Kiss Me Deadly
by Robert Aldrich
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DVD details
Actor: Albert Dekker, Juano Hernandez, Paul Stewart, Ralph Meeker, Wesley AddyDirector: Robert Aldrich
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: Ernest Laszlo
Producer: Robert Aldrich
Editor: Michael Luciano
Producer: Victor Saville
Writer: A.I. Bezzerides
Writer: Mickey Spillane
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, Letterboxed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 106 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-06-19
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
DVD Reviews of Kiss Me Deadly
DVD Review: HEY RALPH, NEXT TIME GET GABY A BOX OF WINE GLASSES, PLEASE
Summary: 4 Stars
Offbeat noir that gets better with each viewing. Ralph Meeker, a sidelines character actor best known to the baby boomer gen for his frequent guest appearances in numerous 60's TV series and 70's TV movies, plays reknown fiction-author Mickey Spillane's trademark "Mike Hammer" private investigator [PI] character. Remember when the Western met the living dead in the form of vampires [CURSE OF THE UNDEAD, 1959]? Well now another odd combo as it's film noir meets the atomic age. This noir is different. The opening credits roll in reverse, driving scenes are filmed from behind and the bad guys doing their dirty work are often filmed below the knees [or not at all] with only gait, voice and the viewer's imagination creating the picture. And the two female leads have much shorter hair than we're used to seeing in noir.
Vet character actress Cloris Leachman, who we are all familiar with from her numerous 70's TV movies, her role as Phylis in the Mary Tyler Moore show [1970-77] and a couple of noteable Mel Brooks' comedies [YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, 1974, and HIGH ANXIETY, 1977] is the first person we see in this film, playing a mysterious figure named Christina. We all remember her chiseled facial features---hawk-like nose and sickle-like lips---but here, younger and with the short, blond, croppy hair and raincoat-only attire appears surprisingly attractive. She hails Meeker's sports car on a desolate highway one lonely night and asks for a lift. Inside she tells her story of escape. The two are followed and kidnapped by persons unknown who incapacitate Hammer and torture her. The unconscious duo are then brutally driven off a cliff to their certain demise with only Hammer surviving. Now it's time for Hammer to dust himself off and figure out this bizarre encounter.
Before being intercepted Christina gives Hammer a verbal message containing two words. A letter she mailed at a gas station before her death is received by Hammer days later and contains the same two words. Hammer knows that nobody is going to kidnap you, torture you then drive you off a cliff because you stepped on their daisies. Somebody's after something and it's not a bag of shells.
What carries you through this film is Meeker and his monotonous yet always-thinking, simmering and unpredictable persona. Despite his sordid nature he manages to keep us interested in his welfare---we don't want that nice hair to get mussed up. Meeker's only other noteworthy movie roles was playing the groveling, condemned soldier in Kubrick's PATHS OF GLORY [1957] and as the military psychiatrist in THE DIRTY DOZEN [1967]---remember his report informing Lee Marvin that he had a group of both imbeciles and psychopaths on his hands . He's focused and in the zone in this one, easily his career best performance. He's always nattily attired and the hair perfectly groomed despite his escapades. Kind of reminds me of that that kid in class we all had in high school who was different---with the neat, pressed clothes, perfectly groomed and always bringing the brown paper bag with lunch from home instead of gagging on the lousy cafeteria food. And the gals would often be on his periphery. This pampered and pompous kid was quite a source of annoyance to the rest of us "normal" dudes in class as was Meeker to the police lieutenant---also searching for the truth---on his tail. Meeker was able to decipher Christina's message because, among one of many admirable traits of this austere, aloof but likeable PI, was an ability to look and listen carefully and remember details. Hey, generation X could learn a lot from this guy.
Interestly, the only person in the film to bring a child-like grin to his stoic face is his auto mechanic friend Nick ["va-va-va-vroom"] who is probably the only person he genuinely likes. His "secretary" Velda is obviously the person he trusts the most. When Nick is mysteriously murdered in his auto shop and Velda is kidnapped he goes on a septuagenarian slapping spree. Love the way Meeker gets things done---and procures the info he needs--- with alacrity and economy: a slap across the chops here, a desk drawer vising some fingers there, lauding then breaking a priceless record, stopping a nocturnal predator with a box of popcorn. Wish he carried a gun, though.
Another memorable performance is provided by Christina's roommate Gabriella, played a by little-known actress named Gaby Rodgers. She reminds one of an older, middle-aged, more corpulent, trail-beaten Anne Heche. Rodgers' not-soon-forgotten oddball , missing-a-marble performance as Christina's androgynous , missing roommate is great. Her on-and-off plaintive and whimsical demeanor and child-like voice with the staccato-like delivery were engaging, and deceiving too, as they did not portend her eventual psychopathic meltdown [figuratively and literally]. Her performance soon brought to mind two other similarly flavored performances: Melanie Griffith [THE DROWNING POOL, 1975] and Jennifer Tilley [BOUND, 1996] and there are probably others. Fine work by Director Aldrich with his insightful pick for a singular and probably influential femme fatale characterization. Hard to believe the talented Rodgers never made it after this.
Nice seeing veteran actor Albert Dekker whose last film was THE WILD BUNCH [1969]. Always loved his deliberate and mysterious voice which allowed him to play exotic, erudite characters so well [you've got to see him in Dr Cyclops, 1940]. Here he played the mastermind of the obscure and nefarious group. The ending is morose and open-ended. The film seemed to prey on the 50's fear of Cold War nuclear posturing. Worth your time if you like noir or just for Meeker and Rodgers' raw and terrific performances.
Description of Kiss Me Deadly
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