(2012-04-28 06:16:52)

HEY RALPH, NEXT TIME GET GABY A BOX OF WINE GLASSES, PLEASE

Offbeat noir that gets better with each viewing. Ralph Meeker, a sidelines character actor best known to the baby boomer gen for his frequent guest appearances in numerous 60's TV series and 70's TV movies, plays reknown fiction-author Mickey Spillane's trademark "Mike Hammer" private investigator [PI] character. Remember when the Western met the living dead in the form of vampires [CURSE OF THE UNDEAD, 1959]? Well now another odd combo as it's film noir meets the atomic age. This noir is different. The opening credits roll in reverse, driving scenes are filmed from behind, and the bad guys doing their dirty work are often filmed below the knees [or not at all] with only gait, voice and the viewer's imagination creating the picture. And the two female leads have much shorter hair than we're used to seeing in noir.Vet character actress Cloris Leachman, who we are all familiar with from her numerous 70's TV movies, her role as Phylis in the Mary Tyler Moore show [1970-77] and a couple of noteable Mel Brooks' comedies [YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, 1974, and HIGH ANXIETY, 1977] is the first person we see in this film, playing a mysterious figure named Christina. We all remember her chiseled facial features---hawk-like nose and sickle-like lips---but here, younger and with the short, blond, croppy hair and raincoat-only attire appears surprisingly attractive. She hails Meeker's sports car on a desolate highway one lonely night and asks for a lift. Inside she tells her story of escape. The two are followed and kidnapped by persons unknown who incapacitate Hammer and torture her. The unconscious duo are then brutally driven off a cliff to their certain demise with only Hammer surviving. Now it's time for Hammer to dust himself off and figure out this bizarre encounter.Before being intercepted Christina gives Hammer a verbal message containing two words. A letter she mailed at a gas station before her death is received by Hammer days later and contains the same two words. Hammer knows that no one is gonna kidnap you, torture you, then drive you off a cliff because you stepped on their daisies. Somebody's after something---and it's not a bag of shells.What carries you through this film is Meeker and his monotonous yet always-thinking, simmering and unpredictable persona. Despite his sordid nature he manages to keep us interested in his welfare---we don't want that nice hair to get mussed up. Meeker's only other noteworthy movie roles was playing the dishonorable soldier who annoyingly shadows Jimmy Stewart in the Western classic, THE NAKED SPUR [1953], playing the groveling, condemned soldier in Kubrick's PATHS OF GLORY [1957] and as the military psychiatrist in THE DIRTY DOZEN [1967]---remember his report informing Lee Marvin that he had a group of both imbeciles and psychopaths on his hands. He's focused and in-the-zone in this one, easily his career-best performance. He's always nattily attired and the hair perfectly groomed despite his escapades. Kind of reminds me of that kid we all had in high school who was different---with the neat, pressed clothes, perfectly groomed, and always bringing the brown paper bag with lunch from home instead of gagging on the lousy cafeteria food. And the gals would often be on his periphery. This pampered and pompous kid was quite a source of annoyance to the rest of us "normal" dudes in class as was Meeker to the police lieutenant---also searching for the truth---on his tail. Meeker was able to decipher Christina's message because among one of many admirable traits of this austere, aloof but likeable PI, was an ability to look and listen carefully and remember details. Hey, generation X could learn a lot from this guy.Interestly, the only person in the film to bring a child-like grin to his stoic face is his auto mechanic friend Nick ["va-va-va-vroom"] who is probably the only person he genuinely likes. His "secretary" Velda is obviously the person he trusts the most. When Nick is mysteriously murdered in his auto shop and Velda is kidnapped he goes on a septuagenarian slapping spree. Love the way Meeker gets things done---and procures the info he needs---with alacrity and economy: a slap across the chops here, a desk drawer vising some fingers there, lauding then breaking a priceless record, stopping a nocturnal predator with a box of popcorn. Wish he carried a gun, though. Another memorable performance is provided by Christina's roommate Gabriella, played a by little-known actress named Gaby Rodgers. She reminds one of an older, middle-aged, trail-beaten Anne Heche. Rodgers' not-soon-forgotten oddball , missing-a-marble performance as Christina's androgynous, missing roommate is great. Her on-and-off plaintive and whimsical demeanor and child-like voice with the staccato-like delivery was engaging, and deceiving too, as they did not portend her eventual psychopathic meltdown [figuratively and literally]. Her performance soon brought to mind two other similarly flavored performances: Melanie Griffith [THE DROWNING POOL, 1975] and Jennifer Tilley [BOUND, 1996] and there are probably others. Fine work by Director Aldrich with his insightful pick for a singular and probably influential femme fatale characterization. Hard to believe the talented Rodgers never made it after this. Nice seeing veteran actor Albert Dekker whose last film was THE WILD BUNCH [1969]. Always loved his deliberate and mysterious voice which allowed him to play exotic, erudite characters so well [you've got to see him in Dr Cyclops, 1940]. Here he played the mastermind of the obscure and nefarious group. The ending is morose and open-ended. The film seemed to prey on the 50's fear of Cold War nuclear posturing. Worth your time if you like noir or just for Meeker and Rodgers' raw and terrific performances.

