Profoundly sinister, deeply pessimistic, and deliciously witty, Kiss Me Deadly is a film noir unlike any other -- and it’s as modern today as it was on the day it premiered in 1955. Made near the end of the classic Hollywood era, this second trip to the big screen for Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (after 1953's I, The Jury) remains the best, as it casts a shockingly jaundiced eye on the detective genre and on society at large. Director Robert Aldrich conjures up a world that’s decayed and decadent, on the verge of destruction. Nothing embodies this moral corruption more than the lead character himself. Ralph Meeker's Mike Hammer is a shallow brute specializing in sleazy divorce cases, and now that he’s stumbled upon something big, he’s in way over his head. From the very first atmospheric shots, excitement, danger, and sex fill the air. Hammer, driving down the highway one ominous night, picks up a beautiful -- and somewhat underdressed -- woman (played by Cloris Leachman). She hints at dark secrets that threaten her life; moments later, Hammer is run off the road, his passenger tortured and killed, and his curiosity piqued. Ignoring dire warnings from the police, the FBI, and the criminals, he pursues the few clues she’s left him. All trails eventually lead to a strange box that, like Pandora, he cannot resist opening. Every beautifully composed image ratchets up the tension and intensifies the mystery. Hammer’s own dimness adds to the story’s suspense: He can’t give us dependable information, and so the audience waits nervously to discover what’s happening right along with him. Meeker perfectly conveys the character’s arrogance and viciousness; Maxine Cooper exudes sexuality and smarts as his devoted girl Friday, Velma. The result is nothing less than explosive.

Barnes & Noble - Karen Backstein