300-329; 354-357; 486-491 Columbia Noir #1-7

[M Sanderson]

I'd say "wholly proportionate" myself, but I was trusting that M Sanderson and anyone else reading it had a sense of humour.

Seriously, though, cleaving rigidly to something I said several years ago is as pointless as... well, retrospectively calling me out when I said back in 2017 that Indicator had no plans regarding The Pirates of Blood River (which had just been released by Twilight Time). Obviously, Indicator did subsequently put it out in early 2020, but it wasn't licensed until a good two years after the TT disc came out.

(Incidentally, nothing should be interpreted as any kind of tease about Joseph Losey's M, for which there are currently no plans.)

Ha, yes I do have a dry sense of humour myself.

I remember asking if any more Losey or Fleischer were planned, and Michael teased that one more title from one of those directors could happen. And it was one from the excellent batch of Loseys.

But I’ve seen so many times, titles that fall under the “no plans” category actually coming into fruition.

[MichaelB]

I think as a general rule, if a comment is more than about, say, six to nine months old, it's most likely no longer valid, as new titles are acquired on a regular basis (usually in substantial blocks). As it happens, there are no other Loseys currently planned, although I'm sure if any were to become available in terms of both rights and decent materials they'd be taken very seriously as releasing prospects - when an indie label releases four films by one director, it's a safe bet that they're fans. (In fact, I think I put more hours into getting Eve right than I have with almost any other Indicator release!)

[MichaelB]

Anyway, getting back on topic, here are two substantial reviews of Columbia Noir #2, from CineOutsider and Mondo Digital.

[Jack Phillips]

(In fact, I think I put more hours into getting Eve right than I have with almost any other Indicator release!)

And I for one want to offer you unstinting thanks for that effort. It's a wonderful release.

[M Sanderson]

For me The Dark Past is the biggest stinker in this box. A lot of Freudian mumbo jumbo. The Sniper and Between Midnight and Dawn are both very good, the other three are okay. Not enough for me to buy this set, but that's usually the case with noir boxes. If I could construct my own "greatest hits" of these three, it would be:

Murder by Contract
The Sniper
The Lineup
Between Midnight and Dawn
Framed
The Mob

Sounds like there’s at least two really damn good films per box. In the first one obviously The Lineup but I was also hugely impressed by Drive a Crooked Road. A really substantial character study that was dark and twisted.

Not opened my second set yet but I’ve heard great things about Murder by Contract and also Framed.

[Florinaldo]

Am I correct in assuming that these box sets are slightly slimmer than the Hammer, Castle of Fuller ones, closer to the Harryhausen sets? Six digipacks and a booklet would be about equivalent to the latter's size (thick booklet plus 3 standard cases) judging from what can be viewed on the Web. I remember someone mentioning that this was one of the templates available from the printer Indicator is using.

[swo17]

Am I correct in assuming that these box sets are slightly slimmer than the Hammer, Castle of Fuller ones, closer to the Harryhausen sets?

Correct, they're the same width as the Harryhausen sets

[MichaelB]

Final specs for Columbia Noir #3:



Johnny O'Clock:



The Dark Past:



Convicted:



Between Midnight and Dawn:



The Sniper:



City of Fear:

[domino harvey]

I bet all the extras completists are killing themselves over all these Stooges shorts

[soundchaser]

I bet all the extras completists are killing themselves over all these Stooges shorts

I'm sure they were cheap (if not free) to license, and I can imagine some are glad they're here, but I can't fathom how the public let them make almost 200 of these.

[MichaelB]

Columbeaver Noir #3.

[Florinaldo]

Does Indicator have definite plans to issue more in this series?

They may be catching their breath because the three (so far) box sets came out pretty close on the heels of each other and each offers an impressive amount of contents.

[domino harvey]

They've hinted at titles that would likely occupy a fourth set at the very least

[MichaelB]

CineOutsider and Mondo Digital on #3.

[Boosmahn]

Does Indicator have definite plans to issue more in this series?

The original announcement said the project "will comprise multiple releases across numerous volumes over the coming years."