Bob Taylor

(2012-04-28 03:40:28)

what are you afraid of?

I saw Kiss Me Deadly on video yesterday, many years after seeing it at arevival house. It is truly a visionary film. Girls come on to Ralph Meeker,he doesn't come on to them (impotence?)--I think that is the cause of hisperpetual anger. His brutal treatment of those weaker than himself puts himat a far remove from Humphrey Bogart's Sam Spade.Aldrich has never been one of my favorite directors, but here he treats thesubject masterfully. Getting Los Angeles to look occasionally like DeSica'sNaples was wonderful. Gaby Rodgers gives an inept performance that makesMarilyn Monroe look like Meryl Streep by comparison, yet Aldrich can stillmake her look dangerous, fatal.In the Eighties, we feared AIDS, the silent killer from love's embrace. Inthe Nineties, it was being made insignificant by technology. MickeySpillane's Fifties paranoia has to do with loss of male power towomen(theirgreater understanding of human needs).

kodave

(2012-04-24 08:23:57)

This is a great movie!

I just saw it and I have to say it's really like no film I've ever seenbefore. Style-wise, it still seems as fresh today as it did 50 yearsago. Not only is it a great example of film noir, but I believe themovie transcends that genre. While it's set up like a noir film, Ibelieve its trying to say something greater concerning the Cold War andthe A-Bomb. While i love the film noir genre, which has created some ofthis country's greatest art, usually our detective "hero" uncovers aplot involving murder, blackmail or deception with the catalyst beingsimple human emotions like greed and lust.While the character motivations are similar, primarily Hammer's owngreed, the end result is something far more darker than just aninsurance fraud (Double Indemnity) or climbing the socialladder(Farewell, My Lovely). At the bottom of Hammer's detective worklies nuclear annihilation.The violence in this movie is pretty graphic for its time, such as whenHammer knocks a thug's head repeatedly against a wall or slams a deskdrawer on someone's hand. The movie also oozes sex. Its interesting tonote that Hammer repeatedly turns down women's advances. His primarymotivation is greed.I could go on and on about this movie, but I really believe this is atruly great, original movie. 10 out of 10

(2012-04-23 22:42:46)

Among the noirest-B&W voltage to the incinerating climax

This review is from: Kiss Me Deadly (DVD) "Kiss Me Deadly" -among the noirest. Spillaine, Bezzerides and Meeeker triumph. This is the way movies, cinema, film, flicks were meant to be-branded into the ether forever.

(2012-04-19 08:12:24)

Should We Mess With Movies?

Ever since the "colorizing" debate of a generation ago, this question has been asked over and over again.And we've finally settled it, I hope. This DVD gives the viewer options of seeing it in the way it was originally released OR with the ending created by its maker.Like everybody else, I'd only seen the "chopped" version, labelled by some here as "surreal." Well, there were plenty of other "surreal" elements throughout the original, most epsecially the surreal premise that Ralph Meeker was an actor.However, I would urge even the purists among you to take a very, very close look at the "intended" ending. It adds so much to what came before, and helps us understand the childlike attitudes we had towards this weaponry we'd just been the first to use in the name of world peace. This new era was far from innicent, but we were like children with the power we had.A great film, now made even better for history.

(2012-04-18 18:42:12)

STARK - GRITTY - DARK FILM NOIR: BUT IF THERE IS THERE A POINT, I JUST DON'T GET IT!

