Blast of Silence - Criterion Collection

Buy This Item Blast of Silence - Criterion Collection by Criterion Collection  Available from Amazon  $22.49  on 11-16-2008     Swift, brutal, and black-hearted, Allen Baron s New York City noir Blast of Silence is a sensational surprise. This low-budget, carefully crafted portrait of a hit man on assignment in Manhattan during Christmastime follows its stripped-down narrative with mechanical precision, yet also with an eye and ear for the oddball idiosyncrasies of urban living and the imposing beauty of the city s locations. At once visually ragged and artfully composed, and featuring rough, poetic narration by Lionel Stander, Blast of Silence is a stylish triumph.<P> DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:<P> New, restored digital transfer<P> Requiem for a Killer: The Making of Blast of Silence (2007)<P> Rare on-set Polaroids<P> Locations revisited in 2008<P> Trailer<P> PLUS: An essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty and a four-page graphic-novel adaptation of the film by award-winning artist Sean Phillips <P>(Criminal, Sleeper, Batman: Jekyll & Hyde) Reader Reviews Allen Baron spent most of his career directing television dross like The Dukes of Hazzard and Charlie's Angels--35 years of it, to be exact. (To be fair to Baron, he also directed two series I liked back in the day, The Brady Bunch and Night Gallery.) But in 1961 he made this one really cool noir film, Blast of Silence. Shot in gritty black and white on the streets of Manhattan, this dark, low-budget crime/thriller tells the story (through a poetic interior monologue performed by Lionel Stander) of a professional hit man, not-so-handsome Frankie Bono (Allen Baron), suffering from a severe case of existential malaise. With Christmas approaching, he is hired to whack a mob boss. While plotting the assasination, Bono is recognized by an old friend from the orphanage, whose happily-married domestic existence forces Bono to confront his own solitary life. The 77-minute film has an edgy, ragged, beat quality, with a hip jazz score. The Criterion edition features a newly restored digital transfer, "Requiem for a Killer: The Making of Blast of Silence," on-set Polaroids, and a booklet featuring an essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty and a four-page graphic-novel adaptation of the film by acclaimed artist Sean Phillips (Criminal, Sleeper, Marvel Zombies). I am truly amazed Blast of Silence has not achieved classic cult-film status. Blast of Silence is 77 minutes of time well spent in noir at its best. G. Merritt

Blast of Silence - Criterion Collection Available from Amazon Price: $22.49 Updated on 11-16-2008.

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