Dark Crimes: 50 Movie Pack [12 Discs]Dark Crimes: 50 Movie Pack [12 Discs]

Retail: $29.95
Our Price:
$22.46
Save: $7.49

Stock Status: No Longer Available!!!

 

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

    From dark to darker! These evil-spirited crimes fill the screen for more than 60 hours of daunting viewing. Includes Baby Face Morgan (1942), Cause for Alarm (1951), The Mandarin Mystery (1936), The Devil’s Party (1938), The Great Flamarion (1945), The Limping Man (1953), The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950), Parole Inc. (1948), The Sleeping Tiger (1954), Things Happen at Night

DVD FEATURES:
  • Number of Discs: 12
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard), 1.78:1 (Alternate Wide Screen)
  • Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
  • Screen: Black and White, Letterbox for TV
AWARDS
  • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
  •     Nominated Best Original Story - 1946 (John Patrick)
  •     Nominated Best Score - Drama or Comedy - 1945 (Werner Janssen)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
REVIEWS:
  • Love From a Stranger is an imperfect but very engaging little thriller. Adapted from an Agatha Christie story, it has many of the hallmarks associated with the writer, although it lacks a central detective character in Poirot or Marple manner. But the screenplay is a lovely little game of cat-and-mouse, with cat and mouse changing roles frequently and to great effect. There's little depth to the goings-on, either in terms of character or theme, which damages the film somewhat, and the first half is somewhat slow going. While this tendency to drag is almost built into the story, director Rowland V. Lee could still have employed a few tricks to alleviate the sluggishness; however, once things get moving they really move, and the last half is enormous fun. Ann Harding and Basil Rathbone are a total delight, with Rathbone especially relishing the chance in the latter part of the film to let go; rarely does one get to witness such an over-the-top performance that still works beautifully. Fans of Rathbone and/or thrillers will have a great time; even non-fans should enjoy themselves if they stick with the film through the first half. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • Although lacking the ingenuity of the first Mr. Wong whodunit, Mr. Wong, Detective (1938), The Mystery of Mr. Wong remains an above-average B-thriller anchored by Boris Karloff's relaxed rendering of pulp writer Hugh Wiley's Oxford-educated Chinese sleuth. Although experienced armchair detectives may not find the solution to the riddle all that taxing -- after all, how many "Dr. Watsons" does Mr. Wong really need? -- the soft-spoken investigator performs his duty with a meticulousness lacking in some of his more outrageous colleagues and plot holes are few and far between. But why the title The Mystery of Mr. Wong? Wong himself is not at all mysterious; in fact, except for no-nonsense Detective-Sergeant Street (Grant Withers), he remains the least enigmatic of all the inhabitants, permanent or otherwise, of star-crossed Brandon Edwards Mansion. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
  • Fear in the Night is totally implausible, but if a viewer can get past that fact, he'll find himself absorbed in this taut, gripping mixture of "mystery" noir and psychological thriller. Coming in at a lean 72 minutes, Fear is a fast-paced picture that concentrates less on character development than on plot and atmosphere. It plays its melodrama straight, accepting the story as just a fun pulp exercise, and coming off as much more enjoyable and effective for that reason. Production values are admittedly spare, even for a B-picture, but they're used to good effect, with John H. Greenhalgh Jr.'s moody lensing helping to mask the film's basic cheapness. Maxwell Shane's direction is almost as bare-bones as his script, but that's not cause for complaint; it perfectly compliments the writing, and makes for a film with maximum impact. In the leads, a very young DeForest Kelley is convincingly overwrought; he already has some of the mannerisms that he would become famous for on Star Trek, but they work well here. Paul Kelly is an excellent foil for him, and he brings an edge to his role that is interesting; at times, he seems to not really care for this brother-in-law of his, and that creates a nice dynamic. Best of all is Robert Emmett Keane, whose villainous hypnotist is a great deal of fun, especially during the hypnosis-by-watch sequence. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • If The Red House falls a little short of being a totally successful noirish thriller, it's not for lack of trying. Indeed, director Delmer Daves pulls out every trick in his considerable bag and exhibits extraordinary determination to draw the audience into this dangerous house. As a matter of fact, he exhibits a bit too much determination, with the effort showing unduly. The viewer watches impressed at Daves' technique and commitment, marveling at the expert use of sound and shadow; yet, it ultimately comes across as a little too much, and that "too much" keeps viewers from becoming as engrossed as they could be. And when they're not totally engrossed, it gives them the opportunity to notice some cracks in the story itself and to notice that, despite all of Daves' resolve, the climax holds too few surprises to really work and the inclusion of the elopement of secondary characters does nothing except divert from the underdeveloped ending. The casting of Lon McCallister in the pivotal role of Nath is also problematic. He's an amiable enough actor, but he doesn't seem to understand the depths of the character. As a result, the complexities of Nath make no sense to the audience. Fortunately, the rest of the casting brings no such problems to House. Edward G. Robinson is in magnificent form; few actors could combine toughness and vulnerability in the manner Robinson did, and his performance is crucial to House. Judith Anderson, if a bit too refined in voice, is also a prime asset, and there's also fine work from a sensuous Julie London. The Red House has other assets, including an unusual rural setting for a noir-esque film; if all the assets don't push the movie into the winner's circle, they come close. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • Thorold Dickinson's Gaslight was one of the most acclaimed thrillers of the 1930's, as finely scripted, acted, and directed as any mystery-drama of its era, and exquisitely nuanced. The movie and its basic plot were good enough to attract the attention of MGM, which not only bought the rights for their 1944 remake with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, directed by George Cukor, but suppressed the original. [indeed, for many years Dickinson's movie wasn't even officially in existence, all known prints and negatives reportedly having been destroyed by MGM. After 1940, it was known to have been screened once in the early 1950's in New York City, and then wasn't heard from again until after Ted Turner took over the studio's library and began a comprehensive vault search.] The movie must, inevitably, be compared with the Cukor's remake, and Dickinson's version stands up well -- it isn't as handsome or opulent, but it is as finely nuanced as Cukor's is overblown and over-produced. Diana Wynyard is a convincing picture of vulnerability as the nefarious plan by her murder-minded spouse Anton Walbrook proceeds, by turns panicked and doubting. The supporting players, from Frank Pettingill on down, are also a study in minimalism, their work seemingly motivated (correctly) by the notion of less being more. Dickinson doesn't waste time telling his story, but he allows his actors the intimate focus that allows their work -- rather than the sets and costumes -- to fill the screen and the viewer's attention. This is precisely the sort of drama that Alfred Hitchcock sought to create (with less success) in Under Capricorn, and to some extent also anticipates his Rebecca, done a year after Gaslight. The movie was also distributed for a time before its 50-year disappearance under the titles Angel Street and Murder In Thornton Square. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
  • This still very amusing B-movie -- from Producers Releasing Corporation, no less, which wasn't known for its comedies -- is worth tracking down. An unassuming genial comedy set in the early days of the war on the home front, Baby Face Morgan is strongly reminiscent of Damon Runyon's best work and has a charm similar to that of Frank Capra's Lady for a Day, albeit from a much poorer, more threadbare production. Not surprisingly, there was a real writer behind the story in Oscar Brodney, a lawyer-turned-screenwriter with the common touch where humor was concerned, responsible for adapting Mexican Hayride (1948) for Abbott and Costello and Harvey (1950) as a screen vehicle for James Stewart. Here he steps into Damon Runyon territory, devising a fable about aging gangsters, a protection racket, and the wide-eyed innocent (Richard Cromwell) who sets things right with his own good nature, amid a string of comical misunderstandings and instances of mistaken identity -- the notion of gangsters being set at cross-purposes to themselves holds up even today as humorous. Cromwell is charming as the innocent hero, and Robert Armstrong is a hoot as the conniving gangster trying to manipulate his fellow mobsters. Director Arthur Dreifuss obviously had his hands full bringing this low-budget vehicle in on time (with a pretty big cast and lots of comic timing required), but he moves his actors well and even gets a convincingly (and necessarily) realistic performance out of Ralf Harolde as the quick-on-the-trigger would-be mob leader. And Warren Hymer and Vince Barnett are worth the price of admission as a pair of slow-on-the-uptake tough guys who look like they're auditioning for a road company production of Guys and Dolls. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
  • Norman Foster is best remembered for his directorial credit on a string of Mr. Moto movies in the late '30s; for Journey Into Fear (1942), a film prepared and designed by Orson Welles, on which Foster merely had to (and did) follow all of Welles' detailed instructions to bring off properly; and for a bunch of Disney-produced TV projects in the 1950s. But Woman on the Run (1950) is Foster's masterpiece, a stylish, sometimes funny, always ominous and often unsettling work that has as much to say about marriage and unhappiness as it offers thrills and suspense; and in the bargain, it offers Ann Sheridan in perhaps the best role of her career, as a hardened, disillusioned woman who discovers that at least half of the problems in her life lay within herself, and that she still loves the man she thought had ruined her life. It also us gives some of the best location shooting around San Francisco (albeit in black-and-white) that audiences were to get prior to Hitchcock's Vertigo and Don Siegel's Dirty Harry (not to mention Siegel's The Lineup). Foster and his cast perform a beautiful balancing act throughout, offering scenes laced with irony and biting humor (often at the expense of Sheridan's character) while never losing sight of the notion that we're following the trail of someone who is not only in danger from a killer, but who may also be a dying man, if he doesn't stop running. The moments of humor, sly, sardonic, and understated, relieve the tension at strategic points, which helps make the overall tone of suspense that much more effective and compelling. In all, it's some of the best work ever done by most of the people involved, and that rare thriller peopled by characters that one feels good about having learned to know better from the beginning to the end. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
  • Something of a warm-up for the later The File on Thelma Jordan, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers mixes obsession, desire, delusion, ambition, and fear into a fascinating and enthralling tangle. Unusual for a movie of its period, it's fairly sophisticated in dealing with what is, at heart, a "sick" relationship between Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck) and Walter O'Neil (Kirk Douglas), and demonstrating how easily a person (Sam Masterson [Van Heflin]) can get sucked into one. Fortunately for Masterson, he gets out in time, but it's a pretty narrow escape. Ivers is a remarkably tense film, although it's a tension that tends to linger beneath the surface; this is appropriate, as it reflects the turmoil and anxiety that lies under the calm surface of Ivers' and O'Neil's lives. That tension gives the film its life and strange vibrancy, and gives snap to even mundane scenes. There are some problems, notably the fact that the creators don't really seem to have a grasp on Masterson's motivation after the idea of blackmail enters the picture. Is he really interested in the money or is it a plot to get to the bottom of the Martha mystery? But the compelling, multi-layered performances of the stars (including Lizabeth Scott) more than make up for the few flaws in the script. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • A taut and effective little film noir, The Scar is a lesser known gem that deserves a wider following. Scar is far from perfect, mind you. For one thing, the story is one of those which is built on coincidences, far too many and of too far fetched a sort to be even remotely plausible. This alone will be a major hurdle for some viewers, but there's also the problem of the central gimmick: that too few people realize that the scar which the protagonist inflicts upon himself is on the wrong side of the face. However, if one is willing to overlook these flaws, Scar has is very rewarding. Paul Henreid turns in a classic dual performance, playing both the murderer and his victim and making them both distinct and yet also giving them an indefinable similarity that goes beyond the obvious physical. It's a shrewd and commanding performance and it is a major asset. Also of benefit is Joan Bennett's fine portrayal of a woman who is simultaneously world weary and openly vulnerable to being fooled in pursuit of love. Although the film can't escape a rather low budget look, director Steve Sekely helms it with style and John Alton's compelling cinematography is forceful and evocative. The ending is also a beaut; it's one of those incredible coincidences mentioned earlier, but for those willing to accept it, it packs a punch. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • Despite one dreadful piece of miscasting, The Man Who Cheated Himself emerges as an interesting and entertaining film noir, a "second tier" noir that deserves to be better known. (The title doesn't really fit the story to a T, but it's a great title nonetheless.) Felix E. Feist directs with all the requisite tension and atmosphere, pulling the viewer in and leading him along in a perfect, acceptable manipulative fashion. Feist's direction lacks some of the great flourishes of the masters of the genre, but it's more than competent and gets no complaints from this corner. Lee J. Cobb gives a very solid performance in the lead, as Lt. Ed Cullen, capturing the conflicting aspects of the character and making him sympathetic, even as he treads down the path of murder. John Dall does well as Cobb's younger brother, Andy, who makes the shocking realization that Cobb is his prey and that he must capture him, no matter what, and Lisa Howard and Alan Wells turn in fine support as Janet and Nito. The crucial piece of miscasting is in Jane Wyatt, cast very much against type as the story's femme fatale and failing miserably to carry it off. It's an annoying, mannered performance, and her lack of believability damages the core of the film, as one cannot imagine Cobb risking everything for her. Wyatt's performance gives an unintended meaning to the title -- that Cobb's character cheated himself by falling for someone so unappealing. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • The Capture is a treat for viewers looking for an intriguing drama that they haven't seen time and time again. Relatively obscure, thanks to its financial failure when first released, Capture is a lean, crisply directed thriller that plays with interesting questions or morality, innocence and guilt. Playing at times like a Western, at other times like a mystery, and at others like a romance, Capture perhaps tries a little too hard to be all three types and thus becomes slightly unfocused; but most viewers will be adequately rewarded by its assets and forgive it for being perhaps a little overly ambitious in trying to bridge these genres. Certainly there will be no complaints about its cast, with an appropriately guilty Lew Ayres and a typically luminous Teresa Wright leading the way and the always dependable Victor Jory and a solid Jacqueline White and Jimmy Hunt providing support. Niven Busch's screenplay is well constructed, setting up its situations with a sure hand, utilizing the flashback structure most effectively, and raising moral issues in a manner than both supports the story and adds depth to the characters. John Sturges' direction is spot-on, and there's fine cinematography from Edward J. Conjager that adds to the atmosphere and tension. Thos seeking something a little off the beaten path should keep an eye out for Capture. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • The Naked Kiss is a truly unique film that isn't easily classified as either "good" or "bad." Indeed, this movie is a mind-boggling collection of apparent contradictions. It's a lurid shocker with a tabloid sensibility that smacks the viewer right in the face (almost literally during the amazing opening sequence in which a bald-headed Constance Towers beats a pimp with her spike-heeled shoe); yet this moralistic film addresses serious issues and displays compassion and respect for some of society's outcasts. Although the film is an exploitative melodrama about a sexy prostitute who tries to "pass" in respectable society, Fuller's sympathy is clearly with this iron-willed, intelligent, self-reliant person; indeed, his film could be considered a strong feminist indictment of the way men abuse and exploit women. This hardboiled B picture attacks society's hypocrisy, although it seems to be rather sentimental at times; and while this low-budget flick has uneven acting, cheap sets, and gratuitous footage from the director's own home movies, it also features beautifully glossy cinematography by Stanely Cortez (whose other credits include both The Magnificent Ambersons and They Saved Hitler's Brain). Fuller confounds notions of quality so much that it's difficult to tell whether certain scenes (e.g., the singing crippled children) are intended to be sincerely sentimental or intentionally overdone. It does seem, however, that he was deliberately subverting at least some of the clichés that surface in this film. So the best way to appreciate The Naked Kiss is probably to keep in mind how much this independent film went against the grain of Hollywood movies of its time period. ~ Todd Kristel, Rovi
  • An effective but unexceptional little thriller, Cause for Alarm is notable for the star power of Loretta Young in this quickly-made (14 days) B-level film. Indeed, in some ways the presence of Young works slightly against Alarm. Alarm is nothing more than a manipulative "innocent victim" film, but having a legend like Young in it somehow makes us expect more than the little charms of this modest picture. But there's also the flip side: Young's star magic elevates sequences that would otherwise have been a bit too contrived or mundane. Certainly, Alarm's plot is frequently contrived, but it also all fits together well; we may not really swallow some of it, but it makes a certain structural sense, and we're willing to let it slide to enjoy Young's panicked attempts to retrieve the letter and the roadblocks which keep getting thrown in her. Tay Garnett's slick, smooth direction helps a great deal, as does Barry Sullivan's mentally ill husband. Bruce Cowling is unfortunately bland as the third point of the triangle, but Margalo Gillmore and Irving Bacon help to make up for this. And Joseph Ruttenberg's cinematography and Andre Previn's score are also huge pluses. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • Sucker Money, directed with speed and economy by Dorothy Reid (formerly Dorothy Davenport) and Melville Shyer is actually great fun. The star-billed Mischa Auer overplays his villainous Swami, as it should be, and the rest of the cast appears just as game. Leading man Earl McCarthy is personable and should have gone on to bigger and better things. Sadly, the Indiana-born actor died suddenly from a heart attack in 1933. A Willis Kent production, Sucker Money was filmed at the old Mack Sennett studios. It was re-released to television as Victims of the Beyond. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
  • Sinners In Paradise seems to have suffered from some very hasty re-editing, as well as a script that had at least one too many writers. The movie begins well enough, with a brisk and exciting opening sequence depicting a group of eight passengers heading for China by flying boat; and the entire airborne sequence, culminating with the crash at sea in a storm, is beautifully executed for its time -- but once the passengers and surviving crewman get to the island, things go haywire. Director James Whale tries hard, especially, in certain scenes, to present us with interesting characters and situations, but the movie can't seem to make up its mind, whether it is trying to be a relatively light comedy in the manner of The Admirable Crichton (or Paramount's We're Not Dressing), or a morality tale, anticipating films such as Five Came Back (1939) or Strange Cargo (1940). In the end, it comes off as neither, just an awkward mix of oddly shifting moods, interpersed with some interesting portrayals -- Bruce