MAYBE I JUST DON'T GET IT:This is one of those great films that, for some reason, I missed when it was originally released in 1955. If I had seen it, I'm not sure I would have remembered it. In fact, I still think that maybe I don't get it. Recently, I've watched "Kiss Me Deadly" several times and I guess I'll have to try seeing it again and reevaluating my review at that time.MIKE HAMMER: THE ULTIMATE ANTI-HERO - BUT:Ralph Meeker aptly plays Mike Hammer and portrays Hammer very convincingly as a scoundrel with a P.I. license. For me, this anti-heroic slant on the protagonist colors the film for the worse. Without admirable traits, it is difficult to root for the the hero, because he isn't a hero. In fact, there are no heros in this film. In "D.O.A.", the protagonist, Frank Bigelow, played by Edmond O'Brien, had faults, but he had virtues that allowed us to get behind him and care as to whether he survived or not, unlike Ralph Meeker's characterization of Mike Hammer in "Kiss Me Deadly". Nevertheless, the integrity of "Kiss Me Deadly's" construction and execution are unique and flawless.THE FAMOUS "WHAT'S IT"!"Kiss Me Deadly" features at its core the famous "What's It" box - clearly a Pandora's box, of sorts. This is no afterthought or cheap trick and is one of the films most compelling plot elements.BOTTOM LINE:I'll have to see this film again, when I have waited long enough to get a fresh perspective. In the meantime, I feel like the "poor dummy" who hears a great joke and is the only person in the audience not laughing. Naturally, all the elements for an excellent film noir are present but, if there is a point, I just don't seem to get it.IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A GOOD REVIEW & HAVE NOT FOUND IT HERE:The two reviews in the spotlight are excellent and don't give away too much of the plot to spoil the film. Also see the "All Movie Guide" as it has a useful review. ABOUT THE DVD:Excellent transfer. Alternate ending is a nice touch.

jc-osms

(2012-04-17 00:54:54)

Please Hammer, don't hurt 'em...

...a request that Ralph Meeker as Mickey Spillane's celebratedhard-boiled private-eye Mike Hammer patently turns down every time, itseems in this relentlessly tough, indeed brutal, but utterly brilliantmovie, now seen by most film critics and commentators as the lasthurrah for the film noir genre, I mean after this blood and guts-festwhere else could it go?! Well, having paused only to pop my eyes intotheir sockets and my jaw back into place, I can only urge noir-loverslike myself, so long as they can stomach the violence overkill here tocatch this film at the first opportunity as it's just such a bravuraexponent of its type.With an unforgettable, get-your-attention-right- away start of theyoung Cloris Leachman, clad only in a knee-length overcoat, runningbarefoot down the freeway at night, resorting to extreme measures toflag down PI Hammer's car, continuing soon after with her gruesomemurder (her bare legs dangling from who knows what until herbloodcurdling screams fade into black), our anti-hero is dragged into amaelstrom of death and violence in pursuit of the "Great Whatsit" asHammer's secretary Velda understatedly puts it, which turns out in factto be a highly unstable piece of radioactive ore with, it would seem ahighly combustible component.From there, as Hammer follows the leads all the way up to the Mr Bigwho seemingly (but not quite, as it turns out) most wants the secret ofthe black-box, the bodies pile up with most of those not killedoutright getting violently roughed up along the way.There are so many searing images and scenes from the movie, I couldnever get them all down, but the scene where Hammer jams the fingers ofthe unscrupulous pathologist who unwisely holds out on a vital piece ofevidence from Hammer, to the elderly Sports Club attendant who demandscash for information about the locker which contains the box (everybodywants something for something in this film) and gets slapped about byHammer and then laid out by the bad-guys for his trouble, to theincendiary conclusion with a wounded Hammer and his rescued secretary /girlfriend / prostitute (honest!) Velda knee-deep in the sea, lookingback at the apocalyptic vision of Mr Mist's beach-house going up inflames.Aldrich doesn't stint in his portrayal of Hammer as a duplicitous,self-serving individual, taking advantage of any good-looking woman whocomes onto him (although not the doomed Christine at the outset),having no qualms about pushing his faithful, doting Velda into allmanner of honey-traps with cheating husbands to make his bread andbutter living and able to deal out gratuitous violence with the worstof them - this is no lily-livered whiter-than-white latter-day shiningknight. Good-looking and well dressed he may be, but as Christine saysat the start, Mike's only in love with himself - he doesn't disagree.The dialogue is rich and multi-layered with apposite mythological("Pandora's box"), biblical ("Lot's wife") and literary (ChristinaRosetti's "Remember Me") references scattered around for flavour,together with the more traditional hard-bitten sound-bites you'd expectfrom a tough movie like this. The direction is superb, the cameramixing up all sorts of perspectives (long-shots, extreme close-ups (oneof a gashed eye, through a door-pane being particularly memorable),off-centre viewpoints, about the only clichГѓВ©d shots are a feet-onlypursuit of Hammer by a would-be assailant, who gets dispatchedhead-first down a very long staircase, naturally.The acting is highly creditable too. I've never heard of Ralph Meekerbut he's right up there with the best of the noir-detectives you'llever find walking these mean streets. A pity for his sake that a sequeldidn't follow, but then that would have detracted perhaps from theuniqueness of what we have here. The whole supporting cast, perhapswith the exception of a less-menacing-when-you-see-his-face AlbertDekker as head bad-guy Mr Mist, completely buys into the story lockstock, smoking barrels and all, leaving indelible impressions as theycome and violently go.Incredible to think that director Aldrich got this on display at itstime of release, although not, as I understand it, without the oddrun-in with the censors and moral guardians of the day. How great thatthe original ending turned up in the vaults so that latter-day viewerscan now drink in its restored glory this ultra-real, ultra-violent butultimately ultra-brilliant movie that takes you by the scruff of theneck from the get-go and only lets you down battered and bruised, buthugely entertained some 100 or so minutes later.

