Secret Beyond the Door... – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1947
Director: Fritz Lang
Writers: Silvia Richards, Rufus King
Cast: Joan Bennett, Michael Redgrave, Anne Revere, Barbara O'Neil, Natalie Schafer, Paul Cavanagh, Anabel Shaw, Rosa Rey, James Seay, Mark Dennis

Release Date: May 7th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 98 Minutes 52 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $24.95

"Noir queen Joan Bennett (Scarlet Street) stars as Celia, a bored heiress who, while on vacation, meets a mysterious architect named Mark (Michael Redgrave, Dead of Night). They fall in love and are soon married and settled into Mark’s New England estate, where Celia finds herself seemingly suffocating within the spare yet surreal and terrifying confines of her husband’s mansion. As shocking secrets are revealed, Celia is determined to stay and find the cause of Mark’s strange obsession with murder—even though she must risk her own life to do so." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "2022 HD Master by Paramount Pictures – From a 4K Scan".

Secret Beyond the Door... comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 31.8 GB

Feature: 29.5 GB

The source looks great; it's an improvement over Olive Films 2012 Blu-ray release. Shadow detail is the one area where this release shows the most improvement. Also, though image clarity generally looks strong, there are moments where it looks too soft. That said, there appears to be some digital filter of the image.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio is in good shape: dialog always comes through clearly enough to follow, and everything sounds balanced. That said, things sound limited range-wise, and there is a minor background hiss.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an audio commentary with author/film historian Alan K. Rode, and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Other extras include trailers for The Woman in the Window, The Mad Doctor, The Web, Alias Nick Beal, Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Love Letters, So Evil My Love, and Human Desire.

Summary:

Directed by Fritz Lang, whose other notable films include Der Müde Tod (Destiny), Metropolis, Spies, M, Scarlet Street, The Woman in the Window, and The Big Heat.

The narrative revolves around a woman who starts to believe that her husband wants to kill her.

Despite being billed as a Film noir, most likely because of Fritz Lang’s connection to this genre, Secret Beyond the Door... is better described as a psychological drama in the same vein as Alfred Hitchcock. Secret Beyond the Door... is a story about a woman who is hesitant to marry, only to quickly fall in love with a man and marry him. And what appears to be an idyllic romance slowly becomes something more sinister. That said, when it comes to the visuals, this is in one area that is undeniably Film noir.

Secret Beyond the Door... reteams Joan Bennett with Fritz Lang for their fourth and final collaboration. Though mostly known for her work in the Film noir genre and the film Suspiria, she was actually a versatile actress who excelled in every film genre. That said, she delivers another exemplary performance. Michael Redgrave’s (The Lady Vanishes, 1938) portrayal of the husband is also exceptional. His character is haunted by a trauma from his past, and only his new wife has the key to unlock that door.

From a production standpoint, Fritz Lang is clicking on all cylinders; he fully exploits all of his resources. The well-executed narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum to its moment of truth ending that brings everything full circle. And though the visuals have a film noir-like quality to them, there are moments that are infused with surrealism. Of Joan Bennett’s four films with Fritz Lang, Secret Beyond the Door... may be their weakest collaborations, only because the other three films they made set the bar so high.

Kino Lorber gives Secret Beyond the Door... its best audio/video presentation to date.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Scarlet Street – Kino Lorber (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1945
Director: Fritz Lang
Writers: Georges de La Fouchardière, André Mouëzy-Éon, Dudley Nichols
Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Dan Duryea, Margaret Lindsay, Rosalind Ivan, Jess Barker, Charles Kemper, Anita Sharp-Bolster, Samuel S. Hinds, Vladimir Sokoloff, Arthur Loft, Russell Hicks

Release Date: January 30th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 101 Minutes 46 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (4K UHD), 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Blu-ray)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (UHD), Region A (Blu-Ray)
Retail Price: $39.95

"When middle-aged milquetoast Chris Cross (Edward G. Robinson, The Stranger) rescues street-walking bad girl Kitty (Joan Bennett, The Woman in the Window) from the rain-slicked gutters of an eerily artificial back-lot Greenwich Village, he plunges into a whirlpool of lust, larceny and revenge. As Chris’ obsession with the irresistibly vulgar Kitty grows, the meek cashier is seduced, corrupted, humiliated and transformed into an avenging monster before implacable fate and perverse justice triumph in the most satisfyingly downbeat denouement in Hollywood history." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New high-definition digital transfer from the 35mm negative preserved by the Library of Congress."

