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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "Bed of Fear" or "Clean Break" or "Day of Violence")
"The Killing" is reviewed HERE on Kino's 4K UHD
"Killer's Kiss" (included in the Criterion and Arrow "The Killing" Blu-ray packages) is reviewed HERE on Kino's 4K UHD
Stanley Kubrick’s account of an ambitious racetrack robbery is one of Hollywood’s tautest, twistiest noirs. Aided by a radically time-shuffling narrative, razor-sharp dialogue from pulp novelist Jim Thompson, and a phenomenal cast of character actors, including Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Timothy Carey, Elisha Cook Jr., and Marie Windsor, The Killing is both a jaunty thriller and a cold-blooded punch to the gut. And with its precise tracking shots and gratifying sense of irony, it’s Kubrick to the core. ***
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. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: May 20, 1956
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
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 |
Comparison:
MGM - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray vs. Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT 2) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE3) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT
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Box Covers |
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Distribution |
MGM Region 1 - NTSC |
Criterion Collection, spine #575 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Arrow Video Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:25:06 | 1:24:20.513 | 1:24:15.175 |
Video |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 47,710,428,392 bytesFeature: 22,170,845,184 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 31.08 Mbps |
1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 45,797,631,029 bytesFeature: 22,966,244,736 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 29.99 Mbps |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate DVD |
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Bitrate: Criterion Blu-ray |
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Bitrate: Arrow Blu-ray |
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Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) | LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit |
LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz /
1152 kbps / 24-bit LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit |
Subtitles | English, French, none | English (SDH), none | English (SDH), none |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 32 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion
1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 47,710,428,392 bytesFeature: 22,170,845,184 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 31.08 Mbps Aspect Ratio: - 1.66:1
Edition Details: • Excerpted interviews with actor Sterling Hayden from the French television series Cinéma cinémas (23:40 in 1080i) • New video interview with poet and author Robert Polito about writer Jim Thompson (18:42 in 1080P) • Restored high-definition digital transfer of Stanley Kubrick’s 1955 noir feature Killer’s Kiss (1:07:19 in 1080P) • New video appreciation of Killer’s Kiss featuring film critic Geoffrey O’Brien (9:14 in 1080P) • Trailers for The Killing and Killer's Kiss (1:48 and 1:47 in 1080P) • Liner notes booklet featuring an essay by film historian Haden Guest and a reprinted interview with actress Marie Windsor
Blu-ray
Release Date: August 16th, 2011 Chapters 23 |
Release Information: Studio: Arrow Video
1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 45,797,631,029 bytesFeature: 22,966,244,736 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 29.99 Mbps
Edition Details: • Stanley Kurbrick's second feature, Killer's Kiss (1955), presented in High Definition (1080p)
• The Evolution of a Master: Michel
Ciment on Kubrick's Films of the 50's (25:42)
• Isolated Music and Effects Score
Blu-ray
Release Date: February 9th, 2015 |
Comments |
"The
Killing" is reviewed
HERE on Kino's 4K
UHD "Killer's Kiss" (included in the Criterion and Arrow "The Killing" Blu-ray packages) is reviewed HERE on Kino's 4K UHD NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - February 15': There are some differences in the video image quality of the Criterion and new Arrow 1080P transfers so The Killing. Most of the capture matches below are exact but there is some movement within the frame (mostly appearing as the Arrow may be marginally cropped) and one may be out-of-ratio a bit. They seem equally as robust with a similar bitrate. I think, in this case, the slightly brighter Criterion may have exported the grain to a higher degree. Only but the most discerning of viewers and systems would strongly identify these discrepancies. You can see the differences by toggling between the larger captures versions. The linear PCM audio is, likewise, too close to make complaints. The discs are region-coded appropriately (Criterion = 'A', Arrow = 'B') Stanley Kurbrick's second feature, Killer's Kiss , an extra on both discs in 1080P, is almost exact same in appearance and audio on both. On the Arrow the supplements include The Evolution of a Master: Michel Ciment on Kubrick's Films of the 50's in an interview recorded in November 2014. Ciment has written book entitled Kubrick and gives us a good 25-minutes of information about The Killing and Killer's Kiss. Ther eis also a 12-minute appreciation by filmmaker Ben Wheatley who is refreshing top hear from. There is a different, shorter, extract from the French television series Journal de la cinéma featuring an interview with Sterling Hayden - similar to the 23-minute one found on the Criterion. It runs shy of 16-minutes. Like the Criterion, there are also original theatrical trailers for both films but Arrow add the Isolated Music and Effects Score in a linear PCM and have their own liner notes collector's booklet containing new writing by Peter Kramer (author of volumes on Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange), Barry Forshaw and filmmaker Ron Peck, illustrated with original archive stills.