(2012-04-16 20:10:13)

Very disappointing film noir

As a huge film noir fan who was aware of this film's importance to various directors I admire, I was very interested in seeing this movie and then extremely disappointed by it. Some of the acting is fine but some of it is atrociously bad. The story is preposterous which would be fine if it were more entertaining. And the film as a whole is a big dud. If you're looking for great noir, check out "Double Indemnity", "Chinatown", "The Maltese Falcon" and others. Hell, even rent "Detour"--low-budget and dated but far superior to this film.

shafatqadri

(2012-04-16 07:34:01)

Perfect Noir--- Thumbs Up

'Kiss Me Deadly'' was ignored when first released but now seems to be atouchstone, a sacred object in the film world. 'Kiss Me Deadly' is thedefinitive, apocalyptic, nihilistic, science fiction film noir of alltime at the close of the classic noir period. Being a huge fan of filmnoir I bet that this movie is a perfect example of this genre.People always talk about good endings in film and a lot of these filmsstick in the mind. By comparison, the beginning of a film is rarelytalked about or remembered.The film opens with a striking pre-credits sequence. A pair of nakedfeet stumbles and runs down the middle of a lonely highway at night. Anear-hysterical, panting, barely-clothed woman with closely-croppedhair who wears only a white trenchcoat, rasps and breathes heavily onthe highly-amplified soundtrack as she helplessly tries to flag downpassing cars that flash by her. Desperate to get one of the cars tostop she strategically positions herself in the middle of the road bystanding and holding her arms out in a V as a two-seated Jaguar sportscar/convertible approaches and blinds her in its high-beamedheadlights. The driver swerves to avoid the apparition while applyinghis screeching brakes. His tires squeal as he pulls sharply off theroad into a swirling cloud of dust and barely misses running her down.I consider it a perfect opening and the opening which is still talkedabout in the film circuits even today.Hard-hitting detective Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) takes on thugs andatomic secrets in Robert Aldrich's fast-paced thriller 'Kiss MeDeadly', an adaptation of the Mickey Spillane novel. The night goesawry for Hammer soon after he picks up a scantily clad hitchhiker(Cloris Leachman). The next thing he knows, he's assaulted by a coupleof goons and the sultry drifter turns up dead. As Hammer tracks downthe murderers, he realizes he is involved in an internationalconspiracy .'Kiss Me Deadly' boasts nightmarish imagery, a careening,sinuous plot and an unforgettable shock ending.Filmed in a scant three weeks, 'Kiss Me Deadly' was a late entry intothe film noir genre, but it turned out to be one of the mostmemorable.It's pretty doubtful that anyone at the time realized howimportant Kiss Me Deadly would loom in coming years. It was lionized byFrench critics, hailed by French New Wave directors and went on toinfluence everyone from Martin Scorsese to Quentin Tarantino, StevenSoderbergh to countless up-and-coming directors. I recommend it toanybody who wants to understand just what the whole noir craze isabout.

