This video reviews the film noir 'A Life at Stake' starring Angela Lansbury.
The film is a low-budget, black-and-white movie from 1955 that follows an architect who gets involved with a woman who may have sinister intentions.
The reviewer praises Angela Lansbury's performance and the film's cinematography, audio, and bonus features.
The Blu-ray release includes an audio commentary, a full booklet with stills and an article about Angela Lansbury and the film noir genre.
Greetings Classic Cinema and TV fans. This is Jason Lockard, Pastor Jay here with you once again on another video here on Classic Cinema Plus. And today we're going back in time to a very, very interesting type of film. We're talking film noir. Yes, these were, film noirs were films that were kind of shot at very, very low budget, but were very profitable because they were very popular in the 40s and 50s, and people just loved them. So they were made on the cheap, made very cheaply and very easy, but were tremendous films with great actors and made a lot of money for the studio. So that's why there's so many film noirs. Well, we're going back in time to talk about one from 1955. And we're talking about a film that stars the great Angela Lansbury. Yes, Angela Lansbury, at the time we're doing this video, Angela Lansbury is still going strong. And wow, an amazing, amazing actress. Probably known by many people for being in the show Murder, She Wrote. But she was in so many films throughout her career. She was a great film actress. And we're talking about one brand new release from The Film Detective. The great folks at The Film Detective have been bringing film fans some of the most amazing films on special deluxe style Blu-rays. And man, are we excited about this one. This one is a life at stake. Wow. Okay Okay this is a tremendous film Basically it about a guy that is an architect and he kind of struggling a little bit and this young woman married woman comes to him and has an idea about them partnering up and making a lot of money and she going to use some of her husband wealth to do this And it all kind of plays out. And then little bit by little bit, he realizes that maybe, just maybe, she has a little bit more of a sinister idea behind all this. And maybe the life that's at stake very well could be his own. Yes! Oh my goodness, is this an amazing film. Angela Lansbury is at her best in anything she does She really does She just shines When she's on the screen She literally just takes the camera captive She just is I mean the camera loves her I mean it really does And she just is right there And everything she does She just draws you in And she is so great in this film. This is a, like I said, a low-budget film noir, but man, is it great. Shot in black and white, which all film noirs are shot in black and white, of course. But they are, the old term was inglorious black and white. And I have to say, this thing is shot in glorious black and white. It really is amazing. And I think what makes this release so much cool, such a cool release for me, is the fact that this has, it's a new 4K scan from original negative, camera negative of this film. I mean, wow. And now when I watch this film, I have to say, I saw it for the first time and wow. The picture is pretty amazing Now there is a couple little you know little bad places and nothing that you have to worry about Unless you examining the picture you miss it I mean that's how minor they really are. But, you know, as a reviewer, we got to examine the picture. All in all, it looks amazing. It's really, really great. The audio is spectacular. It's clear as a bell. It really is amazing. Just a great thing. I love this set here, this Blu-ray. Very, very cool Blu-ray. But what makes this so cool, this release so amazing, is the fact that you get an audio commentary. I love those audio commentaries where we get film historians that come in and tell us more about the picture, more about the actors. and wow, is this great. And it does. It is a great commentary. Also, there is a full booklet. Love this. Very, very cool booklet with stills, still pictures. Very, very cool. And this is kind of a little article written by the guy that does the audio commentary as well, Jason A. Nay. And very, very cool. It is Angela Lansbury and the Last Days of B. Noir. Very awesome. Love booklets. And the very end of the booklet, we get a beautiful picture of the beautiful Angela Lansbury. Such a great, great actress. Wow. Just great stuff. But I think the bonus features, as great as these bonus features are, the one that I really enjoyed was Hollywood Hitchhiker. It a documentary that tracks the filmmakers Ida Lupino was a great actress a producer and a director as well which female directors were just not the norm in early Hollywood but yet she was tremendous She was really great. And she joined up with her husband at the time, and they started The Filmmakers, a group of people that began to shoot B-films and exploitation films and stuff, and really did some amazing stuff. And it was just called The Filmmakers. And this documentary from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures tracks that whole idea of what the filmmakers were. Such a tremendous documentary. Yeah, I just love it. I have to tell you, if you love B film noirs, you have got to check out this one from The Film Detective. This is one amazing little Blu-ray. and we at Classic Cinema Plus highly, highly recommend this one. If you'd like to read the full written review, you can go to our official website at Classic Cinema Plus and check it out. I think you'll really be surprised by that. You can also find a link to purchase this Blu-ray right there at the article. We want to thank the film detective for sending this our way so we can share it with you. It is truly, truly something special And we thank them so much for sending this one our light Alright, we want to thank you for joining us today Be sure to like, share and subscribe Be sure to go to Classic Cinema Plus And check out all the amazing articles there And until we see you next time with another video This is Jason Lockhart, Pastor Jay Wishing you a blessed day And reminding you that if you want to see a great film Check out a classic And we will see you next time Bye, have a blessed day Thank you.
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