Blast of Silence (1961) - 7/10Interesting little indie piece draining the last kicks from the film noir. Couldn't link the voice of the narrator to a name until I saw on IMDb it was actually Lionel Stander (though uncredited). Worth a watch.Whatever happened to Allen Baron?
I'd give it an 8. It's very liberated and has some great scenes. I never tired of LS's narration but that could be a potential issue with some viewers. I'm sure it's no surprise that I enjoy it, considering I had the sig/avatar pics. a one point.
I actually didn't thought the narration was that bad. Sure, a couple of times it goes on explaining the obvious just to remind you it's there, but all in all it's OK. The camera bothered me more; Baron was not a bad actor as much as he was unexperienced in directing, it would have been a bomb if he knew a few more professional tricks. Can't understand why he never went up the hierarchy but ended up directing television shows.P.S. That 'rape' scene is just WTF.
I didn't have an issue with the visuals, I liked the look esp. the long shot of the street (reminded me of the opening of Down By Law) but I'm going to re-watch it in the very near future b/c I have it DVR'd.Yeah, that scene is really random.
I had the feeling he was struggling with the camera in his face. He probably should have changed the angle.The shots of the exteriors were excellent: the deserted streets and docks were radiating that specific Cold War paranoia.
It's been years since I've seen this but I remember enjoying it. I agree with you about how much the locations add and that bigger productions from that era totally screwed up by not utilizing the city more. I don't know if this is a great movie or a great movie for its budget. And while the Stander narration is great, I wonder if it's overused. I'll have to see this one again. I know it's definitely worth a view for those who haven't seen it.I do love those late 50s/early 60s low budget crime/noir flicks like Murder By Contract, The Lineup, etc. They usually at least do one thing amazingly well, whether that be locations, music, narration, etc.
Looking at the bonus features on the Criterion DVD now - there is a wonderful one-hour video called "Requiem for a Killer: The Making of Blast of Silence.