Hollywood. 1955. Faced with two inexperienced actors, the director (Peter Coyote, E.T.) of Strange and Dangerous (film-within-a-film) encourages the leading lady (Victoria Tennant, L.A. Story) and leading man (Blaine Novak, They All Laughed) to fall in love in “real life” so as to provide the “heat” needed for the inner film’s romance. The actress’ possessive gangster boyfriend (Richard Romanus, Mean Streets), who happens to be the film’s financier, is kept in the dark about this love triangle. When the financier finally realizes what is going on, he flies off in a violently jealous rage. The suspense and tension draws to a tingling close with a strange twist at the ending. Intrigued by Stanley Kubrick’s early cinema career, particularly the creation of the low-budget crime drama Killer’s Kiss, Novak and director Matthew Chapman (Heart of Midnight) crafted a fictional, behind-the-scenes look at the making of a similarly modest production. Called “a glowing homage to 1950s melodrama set in the film world” by Variety, Strangers Kiss achieves impressive period verisimilitude. Backing the main players are Dan Shor (Mike’s Murder), Linda Kerridge (Fade to Black) and former World Welterweight Champion boxer Carlos Palomino. Famed saxophonist Gato Barbieri’s jazzy score adds to the film’s noirish mood. Out of circulation for decades, Strangers Kiss has now been restored in 4K from its original 35mm internegative for its worldwide Blu-ray premiere.

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Video Quality

Strangers Kiss debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Fun City Editions with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio that is derived from a 4K restoration of the 35mm Interpositive. When working from an Interpositive, the color timing is easier to control, and colors are faithfully saturated with deep, natural hues coming through with impeccable accuracy. The movie set does not look especially dazzling, but there are some more tones to appreciate when situated in the apartments. Black levels hold up favorably with no moments of crush or banding observed. Highlights get a bit intense but never go into full bloom. The black-and-white segments showing the film-within-the-film hold with nice contrast.

The presentation retains the natural textured film properties free of unsightly DNR or other digital nuisances. Everything appears to be authentic to its intended appearance yet refined to avoid any worrisome clumpy grain frozen in the background. Skin tones are natural and consistent with distinct features such as pores, lines, and makeup easily distinguishable in closeup. Image stability and clarity are in top form with textures of the clothing and production design showcasing impeccably. Nearly all instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have been cleaned up. Fun City Editions continues to rescue hidden gems with great care.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that translates every nuance of this narrative well. With this being set in Hollywood, dialogue is key to the narrative drive, and every impassioned delivery comes through crisp and clear in all environmental circumstances. From the opening notes, the film delivers the score effectively with agreeable fidelity. We did not experience any shortcomings or signs of age-related wear such as hissing or distortion. This track nails everything it sets out to do for a grand listening experience. Fun City Editions has treated this well. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Walter Chaw provides an informative commentary track in which he discusses the legacy of the feature, how it connects to Peter Bogdanovich, the careers of the talent involved, the metatextual flourishes in the script, the themes of the feature, the shot composition, and much more that is worthwhile.

Comradeship and Love – Video Interview with Matthew Chapman: A new 25-minute interview with the filmmaker in which he talks about where he was at in his career prior to this film, his relationship with Victoria Tennant, the unique financial investment situation that led to the film, working with the performers, the film’s legacy, and more.

It Felt Magical – Video Interview with Victoria Tennant: A new 24-minute interview with the actress in which she recalls the party where this movie came together, memories from the set, the miracles worked with some of the makeup effects, the minimal costume budget, scenes that were constructed in the moment, the affection she has for the film, and more.

An Enemy of Cliche – Video Interview with Blaine Novak: A new 25-minute interview with the actor and screenwriter who discusses his start with John Cassavetes, his time in distribution with films like Hester Street, what inspired him to make Strangers Kiss, the complicated relationship he was in at the time of production, working opposite of Victoria Tennant, and more.

Distributor to Producer – Video Interview with Doug Dilg: A new 33-minute interview with the producer in which he discusses the early days of the distribution company of which he was a part, how they helped finance the film based on profit participation, working with various departments, and more.

Stanley’s Film – Video Essay by Chris O’Neill: A ten-minute video essay that explores how this film works as an ode to the production of Killer’s Kiss, the dynamics between the characters, the themes, and more.

Theatrical Trailer: A two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided.

Image Gallery: A two-and-a-half-minute slideshow of stills and marketing materials.

Booklet: There is a bound booklet included featuring the essay “Strangers Kiss: A Dangerous Beauty” by critic Peter Tonguette that explores the production, the themes, the reception of the film, and much more that is enlightening.

Final Thoughts

Strangers Kiss is a low-stakes drama that is filmed as if the stakes are life and death, and there are many times you believe they just might be. The dynamic intimacy between the two lead performers is palpable and enthralling to watch unfold. The production keeps things modest, but there is boundless creativity both in front of and behind the camera that feels greater than reality. This is a film that deserved a larger spotlight when it was released, and we are glad it is getting a second life now. Fun City Editions has delivered a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and an excellent assortment of special features in lovely packaging. Every release from this label feels like a recommendation from a cool friend. Recommended

Strangers Kiss is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Fun City Editions has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.