Sheila Ryan , Sid Melton , Michael Whalen , and Lyle Talbot
Director: Sam Newfield , and William A. Berke
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NJLM1Y
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Description

From 1949 thru 1953, a six-pack of forgotten film noirs that you won't want to miss. More dames, shame & deadly games…it's all here! This incredible set includes the movies from Volume 4 thru 6. I'll Get You (1952); Fingerprints Don't Lie (1951); F.B.I. Girl (1951); Tough Assignment (1949); Man from Cairo, The (1953); Mask of the Dragon (1951) Bonus Features: Wallace Commentaries| Blumberg Commentaries| Photo Galleries from each movie| Advertising Galleries from each| Bios| Scene Selection| Trailers| George Raft Biography| Sid Melton Video Biography| Don "Red" Barry Video Biography Specs: 3-DVD9s; Dolby Digital; 415 minutes; B&W; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1952, 1951, 1949, 1953; SRP - $29.99.

Customer Reviews:

Another Entertaining Box Set.......2007-07-03

Though I am a devotee of the film noir style, I am not expert on films and film-making as one early reviewer seems to be. All of the movies in this set predate my birth and I hadn't even heard of any of them let alone seen them before this box set became available. But because I enjoyed the first Forgotten Noir set, it was easy to take a chance on this one.
Overall, this set is very good although its easy to see why at least a couple of them were "forgotten". Here are my favorites, from best to worst:
1)I'll Get You: A cold-war type thriller involving missing atomic scientists, a shadowy figure sought by both the FBI and the British Secret Service, loads of intrigue, and a beautiful woman. George Raft is excellent as is most of the supporting cast. A top-tier noir film.
2)The Man From Cairo:George Raft again as an American tourist who inadvertently gets involved in intrigues involving French gold hijacked during World War II and missing ever since. Mostly takes place in Algiers, a once French-controlled city which postwar was filled with adventurers of all stripes and from all over. It was also a city where a stranger could easily find trouble. Both the crooks and the police are interested in Raft's character and that makes for an exciting film.
3)FBI Girl: Corruption and murder drive this exciting film. An ambitious governor and his amoral cronies will stop at nothing to keep the governor's secret from being discovered. An excellent cast featuring Cesar Romero, Raymond Burr, and Audrey Totter will keep you in your seat as the governor is finally unmasked.
4)Tough Assignment: An intrepid reporter and his wife discover that their butcher is being forced by goons to buy and sell uninspected beef. They find their butcher beaten and inadvertently capture the goons who beat the butcher on film. This innocent photo sets in motion a chain of events which ultimately leads to the rustling gang and the ranch from where the uninspected meat comes. A good story, but sometimes spoiled by silliness. Not a true noir story. Though he proves indispensible to the storyline, Sid Melton's goofy character takes the noir right out of it although there is plenty of menace and murder to go around.
5)Fingerprints Don't Lie: Here again, Sid Melton plays a bumbling idiot (reminiscent of Peter Falk's Columbo, but not as smart) who detracts from a more serious plot. That doesn't matter much, because although the movie is entertaining, the plot is not at all credible. I can't imagine a real-life fingerprint expert spending so much time and energy trying to help someone else prove him wrong. There is some murder and treachery, but little suspense. Overall, this film did not work for me.
6)Mask of the Dragon: This whole thing is just stupid, from the plot and the horrible acting right down to the phony Orientals. This is a dog that deserves to be forgotten although there are a few scenes so contrived and ridiculous that you'll laugh anyhow.
Despite this set containing some noir of questionable quality, overall I found it a very entertaining box set and am looking forward to Forgotten Noir Series Three.

Dark Nights Underscored........2007-06-27

Minor works of Film noir pulled together to make up for the real film before the featured film. The Acting in these films maybe somewhat shaky but who cares there is always repeated viewing when watching these films. At any rate this is a great Box Set.

Great Selection.......2007-06-14

A great choice of what to offer in this collection, they are to be commended.

Excellent.