Cabot comes off like a young Lloyd Nolan, and he and Marion Martin make a potentially intriguing screen couple. But Whale apparently could never figure out what to do with Gene Lockhart or his character, nor could the screenwriters figure out if his character was there for villainy or comic relief. Additionally, at least one of the screenwriters (and there were three listed) seemed to want to make some points about contemporary politics and world affairs -- the worst villains are the two arms merchants -- but never figured out how to get what they were saying across. Whale's movies are always interesting to see, and this one is no exception, but it's hardly a lost masterpiece. (And one also suspects that Universal producer Frank Price may have had Sinners In Paradise in the back of his mind when he came up with Lost Flight 30 years later). ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
  • Trapped was one of the earlier films to follow in the wake of He Walked by Night -- made at the same studio, Eagle Lion -- which utilized a documentary-style approach to present a crime story (He Walked By Night, in turn, was merely adopting a technique that had been popularized at 20th Century Fox in such fact-based espionage stories as The House on 92nd Street). The technique was still fresh enough that it could hold audience interest at the time, though its handling here is somewhat clunky -- the documentary portion at the opening is fine, but the slice-of-life scene intended to support it is played and shot so uninterestingly, that it almost stops the movie and the action (which hasn't even started yet) dead in their tracks at three minutes into the picture. All of which is a pity, because from the five-minute mark onward, this is a solid, fast-moving crime thriller, with some unexpectedly complex elements, that picks up steam and tension as it rolls forward. The script is filled with double- and triple-crosses that seem obvious until they start forming up in layers, so that by the midway point there are enough overlapping scams being run by almost everyone involved to make Trapped seem as twist-laden as any two Mission: Impossible scripts. Director Richard Fleischer brings a smooth, low-key style to the plot and an up-close-and-personal approach to the violence, which makes for an intense viewing experience. Lloyd Bridges' weasel-like performance here as the man at the center of a government investigation and a double-cross (but by whom?) is practically a rehearsal for his work as the psychopathic criminal in Cyril Endfield's Try and Get Me a year later; he portrays a lean and hungry look that seems to go down into his soul and makes his pathological performance totally convincing, though his work here is also stiff at times, hemmed in as he is by some routine gangster movie jargon and posturing. The real surprise for many viewers, however, will be the presence of John Hoyt, playing a kind of "deep cover" treasury agent -- those accustomed to Hoyt's one-note character performances over the years, mostly as taciturn misers or eccentric older relatives, may be amazed to see the chameleon-like work that he does in the role of a man forced to wear several guises in his work and to switch them from moment to moment, from oily man-on-the-make to two-bit grifter to dedicated lawman; indeed, Hoyt's character is as much the focus of the movie as Bridges', and their duality, representing two very different kinds of men driven by deep passions, is the real focus of the movie. Each character finds himself trapped on impossibly dangerous ends of the same double- (or triple-) cross, by virtue of the kind of person that he is -- when they finally reveal who they are to each other, the confrontation stops just slightly short of murder. The movie also offers viewers an ancillary visual/historical treat in its final minutes -- amid the location shooting done in Los Angeles, the writers and producers staged a chase in the storage yard for the city's trolley system, which was to disappear soon after (to the regret of subsequent generations of residents, trapped in hopeless traffic jams); indeed, the yard and the noises of the trolleys are essential in structuring the movie's finale, which is only a little less engrossing than the chase on the Williamsburg Bridge that ends Naked City, another crime film within the same sub-genre. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
  • One of the most definitive films noirs, the suspenseful D.O.A. also features one of the greatest conceits in film history: a man trying to solve his own murder. Not many movies can boast the line, "You've been murdered." The existential anxieties lurking in other film noirs are at the forefront of D.O.A.: the "walking dead man" metaphor is no longer merely a metaphor. The underrated Edmond O'Brien was at his finest as the accountant fighting a fatal, slow-acting poison. The film was the first directorial effort from famed cinematographer Rudolph Maté (The Passion of Joan of Arc, Vampyr), and would be his most enduring film. Though the production values were in keeping with B-movies of the time, the stylish black-and-white cinematography of Ernest Laszlo was creative even by expressionistic standards. D.O.A. has been remade twice, first as the average Color Me Dead and then as 1988's vapid D.O.A. (1988). ~ Brendon Hanley, Rovi
