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The Killing | 
 enlarge | Director: Stanley Kubrick
Actors: Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards, Jay C. Flippen, Elisha Cook Jr.
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $7.21
You Save: $7.77 (52%)
New (48) Used (21) Collectible (1) from $4.96
Rating:  83 reviews
Sales Rank: 7872
Format: Black & White, Dolby, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 89 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: MGMD907706D
ISBN: 0792841395
UPC: 027616770622
EAN: 9780792841395
ASIN: 0792841395
Theatrical Release Date: June 6, 1956
Release Date: June 29, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: ******BRAND NEW****** ** Over 1.5 million orders shipped worldwide and more than 500 000 items in stock, BUY FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE, ESTABLISHED SINCE 1998 - INETVIDEO ~~~
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Product Description
When an ex-con schemes to steal $2 million in a racetrack robbery his promise that no one will get hut goes incredibly awry in this taut crime thriller. Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 08/28/2001 Starring: Sterling Hayden Vince Edwards Run time: 89 minutes Rating: Nr Director: Stanley Kubrick
Amazon.com essential video
Stanley Kubrick's third feature, and first screen classic, is one of the great crime films of the 1950s. The Killing was written in collaboration with Jim Thompson, who penned pulp novels like The Grifters, The Killer Inside Me, and Pop. 1280, all of which were made into classic films. This time writing directly for the screen, Thompson joined with Kubrick to concoct a story about a desperate gang of lowlifes led by a grim, determined Sterling Hayden. Together they devise and execute a complex racetrack robbery, but inner tensions and the iron fist of fate work against them. The cast is uniformly superb, with Hayden, Jay C. Flippen, Timothy Carey, Marie Windsor, and Elisha Cook Jr. fleshing out characters torn between grandiose ambition and petty desire. Cinematographer Lucian Ballard fashions distorted, starkly lit interiors that reflect the psychological tensions of the characters. He and Kubrick also create one of the most memorably ironic final sequences in film history. The Killing is a perfect introduction to the art and joys of film noir, and its bizarre narrative structure has been copied many times since. For a terrific double feature, see it with John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle, another noir masterpiece featuring Hayden; or Paths of Glory, Kubrick's next picture, again cowritten with Thompson; or even Jackie Brown, in which Quentin Tarantino pays homage to the ways this film leaps around in time. More commercial than some of Kubrick's later work, The Killing remains a tour de force by one of the world's finest filmmakers. --Raphael Shargel
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| Customer Reviews: Read 78 more reviews...
 A Killer Movie October 27, 2008
A. Vargas
Fantastic film. Very reminiscent of Asphalt Jungle. Great use of the clown mask robber get up that has been redone in many movies - from Point Break to the Dark Knight. Kubrick was ahead of his time.
 Classic Early Noir From A Master June 18, 2008
Bryan A. Pfleeger (Metairie, Louisiana United States)
Stanley Kubrick's third film, 1956's The Killing is a small noir masterpiece. Starring Sterling Hayden as Johnny Clay this film has been copied many times by many great directors including Quentin Tarantino.
The film follows the exploits of a small band of criminals as they attempt to pull off a race track robbery. This is perhaps the most tightly plotted film that I have seen in many years and the dialog, penned by Kubrick with the help of Jim Thompson is nearly perfect. The performances by the cast are spot on.
It must be remembered that this is classic Hollywood B-moviemaking but Kubrick's genius with non linear storytelling shines through like a diamond in the rough. While it may seem dated at times with its heavy voice over narration it is a film experience that should not be missed.
The low priced MGM disc is a bare bones affair that features a trailer. The picture is in full screen format (which was the correct shooting ratio) and the sound is mono but acceptable. Lucien Ballard's photography is stark and at times overlit but it suits this material perfectly.
This is a film that needs to be seen by any serious film student.
a cool caper flick April 18, 2008
Living in Vegas
Not directed, written, or edited like other crime films which makes it even more interesting. The Killing is a sharp and skillfully done crime film. Several plotlines involving different characters are successfully interwoven into one story about a racetrack robbery. The characters George, his gold digger wife Sherry, and Sherry's lover Val are great characters with a great plot. Sterling Hayden plays the ringleader and all of the performances are good. There's nothing really wrong with this film. The film gets complicated in a fascinating way and is well executed with a gripping surprise ending. The Killing is first-rate and unconventional storytelling to say the least. To divulge the specifics of the characters and plotlines would be unfair to somebody who hasn't seen it.
 Kubrick Owes An Apology to John Huston! April 3, 2008
nobbsy
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I am astounded at the extravagant praise that this movie receives. Yes, it WAS directed by Stanley Kubrick. But clearly, at this point in his career, Mr. Kubrick was not exactly a master of his craft. The voice-over narrative is really distracting,irritating and corny, even for those days. Also what really gets me is this movie a clear rip-off of the outstanding noir film, The Asphalt Jungle, which was made eight years earlier and also featured Sterling Hayden. Now THAT was (and still is) a great crime movie, the progenitor of all "caper" films and a movie very sadly ignored by most film buffs, especially the younger generation. Stanley Kubrick should have taken all the money he made from "The Killing" and sent it to John Huston, with a note of apology. Forget "The Killing." Buy "The Asphalt Jungle." You won't be sorry.
Bet on Film Noir February 27, 2008
S J Buck (Kent, UK)
One of Kubrick's early films, and the first to show the world that here was a film director who would never produce run of the mill movies. Its essentially a heist movie set a horse race track, but made in a film noir style complete with narration and a multitude of interesting characters, who are virtually all up to no good.
For the 1950's this is a highly original film. Events are not neccessarily seen chronologically, so we get to see an event and then get to see in detail how one of the major players affected the event. Think how Pulp Fiction played with time. Well this does it on a smaller scale but more often.
As films go this one is pretty much perfect. I was only going to give this 4 stars but when I tried to justify this I honestly couldn't think of anything wrong with it so ended up giving it 5. The cinematography, script and Kubrick's assured direction are all excellent.
The film could probably do with a digital remaster, there is one character - 'Maurice Oboukoff' - who I could really only a understand few words of when he spoke, but he had a strong accent and only spoke in one scene, so it didn't affect my enjoyment of the film.
Marvellous.
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