Saturday Sinema: Black Angel

Elegantly directed by Hollywood veteran Roy William Neill (best known for his 11 Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone), Black Angel is an underappreciated film noir treasure, adapted from a novel by the acclaimed crime writer Cornell Woolrich (Phantom Lady). When the beautiful singer Mavis Marlowe (Constance Dowling) is slain in her chic apartment, the men in her life become suspects. There is Martin Blair (Dan Duryea, Scarlet Street), her alcoholic musician ex-husband, nursing a broken heart; there is the shady nightclub owner Marko (Peter Lorre, Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon) who has been sneaking around her place, and there is Kirk Bennett (John Phillips), the adulterer who found his mistress's dead body and fled the scene. When Bennett is convicted and sentenced to death, his long-suffering wife Catherine (June Vincent) joins forces with the heartbroken pianist Martin Blair to uncover the truth... Black Angel is a consummate 1940s crime thriller which boats a suspenseful narrative, strong performances and atmospheric, meticulously lit cinematography. Roy William Neill's film is presented here in a sumptuous restoration, with several illuminating new extras.

Bonus Materials

• Brand new restoration from original film elements by Arrow Films
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Uncompressed Mono 1.0 PCM audio soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• New audio commentary by the writer and film scholar Alan K. Rode
• A Fitting End, a new video appreciation by the film historian Neil Sinyard
• Original trailer
• Gallery of original stills and promotional materials
• Reversible sleeve featuring two artwork options
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Philip Kemp

Order Here: https://mvdb2b.com/b2b/s/AA054

Try A Little "Tenderness"

Tenderness of the Wolves

I like my serial killers rare...

Fritz Haarmann, aka the Butcher of Hanover and the Vampire of Hanover, was a German serial killer responsible for the murders of two dozen boys and young men during the so-called 'years of crisis' between the wars. His case would partly inspire Fritz Lang's M, and its central character portrayed by Peter Lorre, as well as this forgotten gem from 1973. 

Tenderness of the Wolves treats the viewer to a few weeks in the company of a killer. Baby-faced and shaven-headed, in a manner that recalls both M and F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu, Haarmann is a fascinating, repulsive figure. Using his status as a police informant to procure his victims, he dismembers their bodies after death and sells the flesh to restaurants, dumping the remainder out of sight. This isn't an easy film to watch, but it certainly gets under the skin... 

Produced by Rainer Werner Fassbinder (who also supplies a shifty cameo), Tenderness of the Wolves provided two of his regular actors with a means of expanding their careers. Ulli Lommel - later responsible for the infamous video nasty The Boogeyman - made his directorial debut, while Kurt Raab wrote the screenplay as well as delivering an astonishing performance as Haarmann.

Special Features:
-New high definition digital transfer prepared by the Rainer Werner Fassbinder Foundation
-High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
-Uncompressed Mono 1.0 PCM Audio
-New translated English subtitles
-The Tender Wolf - a brand-new in-depth interview with director Ulli Lommel
-Brand-new interview with director of photography Jürgen Jürges
-Newly-filmed appreciation by film historian and expert on European horror cinema Stephen Thrower
-Theatrical trailer
-Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by the Twins of Evil
-Illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film by Tony Rayns

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 20th

Pre-order at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RMW6b7