Snow Leopard

(2012-04-15 21:30:39)

Still Packs A Punch

Despite its Cold War era setting, "Kiss Me Deadly" still packs a punch,with suspense and action that still grab hold of you as you watch. Manyof the characters are remarkably unpleasant individuals, and yetsomehow that only increases the level of intrigue and tension. Thephotography and Robert Aldrich's direction are very effective inputting the package together. The occasional references to ChristinaRossetti and other classical works adds a nice touch as well.Ralph Meeker was an interesting choice to play the resourceful butunlikable Mike Hammer. He's hardly the kind of person you want to pullfor, but he finds himself in such a tight spot that you can identifywith him anyway. The rest of the cast members do a good job inmaintaining the atmosphere of anxiety and distrust, with practicallyall of them giving their characters a menacing and/or anearly-hysterical edge. Cloris Leachman, even in limited screen time,may be the most memorable of the characters.The story revolves around the kind of vague 'prize' that even most ofthe characters only dimly understand. While it must have been aneffective plot device in its time, it hasn't lost much of itssignificance either. The grim nature of the story and the sordidvariety of characters work better than you might expect, and surelyAldrich deserves much of the credit for that.

Bryan Ho

(2012-04-07 17:08:13)

One of the greatest detective thrillers ever made.

If The Maltese Falcon (1941) was the definitive true detective movie, TheBig Sleep (1946) the definitive glamourized detective movie, and Chinatown(1974) the definitive allegorical detective movie, then Kiss Me Deadly isthe definitive sleazy detective movie.Mickey Spillane's sadistic private eye Mike Hammer, turned from successfulprivate eye to sleazy bedroom dick, is the quintessential anti-hero, doingjust about anything and everything wrong to get a piece of the pie that thecharacters call "The Big What's-it."The movie survives by giving the usual Spillane buckets-of-blood story andits protagonist new dimensions. Right from the electric opening scene andthe audacious opening credit sequence, the audience is drawn into Hammer'sseedy world, where morality is suspended, and the credo of the endjustifying the means dominates Hammer's actions. His reckless abandonmentis almost never questionned and the film seems to understand his brutalityas what he must do to get the job done in an equally brutalworld.Director Robert Aldrich observes all of it with an objective eye thatneither glorifies nor condemns the action on-screen, letting the audiencedraw its own conclusions--even where the plot is concerned. The pace isunrelentless and the plot turns are never fully explained, forcing theaudience to participate willingly in all that Hammer does to, hopefully, seethe story through to its ending.And what an ending! I'd de damned to a special place in Hell if Ielaborated, so I'll just say that it's one of the greatest I've ever seen.That goes same for the movie itself, which is one of the most stylish,jarring and truly entertaining movies of its genre.

unnatural_habitat

(2012-04-06 20:33:06)