Another fabulous release from Arrow -
region 'B' fans should be grateful and definitely pick
this up! Wonderful extras and a beautiful package.
***
Criterion have stayed faithful with a linear PCM mono track that is unremarkable but clean and clear - the lossless transfer is more consistent than the DVD (not that it was notably flawed.) Gerald Fried's score shows a bit of crispness and perceived depth. The Blu-ray also provides optional English subtitles on the region 'A"-locked disc. Probably the most significant supplement (of the year?) is the inclusion of a restored high-definition digital transfer of Stanley Kubrick’s 1955 noir feature Killer’s Kiss in 1080P. We hope to do a full comparison with the previous MGM DVD but have added a few comparative caps at the bottom of this webpage to give you an idea of the quality. Part of this extra is a new video appreciation of Killer’s Kiss featuring film critic Geoffrey O’Brien (also in 1080P) where he discusses the film's charms and points out key elements that would appear in Stanley Kubrick's subsequent work - including The Killing. There is a new (2010) 21-minute video interview with producer James B. Harris who discusses his collaboration with director Stanley Kubrick as well as the filming and release of The Killing. There are about 25-minutes of excerpted interviews with actor Sterling Hayden from the 1984 French television series Cinéma cinémas (1080i - directed by Philippe Garnier) where he recalls his history in Hollywood, his experience as an actor during the McCarthy era, and his work with director Stanley Kubrick. Included is an 18-minute video piece with with poet and author Robert Polito (Savage Art: A Biography of Jim Thompson) about celebrated crime novelist Jim Thompson and his work with Kubrick, his problematic relationship with Hollywood and his ongoing cinema legacy. There are HD trailers for both The Killing and Killer's Kiss and the package contains a liner notes booklet featuring an essay by film historian Haden Guest and a reprinted interview with actress Marie Windsor.
Another stupendous package
from Criterion - it was so amazing to see both Kubrick
films in the glory of 1080P and the extras offer
significant value. Fans shouldn't hesitate for a moment.
This is one
Blu-ray
to keep in your home safe in a Mylar bag...
Gary Tooze *** ON THE DVD: 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 |
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 |
Menus
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Screen Captures
Subtitle Sample
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1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP 2) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE3) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP 2) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE3) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP 2) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE3) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP2 ) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP2 ) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP2 ) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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"Killer's Kiss" (included in the Criterion and Arrow "The Killing" Blu-ray packages) is reviewed HERE on Kino's 4K UHD
Stanley Kubrick's second feature film, Killer's Kiss was made on a budget of $40,000, all raised by Kubrick's relatives. The black-and-white drama was shot principally at night in a variety of seedy Manhattan locations. The plot, told in an extended flashback, covers two days in the life of boxer Davy Gordon (Jamie Smith) -- he meets nightclub dancer Gloria Price (Irene Kane); the two fall in love, and decide to make their futures somewhere other than New York City. But Gloria is lusted after by her ex-employer, Vince Rapallo (Frank Silvera), who not only won't take "no" for an answer but has no intention of losing her to a two-bit boxer. His machinations lead to murder, a police manhunt, and revenge in the best film noir fashion -- the very best, in fact, as Kubrick's use of real New York settings (and very ominous and sleazy New York settings at that) gives the action here a startling verisimilitude, as though we're watching a documentary, or the unfolding of actual events. The violence escalates as Davy and Rapallo find themselves going one-on-one, to the death if need be, with a climax in a warehouse filled with department store mannequins and their various component parts. Director-writer-photographer-editor Kubrick wasn't pleased with the studio-imposed ending added by its distributor (United Artists), but that compromise was a lot more logical and satisfying than the filmmaker's intended denouement. Irene Kane, who played the female lead, subsequently achieved success as TV commentator and journalist Chris Chase; also appearing in the film is Kubrick's then-wife Ruth Sobotka. And Frank Silvera, who plays the villain, was among the most prominent black actors working in theater and films during the 1950s, and eventually achieved stardom on television a dozen years later with his role on the NBC series The High Chapparal. |
1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP 2) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE3) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP 2) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE3) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP 2) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE3) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP 2) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE3) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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Box Covers |
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Distribution |
MGM Region 1 - NTSC |
Criterion Collection, spine #575 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Arrow Video Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
"Killer's Kiss" (included in the Criterion and Arrow "The Killing" Blu-ray packages) is reviewed HERE on Kino's 4K UHD
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Gary Tooze
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Many Thanks...