  • A problematic but fascinating excursion into film noir, The Chase is not to everyone's taste but will thrill and delight those who are tuned in to its wavelength. Chase is revered by many noir-ists for its decidedly dreamlike atmosphere; indeed, part of the film is an actual dream, and the shift back between reality and dream is one of the picture's hallmarks. Blessed with dazzlingly expressionistic lensing from the excellent Franz Planer, Chase is a nightmare made real and like most nightmares, it can be hard for some people to take. They have a right to decry the slipperiness of the script, which at times is difficult to follow and doesn't always make sense: not everything adds up the way it's supposed to. But the atmosphere director Arthur Ripley creates is highly individualized and leaves a strong impression. Moments crash into the memory and stay there, and any film that forces impressions onto the subconscious in this way is worth respecting. In the lead, Robert Cummings is good but not great. He's a little lightweight, not able to give the part the underpinnings that it needs. Better but still falling somewhat short of the mark is Michele Morgan; she has the femme fatale concept down but doesn't give it a distinctive enough mark. That leaves the field clear for bad guys Steve Cohran and Peter Lorre to steal the show, which they do with ease. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • Strange Illusion is one of the most enchantingly bizarre and thoroughly enjoyable examples of film noir ever to come out of the celebrated "B" studio PRC, as well as being one of the most unsettling psychological thrillers of its era. Director Edgar G. Ulmer had become fascinated with the subject of psychology in the mid-'40s when he decided to make this movie, intended initially as an adaptation of a contemporary play, not a single element of which ended up in the final film. The screenplay that did result crawled with Freudian subtexts and several levels of neurosis and psychosis; the Oedipal fixation of the young hero and the villain's thinly veiled pedophilia (directed at teenage girls) being only the most obvious. The basic plot derives from Hamlet, but it is given a particularly nasty (and startling) edge by making the Claudius character (Warren William at his oiliest) into a would-be child molester. Coupled with Jimmy Lydon's vulnerably neurotic (yet appealing) hero, that onscreen pairing is as disquieting as it is startling to watch. Even in a movie made two decades later, these elements would be extraordinary, but the fact that they are presented within the context of a stylish little '40s B-mystery programmer makes them even more unsettling. Ulmer also filled his movie -- shot, as was usual in his case, in under three weeks, though not the mere six days in which Detour was filmed -- with all manner of stunning visuals, from the eerie dream sequences that open and close the film to the paranoia-laced, claustrophobia-inducing scenes of the hero trapped in a sanitarium. One particular scene, of the hero turning an eavesdropping gambit of the villains (a one-way window behind a mirror) into a means of escape, is a brilliant piece of photography, staging, and psychological symbolism. What's even more amazing is that none of the budgetary limitations under which Ulmer was working show through. This is one of the best-looking B-movies of its era, and it even offers a rich musical score by Leo Erdody (partly adapted from Schumann) that is central to the plot -- though to appreciate this film fully, one should find the best-looking DVD edition (probably the one from Allday Entertainment). There were directors working during this period who had scripts costing ten times in fees and time what this one did, and budgets of a million dollars or more (which would be up to 40 times what Ulmer had to spend here), who never made a movie a quarter as good, or as fascinating, disturbing, and complex, as Strange Illusion. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
  • Children be warned, Eddie Nugent's pet dog is poisoned and dies an agonizing death in this crime thriller. That, however, is the only departure from the typical 1930s whodunit. That and the fact that the murderer is easily detected and that Syd Saylor manages to get through a seemingly endless monologue without a stutter. In other words, consider yourself warned. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
  • A low budget effort from a minor studio, Parole Inc. will be of most interest to true aficionados of crime thrillers and/or film noir. It's not really a noir flick, but the gangster setting, the black-and-white photography and the general feel may be enough to attract fans. Most movie viewers, however, will find Parole a bit of a bore. The screenplay has a plot that generally makes sense -- which isn't always true of crime films -- but it's also noticeably lacking in suspense. For example, the film opens with a couple of paragraphs on the screen dealing with corruption among parole boards. A few minutes later, dialogue covers pretty much the same ground. It's as if the creators want to make sure no one gets lost or misses anything, and this "overdoing it" can be found in many places in the film. Alfred Zeisler's by-the-numbers direction doesn't up the surprise quotient any, and the lack of tension is a serious detriment. A livelier cast would have helped matters, but Parole's performances are basically only adequate: the actors do what is asked of them but little more. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Dark Crimes: 50 Movie Pack [12 Discs] - Available now from DVDPlanet.com, join our mailing list and receive special offers and promotions.