Scarlet Street comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 72.4 GB

Feature: 71.1 GB

Though this is a new 4K transfer, the source has not been fully cleaned up, and there is print debris that varies in degree throughout. Though these instances of debris might turn some viewers off, the result is easily the best Scarlet Street has ever looked on home video. Image clarity ranges from strong to solid, with most of the time falling into the latter. Contrast and black levels are greatly improved when compared to previous releases. Also, compression is very good, and the image always looks organic.

Scarlet Street comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.8 GB

Feature: 31 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. This audio track is in very good shape. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented. That said, range-wise, this track at times sounds limited.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an archival audio commentary with film critic David Kalat, and an audio commentary with film critic Imogen Sara Smith.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an audio commentary with David Kalat, audio commentary with Imogen Sara Smith, and trailers for The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse, The Woman in the Window, The Stranger, Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Black Tuesday, A Bullet for Joey, One Way Street, Human Desire, and Touch of Evil.

Other extras include reversible cover art and a limited-edition slipcover.

Summary:

Directed by Fritz Lang, whose other notable films include Der Müde Tod (Destiny), Metropolis, Spies, M, Scarlet Street, The Woman in the Window, and The Big Heat. Scarlet Street is a remake of Jean Renoir’s La Chienne. Both films were adapted from a story titled La Chienne, written by Georges de La Fouchardière.

The narrative revolves around a banker in a loveless marriage who is seduced by a much younger woman with a conman boyfriend.

Fritz Lang had a lengthy career that began in the silent film era and continued for another three decades when sound took over cinema. And though most silent film directors struggled to make the transition to sound, he was one of a handful of directors who successfully made the move from silent to sound.

Initially, Fritz Lang was known for his films, which are known as German Expressionism, and he would become associated later in his career with film noir, another genre in which visuals play a significant role. Also, it is in the Film noir genre that he would excel, making him arguably one of the directors most familiar with this genre.

Besides Fritz Lang, there were also actors and actresses whose names are synonymous with the Film noir genre. Case in point: Joan Bennett (Suspiria), who would appear in four Film noir's directed by Fritz Lang: Man Hunt, The Woman in the Window, Scarlet Street, and Secret Beyond the Door. Even the other two leads, Edward G. Robinson (The Stranger) and Dan Duryea (Criss Cross), appeared in numerous Film noirs. All three of these actors appeared in Fritz Lang’s The Woman in the Window.

When it comes to the performances, the three leads are exceptional. The most memorable performance is by Dan Duryea in the role of Johnny Prince, an abusive con man's boyfriend. He delivers a performance that perfectly captures his characters' two sides: charming and menacing. Then there is the ever-dependable Edward G. Robinson in the role of Christopher Cross, a meek banker who feels trapped in a loveless marriage. Not to be overlooked is Joan Bennett’s sensational portrayal of Katharine 'Kitty' March, the femme fatale.

Though the premise is pretty standard for a Film noir, it ultimately succeeds because of the performances of its three leads and Fritz Lang’s rock-solid direction. Also, Scarlet Street’s unusual romantic pairing of Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett greatly enhances the story that unfolds. And nowhere is it clearer than how Scarlet Street exploits their noticeable differences in ages.

The perfectly constructed narrative is filled with well-timed twists and double and triple crosses. Also, pacing is never an issue, as key moments are given an ample amount of time to resonate, and a poetic justice finale brings the events that preceded to a very satisfying, albeit downbeat, conclusion. Also, every inch of Scarlet Street is beautifully photographed, and the visuals have all the hallmarks that are synonymous with Film noir cinema. The most memorable moments visually are two scenes connected to Christopher Crosses’ self-portrait of Katharine 'Kitty' March. Ultimately, Scarlet Street is an extraordinary cinematic experience that is arguably one of Film noir's greatest films.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Woman in the Window – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1944
Director: Fritz Lang
Writers: Nunnally Johnson, J.H. Wallis
Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Raymond Massey, Edmund Breon, Dan Duryea, Thomas E. Jackson, Dorothy Peterson, Arthur Loft

Release Date: June 19th, 2018
Approximate Running Time: 99 Minutes 34 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $19.95

"With his wife and kids out of town, the chaste professor engages in an innocent flirtation with a chance acquaintance (Joan Bennett, Scarlet Street) and inadvertently commits a shocking and unspeakable crime. But that's just the beginning of his problems, for as the cunning D.A. (Raymond Massey, The Hurricane) - one of Wanley's dearest friends – gets closer and closer to identifying the killer, Wanley finds he's more and more willing to resort to desperate measures to avoid being caught." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly Mastered in HD."