"Forgotten Noir Collector's Set - Series Two ... From 1949 thru 1953 ... VCI Home Video".......2007-03-29

VCI Entertainment and Kit Parker Films presents "FORGOTTEN NOIR COLLECTOR'S SET - SERIES TWO" --- (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Film noir has sources not only in cinema but other artistic mediums as well...the low-key lighting schemes commonly linked with the classic mode are in the tradition of chiaroscuro and tenebrism, techniques using high contrasts of light and dark developed by 15th- and 16th-century painters associated with Mannerism and the Baroque...film noir's aesthetics are deeply influenced by German Expressionism, a cinematic movement of the 1910s and 1920s closely related to contemporaneous developments in theater, photography, painting, scultpture, and architecture...opportunities offered by the booming Hollywood film industry and, later, the threat of growing Nazi power led to the emigration of many important film artists working in Germany who had either been directly involved in the Expressionist movement or studied with its practitioners...Directors such as Fritz Lang, Robert Siodmak, and Michael Curtiz brought dramatic lighting techniques and a psychologically expressive approach to mise-en-scène with them to Hollywood, where they would make some of the most famous of classic noirs. Lang's 1931 masterwork, the German M, is among the first major crime films of the sound era to join a characteristically noirish visual style with a noir-type plot, one in which the protagonist is a criminal (as are his most successful pursuers). M was also the occasion for the first star performance by Peter Lorre, who would go on to act in several formative American noirs of the classic era ... featuring top performances from the '40s and '50s with outstanding drama and screenplays, along with a wonderful cast and supporting actors to bring it all together ... another winner from the vaults of almost forgotten film noir gems

First up we have Michael David Productions and Lippert Pictures feature "MAN FROM CAIRO" (aka: Dramma nella Kasbah) (1953) (81 mins/B&W) --- Under Ray Enright (Director) --- Starring George Raft (Mike Canelli), Gianna Maria Canale (Lorraine Beloyan), Leon Lenoir (Police Captain Akhim Bey) - - - - released on November 27, 1953, Mike Canelli (George Raft), the man from Cairo, nosing around Algiers with mystery surrounding the people he meets and the things he does and has done to him, all deriving from the war-time theft of $100,000,000 in gold which lies somewhere in the adjacent desert. People representing many nationalities and reasons are also seeking the gold. It boils down to a battle between Canelli and the badie aboard a speeding train. Raft again to the fore creating excitement in every scene, shows why he was the number one boy on the Warner Bros. lot ... beautiful Greek actress Irene Papas in a tub with Raft standing in the doorway getting an eye full.

Second on the double bill is a Spartan Productions Inc and Robert L. Lippert Picture release "MASK OF THE DRAGON (1951) (55 min/B/W) --- Under Sam Newfield (Director) --- Starring Richard Travis (Phil Ramsey), Sheila Ryan (Ginny O'Donnell), Sid Melton (Manchu Murphy) - - - - released March 10, 1951, Lt. Dan Oliver (Richard Emory), an American soldier in Korea, agrees to deliver a jade dragon to a curio shop in Los Angeles. Soon after his return to the states, he is murdered. His buddy Phil Ramsey (Richard Travis) and Ginny O'Donnell (Sheila Ryan) trace the murder to the shop of Professor Kim Ho (Jack Reitzen). When a package mailed to Ramsey, by Oliver from Honolulu, proves to contain the jade dragon, Ramsey takes it to the curio shop to force a showdown with Kim Ho over what Ramsey suspects is a smuggling racket. Not to be confused with "The Maltese Falcon" but it moves right along, and even throws in Curt Masey and His Trailsmen in an unexpected sighting.

Third film we have Lippert Pictures feature "FBI GIRL" (1951) (74 mins/B&W) --- Under William A. Berke (Director) --- Starring Cesar Romero (FBI Agent Glen Stedman), George Brent (FBI Agent Jeff Donley), Audrey Totter (Shirley Wayne), Tom Drake (Carl Chercourt), Raymond Burr (Blake), Raymond Greenleaf (John Williams, alias Gov. Owen Grisby), Margia Dean (Natalie Craig, the FBI girl), Don Garner (Paul Craig), Alexander Pope (George 'Georgia' Denning), Richard Monahan (Donald, the clerk), Tommy Noonan (Tommy, TV comic as Tom Noonan), Peter Marshall (Pete, TV comic as Pete Marshall) - - - - - released on November 4, 1951, our story line has the governor hiring Raymond Burr to steal a file from the FBI that has fingerprint evidence proving he previously was a wanted criminal ... Agent Cesar Romero and George Brent are hot on the trail, with Audrey Totter in the thick of things ... Raymond Burr as usual is the scene stealer as the snake in the grass wonderful part and a great actor.