BROWSE BY GENRE

NOW PLAYING

Drive (2011) Thing (2011) Transformers: the Dark of the Moon 3d Big Year

 

 

 

 

 

Specials

TOP 10 Last 2 Weeks

  1. Three Outlaw Samurai – $16.99
  2. Count of Monte Cristo – $15.38
  3. Man in the Iron Mask (1939) – $15.35
  4. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 – $21.14
  5. World on a Wire – $25.34
  6. It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World – $13.73
  7. New Tricks Season 6 – $24.64
  8. Lady & the Tramp – $29.14
  9. Lady & the Tramp – $24.14
  10. Drive (2011) – $18.99

 

TOP 10 PRE-ORDERS

  1. Harold and Maude – 02/21/12 – $9.11
  2. Reds [25th Anniversary Edition] [2 Discs] – 02/21/12 – $10.64
  3. Nashville – 02/21/12 – $9.14
  4. A Place in the Sun – 02/21/12 – $10.23
  5. To Catch a Thief [Special Collector's Edition] – 02/21/12 – $10.04
  6. Three Days of the Condor – 02/21/12 – $8.24
  7. Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy – 02/21/12 – $10.04
  8. Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express – 02/21/12 – $8.24
  9. Stalag 17 [Special Collector's Edition] – 02/21/12 – $10.34
  10. Romeo and Juliet – 02/21/12 – $9.14
Find us on Facebook
Become an Affiliate



My Account
 Login
 Register
 Order History
 Wish List
 Shopping Cart
Information
 Help
 Contact Us
 Shopping
 Shipping Policies
 Returns and Exchanges
 Privacy statement