Reworking Spillane's Kiss Me Deadly

**** This review compares Mickey Spillane's book and the movie *****Kiss Me Deadly, the 1955 film version of Mickey Spillane's pulpclassic, is one of those rare exceptions of a film adaption surpassingthe original book. Mike Hammer, the protagonist, is a sleazy P.I. whospecializes in divorce cases. This changes one night when he gives aride to a hysterical woman with a deadly secret. Hammer and the womanare captured by some mysterious men, and, after getting tortured, theyare put back in his car and rolled over a cliff. The woman dies in aball of flame and Hammer miraculously survives. Similar to Spillane'sother novels, this violent episode serves as the catalyst to arelentless story of revenge.The difference, though, between the movie and the book, lies in thesecret that the woman holds. This important difference is the reasonwhy Spillane's book is merely entertaining, while the film version ofit is a trenchant critique on 1950s America. (Don't worry, Hammer'sknuckle sandwiches and nymphomaniac girlfriends are still inpractically every scene).Spillane's Mike Hammer stories are fueled by relentless pacing,over-the-top dialog, and raw, sadistic violence. Although they have asordid appeal, it's hard to take them seriously because most of thetime his written pyrotechnics seem like a ruse to get a rise out of thereader - and nothing much beyond that. Spillane's books are visceraland entertaining, but they lack profoundness. A writer like DashiellHammet, for example, was able to do both, in books like Red Harvest,which is about a private detective taking on an entire town of corruptpoliticos and businessmen. He was a writer who could entertain you andmake you think.Before I get into it, it would be helpful to mention a little filmtrivia which I gleaned off of IMDb and Wikipedia after watching themovie. For one, the movie was named by the Kefauver Commission, afederal unit investigating corrupting influences, as 1955's mostcorrupting influence on American youth. This came out at the height ofcold war hysteria, when McCarthy was leading the nation on a witch huntfor commie pinkos collaborating with the evil Soviet empire. Alsointeresting, is that the movie was adapted for the screen by A. I.Bezzerides, a writer with purported leftist sympathies. SupposedlySpillane ran into Bezzerides in a restaurant around the time of themovie's release, and the two had an immediate dislike for each other -mainly because Spillane didn't like what was done with his book. It isalso said that Bezzerides hated Spillane's book and rushed through theadaptation because he "had contempt for it". You'd think that two suchclashing personalities would be a formula for disaster, but strangelyKiss Me Deadly the movie takes the best comic overtones of Spillane'swork, and adds that "something" extra which makes it a film noirclassic.The movie, directed by Robert Aldrich, left in the sadistic, womanizingMike Hammer, and took out the clichГѓВ©d mafia conspiracy at the heart ofthe book version of Kiss Me Deadly. In Spillane's book theinvestigation eventually centers on a missing narcotics shipment, but,in Bezzerides' screenplay, the narcotics shipment becomes contrabandradionuclide - a glowing Pandora's box that when opened unleashesatomic hell fires.Bezzerides may not have been intentionally injecting "leftist"interpretations into the script, but he was a witness to the times, andanyone working in Hollywood surely was affected by McCarthyism and thethreat of nuclear annihilation. What happens in Kiss Me Deadly isinteresting because Bezzerides turned it from a cartoonish detectivestory into a topical story that captured the paranoid atmosphere of thetimes. Mike Hammer is still hilariously macho, but the essence of thestory now centers on a mysterious box containing atomic destruction.What's more striking than that is the movie's climax. True toSpillane's "go out on a bang" formula, the movie ends with the atomicbox being opened, an exploding house, and Hammer limping away withradiation burns and a bullet lodged in his gut. The movie ends on thisclimactic note, but it's obvious that this is one scrape Hammer won'tsurvive. When reading about the making of this film, I couldn't helpbut think this was a subconscious change ideated by Bezzerides, to killoff Mike Hammer. Hammer is an egotistical bully whose modus operandi isblind rage, revenge, and the hope of a big "pay off". His fiery demiseis his nemesis. Spillane for obvious reasons, would never have donethat.If I have any gripe with this film noir classic, it would be thatHammer could have been more loyal to Spillane's vision. For one,Spillane's Mike Hammer is an unabashed "bedroom dick", a sleazy P.I.who makes a living doing divorce cases in which he gets his girlfriendto seduce wayward husbands. He's supposed to drive a "heap", not a hotrod like in the movie, and he certainly doesn't have all the latestmodern accoutrements in his apartment - like the new-fangled answeringmachine which is highlighted a couple of times in the movie. The bookalso has Hammer in his native New York, but the movie takes place inLos Angeles. However, these are just a minor complaints, because, muchmore importantly, Hammer's insanely sadistic side is perfectly evoked,and the stark black and white of the movie make it suitably noir.Robert Aldrich's direction and Ernest Laszlo's great cinematographyperfectly render the shadowy American underbelly of the 1950s.By taking Spillane's run-of-the-mill story and adding the element ofatomic hysteria, Bezzerides and Aldrich turned this into a film with adeeper message. Mike Hammer is still a sleazy detective, he is still anentertaining anti-hero, but he can now be seen as a symbol for man'sinsatiable curiosity and greed, whose blind fury ultimately unleashesunknown powers on the world.

(2012-03-30 21:48:43)

GOOD DETECTIVE MOVIE. BUT WHY IS IT CALLED A CLASSIC?

I don't see what all the hype is about with this movie. The box I got it in said it's a classic! I mean it's a good detective movie and all and the answering machine was ahead of its time in 1955. But I've seen better whodunnits that aren't as violent as this one is and ones with someone to at least root for. You can't tell the good guys and girls from the bad in this movie! And the ones who aren't bad like Nick the mecanic are totally annoying. I turned the sound down everytime he made the va,va room car sound.

