double indemnity is a 1944 film noir directed by billy wilder , co-written by wilder and raymond chandler , and produced by buddy desylva and joseph sistrom .

the screenplay was based on james m. cain 's 1943 novella of the same name , which originally appeared as an eight-part serial in liberty magazine .

the film stars fred macmurray as an insurance salesman , barbara stanwyck as a provocative housewife who wishes her husband were dead , and edward g. robinson as a claims adjuster whose job is to find phony claims .

the term " double indemnity " refers to a clause in certain life insurance policies that doubles the payout in rare cases when death is caused accidentally , such as while riding a railway .

praised by many critics when first released , double indemnity was nominated for seven academy awards but did not win any .

deemed " culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant " by the u.s. library of congress in 1992 , double indemnity was selected for preservation in the national film registry .

in 1998 , it was ranked # 38 on the american film institute 's list of the 100 best american films of all time , and in 2007 it placed 29th on their 10th anniversary list .

double indemnity ( film )

double indemnity : classic film noir film scores vol . 1 ( original soundtrack recordings )
essays , uk . ( november 2013 ) . double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay . retrieved from urltoken
a dvd release for ' double indemnity ' film critic john powers reviews the dvd release of billy wilder ' s classic double indemnity , starring fred macmurray and barbara stanwyck .
film noir is the most intoxicating of hollywood cocktails , and none is more potent than double indemnity .
double indemnity essays are academic essays for citation . these papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of double indemnity by director billy wilder .
double indemnity is the season ' s nattiest , nastiest , most satisfying melodrama .
double indemnity academy award nominations ~ vip ~ 16 . 05 . 2016 - youtube
you are currently reading the double indemnity house , from book to film to reality at under the hollywood sign .
the final scene in the house in double indemnity … yes , that was beautiful .
double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay .
ukessays . com . 11 2013 . all answers ltd . 07 2018 < urltoken > .
ukessays . double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay [ internet ] . november 2013 . [ accessed 9 july 2018 ] ; available from : urltoken
in double indemnity , the make - up on barbara stanwyck… mistake there . big mistake .
thank you intrada for this fantastic release . 38 minutes for double indemnity , 30 minutes for
double indemnity from bookrags . ( c ) 2018 bookrags , inc . all rights reserved .
ukessays . november 2013 . double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay . [ online ] . available from : urltoken [ accessed 9 july 2018 ] .
all answers ltd , ' double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay ' ( ukessays . com , july 2018 ) < urltoken > accessed 9 july 2018
double indemnity screenplay by billy wilder and raymond chandler . based on the novel by james m . cain
barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray star in
double indemnity
from 1944 . both played against type .
double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay .
all answers ltd . ukessays . com , november 2013 . web . 9 july 2018 . < urltoken > .
film noir black film or dark film . the film noir genre was born from crime films : audiences grew bored with the criminal protagonist . audiences grew bored .
interestingly , double indemnity locates the house not in los feliz but in hollywoodland , where cain himself lived .
[ … ] 15 tags : billy wilder , double indemnity , james m . cain , raymond chandler by chris routledge underthehollywoodsign has a nice piece about the house used in the film double indemnity as the home of phyllis dietrichson , played by [ … ]
double indemnity . film background year of release : 1944 directed by - billy wilder adapted screenplay - billy wilder and raymond chandler original novella - james .
thanks for the fabulous info about the sites of double indemnity ! i watched it again today on tcm and was reminded what a fabulous film it is .
duplicitous duo . . . barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray in double indemnity . photograph : everett collection / rex features
double indemnity suite : prelude - narration - the meeting - the lovers - the murder - finale . . .
main titles from billy wilder ' s
double indemnity
( 1944 ) with miklos rozsa ' s score .
schmuck bait : the titular double indemnity clauses are clearly described as this by walter . they go for it anyway .
billy wilder ' s
double indemnity
is a film noir classic of deception as a normal insurance salesman in los angeles is lured into a dark . . .
double indemnity . film background year of release : 1944 directed by - billy wilder adapted screenplay - billy wilder and raymond chandler original novella - james . - ppt download
dear old hollywood : double indemnity : film locations . . . dietrichson house , 6301 quebec drive , hollywood hills | vintage los angeles & hollywood | pinterest | d…
on april 24 , 1944 , billy wilder ' s thriller double indemnity , eventually nominated for seven oscars at the 17th academy awards ceremony , was reviewed in the hollywood reporter . the original headline was
double indemnity drama of knockout proportions .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing double indemnity ( 1944 ) near you .
in this interview , conducted by james linville , billy wilder discusses collaborating with raymond chandler on the script for double indemnity .
stalk it : the double indemnity house is located at 6301 quebec drive in the beachwood canyon area of the hollywood hills .
download ppt
double indemnity . film background year of release : 1944 directed by - billy wilder adapted screenplay - billy wilder and raymond chandler original novella - james .
insurance fraud : the plot of the film revolves around phyllis ' attempt to arrange her husband ' s murder and collect his insurance money , which pays double in the event of accidental death ( i . e . double indemnity ) .
wilder himself considered double indemnity his best film in terms of having the fewest scripting and shooting mistakes and always maintained that the two things he was proudest of in his career were the compliments he received from cain about double indemnity and from agatha christie for his handling of her witness for the prosecution .
curated by conductor robert ziegler and featuring singer hannah waddingham , this is film music from the wrong side of the tracks including hits from rebel without a cause and double indemnity .
thank you for writing this post about the double indemnity locations . as a fan of film history , los angeles history and architecture etc . i ' ve really enjoyed your blog . i wrote a post on my blog about noir and double indemnity and put a link to your post . urltoken cheers -
the question and answer section for double indemnity is a great resource to ask questions , find answers , and discuss the novel .
people go to a film with certain expectations based on that genre . how well the film fulfills these will determine in part how well the film succeeds .
wilder was not only proud of his film , he was plainly fond of it as well :
i never heard that expression , film noir , when i made double indemnity . . . i just made pictures i would have liked to see . when i was lucky , it coincided with the taste of the audience . with double indemnity , i was lucky .
“double indemnity , ” “roman holiday , ” “miracle on 34th street” and a double feature of the english and spanish - language versions of “dracula” join the previously announced “jaws” to round out the schedule of classics .
tagged :
double indemnity
, barbara stanwyck , billy wilder , fred macmurray , james m . cain , raymond chandler , spanish colonial architecture
presentation on theme :
double indemnity . film background year of release : 1944 directed by - billy wilder adapted screenplay - billy wilder and raymond chandler original novella - james .
— presentation transcript :
despite the singer kate smith organizing a campaign to get the public to stay away from double indemnity on its release , the film was a hit , even as some critics were divided as to its moral rectitude . the notoriously waspish and conservative gossip collumist , louella parsons surprisingly gave the film her seal of approval but the film was jilted by the academy . perhaps the final word on the perfect noir of double indemnity should go to alfred hitchcock , who wrote to the director - -
since double indemnity , the two most important words in motion pictures are ' billy ' and ' wilder '
.
with the headline : the screen ; ' double indemnity , ' a tough melodrama , with stanwyck and macmurray as killers , opens at the paramount .
james m . cain’s liberty story , “double indemnity , ” apparently based on a sensational murder of the 1920s , has become an absorbing melodrama in its paramount adaptation . it is certain boxoffice insurance . and double indemnity with such marquee names as fred macmurray , barbara stanwyck and edward g . robinson .
film review . i basic information about the film . ii a brief summery of the plot . iii your opinion – good and bad things about the film . iv conclusion .
{ { cite web | last = essays | first = uk urltoken | title = double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay | publisher = ukessays . com | date = november 2013 | accessdate = 9 july 2018 | location = nottingham , uk } }
a dark , tautly constructed adaptation of james m . cain ' s novel - - penned by billy wilder and raymond chandler - - double indemnity continues to set the standard for the best in hollywood film noir .
double indemnity
along with
the lost weekend
are two of my very favorite rózsa scores . amazing that intrada has managed both this year !
great article ! i studies this film in a2 film studies and it really is a land mark in the noir stylistic .
on 24 april 1944 , one of the all - time great film noirs had its first public screening : billy wilder’s double indemnity . here are stars barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray filming their clandestine rendezvous in the supermarket .
dozens and dozens of film noir movies from the 1930s and ' 40s are now on dvd . our critic at large has piles of them , but he says one stands out : the new digitally remastered double indemnity .
james m . cain ' s liberty story ,
double indemnity ,
apparently based on a sensational murder of the 1920s , has become an absorbing melodrama in its paramount adaptation . it is certain boxoffice insurance . and double indemnity with such marquee names as fred macmurray , barbara stanwyck and edward g . robinson .
double indemnity study guide contains a biography of director billy wilder , literature essays , quiz questions , major themes , characters , and a full summary and analysis .
can be seen as a standard in the genre while double indemnity is fixed around the idea of the genre and twisted to use certain attributes of the genre .
right now , today , double indemnity is my favorite rozsa noir score . i would need to view the movie again to detail why that is the case .
film historians maintain that double indemnity was instrumental in easing the restrictions enforced by the censorship code , and many believe that it is the archetype of a whole host of later films in which the main characters are thorough villains .
well , double indemnity does just the opposite , and how i love it . it ' s sort of like psycho , in that the leading man is oddly sympathetic and the leading lady always suspect . but there ' s a core of sadness in the lead pair in double indemnity , instead of the shiftiness that characterizes both…
some view double indemnity ( 1944 ) , the dark , suspenseful adaptation of the james m . cain story , as one of the best , if not perfect , noir film . a june 1944 film review in time magazine called it the
nattiest , nastiest , most satisfying melodrama .
ii
shadows of suspense
. double indemnity universal legacy series dvd ( universal studios ) . 2006 . the lost weekend can be enjoyed here at network wesome .
double indemnity is a clause in an insurance policy that provides for double the face amount of the policy should the policyholder die of an accidental death ( a death that is not intentional , such as murder , nor foreseeable , such as cancer ) .
double indemnity . novella by james m . cain published 1935 , eight - part serial in liberty magazine hard - boiled school of crime fiction – cynical , first - person .
this study guide consists of approximately 51 pages of chapter summaries , quotes , character analysis , themes , and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of double indemnity .
in many ways , woody allen’s quote encompasses all the main elements that make billy wilder’s double indemnity ( paramount pictures , usa , 1944 ) a masterpiece . anchored in the film noir’s aestheticism , its low - key lighting , oppressive music , sharp dialogues and breathtaking performances achieve to make this film an unavoidable classic .
alfred hitchcock american cinematheque barbara stanwyck bette davis billy wilder dan duryea double indemnity eddie muller edward g . robinson egyptian theatre femme fatale film noir film noir blonde film noir foundation film noir horoscopes françois truffaut fritz lang gloria grahame howard hawks humphrey bogart ida lupino james m . cain james stewart joan crawford john huston joseph cotten lacma lana turner lauren bacall marilyn monroe michael curtiz mildred pierce neo noir nicholas ray orson welles otto preminger raymond chandler robert mitchum robert siodmak roman polanski stanley kubrick tcm tcm classic film festival the big sleep zodiac fun
based on james m . cain ' s 1943 novella of the same name , double indemnity tells the story of an experienced insurance salesman who starts an affair with the seductive wife of one of his clients & devises a scheme to murder his client in a manner that invokes the double indemnity clause of his insurance plan . trouble begins when his boss begins to…
ok i was able to download the music from the
double indemnity / killers / lost weekend
cd . that ' s definitely not the version i ' m looking for . what i originally heard on youtube was titled
double indemnity suite
, was slightly more than 8 minutes & had a faster tempo than the cd . very dramatic ending .
film noir is an american invention , although clearly many of the major directors were from europe having fled the nazi takeovers . many of the cinematographers however were american . while billy wilder , the director / co author of double indemnity is from austria - hungary , john seitz , the cinematographer for this film was from chicago
great breakdown of film noir… especially for someone that is not so familiar with the “genre” ( if one can truly call it that… . ) i have not seen double indemnity in many years and this most definitely makes me want to revisit the classic !
james m . cain’s liberty story , “double indemnity , ” apparently based on a sensational murder of the 1920s , has become an absorbing melodrama in its paramount adaptation . it is certain boxoffice insurance . and double indemnity with such marquee names as fred macmurray , barbara stanwyck and edward g . robinson . there are unmistakeable similarities between the paramount pic and [ … ]
amazingly enough , as you can see above , the house has remained virtually unchanged since 1944 when double indemnity was filmed . i simply cannot express how cool i think that is !
the cd with double indemnity and lost weekend is great . if the tempos are slower than those in the film , big deal . if it ' s lacking in high end , boost your treble . big deal . it ' s a great album .
a dramatic , dark and moody evening of music from the film noir greats presented by one of the uk’s best known film critics mark kermode .
a rich woman and a calculating insurance agent plot to kill her unsuspecting husband after he signs a double indemnity policy . against a backdrop of distinctly californian settings , the partners in crime plan the perfect murder to collect the insurance , which pays double if the death is accidental .
of course , i flipped right to wilder’s answer to crowe’s question about the direction given to barbara stanwyck in “double indemnity” for the silent shot on her face while the murder is occurring .
i cannot tell you how thrilled i am that paramount located double indemnity tracks and that this album came together for intrada . i am glad to see people as excited as i am !
double indemnity ( wilder , 1947 ) , which is based on the novel of the same name by james cain , underwent a similar transformation from print to screen to that of crossfire , but where the latter removes all vestiges of the queer , double indemnity makes a point of adding into a narrative a strong homosocial relationship . brian gallagher made a study of the changes and concluded :
praised by many critics when first released , double indemnity was nominated for seven academy awardsbut did not win any . widely regarded as a classic , it is often cited as a paradigmatic film noir and as having set the standard for the films that followed in that genre .
i absolutely love this film . i came across it when i did an independent study on film noir , and it became one of my instant favorites ( as well as the 1941 version of “the maltese falcon” ) . film noir is such an interesting and complex genre , because it includes aspects from so many different influences . i think “double indemnity” is one of the better examples of all of those influences working well together .
thrilling and suspenseful , double indemnity is a complex classic that deserves to be seen and praised by all movie - goers . you won ' t be able to keep your eyes off the screen .
billy wilder ' s classic film noir double indemnity ( with seven nominations and no wins ) , one of the best , but darkest films ever up for a best picture award , based on james m . cain ' s novel ; undoubtedly , the film ' s cynicism and hard - boiled themes hurt its competitive changes against the ' feel - good ' winner
: one of the main areas in which the film differs from the book .
cite a : braudy & cohen , p . 696 , film theory and criticism
american film comparative study . american film – comparative study context 1 . why are the classic noir films obsessed with the femme fatale ? 2 . why are .
guest in the house , 1944 , film noir directed by john brahm . avi
films of the 1940s and the genre of film noir . films during this time were often dramatic , melodramatic , or considered a film noir . other genres like .
many critics and film historians point to april 24 , 1944 as the birth date of film noir , for it was on that date that double indemnity premiered . as is the case with so many other things to come out of hollywood , film noir may be shaving a year or two off its age . whether the corrosive portrait of greed among the middle class of l . a . rightly lays claim to being the first film noir or is really beside the point . the creation of any movie genre is a process , and wherever double indemnity may fall in the line of succession between film noir’s birth and death , one thing is beyond argument : it was the key film in developing many of the genre’s most familiar tropes and signatures , both because it contained soon - to - be iconic representations of those generic elements and because it exposed those elements to the largest audience yet in the weeks and years to follow .
in the ten year interim between releasing its two rankings of the 100 greatest american movies of all time , double indemnity leaped from 38th to 29th on the american film institute ' s list . the film inarguably inaugurated one of the most critically revered genres in cinematic history , and continues to be one of the most paradigmatic examples of the film noir genre that populated american cinemas in the postwar years , and continues to influence the style and content of contemporary crime dramas .
i love that film . great photos . i hope you had a nice weekend .
the quintessential film noir - - acid and snappy , and shockingly cold - blooded .
it is indeed true that
double indemnity
represents one of the best examples of a film noir and has also been viewed to set some standards for the upcoming movies . in film noir , elements like violence , sexual harassments , adultery , crime and greed are representatives of similar evil types in the society with a moral conflict emerging at the base of the plot ( gene 145 ) .
it was followed by double indemnity ( 1944 ) , one of the most searing of the early films noir and , in the eyes of many historians , the apotheosis of the genre . james m . cain’s 1936 novella , on which the film is based , had been deemed too controversial for hollywood’s production code…
powers says billy wilder ' s film , an account of infidelity and murder starring barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray , is the best example of the enduring power of film noir .
a monumentally important screenplay . dear every screenwriter / filmmaker , read billy wilder & raymond chandler’s screenplay for double indemnity [ pdf ] . ( note : for educational and research purposes only ) . the dvd / blu - ray of the film is available at amazon and other online retailers . absolutely our highest recommendation .
a screen grab showing the staircase in the set built for “double indemnity . ” notice that the delicacy of the original has been replaced with a heavier style of work . also notice that the plaster is finished much more roughly than in the actual home , presumably so that the texture would be evident on film .
double indemnity will remain on movie best lists as long as they are written . it ranked no . 38 on the afi’s original top 100 in 1997 , and then jumped up to no . 29 when the list was revised in 2007 . it holds a key place in film history on a number of fronts . as suspense , it’s nail - biting . as romance , it’s passionately intense . and as noir , it’s as good as it gets . the maltese falcon ( 1941 ) may have begun film noir , but it was 1944 that gave us edward dmytryk’s murder my sweet , otto preminger’s laura and wilder’s double indemnity masterpiece . which brings us back to muller’s statement : “if i had one movie to explain to people what noir is , it’s double indemnity . ” muller insists that noir is hollywood’s only organic artistic movement . and if that’s the case , what does that say about this amazing film , the epitome of hollywood’s only organic artistic movement ?
many noir writers had their works translated into film . some of the more famous are :
i agree – wonderful film . my favourite from old hollywood . perfect in every respect .
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
