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Audience Member Fritz Lang's truly monumental serial killer hunt fuses thriller, mob, and police procedural amongst many other sub genres in one of the most influential films ever made. I saw M in a stunning 1080p blu ray transfer which really made a difference in the landscaping, pulling you into the black void that engulfs the unnamed German city in a pall of terror as a child killer stalks the streets. It's even comparable with the current lockdown, as police are forced to shut down and raid businesses throughout the city in an attempt to hunt down the murderer. Where the story really shines is where we get to see how the murders are affecting the success of criminals and the mob, and this is best depicted in an incredible scene that cuts between two separate meetings, one with police officials, and one with criminals from the underworld, but both discussing how they can catch/kill the murderer, for differing reasons. A masterpiece of the highest order. M is now available to buy on dual format, and this package comes with the newly restored blu ray as well as the original, recently rediscovered 1932 British theatrical release. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member Joseph Losey's remake of the 1931 classic is faithful to the original but doesn't pack quite the wallop. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Surprisingly good thriller based on Fritz Lange's classic German Expressionist film. I never bothered to watch this film because I always felt it was a remake that needn't have been made, just like "The Outrage," the western remake of Kurosawa's "Rashomon." In order to get this film made during the strict production code era, the only reason studios were allowed to make a film about a child murderer is because the original film was such considered a classic. Directed by Joseph Losey, the remake moves the setting from Berlin to Los Angeles. There is a spate of unsolved child killings and the police are putting pressure on all crime in order to flush out the killer, so the underworld sets out to find the killer themselves. The film makes great use of real Los Angeles locations and watching this film reminded me of the Los Angeles depicted in Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" or the excellent "L.A. Noire" video game. There's also a terrific chase scene through the iconic Bradbury Building, famously used in other films and TV shows ranging from "Blade Runner" to "Marloe" to even "Avenging Angel." Character actor David Wayne gives a creepy performance as the child killer, though Peter Lorre in the original was far more disturbing when he pleads for his life at the end of the film. And speaking of the film's ending (SPOILER ALERT!), when the underworld manages to capture the killer before the police and set up their kangaroo court to decide the child murderer's fate, the location in the remake is moved to an underground parking garage and this is when the film really feels like it comes to life and could have been something brilliant. The scene, like much of the film, takes most all of it's cue from the original, but Losey gives the "trial" scene a very American feel to it that makes the scene a very effective one. Overall, the underworld manhunt scenes play out like a well made, though not classic, crime film, but the film's finale and the performance by Wayne really do elevate this film to something that's certainly better than average. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A pale comparison to the original, but if that original had never been made then this would be remembered a a decent flick which didn't quite cross over into the film-noir category. Some good shots of Los Angeles during the post-war construction boom. Fun to see Jim Backus and Raymond Burr! Burr would have made as good a mob godfather as Brando. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member skip this remake and see the original 1931 version Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member A Los Angeles of 1951 could never remake a Weimar Republic of 1931. The new whistle is not acceptable too... Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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