(2012-03-30 02:45:26)

It's 'The Bomb'

This late entry into the film noir genre has some harsh and memorable scenes and an ending unlike any other film noir. Of course, most of those weren't made during the A-Bomb scares of the mid 1950s, as this was.The movie features a tough, no-nonsense Mike Hammer-like private eye, played well by Ralph Meeker, whose narration is a little dated but fun to hear. This is one of those noirs in which everyone is a tough-talking, tough-acting mug and one never knows who to trust. Except for Cloris Leachman, who is only in the first quick (but haunting) opening scene, the females in here are unfamiliar actresses but people with interesting faces and personalities.That opening with Leachman is a real attention-grabber and is one of the best starts I've ever seen in a crime movie. It's very creepy, as is the unique ending. I also appreciated the cinematography in here a lot more once the DVD was issued.

JB-12

(2012-03-22 02:10:24)

Mickey Spillane's view of the end of the world

Mickey Spillane's view of the end of the world comes to the screen as abrutal, violent and fatalistic one. It also comes off as one of the bestdetective dramas ever filmed. The screenplay by A.I. Bezzerides portraysHammer as Spillane intended him to be. A caustic, callous, self centeredman who is a good detective, perhaps too good for his own being. After Hammer picks up a woman hitchiker he is drawn into a case thatinvolves everything up to and including the atomic bomb. The film is presented as a compelling mystery, and despite a cast of lesserstars and unknowns, the acting is uniformly great throughout.Meeker is the best Hammer I've ever seen on any medium(and I say this eventhough Biff Elliot, the first screen Hammer is a close personal friend). Hehas just the right blend of toughness, cockiness and cynicism to make youadmire him yet pity him. He is supported by a strong supporting cast.Cloris Leachman(her screen debut), Maxine Cooper (as Velma)and Gaby Rodgersas Lily Carver make up a deadly trio of Femme Fatals. Albert Dekker is oneof the great villans in screen lore. Paul Stewart plays his culturally bredlieutenant. Strother Martin, Fortunio Bonanova, Nick Dennis and JuanoHernandez are memorable characters involved with the case.The star of the show is the end. The video versions, both VHS and laser,feature the original ending as shot by Director Robert Aldrich following theconclusion of the filmPersonally I like the ending that is in the released version. It gives thepicture more of a mystique(not that it needs it). In fact this film needsvery little because it has so much.

Sparky

(2012-03-21 16:37:21)

Kiss Me Deadly

Kiss Me Deadly was the 5th film on our list for our Movie Reviews 4 Fun "movie club." Read our reviews here (replace the spaces with dots):www geocities com/moviereviews4fun/reviews html

Film Dog

(2012-03-19 15:00:08)

High camp.

A cult classic because, for 1955, it was considered ultra-violent andultra-sleazy. Mike Hammer solves all with wanton violence. Not the best offilms, but quite interesting and campy as all get-out.

(2012-03-19 02:32:40)

Noir Endgame

For all intents and purposes, the era of film noir ended on a symbolic note with director Robert Aldrich's "Kiss Me Deadly" (1955). Ralph Meeker gave the performance of his career as Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer in a tough, gritty crime drama - further enhanced by its evocative Los Angeles locations and timely subplot centering on an atomic Pandora's Box. Aldrich rightly believed that the genre would not survive the nuclear age. This low-budget cult classic has grown in stature during the past 20 years.

ccthemovieman-1

(2012-03-16 09:58:23)

It's The Bomb

This late entry into the film noir genre has some harsh and memorablescenes and an ending unlike any other film noir. Of course, most ofthose weren't made during the A-Bomb scares of the mid 1950s, as thiswas.The movie features a tough, no-nonsense Mike Hammer-like private eye,played well by Ralph Meeker, whose tough-guy dialog is a little datedbut still fun to hear. This is one of those noirs in which everyone isa tough-talking, tough-acting mug and one never knows who to trust.Except for Cloris Leachman, who is only in the first quick (buthaunting) opening scene, the females in here are unfamiliar actressesbut people with interesting faces and personalities.That opening with Leachman is a real attention-grabber and is one ofthe best starts I've ever seen in a crime movie. It's very creepy, asis the unique ending. I also appreciated the cinematography in here alot more once the DVD was issued.

BenP

(2012-03-15 22:14:58)

So So Film Noir

The story is hokey about some sort of atomic box, I like the sleazy Mike Hammer character and some of the scenes are great like the beginning catches you off balance! But I had a hard time watching a lot of the movie, it dragged along quite a bit at times!