Film Noir Releases in March 2016

March looks to be a slim month for film noir and neonoir, offering little that we haven’t seen before in one form or another. But since February has been been pretty tough on our wallets, the scant offerings in March might give us time to catch our breaths before April. Here’s what I found for next month:

March 7

Black Widow (1987) Signal One (UK, Region B)

Bob Rafelson’s neonoir with Debra Winger and Theresa Russell got a Twilight Time release last year and is still available. There’s no information on the new Signal One edition’s supplements, but know that it is region-locked and you’ll need a region-free player to watch it in the US.

March 8

Gilda (1946) Fnac Exclusive DigiBook (France, Region B)

Most noir fans in the US probably already own the recent Criterion edition of this film, but if I’m throwing it out there anyway. (Plus the cover looks pretty cool.) Region-locked.

March 14

Rocco and His Brothers (1960) Masters of Cinema (UK, Region B)

I keep wondering if Criterion might release this at some point, but since I’ve been wanting to see this film for several years, I’ll probably forego waiting and pre-order this Luchino Visconti classic. The price is very reasonable, especially for a new release (£11.79 or just under $17) and the folks at Masters of Cinema always do a bang-up job on their releases. Once again, Region-locked.

March 15

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) Criterion Collection

Although I’ve owned the MGM Blu-ray for years, I haven’t re-watched the film since I first saw it in the 1980s. I’ll probably stick with it, although the new Criterion edition contains several new features that look very tempting…

March 22

Kill Me Again (1989) Olive Films

This is one I completely missed when it came out in 1989, but it sure looks promising, directed by John Dahl and starring Val Kilmer as a PI who’s fallen on hard times. John Grant, in his A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir, states that Joanne Whalley “confounds any stereotype we might have of her to deliver one of neonoir’s most venomous femme fatales.” As far as I can tell, this is the film’s first Blu-ray release. I think I’m going to have to get this one.

Undertow (2004) Olive Films

This crime-thriller set in Georgia starring Dermot Mulroney and Josh Lucas looks fairly interesting. I’ve heard nothing about it, so if you have, let me know if it’s worth picking up. First time on Blu-ray.

March 29

The Red House (1947) The Film Detective

Edward G. Robinson plays Pete Morgan, a crippled farmer who warns his new hire (Lon McCallister) to stay away from the haunted “Red House” on Morgan’s property. As a public domain film, The Red House has been kicked around for many years and is also currently part of a Blu-ray twin pack from HD Cinema Classics. If last month’s Film Detective release of Kansas City Confidential is any indication, this new edition of The Red House will probably look and sound better than previous editions, but don’t expect many (or any) supplements.

That’s it for March. If you know of any I’ve missed, please let me know in the comment section. Happy viewing!