Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review

(aka "Bed of Fear" or "Clean Break" or "Day of Violence")

USA 1956

Stanley Kubrick's heist drama "The Killing" is one of the finest noir films of the 1950's, a film so deliberately wire-tight that it will leave exhausted and exhilarated. Its one of the most tense thrillers of all time, and likely to leave you gasping for air after it is all over.

The film introduces us immediately to a host of characters, all involved in a big-time upcoming heist of a racetrack. Kubrick introduces the device of the omniscient narrator, a sort of "Dragnet"-like voice-over that is essential in understanding and following the structure of the story, particularly the time shifts in "Rashomon" style, atypical for that time. The narrator also comments on the actions of the characters, their timed schedules and documentary-like shot scenes of their initial preparations and confrontations with others while planning and partaking in this heist.

Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) is the leader of this heist, a witless though direct and thorough professional thief and ex-con. He is ready to rob San Francisco's Bay Meadows Race Track of a cool two million dollars. This prodigious amount of money is to be split up between Clay and a crew that includes a former Greek wrestler and chess player, Maurice (Kola Kwarian); a psychopathic sharpshooter with a thick accent of some kind, Nikki (Tim Carey); a patrolman deep in debt (Ted de Corsia); a wimpy track cashier, George (Elisha Cook, Jr.); a track bartender, Mike O'Reilly (Joe Sawyer); and a wise old drunk, Unger (J.C. Flippen) - the latter has a touchingly real scene where Unger admits to Clay that he sees him as his own son. It is a motley crew to be sure, and the narrator makes it clear from the outset that this will be a botched, messy robbery, which they often are in the movies anyway.

Kubrick was already beginning to show a smooth handling with his actors. Hayden says his lines with such dexterity and a fast-paced alertness that you must listen closely to keep up with him, as was the case later with Hayden's similar role in Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove." He is tall, commanding, and takes no prisoners.

Excerpt from Jerry Saravia's film review located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 20, 1956

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Incidental Reading on Stanley Kubrick (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


Kubrick: Inside A Film Artist's Maze by Thomas Allen Nelson	Stanley Kubrick, Director: A Visual Analysis by Alexander Walker	Stanley Kubrick: Interviews (Conversations With Filmmakers Series) by Stanley Kubrick, Gene D. Phillips	Stanley Kubrick The Complete Films by Paul Duncan	The Complete Kubrick by David Hughes	Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures by Christiane Kubrick	Narrative And Stylistic Patterns In The Films Of Stanley Kubrick by Luis Garcia Mainar	The Stanley Kubrick Archives by Alison Castle	Stanley Kubrick Companion by James Howard

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DVD Review: MGM - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	MGM Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:25:06
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.20 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	English, French, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Trailer - (2:02) • 2 page liner notes on Kubrick DVD Release Date: August 14, 2001 Keep Case Chapters 32

Comments

The Killing is one of Kubrick's best early films and this older release from MGM sports a very acceptable transfer. It has good sharpness and contrast while exhibiting some fine film grain. Audio is fairly clean but its obviously not wildly dynamic. I'm sure this classic Kubrick title will be re-issued at some point, but for now this DVD offers a very good audio/video presentation at a very reasonable price. out of

- Mark Balson

Kubrick on DVD (NTSC) - CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information


Stanley Kubrick Boxset	Eyes Wide Shut	Full Metal Jacket	The Shining	Barry Lyndon	A Clockwork Orange	2001: A Space Odyssey


Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned To Stop Worry and Love the Bomb	Lolita	Spartacus	Paths of Glory	The Killing	Killer's Kiss

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Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick's - The Killing - DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review Stanley Kubrick The Killing DVD Review