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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "The Case of the Stocking Killer")

 

Directed by Stephen Frears

UK 1971

 

This brilliant feature debut from director Stephen Frears (My Beautiful Laundrette, Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifters) is an affectionate and uniquely British tribute to the Hollywood detective movies of the 1940s. Starring the great Albert Finney (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Tom Jones, Wolfen) as a Liverpool bingo-caller who dreams of being a private eye and then finds himself suddenly contacted for what appears to be an actual piece of detective work.

***

Finney plays a bingo caller and failed comedian in a seedy Liverpool nightclub who imagines himself a Bogart-like detective ("gumshoe" was a common slang term for a private eye, a reference to the soft-soled shoes worn for sneaking around unheard). The story, narrated by Finney's Eddie Ginley in language imitative of the tough-talking heroes created by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, follows Ginley's initial foray into his dream job when his advertised services are called upon by a mysterious fat man who provides him with a young woman's photo, a gun, and a 1000 pounds in cash but no instructions. Ginley becomes enmeshed in a highly convoluted case involving heroin smuggling, gun running, and African politics.

The movie is chock full of direct references to such classics of the genre as The Thin Man (1934), The Maltese Falcon (1941), and The Big Sleep (1946), along with such diverse movies as Mighty Joe Young (1949), Rancho Notorious (1952), Casablanca (1942), and Born Yesterday (1950). The film works as both a pastiche and a traditional thriller, although the mystery plot, as Vincent Canby noted in his New York Times review, is handled with "affection and great good humor, as well as with the awareness that it's impossible to make a 1935 American private-eye movie in 1972, especially if one is English....

 Excerpt from TCM located HERE

Posters etc.

Theatrical Release: December 1971

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Review: Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Box Cover

 

 

 

   

 

 

    

Distribution

Indicator
Region
FREE Blu-ray

Runtime

1:25:50.186    

Video

Disc Size: 46,840,014,169 bytes

Feature Size: 25,043,248,704 bytes

Average Bitrate: 34.80 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video

Bitrate:

 

Indicator Blu-ray

 

Audio

LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit

Subtitles English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Indicator

 

Disc Size: 46,840,014,169 bytes

Feature Size: 25,043,248,704 bytes

Average Bitrate: 34.80 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:
• New interview with director Stephen Frears (2018 - 17:44)
• New interview with screenwriter and actor Neville Smith (2018 - 15:44)

• Producer Michael Medwin on Gumshoe (1:51)

• Editor Charles Rees on Gumshoe (25:12)

• Production Designer Michael Seymour on Gumshoe (2:22)

• Actor Tom Kempski on Gumshoe (1:33)
• The Burning (1967, 31:54): Frears haunting debut short film
• Original theatrical trailer (2:59)

• VHS Trailer (2:43)
• Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Robert Murphy, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and historic articles on the film
• Limited Edition of 3,000 copies


Blu-ray  Release Date: March 19th, 2018
Transparent Blu-ray case

Chapters: 10

 

 

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Indicator's Blu-ray transfer is in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio and has prominent grain throughout. The 1080P looks authentic and good if not dynamic - and the texture is even and the visuals show some rich colors and consistency proving the HD presentation a film-like appearance. There is some minor depth and detail is exported as well as possible - another dual-layered transfer with a max'ed out bitrate.

 

The audio transfer is in a linear PCM mono track - 24-bit - in the original English language. Despite the frequent gun-waving in Gumshoe there isn't much aggression in the film but it does offer a score credited to Andrew Lloyd Webber (yes, that one, also did The Odessa File) - and the music in the film ranges from Baby, You're Good For Me (by Webber) sung by Roy Young, Carole King 's Take Good Care Of My Baby, Liverpool Home and Crying In The Rain performed by The Jacksons etc. It all sounds clean, flat and audible in the uncompressed - no flaws. Indicator add optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray disc.

 

Indicator load the supplements with six new interviews; 18-minutes with director Stephen Frears discussing the film’s production history, 1/5 hour with screenwriter and actor Neville Smith: the celebrated writer and actor discusses his work on the film, for which he won a Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award, Producer Michael Medwin on Gumshoe for less than 2-minutes, 25-minutes with Editor Charles Rees on Gumshoe, less than 3-minutes with Production Designer Michael Seymour on Gumshoe and a brief sequence with actor Tom Kempinski who recalls the shooting of his, early, scene with Finney. Included is the 1/2 hour The Burning Frears’ haunting debut short film from 1968, made for Finney’s production company, Memorial Enterprises. There is an original theatrical trailer, a VHS Trailer and image gallery of on-set and promotional photography and the package has a limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Robert Murphy, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and historic articles on the film.
 

Yes, this is circling the Neo-Noir genre - it is both playful and provides a researched homage to many of the dark cinema's most desirable conventions. I enjoyed it and Finney's performance. Indicator's Blu-ray has plenty of value with the engaging Noirish-nostalgia film and relevant extras including the many interviews, Frear's short and booklet. Another strongly recommended package from the hard-workers at Indicator. Fans are appreciative! 

 - Gary Tooze

Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray


 

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Box Cover

 

 

 

   

 

 

    

Distribution

Indicator
Region
FREE Blu-ray

 




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