Fourth choice is a Robert L. Lippert Picture release "TOUGH ASSIGNMENT" (1949) (64 min/B/W) --- Under William Beaudine (Director) - - - Starring Don 'Red' Barry (Don Reilly), Marjorie Steele (Margie Reilly), Steve Brodie (Boss Morgan), Marc Lawrence (Vince (a tough), Ben Welden (Sniffy (a tough), Sid Melton (Herman (crooked rancher) - - - - our story and film released November 15, 1949, involves a newspaper reporter (Don Barry) pursues a modern-day rustling gang whose truck driving "cowboys" are far more dangerous than their horse riding counterparts ... veteran actor Steve Brodie heads the cast as the bossman heavy

Fifth title up we have Eros Films and Lippert Pictures feature "I'LL GET YOU" (aka: Escape Route) (1950) (79 mins/B&W) --- Under Seymour Friedman (Director) - - - Starring George Raft (Steve Rossi), Sally Gray (Joan Miller), Frederick Piper (Inspector Reid), Reginald Tate (Colonel Wilkes) - - - - released March 3, 1951 as our F.B.I. agent (George Raft) illegally enters England following the disappearance of several noted atomic scientists ... as Raft and Sally Gray close in, the terrorists aren't about to give up without a final encounter ... what's behind this cloak and dagger game, will our popular hero of Warner Bros. fame come out of this suspenseful plot with all the answers and a new love life.

Sixth and final film is a Spartan Productions Inc and Robert L. Lippert Picture release "FINGERPRINTS DON'T LIE" (1951) (57 min/B/W) --- Under Sam Newfield (Director) - - - Starring Richard Travis (James Stover), Sheila Ryan (Carolyn Palmer), Sid Melton (Hypo Dorton), Tom Neal (The Prosecuting Attorney), Margia Dean (Nadine Connell), Lyle Talbot (Lt. Grayson) - - - - released February 23, 1951, our story line rests on the identity of the murderer of a town's mayor by his fingerprints on the weapon ... could there be any doubt could the case be finally closed, could the experts be wrong ... music for opening and closing is a studio organ playing in the background, good old time radio effect ... is there guilt for the murder of the town's mayor is placed on Richard Emory by fingerprint expert Richard Travis during the murder trial because Emory's fingerprints were found on the murder weapon ... local reporter plants doubt in Travis mind about the guilt of Emory ... he decides to investigate further with the help of Sheila Ryan, the dead mayor's daughter and Emory's fiancee ... Travis discovers that the fingerprints are forged and the chase begins

Great job by the people at VCI Entertainment, hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") and Trevor Scott (Down Under Com) as they have rekindled my interest once again for Film Noir, B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been Cowboys!

Total Time: 415 mins on DVD ~ VCI Home Video KPF-558 ~ (4/24/2007)

Nacho Libre (Full Screen Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Outrageously Funny & Much Better Than I Expected
Give me a break, this movie is HILARIOUS
NaCHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! "It's the best!"
Nacho funny Nacho
Effective in what it sets out to do, just not over the top hilarious...

Nacho Libre (Full Screen Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Jack Black , Ana de la Reguera , Héctor Jiménez , Darius Rose , and Moises Arias
Director: Jared Hess
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000HRMAP4
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Outrageously Funny & Much Better Than I Expected.......2007-09-13

Give me a break, this movie is HILARIOUS.......2007-09-04

NaCHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! "It's the best!".......2007-08-11

Nacho funny Nacho.......2007-07-11

We absolutely LOVED this movie. I thought the accent was perfect, and my kids ages 8 and 4 along with my husband and I could not stop laughing. We are about to buy the movie for our collection.

Effective in what it sets out to do, just not over the top hilarious..........2007-07-06

Average customer rating:

Tomorrow
Love can be found where you least expect it
The Great Depression
Haunting movie...
Robert Duvall...as SlingBlade?