The Woman in the Window comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 20 GB

Kino Lorber Feature: 17.4 GB

Eureka Video Feature: 28.7 GB

Though the source used for Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray release is in great shape. The result is a transfer that looks noticeably different from the transfer Eureka Video used for their Blu-ray release. Also, it should be noted that Eureka Video’s release dedicated 11.3 GB more to the main feature than Kino Lorber’s release.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio sounds, clean, clear and balanced throughout.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer for The Woman in the Window (1 minute 44 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historian Imogen Sara Smith.

Other extras include trailers for A Bullet for Joey, Daisy Kenyon, 99 River Street and Cry of the City.

Extras on Eureka Video’s Blu-ray release include theatrical trailer (1 minute 43 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a video essay by critic David Cairns titled Framed (22 minutes 35 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian Imogen Sara Smith, author of In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City and a booklet with cast & crew credits, an essay Sick of Love: Fantasies of Violence in Fritz Lang’s The Woman in the Window written by Samm Deighan, an essay titled Fritz Lang’s The Woman in the Window written by Amy Simmons, rare archival imagery and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Though, Fritz Lang’s Film Noirs are widely regarded as some of the best films to emerge from this genre. The Film Noirs directed by Fritz Lang prior to Scarlet Street are not what one would expect to see in a Film Noir. A case in point is The Woman in the Window, a film that owes as much to Film Noir as it does to the fantasy films that Fritz Lang directed in the 1920’s.

With that being said, there are many elements in The Woman in the Window that have become synonymous with Film Noir. The inventive way in which Fritz Lang uses these familiar elements sets The Woman in the Window apart from its contemporaries.

The Woman in the Window's plot revolves around a protagonist who’s entangled with a femme fatale who leads him down a dark path. And because of his moment of indiscretion, he’s forced to cover up a crime that would not have happened if he had never met this femme fatale. His desperation increases as the decisions that he’s making put him in a place that only has one outcome.

Performance-wise, the cast are very good in their respective roles, especially Joan Bennett (Highway Dragnet, Suspiria) in the role of a femme fatale named Alice Reed, a woman whose portrait in the window catches the protagonists’ attention. She delivers an extraordinary performance that has a dreamlike quality, and it goes against the grain of what one typically expects from a femme fatale.

Another performance of note is that of Edward G. Robinson (Little Caesar, The Stranger) in the role of this film’s protagonist, a psychiatrist named Richard Wanley. He delivers a solid performance that perfectly captures his character's state of mind. Other notable cast members include Raymond Massey (The Old Dark House, Arsenic and Old Lace) in the role of District Attorney Frank Lalor and Dan Duryea (Black Angel, Too Late for Tears) in the role of a blackmailer.

From a production standpoint, The Woman in the Window is a film where everything perfectly falls into place. The premise is superbly realized, the well-executed narrative does a great job maintaining the mounting tension, and the visuals are overflowing with atmosphere. Standout moments include the scene where the protagonist murders a man in Alice Reed’s apartment, the scene that introduces the blackmailer, and this film’s finale is arguably one of the greatest twist endings in cinema history.

The Woman in the Window gets a good release from Kino Lorber that has a transfer that looks drastically different than the transfer used for Eureka Video’s Blu-ray release.

                                            Kino Lorber

                                            Eureka Video

                                            Kino Lorber

                                             Eureka Video

                                             Kino Lorber

                                             Eureka Video

                                             Kino Lorber

                                             Eureka Video

                                             Kino Lorber

                                             Eureka Video

                                             Kino Lorber

                                             
                                              Eureka Video

                                              Kino Lorber

                                              Eureka Video

                                               Kino Lorber

                                              Eureka Video

Written by Michael Den Boer

Suspiria – Synapse Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1977
Director: Dario Argento
Writers: Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi
Cast: Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Miguel Bosé, Barbara Magnolfi, Susanna Javicoli, Eva Axén, Rudolf Schündler, Udo Kier, Alida Valli, Joan Bennett

Release Date: November 19th, 2019
Approximate Running Time: 98 Minutes 47 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Atmos English, DTS-HD 4.0 Surround English, DTS-HD 5.1 Italian
Subtitles: English SDH (English Language), English (Italian Language)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $59.95

"Jessica Harper (PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, PENNIES FROM HEAVEN) stars in this frightening tale of a young student who uncovers dark and horrific secrets within the walls of a famous German dance academy. What spirals out from that simple premise is one of the most powerful and hallucinatory nightmares ever captured on celluloid!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "A new 4K restoration of the original uncut, uncensored Italian 35mm camera negative exclusively done by Synapse Films, with color correction supervised and approved by SUSPIRIA Director of Photography, Luciano Tovoli".