join the bbc concert orchestra for a dramatic evening of music from the film noir greats .
luhr , william . raymond chandler and film . new york : frederick ungar , 1982 .
many marked widler’s decision to remove the gas chamber scene as an improved ending , more succinct and screen - friendly . and now , over 70 years later , double indemnity is still regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made .
double indemnity
is a marvelously crafted noir film that is purely driven by its impeccable narrative and flawless filmmaking techniques . billy wilder , howard hawks , john ford , alfred hitchcock ; all renowned people within cinema history , but were unknown in my book . little did i care to learn about these filmmakers , nor did i care to see their work because it was too
old school
for me . boy , am i glad to have seen this film . james m . cain , the author of
the postman always rings twice
which is the source material for the narrative , is beautifully translated from book to film by billy wilder ' s deft hands . the narrative ' s where all the glory is at : it flows like liquid gold with tensely interesting twists and turns from start to finish ; no hiccups found here . and what ' s found within the storytelling is one of the most highly engaging and innovative crime thrillers to date . though
double indemnity
is already regarded as an exceedingly entertaining film due to the narrative , the film surpasses further due to flawless directing . the noir elements audiences have come to know are present , but with spotless results . the style
double indemnity
takes to deliver crisp , sharp - edged shadows , the breathtakingly distinct shots , and the narrative told by flashback are nothing short of astonishing . merely , everything about
double indemnity
is perfect . billy wilder managed to craft a masterpiece that remains fresh even to the 21st century . nothing short of cutting - edge ,
double indemnity
is brimming with an atmosphere of a cool , cold cockeyed - ness style - - a film that will not be forgotten for decades to come .
double indemnity is based on a novella of the same name by american crime novelist james m cain [ 1892 - 1977 ] . the story first appeared as an 8 - part serial in liberty magazine in 1935 . the novella was adapted for the movie by another american crime writer raymond thornton chandler [ 1888 - 1959 ] along with director billy wilder [ 1906 - 2002 ] . a made - for - tv remake , double indemnity ( 1973 ) was released in 1973 .
talking double indemnity originally an eight part novella from james m . cain , a famous writer of detective books the parts no one wanted - stanwyck and mcmurray pretty skeptical four months of hell - wilder and chandler look out for that double entendre dialogue ! original ending - not for our eyes # 38 on the afi top 100 list box office and critical success
double indemnity is a black - and - white crime story that combined a number of elements now known as film noir hallmarks : low lighting , expressionist use of shadows symbolizing a morally ambiguous universe , morally weak men and predatory women , urban environments filled with dissolute criminals , and voice - over narration combined with a flashback structure . while previous films had combined some or even most of these elements , double indemnity fused them together with unprecedented sharpness , coherence , and originality , likely owing to the directorial stewardship of billy wilder and raymond chandler ' s talent as a wordsmith .
some eight years later paramount were to finally acquire double indemnity for $ 10 , 000 less than their original offer . james m . cain was somewhat annoyed but breen was still implacable . it took a treatment by wilder and his regular writing partner charles brackett to finally get his grudging acquiescence . the film was approved with a few changes .
will join haynes to discuss issues raised by his work and the hopper film programme . part of
– blakeney , catherine , ‘an analysis of billy wilder’s “double indemnity”‘ , studentpulse ( 2009 ) accessed the 13 / 02 / 2014 – gemünden , gerd , a foreign affair : billy wilder’s american films ( new york : berghahn books , 2008 ) – hanson , helen and o’rawe , catherine , the femme fatale : images , histories and contexts ( basingstoke , hampshire , uk ; new york : palgrave macmillan , 2010 . ) – lax , eric , woody allen : a biography ( new york : alfred a . knopf inc , 1991 ) pp . 37 - 8 . – mills , michael , ‘double indemnity : an in - depth look at the classic’ , moderntimes ( 2007 ) accessed the 13 / 02 / 2014 < urltoken > – schickel , richard , bfi classics double indemnity ( london : british film institute , palgrave macmillan , 1992 )
double vision . . . a still from the coen brothers ' film blood simple , set to be remade by zhang yimou as a woman , a gun and a noodle shop . photograph : sportsphoto / allstar / cinetext collection
richard dyer , professor of film studies at university of warwick and author of white and the matter of images will join todd haynes to discuss issues raised by his work and the hopper film programme .
i don ' t use itunes much except for sampling music i may buy on cd but there ' s something called the
double indemnity suite
there . i think i ' ve heard this on youtube . it ' s a fairly long piece that begins with the opening credits & touched on all the major themes . it ' s a slow version of the opening theme so i wondered if this is the
double indemnity / lost weekend
cd people refer too . i actually enjoyed this piece .
influential radio host and hearst paper columnist louella parsons would go even further , saying ,
double indemnity is the finest picture of its kind ever made , and i make that flat statement without any fear of getting indigestion later from eating my words .
prepare to get your nostalgia on . eight films , including “psycho” and a “grease” sing - a - long , are returning to theaters later this year as part of the “tcm presents” series , a partnership between fathom events and turner classic movies with several major studios . “double indemnity , ” “roman holiday , ” “miracle on 34th street” and a double feature of the english [ … ]
the film stars fred macmurray as an insurance salesman , barbara stanwyck as a provocative housewife who wishes her husband were dead , and edward g . robinson as a claims adjuster whose job is to find phony claims . the term double indemnity refers to a clause in certain life insurance policies that doubles the payout in cases when death is caused by accidental means .
high stakes conflict of emotions . this film pits the fixation of passion versus the enticement of evil .
film noir pictures from paramount with dramatic soundtracks are examined in exciting world premiere 2 - cd set .
, the preserved mag track of the “prelude” featured a slightly different ending than the one heard in the film ; we have included the film version ( from the composite audio ) as an “extra . ”
voted the wga’s # 26 greatest script of all time , double indemnity was a collaboration between three of history’s sharpest writers . first , we have the author of the source novel , james m . cain , the brainchild behind subsequent adaptations like mildred pierce ( 1945 ) and the postman always rings twice ( 1946 ) . it was double indemnity that proved cain’s novels could become noir successes on the big screen , contributing a complex murder plot where one of the plotters tries to beat his insurance company at its own game .
following the releases of the vintage paramount scores the lost weekend and desert fury , intrada ' s next entry is a 2 - cd set featuring seven different composers writing for film noir classics . the headliner is miklós rózsa ' s oscar - winning score to double indemnity , in near complete form . rózsa composed three principal motifs for the film . a restless “conspiracy” theme dominates his score , but it is the powerful murder theme that opens the film and the composer returns to this theme repeatedly with an almost tragic quality . the third principal theme is a love theme .
establishing the genre of film - noir in cinema , catapulting billy wilder into the big leagues of hollywood filmmakers & expertly sustaining its foreboding ambience throughout its runtime , double indemnity is one of the brightest works of wilder ' s career which , in spite of revealing its finale to the viewers in its opening moments , succeeds in carving out its own moments of suspense .
after the success of double indemnity , imitators of the film ' s plot and style were rampant . in 1945 , producers releasing corporation , one of the b movie studios of hollywood’s poverty row , was set to release a blatant rip - off titled single indemnity starring ann savage and hugh beaumont . paramount quickly slapped an injunction on the cut - rate potboiler that remains in force to this day . prc eventually edited its film down to 67 minutes , re - titled it apology for murder , and sold it to television in the early ' 50s as part of a syndicated half - hour mystery show .
apparently so . novelist james a cain based his novella on a 1927 crime in which a married queens woman , ruth brown snyder , persuaded her lover to kill her husband albert after albert had just recently taken out a large insurance policy with a double indemnity clause .
few houses in the movies are better known than barbara stanwyck’s spanish colonial in “double indemnity . ” the director billy wilder first shows it in an establishing shot that highlights not only its architectural features but its distinctive site–a hilly corner lot on a sparsely - built suburban street .
in any case , the double indemnity house looks much better today than it did in “double indemnity . ” mature landscaping and the presence of other houses have softened its exterior , eliminating the sun - baked starkness that made it a believable setting for adultery and the hatching of a murder plot . and , as shown in a recent spread in the la times , the vibrant interiors have come a long way from the white walls and heavy mission - style furniture featured in the film . in fact , the house radiates prosperity and warmth . at christmastime , decked in wreaths , garlands and lights , it is among the most beautiful in the neighborhood .
quite possibly the most perfect example of film noir to emerge from hollywood during that genre ' s reign .
creator cameo : the film ' s co - screenwriter , raymond chandler , appears briefly in one scene .
in “quasi stereo” because there were “directional angles” for certain cues . all other film tracks are mono . for
classic example of a new approach to storytelling . the style of film addresses the darker side of human behavior
double indemnity
is all about the art of the scheme . when an insurance man gets caught up in a plot to kill a man for his insurance policy , no one involved will ever be the same . hushed - tone voice - overs , femme fatales , and…
femme fatale , city woman ; descent guy led astray , attempted crime ( but unlike noir , aborted – compare double indemnity where scheming woman traps man into murdering her husband with scheming woman traps man into murdering wife ) . even some stylistic elements can be found in murnau’s lighting . some people divide things into pre - noir , classic noir and neo noir . the divisions are open to debate depending on what the person feel is echt noir ! some feel double indemnity is the first “true” noir , while others would argue the point . and point to
blonde - wigged barbara stanwyck ( with her third of four unsuccessful career nominations ) for her role as the villainous femme fatale wife phyllis dietrichson in double indemnity . [ stanwyck ' s previous nominations were for stella dallas ( 1937 ) and ball of fire ( 1941 ) . ]
like the postman always rings twice , double indemnity enjoyed great success as a film . it was released in 1943 , was directed by billy wilder , and starred fred macmurray and barbara stanwyck . raymond chandler wrote the screenplay , for which he received an academy award nomination . it was favorably reviewed when it appeared and today remains a big draw at arts and repertory cinemas in many cities .
keywords : academy awards , alfred hitchcock , awards & honors , ben hecht , bernard f . dick , british film institute , cary grant , criticism and interpretation , czenzi ormonde , dan callahan , double indemnity , ed sikov , edith head , film adaptations , frank krutnik , indemnity , irving pichel , james naremore , james stewart , joan copjec , laura mulvey , marlene dietrich , miklós rózsa , mysteries , paramount pictures , patricia highsmith , peter lorre , raymond chandler , richard armstrong , richard schickel , robert montgomery , screenplays , screenwriters , scripts , strangers on a train ( 1951 ) , warner bros . , wendy lesser , works
wilder’s ingenious craftsmanship of lighting , sound , dialogue and performance succeeds in making the film a real chef d’oeuvre . all the cinematographic qualities of double indemnity contributed to its enormous impact on film history : everyone remembers these beautiful black - and - white shots , like lonely edward hopper settings , and the actor’s brilliance . the techniques used are more than simply aesthetic choices : each one is meant to remind the audience of the danger of desire . the means of the film can be seen as cathartic and purgative ; by bringing out the worst in the characters , it teaches us to resist to our cruellest cravings .
between the two stories , it is difficult not to prefer the film , as it is a masterpiece of style as well as storytelling , conveying its themes with a sophisticated visual look that obviously cannot be replicated in print . the guilt and confinement of the characters becomes more palpable and immediate in the chiaroscuro shots and claustrophobic compositions wilder employs , and the script keeps enough of the book entirely intact so that not much of this short hardboiled novel is lost or changed in transition . even excisions made for the sake of censorship–the way the film obscures the murder , for example–only serve to heighten the tension and mystery that intrigue in the book but truly captivate in the film . to conclude , the film adaptation of double indemnity not only honors the story and mood of its antecedent but actually demonstrates that the story is more suited to film .
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film background year of release : 1944 directed by - billy wilder adapted screenplay - billy wilder and raymond chandler original novella - james m . cain director of photography - john seitz one of the best of the film noir genre
fwiw , i sunset boulevard is a great , great film , but i wouldn’t classify it as a noir .
you had the same cameraman lighting these moody interiors in both double indemnity and sunset boulevard , john seitz . johnny seitz was a great cameraman . and he was fearless . he should have won an [ academy ] award on five graves and i thought surely he would on sunset boulevard .
i was recently studying film noir in one of my classes–it was a graphic novel class though . i’m pretty new to the genre so this article was an interesting and informative read . i definitely want to watch this film now .
it is essential to understand the characteristics of film noir’s aesthetic to appreciate double indemnity ‘s richness . the term has first been used in 1946 by french critics to describe the rise of crime dramas in hollywood that explored sexual motivations and growing cynicism . its low - key black and white style is significantly recognizable , influenced by german expressionism and 1930s’ gangster movies . in a good film noir , we expect to encounter feverish desire and transgression , portrayed by sympathetic anti - heroes who remain outside society , in an underworld of misdeeds .
having lost this duel of false confidence , neff leaves the house entirely smitten , as macmurray’s voice - over narration asks , “how could i have known that murder can sometimes smell like honeysuckle ? ” in just a few short moments , double indemnity has showcased screenwriting that puts other scripts to shame .
howard barnes at the new york herald tribune was much more enthusiastic , calling double indemnity
. . . one of the most vital and arresting films of the year ,
and praising wilder ' s
. . . magnificent direction and a whale of a script .
the trade paper variety , meanwhile , said the film
. . . sets a new standard for screen treatment in its category .
is the dietrichson house in whitley heights ? this was such a great film ! thank you for posting this information .
pendo , stephen . raymond chandler on screen : his novels into film . metuchen , nj : scarecrow , 1976 .
much like in the previous comment , i too have only seen “double indemnity” twice . but the author of the referenced analysis of the classic movie is impeccable . i’ve always been a fan of billy wilder since first watching one of my favorite films of all time , wilder’s timeless work of cinema “sunset boulevard . ” he was the perfect embodiment of the nearly extinct genre film noir . often times when teaching or offering up my own analysis or critique , the general public appears to think that the film noir genre is limited to detective movies . although detective movies played a large part in the film noir genre , the most iconic films of that genre and 1940 - 50s hollywood were more dramatic and mysterious . it’s been years since its been many years since film noir was the popular genre of film in hollywood . there was once a time when nonlinear , dark , and convoluted films filled with labyrinthine plots were very popular . like “sunset boulevard , ” “double indemnity” laid the ground work by which all other film noir style movies would be judged . everything from the dying or doomed protagonist to the mysterious individual to the lighting patterns and dialog . i appreciate the author’s in depth analysis of a movie that helped set the standard in what was once a time tested and popular genre during hollywood’s golden era .
similarly of course , neff’s relationship with phyllis is nasty , brutish and short - lived : and it becomes clear by the end of the story that phyllis is only showing any interest in the insurance man for her own ends . double indemnity is archetypal noir for its abject lack of hope of any sort .
wilder trades cain ' s sun - rot imagery for conventional film noir stylings , but the atmosphere of sexual entrapment survives .
praised the site for offering
lengthy , spirited reviews . . . with the ethos of a true film aficionado .
billy wilder’s double indemnity ( 1944 ) wasn’t the first film noir , but it was the beginning of a new phase in miklos rozsa’s already stellar career . adapted from james m . cain’s classic crime novel , fred macmurray stars as insurance salesman walter neff , barbara stanwyck is the sultry housewife phyllis who convinces him to bump off her husband for the insurance money , and edward g . robinson is the claims adjuster who smells something fishy .
maybe the most interesting stop , architecturally and cinematically speaking , is the glendale southern pacific railroad depot , a spanish colonial revival ( or mission revival , take your pick ) structure by macdonald and couchot from 1924 . it was used in a key scene of
double indemnity ,
the 1944 film adaptation of the james m . cain novella starring fred macmurray and barbara stanwyck as two murderous insurance schemers . the location has been used for many films , including as a stand - in for the fictional clayton college in the 1927 buster keaton film
college .
but their effort paid off abundantly , as the script for double indemnity has been continuously lauded for the wittiness and cynicism of its dialogues , well - developed characters and intriguing , heavily atmospheric plotline . in fact , as cain’s original dialogue from the novella fared poorly when translated to the screen , the lines seen in the movie have more to do with wilder and chandler than with the original author . besides the bulletproof screenplay and inspired deliveries from its cast , what makes double indemnity such a haunting experience is miklós rózsa’s effective musical score , as well as john f . seitz’s beautiful cinematography , with masterful use of lighting and shadows .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
neither fred macmurray ( as pacific all - risk insurance salesman walter neff ) nor edward g . robinson ( as insurance claims investigator / adjuster barton keyes ) , the two principal actors in the dark , sleazy film noir double indemnity were nominated for their unforgettable performances . in fact , both macmurray and edward g . robinson were never nominated for an oscar . director / screenwriter billy wilder and co - writer raymond chandler were nominated for the adaptation of james m . cain ' s original novel , but lost to frank butler and frank cavett ' s loose , episodic screenplay for going my way . although a critical and box - office success with seven nominations and one of the best film noirs ever made , double indemnity came away empty - handed when competing against the ' feel - good ' themes of the ultimate best picture winner - especially given the war - time climate of the time .
considering the characteristics of film noir , the
double indemnity
film seems to cover almost all of them . the film contains the ambiguous antihero , stories driven by crime , shady lighting and some other several qualities that qualify it in the genre . this is actually a perfect example of a film noir with dark stories that are criminally manipulated . in the movie , walter neff says that ,
yes , i killed him . i killed him for money and a woman , and i didn ' t get the money , and i didn ' t get the woman . pretty , isn ' t it ?
( gene 170 ) . this line actually gives us the overall view of the film ' s move as being dark and pessimistic . walter neff as played by fred macmurray goes to renew his automobile insurance and engages in an adulterous affair with phyllis dietrichson as played by barbara stanwyick who was an already married woman . this actually demonstrates a typical film noir relationship . from this , the viewers can actually justify from the actions that these characters are doomed ( leitch 126 ) .
a screenwriter is hired to rework a faded silent film star ' s script , only to find himself developing a dangerous relationship .
chandler himself was a reclusive sort . he gave very few interviews of any description ( apart from , famously , a radio chat with fellow novelist ian fleming , in london for the bbc in 1958 ) . there is no television footage or film of him at all , apart from a snippet from a home movie . his preferred form of communication was the letter , although there is no apparent reference in any of his epistles to his appearance in front of the camera during the making of double indemnity . wilder never mentioned it either in any of his many interviews about the film .


