Our Release of the Week is Criterion's Blu-ray of KISS ME DEADLY. Since I was in my early teens I have collected old pulp novels. Just like a film with a car chase that makes your foot 10 pounds heaver on the gas (or a Fast Film as we call them), those books gave me a swagger, made me feel like a tough guy. One of the best authors of that genre was the late Mickey Spillane.
Spillane's notorious character Mike Hammer was flawed, rough around the edges, but in the end he always made the wrong things right. KISS ME DEADLY is the 6th book the Hammer series. The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides (DESERT FURY, ON DANGEROUS GROUND) who was a good choice to adapt Spillane's novel, though Spillane himself would have done the best job (he began working on scripts in '54).
KISS ME DEADLY follows Hammer (Ralph Meeker's turn as Hammer is a punch in the face) as he picks up a female hitchhiker that pulls him into a giant shit-storm of trouble. Directed by Robert Aldrich (THE DIRTY DOZEN), KISS ME DEADLY remains the best film noir in my book, and if you disagree you may get punch the mush.
Here's whats on the disc:
New high-definition restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
Audio commentary by film noir specialists Alain Silver and James Ursini
New video tribute from director Alex Cox (Repo Man, Walker)
Excerpts from The Long Haul of A. I. Bezzerides, a 2005 documentary on the Kiss Me Deadly screenwriter
Excerpts from Mike Hammer’s, Mickey Spillane, a 1998 documentary on the author whose book inspired the film
A look at the film’s locations
Altered ending
Theatrical trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman and a 1955 reprint by director Robert Aldrich
You can (and should) grab this from TLA Cult here: http://bit.ly/mpgQGs
On any other week a Roger Corman triple feature of WIP films would be at the top of my list, but it isn't for two reasons:
1. This is coming out on Blu-ray in August.
2. KISS ME DEADLY IS THAT FUCKING GOOD.
You can grab all the nekkid goodness from TLA Cult here: http://bit.ly/lV8CEe
Not one of Ted V. Mikel's best films, but it's still cool and has a strong Mikel's vibe to it. Tura Satana would have torn this story of female thieves/cocaine dealers up. Sigh...
Grab this from TLA Cult here: http://bit.ly/iNVp6J
I didn't know who William Castle was until I saw Joe Dante's MATINEE. After I saw that film I was desperate to learn more about Castle and his love of movies and the macabre. He was cinema's PT Barnum and I am anxious to get my hands on this.
Grab this from Amazon here: http://amzn.to/meY2Ue
I haven't seen RIO CONCHOS but TAKE A HARD RIDE is the balls with a cast out of geek central: Lee Van Cleef, Jim "The Dragon" Kelly, Jim Brown, and Fred Williamson.
Grab this from Amazon here: http://amzn.to/lAwqif
I haven't had the chance to jump on this yet but it looks epic. Easter Bunny meets the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE? Sign us up!
Grab this from Amazon here: http://amzn.to/lHhV9s
And in the "just cause..." file:
Why?
Cause it's Bob Ross jackass!
Grab this from Amazon here: http://amzn.to/kNZENG
Why?
Do you even have to ask?
Grab this from Amazon here: http://amzn.to/meUhi7
That's it for this week kids. Next week Severin Films is unleashing all kinds of parental nightmares on the world with ménage à trois of horror: THE BABY, NIGHTMARES (uncut), and BLOODY BIRTHDAY!
Until then...
Here's to good watching this week, salute!
See you on forty deuce,
G