Tomorrow
Starring: Robert Duvall , Olga Bellin , Sudie Bond , Richard McConnell , and Peter Masterson
Director: Joseph Anthony (II)
Manufacturer: Homevision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0001OGUR2
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Amazon.com

Based on the William Faulkner story and featuring one of Robert Duvall's finest performances, Tomorrow was first adapted by Horton Foote for TV's Playhouse 90 in 1960. Eight years later, Foote--whose script for To Kill a Mockingbird provided Duvall's screen debut--presented the same story as an off-Broadway play with Duvall and Olga Bellin in the lead roles, which they reprised in 1971 for this independently produced film.

As with Tender Mercies--which earned Academy Awards for both Foote and Duvall in 1983--Tomorrow tells a simple tale of gentle people, and the sensitive script, direction, and performances offer an enlightening portrait of compassion and unconditional love. Duvall plays Fentry, a Mississippi cotton farmer in the early 1900s who leaves his father's farm to work as the winter watchman of a dormant sawmill. There, he encounters Sarah (Bellin), a pregnant woman abandoned by her husband and suffering from a life-threatening illness. They eventually marry, but inevitably, Fentry (portrayed by Duvall as a kind of holy innocent) alone must raise the woman's child--a good-natured boy whose fate is determined by a heartbreaking claim of familial custody.

The story is framed by a murder trial, the outcome of which leads to the film's resonant and quietly moving conclusion. Like so much of Foote's work, Tomorrow was tailor-made for Duvall, and it has much to say about endurance, integrity, and uncommon decency under difficult circumstances. Directed by Joseph Anthony with an appropriately somber tone, this delicate drama nevertheless offers a wise and uplifting affirmation of the resilient human spirit. For Duvall's many admirers, this is a must-see film. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Starring Robert Duvall in his breakthrough screen role, Tomorrow is a poignant tale based on a short story by William Faulkner, and scripted by Academy Award® winner Horton Foote (To Kill a Mockingbird, Tender Mercies). Duvall is Jackson Fentry, a young man
who leaves his father's farm to work at a local sawmill. Fentry rescues a young pregnant woman, who has been abandoned by her husband and family, and the two fall in love. Shot in black and white to convey the feel of the Depression era, Tomorrow remains the finest screen translation of Faulkner's vision of the South.

Customer Reviews:

Tomorrow.......2007-09-14

"Tomorrow" is simply the best film adaptation of a Faulkner work ever made.
When the adaptation first appeared on television, Faulkner declined to accept a royalty because he was so impressed with Horton Foote's adaptation. Robert Duval and Olga Belline give superb performances in this film adaptation based on the T.V. adaptation of Faulkner's short stiry originally published in "The Saturday Evening Post." Shot on location in Mississippi in black and white.

Love can be found where you least expect it.......2007-03-09

This excellent movie's screenplay is by Horton Foote, who adapted it from William Faulkner's short story by the same name from the collection "Knight's Gambit." Robert Duvall plays Jackson Fentry and Olga Bellin plays Sarah Eubanks. While sharecropping on a cotton farm, Fentry takes in a stranger, Sarah, who is homeless and pregnant. Fentry shows Sarah great kindness and concern until she delivers her baby. Much later, Fentry hangs a jury that is hearing the case of one Buck Thorpe, who stands accused of murder. Exactly why Fentry, who is an uneducated, dirt-poor farmer, is the only member of the jury who votes for Buck's acquittal, is what the movie is about. "Tomorrow" is not only a great movie, but also the screenplay is one of the finest adaptations around. A must-see movie.

The Great Depression.......2007-01-11

I enjoyed my second viewing of this movie...it proves the power of Robert Duvall...he can play most parts as if born to them. Anyone who is a fan of Williams and Faulkner should enjoy it..but a word of warning..it is not for those suffering from depression!

Haunting movie..........2006-11-27

I saw this movie years ago...forgot the name of it but through the wonders of the internet was finally able to find it again. If you like understated acting and a good story it is as fine a movie as you'll ever see. Robert Duvall is so good...he just flies right below the radar with his performance and is deeply affecting. This is an example of incredible storytelling that is often missing in today's hit-you-over-the-head-with-the-plot-and-special-effects movies.

Robert Duvall...as SlingBlade?.......2006-11-04