massacre at central high is a 1976 american thriller film directed by rene daalder and starring derrel maury , kimberly beck , robert carradine , and andrew stevens .

the plot follows a series of revenge killings at a fictional american high school , after which the oppressed students take on the role of their bully oppressors .

despite its title , it is not a slasher film but an unusual blend of political allegory , social commentary , and low-budget exploitation ; with the exception of the final sequence , no " adult " characters ( such as teachers and parents ) are seen .

it was shot on 35 mm film , and had a running time of 87 minutes .

the film 's director , rene daalder , described massacre at central high as " eerily predicting punk and columbine " .

massacre at central high

massacre at central high is an unusual revenge / exploitation film with somewhat confusing sociopolitical overtones .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing massacre at central high near you .
a while ago , i conducted an extensive interview with massacre at central high star rex sikes . ( which you can read here : urltoken here are a few of the highlights :
what can be considered as a proto - slasher , massacre at central high is , at the very least , a typical 70s social commentary film being masqueraded as exploitation cinema . something so complex but at the same time common among films from this decade .
the film ' s director , rene daalder , described massacre at central high as
eerily predicting punk and columbine
. it has also been cited as an influence on the 1988 black comedy heathers .
urltoken presents ' massacre at central high ' . for those of you who can ' t sit through this whole cheesy movie . . . it ' s cinema minuto ! for the full review visit urltoken !
okay , david…er , derrel…thanks for returning to central high with us and taking a trip down memory lane .
( 1955 ) , while the library death scene was shot at hollywood high school .
massacre at central high is a study in social oppression and bureaucracy at a high school level . at the most basic level , showing the never ending cycle of power , how men can be like weeds . you get rid of one group of power hungry bullies just to make way for ten more to spring up in their place .
this brings back memories . when i was younger , a cable station ran a double feature of heathers ( 1989 ) and massacre at central high . i thought that this choice of double feature flicks was hilariously demented .
[ 3 ] george kraus , high road to promontory : building the central pacific across the high sierra ( palo alto : american west publishing company , 1969 ) , 66 .
there is the old adage that the more things change , the more they stay the same . cliched ? absolutely . trite ? perhaps . accurate ? sadly yes and nowhere is it more apparent than in rene daalder’s brilliant and bleak 1976 film , massacre at central high . it is considered to be a huge influence on michael lehmann’s heathers , but while the darkness of that film is cushioned by some exquisitely played gallows humor , massacre at central high is truly the unrelenting real deal .
reports that approximately 4 , 000 men , “mostly chinese , ” are at work on the central pacific railroad .
maimed by bullies at a california high school , a new student ( derrel maury ) engineers acts of revenge .
this story survivor honoured on anniversary of babi yar massacre first appeared on the sydney morning herald .
in what can only be described as a “what the fuck ? ” moment , “massacre at central high” actually begins with the final shot of the movie , and then works its way through an opening credits montage consisting of the film’s many brutal and explosive highlights set to a sensitive sounding seventies soft rock song called “the crossroads of your life . ” once that insanity winds down we are introduced to david ( derrel murray ) – the new kid at central high , a large high school located near the california coastline . david immediately runs afoul of the little league gestapo that dominates the school .
i also was there for arthur’s death at hollywood high library . we all thought the blood looked cool running down the page .
and the central recommendation of the commission is that african governments should improve their governance .
summer 1863 : problems over financial and contractual issues arise among the central pacific board .
june 22 , 1870 : the central pacific railroad company merges with western pacific railroad .
activists have labelled an annual easter tradition as
cruel
and
nothing short of a massacre
.
dmitri shostakovich was emboldened by yevtushenko ' s poem to compose his symphony on the massacre . photo : supplied
' massacre at central high ' isn ' t really a slasher . to me , it ' s a stretch to even call it a horror film . i guess it is though , in the same way ' heathers ' , or to a lesser extent ' we need to talk about kevin ' , could be considered one .
1885 : the central pacific and the southern pacific formally merge into the southern pacific railroad company .
but relinquishing aid could be a small price to pay when the stakes are so high .
activists are not happy about a central otago tradition that sees 10 , 000 rabbits shot every year .
a new - in - town teenager decides to kill the members of a destructive gang at his high school , but finds himself unable to stop there .
at first glance , especially with the lurid title and various poster artwork , massacre at central high would seem just to be another exploitation film . fortunately there is lot more going on with it . definitely a product of the 70 ' s with its nihilistic tone , the film becomes more than just the standard kid stepping up to the bullies , indeed its central conceit is that we are all bullies or have the potential to be so . when david arrives at his new high school , he finds it is being ruled by a group of privileged kids who terrorize the other students through intimidation , threats and acts of violence . the other students feel so marginalized that they tolerate the abuse and accept it…
is heathers a remake of massacre at central high ? no , but only because heathers ’ creators have resolutely avoided giving any credit to the older film . in terms of actual plot , they are definitely close enough to justify a lawsuit . my understanding is that massacre is something of an orphaned production ( which is why it has never gotten the dvd treatment it deserves ) lost in legal limbo , which may explain why no such action has been taken . either that or maybe some money was exchanged , but never acknowledged .
founded in april 2006 , high - def digest is the ultimate guide for high - def enthusiasts who demand only the best that money can buy . updated daily and in real - time , we track all high - def disc news and release dates , and review the latest disc titles .
july 1865 : the central pacific railroad imports the first major group of chinese from china . [ 9 ]
adrian tamburini , opera singer will perform for the concert for 75th anniversary of babi yar massacre in ukraine at the hamer hall . 1 september 2017 . the age news . photo : eddie jim .
3 / 9 / 17 elena gorodetsky a survivor of the babiy yar massacre in 1941 in kiev , ukraine . photograph by chris hopkins
during the end scene when david ( maury ) is carrying the bomb out of central high , the actor lost his balance by limping on one leg , accidentally crashing into the school lockers in the hallway .
one of the worst assaults on african americans in arkansas’s history will be the focus of this program sponsored by the delta cultural center . join the little rock central high school national historic site on a charter bus trip from little rock through elaine , arkansas to
reflection and reconciliation : the elaine massacre
that will be held on sunday , april 23 , at 2 p . m . at beth el heritage hall , 406 perry st , helena - west helena , arkansas .
mark begins to fear for his own life and theresa begs david not to kill him . at central high , things have changed considerably as some of the students who were once at the mercy of the deceased begin to take over - and impose their sudden privileged status on the others . individually , they clumsily try to form alliances with david .
the director of central high is working with them already , the blu - ray of hysteria i received even has an interview with him . ( he did both films ) . but , correct me if i ' m wrong , they have never outright said
this is the next release we ' re working on
regarding central high . now they have . and they ' ve never
lied
before . jeez .
winter 1864 : the central pacific railroad company faces serious financial troubles and decline in caucasian employment . [ 7 ]
the tale of the aloha cheerleaders ' struggle against lincoln high . high points include such events as the aloha girls raiding a lincoln classroom to get drugs , then putting aforementioned . . . see full summary »
massacre at central high is one of the best films about high school life and what happens when no one looks out for the students . it is absolutely telling that you do not see one adult in the whole film until the climax at the school dance . even then the adults are just there , as ineffectual in presence as they were absent . which is part of the real life problem with bullying is that the adults that should be there to help guide , educate and protect students either turn a blind eye , especially if it’s just a “boys will be boys” kind of situation or even worse , aid and abet it . ( i actually had a teacher in junior high snicker as some kids picked on this one boy who was both dirt poor and developmentally disabled . sartre said hell is other people , but i would argue that junior high is right next to it . ) the film is almost forty years old and yet all the same problems are there . the only real difference is if massacre at central high was made nowadays , one of the bullies would be shooting video of their various attacks on their cell phones and uploading it to youtube and twitter . the ghosts of steubenville are still omnipresent and bully culture thrives long and strong .
this event is free and open to the public . a reception will be held immediately following the presentation . seats on the
delta express
charter bus from little rock are free but must be reserved in advance . the bus will depart from the little rock central high nhs visitor center at 10am and travel through elaine on the way to helena . we will arrive in time for a picnic lunch followed by a tour of delta cultural center exhibits before the reflection and reconcilliation program . the bus will return to the central high national historic site following the reception , arriving back in little rock at approximately 6pm . charter bus transportation coordinated by little rock central high school national historic site is funded by the lower mississippi delta initiative . bring a sack lunch and snacks . youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult .
david ( derrel maury ) is a new student at central high in southern california . the school is run on a social order dictated by a group of four bullies : bruce ( ray underwood ) , craig ( steve bond ) , paul ( damon douglas ) and mark ( andrew stevens ) .
