Search - Hammer Film Noir Collector's Set (Bad Blonde / Blackout / The Gambler and the Lady / Heat Wave / Man Bait / Stolen Face) on DVD

CRIME AND ECSTASY IN BRITISH SHADOWS

Ray K. Sibul | Morris, MN USA | 05/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you don't care for Hammer horror, perhaps Hammer noir will please you.
Schemes that eventually backfire and send the noir characters to their doom or near doom is the unrelenting charm of these little British crime thrillers from the fifties.
Vci Video has now released 6 of these British noirs in an impressive set of 3 DVDs. The collection includes the following films with their catchy B-movie titles: BAD BLONDE (1953); MAN BAIT (1952); STOLEN FACE (1952); BLACKOUT (1954); GAMBLER AND THE LADY (1952); and HEAT WAVE (1954).
Of course, black-and-white low-keyed cinematography underscores the shadow friendly environment in all of these moody films.
The always nervous Dane Clark is here twice (in two films), cooking up something. Diana Dors, Barbara Payton, Lizabeth Scott, Naomi Chance, Belinda Lee, and Hillary Brooke: all these blond ladies become fatally attractive again. And besides Dane Clark, there are also George Brent, Paul Henreid, Alex Nicol, and Tony Wright in the lineup of fall guys.
These well made low budget films received second feature billing, below the main attraction in American movie theaters throughout the fifties, and were released here in the US by Lippert Pictures. Ironically, those second features on the lower half of double bills, very often turned out to be much more interesting (and inventively done) than were the higher budget presentations that overshadowed them. By the way, I am also enchanted by the strikingly attractive poster art of the noir titles decorating the double feature disc labels in the Hammer noir collector's set. Lippert Pictures often put out the most magnificently colorful (and sometimes delightfully gaudy) posters to entice the movie going public. Some of this movie paper is now much in demand by collectors, and is hard to find.
Visual melodramatics lend enormous strength and much flavor to the scheming and shadowy action in every one of the films in the set. Some visually dramatic displays, however, are absolute knockouts. Note, especially, GAMBLER AND THE LADY's wonderfully bizarre, over-the-top ending (poor Dane Clark!).
We finally have the opportunity to enjoy and own these long neglected and mostly forgotten Hammer/Lippert noirs in very good condition. I really do think this is paradise in low-key black and white. What more could one ask?!
Without hesitation, 5 stars to this great set at such a bargain price to boot!"

Fantastic Movie Collection - Poor Packaging and Presentation

Moviefanatic | Chicago, Il | 07/01/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The selection of movies is FANTASTIC! Only The Stolen Face has been previously released in the UK. I could not stop watching them. We should be greatful to VCI for bringing these titles out of obscurity. Hopefully, they will continue this trend in the future. I have only one complaint - presentation and packaging. Frankly, I was quite shocked when I opened the case which was quite thick. I thought there would be three individually packaged DVDs inside the case with great poster art as has been shown on the cover pages of the individual releases. Unfortunately, once I opened the case, I saw the three DVDs stacked together on one spindle. The DVDs were not individually packaged and there was absolutely no poster art except the one on the cover page. VCI did a great job of presenting these great titles to us and I wish they put a little more care towards the presentation and packaging."

Bad Blondes of Film Noir.

Anthony Capialbi | Brooklyn, New York | 09/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a must have set for any noir fan and beautiful femme fatales. The quality is excellent since these films were transferred from original studio prints. Immediately after watching this set I looked up some of the beautiful ladies featured in these films. I was familiar with drop dead gorgeous Barbara Payton who sadly died in 1967 due to alcolism. Barbara stars in "Bad Blonde," one of the better femme fatale story noirs in this set. Another beauty is Hillary Brooke in "HeatWave,") aka "Lady Across the Lake". Hillary is so damm tempting as a bad tall blonde married to a rich guy she would sooner see dead, playing the field with other men and torturing her poor husband's heart. These women are still fataly desirable to any man. I expect Hammer will release the other six noirs that were made by Lippert Studios in the early 50's. I look forward to that."

Just ok.

Coronet Blue | California | 02/11/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A good introduction to "B" films. These are late 1940's (actually from the 50s) dramas with some noir elements. The films look great--as if they haven't been seen in 50 years--which is probably the case, since they're not too exiting.

I won't give a running commentary like some reviewers but I thought Heat Wave was pretty fair. The story is essentially the same as The Postman Always Rings Twice but its well done and not as slow as the other films. Hillary Brook, who went on to superstardom with Abbott & Costello, was quite a dish and gives a great performance.

Dane Clark, a prominent figure in many Hammer/VCI movies is perfectly adequate but like the movies themselves, a bit lightweight. Robert Mitchum he ain't.

All in all, good transfers and a lot of content for the money. Or course there is better noir available (even from VCI, for example Blond Ice) and I know of at least one Hammer non-horror film that's quite good, The Four Sided Triangle."