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UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

ags123 This little film captured my attention from the start and held it for the entire 67-minute running time, a tribute to Kubrick's early talent. I even prefer it to his rambling epics, like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and beyond. Contrary to many other opinions, I find the acting top-notch. Jamie Smith is a charismatic hero, Irene Kane is just pretty enough and naive enough to play the damsel in distress, and Frank Silvera exudes sliminess and menace. What makes them seem awkward is the unmatched overdubbing and stilted voice-overs, particularly by Kane in her flashback where she sounds like she's reading a Daphne DuMaurier Gothic novel.Photography and locations in no way call attention to the film's low budget. In fact they're what make this film so absorbing. The climactic fight in the mannequin warehouse has an eeriness that was later borrowed in Blake Edwards' "Experiment in Terror."Overall, a great film that can hold it's own against some of Kubrick's best achievements.

gridoon2018 Stanley Kubrick's second film - a solid, gritty film noir - shows the promise of a great career. He wrote the story, which is familiar but tight; he also did the direction, editing and photography - and they are all innovative at times (the boxing match, the nightmare, the ballet dance / flashback-within-a-flashback, etc.); every camera movement / placement has a purpose. The three unknown leads give good performances; Irene Kane is very beautiful - she looks like a down-home Grace Kelly, and the film actually has shades of "Rear Window", which came out the previous year. *** out of 4.

Ilpo Hirvonen Since the rediscovery of "Fear and Desire" (1953), "Killer's Kiss" (1955) no longer bears the curiosity status as Stanley Kubrick's earliest film, and it hardly fits into the Kubrick canon anyways, so to speak. It is, however, an interesting film both from the perspective of its genre and its creator, thus remaining as an enduring meeting place. Although "Killer's Kiss" might be your standard B-movie with a low duration which was probably produced just to accompany a bigger production, it still has its striking moments of poetic intuition. Its finale among abandoned mannequins could very well be a classic. The story as well as its representation have the basic traits of film- noir, the darker crime genre which crystallized in post-war American cinema. The majority of the film consists of a long, mainly uninterrupted flashback sequence as a boxer recalls the past days that have led him where he is now. He became involved with a beautiful woman living next door who has a violent, jealous gangster boyfriend. The boxer and the woman find their reflections in one another. They are two hurt, lost, and lonely souls wandering the streets of New York. Boxing rings, rooftops, apartments, and dark alleys serve as the primal settings of the genre, while a desperate loner, a femme fatale, and a gangster as its archetypes. Strong contrasts in lighting characterize Kubrick's expressive mise-en-scène making several shots prime examples of the film-noir aesthetics. Although "Killer's Kiss" surely has the trademarks of film-noir, it does feel a little bit off, yet not in the masterful sense of "Kiss Me Deadly" (1955). This is most likely due to the film's low budget which, however, also gives the film its gritty touch. One simply gets similar enjoyment from watching the characters walking the streets of New York as in Cassavetes' "Shadows" (1958). Moreover, some of Kubrick's visual decisions with regards to composition and camera angles feel conspicuous. In other words, despite potential weak points in the film's style, it also had the edge and piquancy which give the whole of the film its poetic dimensions.Overall, one might characterize "Killer's Kiss" as poetic pulp. Its stylistic touches rise above its mediocre content. While the film might strike like a sore thumb in a director's oeuvre who later became famous with his sublime and breath-taking images of grandiose awe, it also has the benefit of strangeness which is why it will continue fascinating film buffs.

Scott LeBrun Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith) is an over the hill prizefighter who's considering returning to the family farm to help out his uncle. Then fate steps in: one night he witnesses a neighbour, the pretty Gloria Price (Irene Kane) being accosted by her employer Vincent Rapallo (Frank Silvera), a gangster. Davey is almost instantly taken with her, and after getting to know her a little bit, he decides that he will be her protector. That will prove to be a challenge, as Rapallo sends two of his goons (Mike Dana, Felice Orlandi) after Davey and abducts Gloria to boot.Short & sweet, this reasonably enjoyable little noir is compelling viewing for both fans of the genre and of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. It may not be quite as accomplished as his later works (it *was* only his second feature film), but it still has some genuine stylishness going for it. The boxing scenes early on are noteworthy for the camera placement and operation, creating a genuine intensity. Kubrick also edited, shot, and wrote the story (Howard Sackler wrote the screenplay, uncredited), and it's clear that he was a real talent who could go far. There's one mighty fine bit of nightmare imagery, and the story does have a fairly good pace going for it. Unfortunately, the rather loud and jaunty music score tends to work against whatever tension that Kubrick is able to generate. The final battle between Davey and Rapallo is a pretty good one, and the fact that it takes place inside a mannequin factory helps to make it visually interesting. Silvera is fine as the gangster, Smith and Kane (the latter is better known as journalist Chris Chase) less satisfactory in the other principal roles. Ruth Sobotka, who was married to Kubrick at the time (and was also Kanes' sister!), plays the ballerina.Overall, a solid effort although it was with his next picture, "The Killing", that Kubrick really hit his stride.Seven out of 10.