because of this , massacre at central high gets away with the implausible in ways other less - ambitious genre films couldn’t . we not only accept the tiny student population , the complete absence of adults ( until the very last dance sequence ) , and the unlikely murder scenarios , but actually understand how they work to strengthen the film’s message . what would otherwise be considered budget - related flaws , now seem like deliberate choices made for intelligent reasons .
in the uk the film was released theatrically as blackboard massacre . it was shot on 35mm film , and had a running time of 87 minutes .
the massacre became a legendary event of the american rebellion against the british with many controversies and myths surrounding the true facts . even when the gun smoke faded away , the subsequent murder trial raised high emotions and the results were not considered fair by either side .
massacre at central high is a fascinating film . viewed from every possible angle , it’s an exploitation movie down to its very core . it’s a revenge thriller with creatively planned murders ; it has a mega - buttload of impressive explosions ; and it features more than its share of gratuitous nudity . even its title was chosen specifically to capitalize on the popularity of tobe hooper’s the texas chainsaw massacre . yet for all of its exploitative elements , there’s no getting around the fact that writer / director renee daalder ( dutch and male ) was trying to do something more ambitious than create another drive - in movie .
i can’t write this post only about massacre at central high . for me , and for many others , this movie is inextricably linked with heathers , a movie i’ve seen literally hundreds of times . i can probably still quote it word - for - word . when i was a budding little cynic , i was known at the local video store as the - girl - who - only - rents - heathers . seriously , if it had moved on the shelf , they’d simply point to its new location . so it’s almost criminal that i’ve never seen massacre , given that certain key plot points and pretty much the last act of heathers are direct rip - offs from it .
marty was the dork of doddsville high . one day he got mad . . . then he got even !
in the case of massacre at central high , though , i don’t have to expend any effort at all to figure out what daalder was trying to say in his blood and tits drive - in movie . in fact , it would take far more effort to deny the film ' s pretensions and dismiss it as just another horror movie . in the case of this film , the question isn’t whether or not subtext exists , but whether or not that subtext allows the film to transcend what might otherwise be some pretty fatal flaws .
my first encounter with massacre was a 49 cent rental at my local showtime video . i’ve been a huge fan of this one ever since , and have enjoyed more repeat viewings over the years than i can count . sadly , this flick has never been released on dvd , and i still make due with a dvd - r copy of my old electric video inc vhs . cult epics and rene daalder have wrestled around with the idea of dvd release for years and nothing has ever come of it . i would very much like to see a special edition dvd release of massacre at central high . this one deserves a much larger audience , if only for being one of the few horror films that could never be remade .
synapse films started the week off with a pleasant surprise via their facebook page when they announced that they will be releasing massacre at central high on dvd and blu - ray sometime in 2016 . per the post synapse has already begun work on a completed hd transfer supervised by director rene daalder . synapse is still tracking down the original audio elements and will be doing some additional picture restoration . no word yet on what extras will be included but we can certainly expect that there will be plenty .
a week later , the “bowling green massacre” inspired a similar outcry—and a similarly nonchalant response from conway . i texted her afterward to ask whether she was in trouble with trump . “not at all , ” she replied . “why would i be ? ”
one of my favorite horror films . a social commentary film about the socially oppressive tier structures of high school . featuring robert carradine looking very much like the type of man i ' d have been very interested in when i was in high school .
the presenters will share stories and history of their respective families related to the massacre , but the journey of reconciliation between the two presenters will also be given special relevance .
armed revolution ? if so , does that mean the film thinks david should have given in like everyone else and let the bullies rule central high ? that doesn’t seem likely , which explains my confusion . the point of an allegory is to have a point , which
a high school student ' s slumber party turns terrifying as an escaped mental patient with a drill decides to crash the party .
at the roll change , the italian version is missing a cut on the school .
they are being detained at ziway , 150km south of the capital , addis ababa .
“judas iscariot got 30 pieces of silver ; mitt romney got a dish of frog legs at jean - georges . and even at that , it was the appetizer portion , ” a high - ranking white house official told me . “we’ve sort of taken out his larynx—how can he criticize [ trump ] now ? ”
may have , but which is the only aspect of its production left at all ambiguous .
molly ball is time magazine’s national political correspondent and a former staff writer at the atlantic .
phil fontaine publicly accuses the catholic church of physical and sexual abuse at its residential schools .
david ( derrel maury ) , a new student at central high , meets mark ( andrew stevens ) , an old friend whom he once helped out of a jam at their previous school . mark tells david that the school can be like a country club for him if he befriends bruce ( ray underwood ) , craig ( steve bond ) , and paul ( damon douglas ) , the bullies who rule the school student body ; mark has become their somewhat reluctant accomplice .
april 1869 : grenville dodge and collis huntington finally decide on a meeting point for the union pacific and central pacific lines after much debate—promontory summit , utah .
[ i ] massacre at central high [ / i ] is a low - budget film , but the acting is surpisingly good , especially by the lead , stevens and a young robert carradine . while many of the characters in the film come off as somewhat stereotypical , they work well with the confines of the plot , making it similar in theme to heathers , though its ' tone is completely different . shame that the print used for the long out - of - print vhs is scratchy as hell - - this is a title really in need of a good dvd release .
innis sm , kuhnlein hv , kinloch d . the composition of red cell membrane phospholipids in canadian inuit consuming a diet high in marine mammals .
british prime minister tony blair telephoned mr meles to express his concern at the killing of demonstrators .
ultimately , i did like this movie , despite its more - than - questionable political message . i was constantly surprised and delighted by the elements that heathers clearly rips off . in the end i think it’s fine that heathers stole so much , because a movie like massacre needs everything done a little better : a better message , a better ending , better production . though perhaps the biggest difference is that massacre entirely lacks humor , while heathers is absolutely known for its humor . and while certainly the hunger for power spreads from heather to heather , in the end , veronica ain’t havin’ none of that shit , and i’d like to believe westerburg high’s a better place for it . furthermore , i felt like there were actually people worth saving at westerburg . i can’t say the same for central .
july 23 , 1869 : the sacramento union describes the town of truckee as an active town with many connected to the central pacific railroad . however , many have been discontent because of a three - month delay on the part of central pacific in paying the workers there , most of whom are chinese . [ 35 ]
the film attracted little attention when first released , but when reissued in 1980 , new york times critic vincent canby praised it as
an original , fascinating work
, and named it as one of his 20 favorite films of the year . roger ebert also discussed the film favorably on his television show sneak previews , describing it as
intelligent and uncompromising
. by contrast , john ross bowie , in comparing the film with the more comedic heathers , dismissed massacre at central high as
exploitative
and
devoid of technique
, and criticised its technical flaws and
wooden acting
.
surprise announcement ! it ' s
m
for
monday
announcement day ! announcing one more synapse films release that begins with the letter
m
. . . morituris , manos : the hands of fate , mosquito , and now . . . massacre at central high ! the violent cult - classic gets the hd treatment and , for the first time ever , gets a truly authorized optical disc format release in conjunction with director rene daalder . coming from synapse films on dvd and blu - ray in 2016 ! synapse films is proud to announce work has begun on massacre at central high , directed by rene daalder . rene has completed and supervised a beautiful hd transfer for us , and we are in the process of locating the original audio sound elements ( stored at paramount , evidently , so we ' re working with their legal department as fast as we can to get access ) and doing some additional work at reliance mediaworks / prime focus for picture restoration ( the master was created from a negative element , but were making it the best we can make it ! ) . extras are still to be coordinated , so no further info on additional supplemental material is available at this time ( rene is busy now working on a new film , so we are waiting for him ) . we ' ll give more info on the release , as we have it . we may be able to post some sample frames of the new hd master in the near future right here , on the synapse films facebook page .
november 10 , 1869 : the houston and texas central railroad’s agent john b . walker signs a contract with san francisco labor contractor chew ah heang for 300 workers .
rene daalder ' s [ i ] massacre at central high [ / i ] , made several years earlier , starts off with a basic exploitation premise and manages to become something much more , coming off as a forerunner to [ i ] heathers [ / i ] . derrel maury is david , the new kid in town , who meets up with his old friend mark ( future erotic thriller vet andrew stevens ) and is instructed by mark how to blend in . mark ' s one of the gang of four guys that run the school , bullying those below them on the social ladder and generally acting like dickweeds .
rex sikes : massacre as i recall was shot in the early part of 1976 , seems like late winter early spring , it’s always hard to tell in los angeles where the weather is perfect year round . i would have been approaching 21 or 22 at the time , we all were in our twenties as i recall .