Suspiria comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 76 GB

Feature: 74 GB

Anyone familiar with Synapse Films 2017 Blu-ray release should-be thrilled with this new release that enhances what was already an excellent transfer. And for those who this will be your first time viewing Suspiria, I envy you. 

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with three audio options, a Dolby Atmos mix in English, a DTS-HD 4.0 surround mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Italian. The Dolby Atmos mix is new to this release, while the other two mixes have been ported over from Synapse Films 2017 Blu-ray release. For this review we listened to the Dolby Atmos track. This new audio track sounds excellent. Range wise the Dolby Atmos provides a dynamic sound experience, dialog comes through clearly, the score and ambient sounds are well-represented. Included with this release are removable English SDH for the English language track and English subtitles for the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release are spread over two discs.

Extras on the 4K UHD include alternate all-English opening and closing credits sequences, playable via seamless branching and two audio commentaries’, the first audio commentary is with Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films and the second audio commentary is with Dario Argento scholar and author, Derek Botelho and film historian, journalist and radio/television commentator, David Del Valle.

Extras on the Blu-ray include five radio spots - three U.S. release radio spots and two U.S. double feature radio spots with Umberto Lenzi’s Eyeball (2 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), three T.V. spots (1 minute 46 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), two U.S. theatrical release trailers (1 minute 2 seconds and 1 minute 25 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an International theatrical release trailer for the film (2 minutes 3 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles),) and International Classic’s Breathing Letters original U.S. release opening credits (1 minute 40 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles),  a locations featurette titled Suzy in Nazi Germany (8 minute 1 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an visually essay titled Do You Know Anything About Witches? (30 minutes 6 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Barbara Magnolfi titled Olga’s Story (17 minutes 14 seconds,LPCM stereo English, no subtitles) and a featurette titled A Sigh from the Depths: 40 Years of Suspiria (27 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art and an O-card slipcover.

Summary:

Suspiria’s most underappreciated asset is its narrative. There is a simplicity when it comes to Suspiria’s narrative. Instead of getting bogged down by unnecessary exposition. With the bulk of Suspiria’s relevant information being told during the opening voice-over. With that being said, it is this vagueness that ultimately makes the events that unfold all the more potent.

Structurally Suspiria is a film of extreme highs and lows. With an emphasis on the former. And nowhere is this more, then when it comes to Suspiria’s murder set pieces. With Suspiria’s opening setup featuring one of the most exquisite examples of Grand Guignol.

Without a doubt this Suspiria’s greatest asset is its visuals. They're filled with inventive compositions and vibrant colors schemes that leap off the screen. Though the Technicolor process inspired Suspiria's visuals (it should-be noted that the actually film stock used on Suspiria was Kodak) and fairy tale films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The cinematographer on Suspiria was Luciano Tovoli, whose other notable films include, The Passenger, Behind Convent Walls and Tenebrae.

Music once again plays a prominent role in a Dario Argento film. Goblin who had previously worked with Dario Argento on Deep Red, composed Suspiria's score. And though Goblin or various members of Goblin would collaborate on other Dario Argento films. With Suspiria they would create, what is arguably one of cinema’s greatest scores. The score for Suspiria perfectly fuses with the aforementioned visuals and there is a fever pitched intensity created by these two elements.

Not too be overlooked, when discussing Suspiria is Jessica Harper’s (Phantom of the Paradise) performance in the role of this film’s protagonist Suzy Bannion. Her performance perfectly captures her characters childlike innocence. Other performance of note include, Stefania Casini (The Climber, Bloodstained Shadow) in the role of Sara, a student who meets a grizzly fate due to her inquisitiveness, Joan Bennett (Scarlet Street, Dark Shadows) in the role of Madame Blanc and Alida Valli (The Third Man, Inferno) in the role of Miss Tanner, a domineering instructor at the academy.

If ever there was a film that's made for Dolby Vision HDR10, look no further than Suspiria. It’s a visual feast for the eyes that features vivid color schemes that look exquisite in Dolby Vision HDR10. That said, anyone hesitant in buying another release of Suspiria you can buy Synapse Films 4K UHD with confidence, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer