Film Noir Releases in September

August has been a great month for film noir releases, so much so that anything afterward seems bound to disappoint. September, however, contains a few surprises…

September 8:

The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) Universal Blu-ray

I like to call this Coen Brothers black-and-white film a neo-noir, whether or not that’s an accurate term. It’s one of my favorite films from the brothers and I’m delighted to see it get the Blu-ray treatment.

September 15:

Murder, My Sweet (1944) Warner Archive Blu-ray

This Edward Dmytryk classic is the hands-down September highlight for me. I love Dick Powell’s Philip Marlowe maybe even more than Bogart’s.

The Directors Collection: 10-Movie Set – Mill Creek DVD

This cheapie set includes The Stranger (1946) and Beat the Devil (1953) and other non-noir films. It’s worth picking up if you want to sample these films and don’t already have them, otherwise both noirs are available in Blu-ray editions.

September 28:

The Otto Preminger Film Noir Collection – BFI Blu-ray (UK)

Fallen Angel (1945), Whirlpool (1949), Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) – A bit pricey at £38 (about $60), I’ll probably pick this one up when the price drops. The only extras I can identify include commentaries on all three films by critic Adrian Martin, an interview with Preminger by Joan Bakewell (audio only), and original trailers.

Night and the City (1950) BFI Blu-ray (UK)

The Criterion Collection Blu-ray was just released a few weeks ago and I haven’t compared extras yet, but the Criterion edition looks pretty impressive.

That’s it for September, unless I’ve missed something, in which case I hope you’ll let me know. Happy viewing!