THE PLOT THUS FAR
I want to report a murder.
A man trying to solve his own murder is a strange and unique story premise found in these two cinematic thrillers. The premise may be the same for the two movies but each film has their own distinct style and plot twists that will keep you wondering how things will turn out. Check out the classic from 1950 or the remake from 1988 and you can decide for yourselves which version is better.
D.O.A.
(1950) B&W Not Rated
Starring: Edmond O’Brien, Pamela Britton, Beverly Garland
A Picture as Excitingly Different as its Title!
A vacationing accountant is given a poison and is informed by a doctor he has a short time to live. The accountant decides to spend his remaining time trying to track down the source of poison, find out who gave it to him and what the reason was for it. As his time grows short, the accountant, accompanied by his secretary, gets closer to the truth but also in greater peril.
In all the annals of police history there has never been a story like this – of a man who had 48 hours to find his own murderer. Edmond O’Brien (The Barefoot Contessa, The Wild Bunch) stars as Frank Bigelow, a vacationing accountant who has been poisoned, and doesn’t know why or by whom. With only a short time to live, he searches for the truth – but the closer he gets, the more danger he encounters.
Directed by legendary cinematographer Rudolph Maté (Foreign Correspondent, Gilda), D.O.A. is a must-see film noir classic featuring all of the genre’s stylilized characteristics. Striking visuals, a foreboding score by Dmitri Tiomkin (It’s a Wonderful Life), and a sinister plot. Also starring Pamela Britton and Luther Adler. Beverly Garland and Neville Brand in their feature film debut.
D.O.A.
(1988) Color Rated R
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, Daniel Stern
Time is running out for Dexter Cornell (Dennis Quaid – Footloose, Soul Surfer,GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra). He has just 24 hours to unravel the bitter truth surrounding his own poisoning. In his desperate search, everyone’s a suspect, even the woman who loves him (Meg Ryan – Kate & Leopold, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle). Directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, creators of superstar Max Headroom, D.O.A. pulsates with explosive action and sizzling performances by Quaid and Ryan, two people who find themselves suddenly living on the edge. It’s a night on the run, filled with fear, danger…and passion.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“D.O.A.” got a remake that was a big deal when I was a kid. But, I grew up around people that were really huge into murder mysteries. Not much difference between the two movies, but the remake has some sex and earns the R rating. Both are lesser movies, but ones that seem to demand Blu-Ray treatment. The concept is intriguing and one that demands treatment for the multiple film remakes out there. Hell, I’m surprised it took this long.
The DVD comes with no special features. The A/V Quality is on par with the past DVD releases. The transfer isn’t amazing, but it works. The same goes for the Dolby audio track. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious. But, I’d love to see SONY and Touchstone let Mill Creek do Blu-Ray releases for these sets. This is such a great concept not to be in HD.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!