Blast of Silence (1961)

Buried with a Beating Heart, this Low-Low-Low-Budget Movie Hangs on to Film-Noir with a Last Gasp of Nihilism and Seedy Style.The Result was a Forgotten, Little Seen Film Relegated to Bottom of the Bill Double Features and Fell almost Instantaneously into a Comatose State of Existence, but Thankfully the Plug was Not Pulled and it Remained almost Dead but Still Alive.The Revitalization and Return from its Dying State was Thanks to Film Festivals, Critics, the Cult of Sleeper Cinema, and Later the likes of Iconic Director and Film Historian Martin Scorsese. It was Featured in the Underground Book "Re-Search".The Talent Showcase of the Writer/Director/Actor, Allen Baron was Not Fully Realized and He Pacified Himself with Easy Paychecks in TV-Land for the Remainder of His Career.Now Considered a Favorite among Film Fanatics, especially Fans of Film-Noir and Indie Cinema, the Newly Released Criterion Collection Disc has caused Glee among Film Geeks and is Available for all to See. Hard to Live Up to its Accolades among the Obscure Inteligencia, it Impresses those that Seek it Out because of its Bleak Presentation and Unpretentious Display.The Movie Manages to Entertain as a Curiosity Piece and Provides Inspiration for Aspiring Filmmakers with Little or No Money. Worth a Watch for Fans of Film-Noir, B-Movies, and those that Love to Find Forgotten Little Gems.The Sharp Expression of the Existential Big-City Images, Low-Brow, Paperback, Pulp, Voice Over Narration that is Numbingly Repetitive but Adds some Charm, and the Overall Audacious, Uncompromising, Challenging Production make this a Remarkable Entry in the Field of Forgotten Films.For Better or Worse the Movie is now in a Deconstruction Mode from Thankful Pontificates and much Verbiage is out there for Your Consideration.

Blast of SilenceChristmas shopping is easy for a hit man because everyone on his list gets a bullet.But as this drama demonstrates it's the other traditions that distress an assassin this time of year.Dispatched to New York over the holidays to deal with a low-level mob boss (Peter Clune), Cleveland contract killer Frankie Bono (Allen Baron) is uneasy with returning to his hometown.His unflappable nature is further tested when he encounters an old friend from the orphanage and reignites a holiday romance with her (Molly McCarthy).However, Frankie's violent lifestyle doesn't quite mesh with his old acquaintances.The most honest portrayal of a professional killer ever produced, this haunting 1961 noir Christmas story captures the pathos and loneliness akin to a killer's career, and the callousness needed to endure it.By the way, the only gift a mobster wants from Santa at Christmas is his help moving a body. Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

If you watch "Blast of Silence", I strongly recommend you watch the accompanying making of featurette featuring Allen Baron reminiscing decades later about the film. This is because it really helps you appreciate how good the movie is. After all, although the film looks very professionally made, it was assembled with a shoestring budget. In fact, the budget was so tiny that the writer/director, Baron, was forced to act in the lead. This is pretty funny, as he was just perfect in this role--yet this was only his second (and last) acting credit! I would really love it if young filmmakers today watched BOTH to get an idea of economy in filmmaking and that you don't need huge budgets nor big names to make a decent film.As for "Blast of Silence", it's a wonderful noir-like film. I say 'noir-like' because it's a lot less like an American film noir picture and more like one of the next generation that including the French noir films. In many ways, this film is comparable to those of directors like Melville--very compactly told and with little in the way of filler or remorse. Additionally, I kept thinking to myself that Allen Baron sure bore a strong similarity to one of my favorite gangster actors, Lino Ventura--the look and the style were clearly similar.The story is simple. A cold assassin named Frank Bono (Allen) is in New York to make a hit for the mob. However, he's got a few days to kill. This along with a betrayal by one of his 'associates' take Bono off his game. While the hit goes off pretty much as planned, Bono uncharacteristically shows that his nerves are on edge and he's tired of the life--both things which make him a liability.The film is told very well and I loved most of it. However, like too many gangster films of the 1940s-60s, there is an unnecessary narration. While Allen must have been thrilled to get the character actor Lionel Stander to narrate (and his voice was perfect), I don't think it added anything to the film and could have easily been eliminated. Still, it is a much better than average crime film--and a marvelous example of inexpensive filmmaking. Ironically, Allen went on to have a very long career...but almost completely with television and not in film despite the quality of this production.

This film bridges the gap between classic 50s noir, and the more complex, improvisational dark NYC films to come, first by Cassavettes, and then by Scorsese. Very reminiscent of, if not as psychologically complex, surreal, and twisted as, the writings of Jim Thompson. A hit man from Cleveland comes to New York for one last job. The film uses 2nd person narration – 'You feel this', or 'You sense danger'. It's an interesting technique I can't remember encountering in a movie before, which plays with your head in a good way. Who's narrating the film? Obviously the 'you' is the main character, but by subtle implication it makes US him. The narration was written under a pseudonym by the great blacklisted writer Waldo Salt. Beautiful, stark and depressing photography – which I guess describes the film as a whole as well.A couple of terrific, odd supporting characters add to the nightmare atmosphere. While some of the acting is variable, and a few twists are too telegraphed, this is a film that has stuck with me.