Obviously, things can change, but I'd throw out a cautious guess there will be two, maybe three more. (Or how about 11 more, so the pH scale strip comes full circle? )

[MichaelB]

There will certainly be one more, but I wouldn't lay money on eleven.

[rapta]

Does Indicator have definite plans to issue more in this series?

The original announcement said the project "will comprise multiple releases across numerous volumes over the coming years."

Obviously, things can change, but I'd throw out a cautious guess there will be two, maybe three more. (Or how about 11 more, so the pH scale strip comes full circle? )

Judging by what's been released on DVD before (and Blu-ray in other territories) and what's likely to get the Indicator treatment, I'd say your original guess of at least 2-3 more sets, maybe more if Columbia are working on restoring others.

And from their original announcement they mentioned Nicholas Ray, so Knock on Any Door will feature in one of these, and I'd be surprised if a few more Bogie titles wouldn't join it (e.g. Dead Reckoning, Tokyo Joe, Sirocco, The Harder They Fall). The Brothers Rico has also been teased, and there are at least a few others I'd love to see included soon (Pushover, The Burglar, Walk a Crooked Mile). Some Ida Lupino would be lovely to see too, someone whose career the UK boutiques haven't generally yet had a chance to explore (literally just Arrow's The Big Knife, IIRC).

[swo17]

The Brothers Rico has also been teased, and there are at least a few others I'd love to see included soon (Pushover, The Burglar, Walk a Crooked Mile).

Those four plus Walk East on Beacon are the only ones from the U.S. Columbia noir sets that haven't yet made their way over to this series

[Thornycroft]

Volume #4 announced for September

WALK A CROOKED MILE (Gordon Douglas, 1948)
WALK EAST ON BEACON! (Alfred Werker, 1952)
PUSHOVER (Richard Quine, 1954)
A BULLET IS WAITING (John Farrow, 1954)
CHICAGO SYNDICATE (Fred F Sears, 1955)
THE BROTHERS RICO (Phil Karlson, 1957)

[rapta]

Volume #4 announced for September

WALK A CROOKED MILE (Gordon Douglas, 1948)
WALK EAST ON BEACON! (Alfred Werker, 1952)
PUSHOVER (Richard Quine, 1954)
A BULLET IS WAITING (John Farrow, 1954)
CHICAGO SYNDICATE (Fred F Sears, 1955)
THE BROTHERS RICO (Phil Karlson, 1957)

There you go! Three out of four I mentioned above, not bad going - and A Bullet is Waiting is a nice surprise too. I suppose The Burglar could be in the next set then (probably announced for early 2022, I’m guessing).

Recently got Kino’s Noir Archive Vol. 1 and there are a couple already done by Indicator, but I imagine there might be more (e.g. Address Unknown, Assignment - Paris, Johnny Allegro, The Black Book). I suppose it’ll depend how long they want to continue these sets for!

[HJackson]

Convicted was the only title in the first three sets I’d never seen. Two ones here that are new to me, A Bullet is Waiting and Chicago Syndicate, so a good announcement for me even though I would have bought it on day one regardless.


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[domino harvey]

Chicago Syndicate is a truly excellent underseen noir, a brutal and snappy piece of business with memorable supporting work by 50s power couple Xavier Cugat and his much younger wife Abbe Lane (they shoulda put her on the cover). Very excited for more folks to see this one thanks to the added exposure this set will bring it

Conversely, A Bullet is Waiting (which is def more a modern western than a noir) is now the second worst film in this series

[therewillbeblus]

Chicago Syndicate is indeed good, though for all the lean fun it provides, the eruption of violence occurring near the end is one of the most jarring I've experienced- and it's not even visually communicated

[headacheboy]

The Brothers Rico was on TCM just a couple of weeks ago and Walk A Crooked Mile is on this Saturday evening and again this Sunday morning as part of TCM's Noir Alley if anyone cannot wait or just wants to see it. I had recorded Brothers Rico and just dumped it off my DVR after receiving the news. I've seen neither film so I'll wait until this set lands in my mailbox.

[therewillbeblus]

I don't love The Brothers Rico, though my expectations were high following Scorsese's effusive praise going into my watch many years ago, so I'm curious to revisit it with a more tempered attitude