Rent Detour (1945)

Good Film, Bad DVD - Detour review by Count Otto Black

This is not a review of the movie itself, but of the dismally poor version of it Cinema Paradiso believes its paying customers deserve. Elstree Hill Entertainment is a DVD manufacturer not in any way connected with the famous Elstree Studios or the production of this or any other film, which churns out abysmally substandard don't-give-a-monkey's DVDs of old movies they can obtain worn-out prints of for peanuts. The end result looks like, and quite possibly is, a fifth-generation copy of something taped off the telly on VHS. At best. Some of their DVDs are even worse than that.

Since the Elstree Hill version of this movie appears to be the only one Cinema Paradiso have on offer, don't rent this film from this site because the lousy sound and picture quality will ruin it for you. Watch it properly anywhere but here. The same naturally goes for any other film this site lists on the general info page as having allegedly been made by a non-existent studio called Elstree Hill Entertainment. Though movies made by the real and illustrious Elstree Studios are a different matter entirely.

If the Cinema Paradiso quality control team read these reviews, maybe they'll take the hint and actually watch a few of Elstree Hill's horrible DVDs before buying any more of them, and perhaps even replace those they already have with versions that don't resemble the dodgiest of bootlegs in every way apart from not being illegal. To the best of my knowledge every film in their catalogue is easily available elsewhere, and you're doing your customers and your reputation a disservice by offering substandard garbage like this for rental. Yes, I know Elstree Hill undercut the prices of almost all their competitors, but sometimes you really do get what you pay for. And if you don't care, shame on you, because some of your customers do!

Major spoilers. - Detour review by Steve

The greatest ever poverty row feature. It is claimed it was made for $10000 in a week. It sets a standard for what can be done with almost nothing.  Al (Tom Neal) is a jazz pianist hitching from New York to LA. He thumbs a ride from a loudmouth with a bad heart and when he dies, Al (this is film noir) steals the dead man's identity and car and gets himself into real trouble.

Al picks up Vera (Ann Savage), who had also been picked up by the dead driver and assumes Al has bumped him off and lifted his wallet.  She's not above turning these assumptions into hard cash. Detour made B actor Savage a legend. She doesn't turn up until the last twenty minutes, but she really rips it up. She's not beautiful, but she's so artlessly trashy, she's irresistible. 

These two characters are as morally and financially bankrupt a pair of sleazeballs as is imaginable and it's not obvious what they wouldn't do for a few bucks. As Vera says, 'We're both alike, both born in the same gutter'. Neal is great, but Savage is jawdropping as a cheap chiseller without brains or scruples.    

At first glance this is another noir that follows the extraordinary ill fortune of a doomed, corruptible male. But eventually, the penny drops; the whole narrative is a lie. Neal is a tawdry killer who is rehearsing the story he will tell the cops when they inevitably catch up with him. Hell, we've only got his word that he was even in a band. And I don't trust him for a second. 

As noir as it gets - Detour review by MR

The copy I received was good quality. The story is simple and totally depressing. Acting and atmosphere great.