was held in august , 1976 at the long - gone pacific theater on hollywood boulevard in los angeles .
students at a residential school near james bay get a chance to equal that of children in urban centres .
that would make sense in light of how david beats the crap out of the gang at the new school .
residents at a nova scotia reserve gather to hear the news as ottawa makes an announcement for residential school survivors .
a priest agrees that action by the church may be in order to address allegations of abuse at residential schools .
the title might suggest a cheap hybrid of carrie and death wish , but massacre at central high is not your typical drive - in movie . granted it ' s filled with violence , blood , and nudity , and the revenge angle is quite powerful , but its examination of high - school politics is the element that really gets your brain working . we ' ve all experienced it - - the jerk jock gets transferred to another school , and right away someone fills his position as king of the cretins . those at the top of the social structure exercise their ultimately negligible powers in order to make themselves feel bigger and better than everyone else . it is this tradition that massacre at central high pierces with a razor - sharp skewer . unfortunately , the picture is very hard to find in this age of sickening political correctness . a typical knee - jerk reaction would be to say that films like this glorify school violence - - currently a big concern . but , as always , that sort of viewpoint is formulated without really looking at the message of the project . yes , it ' s violent . yes , it deals with a teenager killing other teenagers . but ultimately , what does this accomplish ? no matter how many are killed , they ' re immediately replaced . violence does not solve the problem . this is the point , and it ' s stated with a subtle brilliance that really hits home . of course , this underground classic also benefits from a terrific exploitation cast and an imaginative approach to the material . the scratchy , grainy color cinematography has a low - budget beauty that not everyone can appreciate . the melding of professional and amateurish elements results in a genuinely tense , scary experience . . . but one with much more to offer than your typical psycho epic .
january 15 , 1869 : leland stanford writes to fellow central pacific railroad “associate” and big four member mark hopkins , complaining about the central pacific’s pace and saying that “our work from ogden to monument goes very slowly . our contractors have many excuses… we must rely upon strobridge’s forces to finish up the work and to have the grade ready for the track . ” [ 28 ]
david quickly becomes disillusioned and decides to take action , systematically killing them off . mark confronts his former friend in his workshed with the intention of shooting him but david gets the upper hand . he locks both mark and theresa in the shed while he heads back to central high for his final plan : to blow up the entire school during the alumni prom .
the central otago great easter bunny hunt has seen up to 10 , 000 rabbits shot in previous years and people for the ethical treatment of animals ( peta ) is not happy about it .
february 16 , 1868 : the daily alta reports that chinese railroad workers reached the canyon at truckee . [ 24 ]
later that night , bruce , paul , and craig go to david’s house and confront him inside the garage – where david is working on rodney’s car . david refuses to come out from under the car so bruce gives him a shove which accidentally causes the heavy car frame to crash down onto david’s leg ! david is crippled for life , but tells authorities that it was simply an accident and that he was alone at the time . after a few weeks in the hospital david returns to central high with a limp and a thirst for revenge . he decides to liberate the students of central high by eliminating the brutal bullies that oppress them . first on the hit list is bruce , who is electrocuted after some hang glider sabotage . then craig is snuffed after diving headfirst into a drained pool . finally big dumb paul gets his in a fiery auto wreck .
eight people are invited to their old high school for their ten - year reunion where a fellow former student , disfigured from a prank gone wrong , is out to seek revenge .
may 1 , 1868 : the san francisco bulletin reports from the portland oregonian that superintendent hart of the oregon central railroad and his contractors have employed 40 chinese and expect in the next day or two to employ 25 or so more . the grading is progressing at a rate of 2 miles per week . [ 26 ]
you can read a much better assessment of the movie at vanity fear , a blog i intend on making regular reading .
this 1962 tv special shows everyday life and christmastime at the roman catholic - run kamloops indian residential school in british columbia .
one evening , the copper - haired yelena watched volodya tie the black tzitzit around a high - backed chair . in the morning , she awoke to find him strangled in its grip .
synopsis : a young students ' promising athletics career is cut short . school bullies smash his leg , leaving him semi - crippled , brooding and twisted , he strikes back , using spectacular and brutal methods . he wreaks powerful revenge on each of his assailants , there is almost no limit to the ingenuity of his murderous imagination . massacre at central high ( beyond terror ) director : rene daalder format : dvd cast : derrel maury , andrew stevens language : english year : 1976 cat number : bt4497 barcode : 5030462044972 label : starlite release date : 12 april 2010 no of discs : 1 genre : horror cert : 18 available from all good uk dvd outlets . . . . . . twitter : @ cstoneuk website : urltoken you tube : urltoken facebook : urltoken
if you fell asleep reading orwell ' s animal farm with a tv blaring heathers in the background , you might dream something as cynical , blackly comedic and weird as massacre at central high . whether by design or by accident ( when you ' re sitting in the dark watching the final product , how important is this distinction anyway ? ) a one - two combo of flat , monotone performances and atonal string music creates a layer of dreamy surrealism on top of the after - school special aesthetic . it ' s a strange affect that mostly works in the movie ' s favor . i have my doubts as to the veracity of herzog ' s claim that he hypnotized the entire cast of heart of glass , but i would have no problem believing that the cast of…
the outside of the school was pomona college . there was a school in burbank called villa cabrini that we shot a lot of the interior stuff at . where the guys come and beat up rodney ' s car…stuff like that was shot at cabrini .
july 1 , 1862 : congress passes the pacific railroad bill , approving the central pacific project building the line from california as well as chartering the union pacific railroad company to build westward from the missouri river .
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the interior of carol ' s apartment belonged to paul raymond . the exterior was where caroline munro actually lived at the time .
april 18 , 1866 : the daily alta reports of an explosion at colfax at camp 9 , near gold hun , after a blast was set off and the seam blast was reloaded . among the six men killed , three are chinese . [ 12 ]
[ 53 ] “at home and abroad , ” frank leslie’s illustrated newspaper , 14 jun . , 1879 , p . 243 .
at a time when monuments are flashpoints of nationalist anger , he says the symphony is a
living
monument to humanity .
[ 16 ] john r . gillis , “tunnels of the pacific railroad , ” van nostrand’s eclectic engineering magazine , 5 jan . , 1870 , p . 418 - 423 . central pacific railroad photographic history museum . urltoken
massacre starts off with a new kid , david , looking for the “student lounge . ” it’s clear right away that the students of this school are scared shitless of a clique of tyrannical jerks who , unfortunately , have wrangled david’s friend mark to be part of their crew .
spring 1864 : work on bloomer cut , a major point in the central pacific track , begins . there exist payroll records for chinese workers during january , february , and april of 1864 , and likely more . [ 4 ]
dmj : “we are finally finishing up rene daalder’s massacre at central high , a film we’ve been working on for a while . we have a pretty amazing samurai - gore animated feature coming to blu called path of blood , and in september we have a great independent film called the creep behind the camera , a docu - drama about the real - life vic savage , the director of the shlock - classic the creeping terror . on that blu - ray of creep , we also include a new 2k scan of the creeping terror from original vault materials , too ! also in september , we release our standard version of argento’s phenomena . our steelbook release of that title is running pretty low ! next year , we’ll have a great 80s horror that people have been waiting for ( i can’t mention the name… yet ) , so we’ll announce that soon ! ”
leaders from ukraine and across europe mark the 2016 anniversary at the site by a new memorial to the jews slain there . photo : ap
it was bitter sweet for me . it is difficult to watch oneself and then i see my broken nose throughout . the audience that was there seemed to like it . tom logan and i hung out quite a bit and there were times in hollywood when people would spot us and ask for autographs because we were kids from central high . i later took a director friend of mine to see it at another hollywood theater so she could see my work in the film . she was positive . i am glad it has been well received through the years , surprised and glad .
june 15 , 1858 : the sacramento union reports on the hiring of 50 chinese workers for the california central railroad , which “bids fair to demonstrate that chinese laborers can be profitably employed in grading railroads in california . ” [ 1 ]
all i can say about this film is . . one of the worst i have ever seen . boring , and not scary at all .
at 82 , in her commission flat in melbourne , yelena gorodetsky ( her married name ) remembers september 30 , 1941
like yesterday
.
new kid david learns a lot during his first day at central high . it turns out the small school is run with an iron first by a quartet of rich male students , including his old friend mark , who just happens to be dating teresa , the very pretty girl david immediately takes a liking to . mark tries to get david into the exclusive clique , but david refuses to associate himself with such overt bullies . his impatience reaches its boiling point when he catches them ( without mark ) trying to rape two female students . he beats the snot out of them , and—in retaliation—they drop a car on his leg . once a dedicated runner , david is now left with a permanent limp . he gets his revenge by arranging fatal accidents for his three assailants . at first , the students at central high enjoy their newfound freedom from the clique’s tyranny , but as that freedom turns to chaos , the various factions try to convince david to help them takeover the school and run it in their image . realizing he’s merely created more bullies , david begins to systematically murder the new crop of wannabe rulers . with no other way to end this eternal cycle , he decides to blow up the school during the annual alumni dance , but when teresa arrives at the gymnasium and tells him she’s not going to leave , even if it means dying with everyone else , he grabs the bomb and runs outside . it detonates while in his hands , ending the violence once and for all .
