[.ca] Out Of The Past

SUPERB NOIR CLASSIC.....:
Among the spate of b & w noir films recently released by Universal and Warner's is this classic. Directed on a somewhat higher budget than most noirs of the 40's, Jacques Tourneur used his considerable skill honed on his 40's noir horror films with Val Lewton to fashion a first class thriller of deceit, lies, double crosses, murder, blackmail etc. all wrapped up with a first rate cast. One time gum shoe Robert Mitchum (now running a small town gas station) is tracked down and hired by Kirk Douglas to find his runaway mistress (Jane Greer) who shot him and ran off with $40,000. He finds her in Acapulco and immediately falls for her deceptive charms. She's a femme fatale with more traps in her web than a black widow spider. Of course, things get complicated (there's a murder and Mitchum disposes of the body) and soon Greer is back with Douglas and Mitchum is up to his neck again with another "job"...from Douglas. Mitchum is torn between his love for a good girl (Virginia Huston) and the wily machinations of Greer. And this time, he suspects he's being set up as a fall guy by Greer and Douglas. But Greer has her hooks in him good and it looks as if no one will win. Rhonda Fleming is another bad girl Mitchum contends with and there's more murder and mayhem to be dealt with as the walls close in on everyone. "Out of the Past" is an incredibly entertaining film that pulls you in and doesn't let up. Mitchum narrates the first part of the story (telling how he got involved to Huston) in typical fatalistic deadpan style. This is one of the all-time greats and the DVD print is really crisp and clean. A definite collector's item.

FINALLY OUT ON DVD!!!:
Jacque Tourneur's "Out of the Past" is one of the quintessential film noirs. Everything, from Robert Mitchum's musings - "Build my gallows high, baby" to the darkly mysterious environment is fraught with subtle entendre and troubling meaning. yet so fascinating that you can't turn away. Robert Mitchum is at his sleepy-eyed, dry and brooding best as Jeff Bailey, the ultra-cool, ultra savvy former P.I. hiding out from his former life as a gas station owner in a little alcove of existence that itself is absent from the mainstream world. But the past catches up with Bailey in the embodiment of callous, calculating career criminal, Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas). Whit and Jeff had some spurious goings on once upon a time, an old score that Whit isn't willing to overlook or concede once he finds Jeff. If that was not bad enough, Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer) enters the picture as the atypical femme fatale, whose bite is more venomous than the poisonous web of destruction and deceit that she manages to ensnare everyone in. This is a palpable taut thriller with few equals, an intellectual crime drama that puts its remake "Against All Odds" to shame. As is to be expected, the plot is anything but straight forward, leading to twists of convention that the first time viewer will be hard pressed to figure out or see coming. In keeping with Warner's current trend to not really do all that is required to completely remaster classic movies for DVD, the transfer of "Out of the Past" is just a bit above average. The gray scale is nicely balanced with deep solid blacks and whites that are relatively clean. There's a considerable amount of film grain and age related artifacts for a visual presentation that, while a considerable improvement over previously issued VHS tapes, is still below par. Edge effects, pixelization and shimmering of fine details are all present and sometimes distract. The audio is mono but nicely balanced. The more intent listener will notice some hiss. There's a very thorough audio commentary by James Ursini to round out your appreciation of the film. A good disc to add to your library.

Doesn't Hold Up:
When l first saw this flick as a youngster, l thought it was brilliant. Seeing it anew proved to be a big disappointment. Poor production values (viz., too many artificial sets, mediocre lighting, etc.) and a quite convoluted storyline. The very ending is touching, but it's not enough to save the whole flick and its artificiality. lt needs a good re-make.

A definitive film-noir masterpiece becomes a dazzling DVD!:
If you want to define film-noir, OUT OF THE PAST has it all. Standout performances from Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas, magnificent direction by Jacques Tourneur, and a screenplay full of more twists than a super-pretzel. Warner Home Video has given this film an outstanding transfer, as good as, or even surpassing any presentation of a noir film on DVD hitherto. Oh yes, the FILM has GRAIN. It was shot that way. It's supposed to look that way. Pay no attention to dweebs on these boards who don't understand that. This DVD is sure to please any true film fan who knows what they're supposed to be looking at, and OUT OF THE PAST has never looked better!

"Build my gallows high, baby!":
This is without a doubt one of the best film noirs ever made, & with a very impressive cast. The director brilliantly cast Mitchum & Douglas as rivals & of course the beautiful yet deadly Jane Greer as the femme fatale. Mitchum is perfect as the private detective who loses control of his life after falling for Douglas' "girlfriend", played by Jane Greer. Douglas, although virtually unknown in Hollywood at the time of this film, also gives an incredible performance as a ruthless mobster determined to own Greer at all cost. I've seen dozens of film noirs but I can't think of one with as much snappy dialogue as this one. The screenwriter, Geoffrey Homes was truly gifted & made this film timeless. And of course, the talented Jacques Tourneur flawlessly directed this great classic & created one of the most memorable film noirs ever. The picture quality of the dvd is excellent & there's very informative commentary that helped me fully understand the complicated plot. This masterpiece is a must-have for any fan of film noirs. In fact, it'd be hard for anyone to not like this movie!