GIRL ON THE RUN (1953, B/W, 66 Minutes): A hootchy-kootchy whodunit set at a small seedy carnival where a reporter tries to discover who killed his boss while his girlfriend inexplicably joins the burlesque show! Pure carny-noir. THE NAKED ROAD (1959, B/W, 74 Minutes): When a woman is left with a corrupt Judge as collateral for a speeding ticket (say what?!), a Good Samaritan bails her out... then holds her prisoner as a future sex slave in this utterly off-kilter, truly weird Weird-Noir. THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT (1961, B/W, 82 Minutes): A preacher with amnesia and the power to heal (!) quickly plunges into the gutter when his ex-girlfriend-with-a-grudge shows up to blackmail him in this marvelous pulp mix of sex, revenge, and outright obsession! FEAR NO MORE (1961, B/W, 78 Minutes): Accused of killing a woman on a train, Sharon Carlin runs home to find another corpse there too! FALLGUY (1962, B/W, 62 Minutes): Hot shot teen Sonny Martin stops to help the victim of an auto accident but quickly realizes he’s stepped into a murder in progress. STARK FEAR (1962, B/W, 85 Minutes): After the abusive husband of cult fave Beverly Garland disappears, you’d think she’d celebrate. Instead, she tries to find the bum and, as expected, things get worse.
T**E
9 out of 10 people are now considered weird by somebody else.
When is a film noir not a film noir? The answers are many, but for the subject at hand, I doubt I have to even say it. So I'll shout it (cup your ears) WHEN IT'S A WEIRD-NOIR.Uh, what's a...weird-noir? Ahh, glad you asked, now I gotta make up an answer…It's even more low budget than a normal-noir, and the director may have had a bad case of halitosis and/or excessive dandruff. He/She possibly ate pigs-knuckles for lunch, but what do we care, they made movies that did not exactly clean up at the box office and were forgotten by all but the most bloodhound-like species of film fanatic but now thanks to Something Weird Video's (Mike Vraney Rest in Peace, you are sorely missed!) archives we have six examples of the newly-tagged genre to enjoy.Filmed in the years ranging 1953 to 1963, all in Black and White, I loved them all, but I've also been known to eat hard-boiled eggs without a salt-shaker handy whatever that means.I'll tell you what. If that front cover is not whispering in your ear to buy this instead of the latest and the greatest blockbusterest besterest yetterest, than it wasn't meant to be. That's Beverly Garland on the art, she's in Stark Fear and she has never disappointed (me).Those big tubs of peanut butter are on sale? You'll still want to shopping cart this first, then look for dropped coins on the way to the supermarket, it can happen, BELIEVE & BUY.
P**A
Tremendous collection!
This is an absolutely great set that any fan of film noir or low-budget oddities should purchase. The six films were very thoughtfully chosen for both their commonality and their diversity, and watching the movies in quick succession, as I did, is extremely stimulating. This is emphatically NOT a collection of "so bad they're good" movies - instead, their "weird" qualities challenge established norms of film-making AND viewing. I love "Mystery Science Theater 3000," too, but there is a time to move beyond snark, which is after all a form of defensiveness against the unexpected elements such movies might have to offer. Each of these films is unique, rewarding, and worth encountering in an open, inquisitive spirit.
D**N
Weirdly Interesting
So far I’ve only seen Girl on the Run and I loved it. The quality is amazing, the story is so odd, and there’s plenty of sex appeal to keep you interested. These films look perfect if you can’t decide between noir or grindhouse (because that’s a problem we all face).
D**E
Rare rare rare
The other reviewer is bang on in everything he writes but one thing I'd like to comment on is the rarity of these films. Five of the six films I had never heard of. And I am a film buff who collects older oddball stuff. Sure, the cynical will say... "with good reason thes are obscure" and that is true. No true gems here, but as a collector of rare films this package was a delight and I thought the digital transfers were all well done.
B**E
Film noir on the edge.
Wow. Film noir on the edge from these budget, independent studios. These films are really great and the quality of the prints are OK considering the independent studio budgets. Some of those iconic sceens in Seventh Commandment are quite memorable. And a really great price for these six films.
P**T
Weird But Far from Wonderful
Ultra cheap movies with the two I have seen to date. Leaving me in no hurry to watch the others. I will of course when I'm in the mood. Or far from sober. The packaging is attractive and the price cheap enough. So if you like 'b's and 'c's the disc is worth buying.
J**R
I was pleased to see it has been released on DVD
Since I appear in the lead role in this film, I was pleased to see it has been released on DVD. My friends have enjoyed watching it.
A**R
Four Stars
No complaints
G**0
Mediocre
Don't waste your money on these 10th rate duds, even fringe-"noir"
S**N
One Star
Why did I buy this.
Trustpilot
5 days ago
3 weeks ago