january 1864 : the first known chinese workers for the central pacific railroad company arrive . foreman ah toy and headman hung wah lead a crew of 21 men to work on clearing the dutch flat - donner lake wagon road . [ 3 ]
a high school transfer student , pushed to the edge by a trio of brutal bullies , resorts to murder to reclaim the school from oppression , and later turns against the students wanting to fill the vacuum of their oppressors .
an orphaned teenager finds himself being dominated by his aunt who ' s hell - bent on keeping him with her . . . at all costs .
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even so , heathers is clearly superior in its execution and overall themes . it avoids being an allegory about fascism and instead serves as one of the best satires of high school life ( and society in general ) ever made .
[ 43 ] “miscellaneous–arrival of chinamen at new orleans , ” daily alta california , 9 jan . , 1870 , p . 1 . “sambo’s successor : arrival of two hundred and fifty chinamen at new orleans–queer scenes and incidents , ” daily alta california , 30 jan . , 1870 , p . 4 .
may 5 , 1869 : a reporter for the daily alta california describes the scene in rosebud , a neighboring town to victory , where 557 chinese of “the grand army of civilisation” have arrived to be sent north to the northern pacific railroad . in salt lake city , the central pacific railroad is said to be essentially complete save for two rails which would be laid at the final ceremony . [ 31 ]
our lead is david , who transfers to a new school filled with other 20 - somethings masquerading as high schoolers , and he soon finds out that four bullies rule the school with an iron fist , lording it over everyone else .
i fell into teaching by accident and i found myself with a new career all of a sudden . i just loved it from the very start . i have been a drama director at a number of elementary , middle and high schools over the last 22 years . there is nothing more fulfilling than working with children , helping them to discover and achieve their dreams on stage . although working regularly at a school makes it a little harder to take off for auditions than when you ' re doing the types of odd jobs i had been doing .
worse yet , to the extent americans remember world war i at all , it is as a futile war , a massive , utterly senseless butchery of a damned generation . that was not the way americans at the time conceived it . more controversially , it is an excessively simple way of conceiving it even now .
rs : we shot some of it at griffith park , the drives and the stop . after they get in the car we shot at another location , a condemned school in burbank . when they stop me i obviously was driving as was steve i believe . after a few takes i hear someone yell “sikes hit the van ! ” and i got blamed for crashing into the van . it never happened and eventually i was exonerated . but at first i was blamed .
rs : it was filmed at griffith park which we used for the parking lot . it was a little spooky watching a dummy – with my blue jean jacket on it get blown sky high . i was holding a girl’s hand i was dating and watching me and part of my clothing go bye bye . the production crew asked if they could use my jacket because they forgot to get one and promised that they would replace it – well not to my satisfaction did they replace it . instead i got some crummy old blue jean jacket . not cool at all .
a group of cheerleaders from the local high school decide to show their school spirit for their football team by sleeping with the opponents the night before the game so that they can be so worn out the opposition won ' t be able to play .
personal characteristics included ethnicity ( african american , native american , white ) , gender , formal education ( less than high school , high school or equivalent , at least some college ) , and living arrangements ( living alone , living with others and married , living with others and unmarried ) . the categorical variable , poverty status , combined information on medicaid status and household income from all sources in 2001 . the medicaid group included all participants who reported receiving medicaid . the “no medicaid , lower income” group included all others who reported an income < $ 25 , 000 . the “no medicaid , higher income” group included all others reporting incomes ≥ $ 25 , 000 .
it ' s not clear in the film what particular thing david “saved” mark from at the other school . do you remember anything in the original script about that ?
. he was actually very comfortable hanging around the sets . in fact , he was so comfortable…he would shoot spit wads at other actors when he was off camera !
in the autumn sun , six - year - old yelena kurchinsky heard she was on a death march , and she tugged at her mother hana ' s skirt .
the zelman memorial symphony orchestra will perform shostakovich ' s symphony no . 13 (
babi yar
) in hamer hall at 2pm on sunday , september 17 .
the students of central high are happy to finally be free , but it doesn’t take long for the formerly abused to become abusive themselves . meet the new boss , same as the old boss . fat slob oscar begins throwing his weight around . rodney becomes a snob who can’t stop fawning over his new car . arthur becomes even more obnoxious and uses his superior intellect to insult the library patrons . worst of all , spoony , mary , and jane turn into self righteous hippies that decide who could use a “good fuck ! ”
david is the new kid at central high . the only person he knows is mark , who runs with the local toughs led by bruce . mark and david share a bond from years before when david came to mark ' s aid when mark was being beaten by school bullies . david keeps his distance , preferring not to join the
club .
he tries to convince the other students not to be pushed around , and intervenes once too often on their behalf . when he directly becomes a victim of bruce ' s gang , david orchestrates a plan that causes an attrition problem among the members of the clique . mark worries for his safety , even though he and david were once friends .
july 1866 : the rail line to dutch flat , 69 miles from sacramento , is completed . the chinese work force is at approximately 3 , 933 . [ 13 ]
november 1860 : sacramento merchant collis p . huntington agrees to invest in engineer theodore judah’s railroad project and brings in four other investors : mark hopkins , james bailey , charles crocker , and leland stanford . together , they formed the first board of directors for the central pacific railroad company .
oh , and here ' s the plug . i ' ll be showing both of these movies this friday night at odd obsession films on 1659 n . halsted at 11 : 00 p . m . , so if anyone out there lives in chicago , stop on by . there ' ll be trailers , shorts , and two pretty nifty flicks .
next week , she ' ll be honoured at a concert where a 75 - voice chorus will join the zelman symphony orchestra and other luminaries to commemorate the 110 , 000 people killed at babi yar . these were mostly jews , but also people who hid them , as well as gays , communists , prisoners of war and people with mental illness .
august 27 , 1866 : workers begin clearing the shaft along the projected tunnel line of tunnel 6 . they make progress for 30 days until removing rubble becomes too difficult . to solve this problem , engineers drive the abandoned locomotive sacramento to gold run , which at that point is as far as the central pacific extended . its 12 - ton steam engine is hauled up to donner pass and let down into tunnel 6 . the job takes 6 weeks . [ 15 ]
with each successive conway outrage , her “haters” hold their breath and wait to see if the ax will finally fall . trump bestows his favor unpredictably , and veterans of past republican administrations look at the chaos in the white house and say a shake - up is inevitable . “the white house was not set up in a functional way , ” a former high - ranking official in george w . bush’s administration told me . “this is unsustainable . ”
. the lights came on and he stood up and turned around . i looked at him and he looked at me and he said , “you ! ” and i said , “you ! ” he jumped over the two rows of seats and sat down next to me and talked about the film for the longest time . i think he went to movies like
the original exploitation template heathers originated from is a surprisingly brisk and entertaining movie . it lacks the dark humor of its successor , but successfully establishes a strange high school universe of its own , and racks up the bodycount in an engaging manner . absolutely worth checking out !
the country , as she described it , is at the mercy of atheists and agitators who want to tell “the majority” how to live their lives . fitzpatrick was kindly and hospitable , serving me coffee and snacks in neat little bowls . but once she got going , she could barely contain her disgust at the snobs and celebrities who were not giving the new president the chance he deserved—people like ashton kutcher , who lambasted trump at the screen actors guild awards in january . “i’d like to kick the tv in , honest to god . ”
the research project was led by the stc with assistance from the school of public health and the departments of psychiatry and pediatrics at the university of saskatchewan ( saskatoon , saskatchewan ) .
but when i first started going out to movies in elementary or junior high school , i remember all of us boys would sit behind the cutest girls in the theater and my friends would all say really stupid stuff trying to be funny . uncharacteristic of me at the time , i ' d do the opposite . i would just sit there and be quiet , not making a complete ass of myself in front of the girls like all my friends were doing .
conway spent eight summers packing blueberries at a nearby farm , where she sometimes drew onlookers with her remarkable , automaton - esque speed and ability to work for long stretches without a break . she brought a similar intensity to her schoolwork . “i didn’t think she was a deep thinker , ” one of her high - school teachers told cosmopolitan . “but i do remember that she would argue her point relentlessly . you would pray to god that the bell would ring . ”
three days of protests began on 6 june against alleged electoral fraud in last month ' s parliamentary elections . during the demonstrations police fired on the crowds , killing at least 36 people .
the memorable exploding locker scene was accomplished using a real stuntman tethered to a harness and pulleys which yanked him away from the blast . however , the gas pressure was turned up too high and blew out the lights on the set , an unplanned effect which remains in the finished film .