Requiem for a Killer: The Making of 'Blast of Silence' (2007 Video) User Reviews

A must if you are watching "Blast of Silence"

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 2 June 2014]

I enjoyed "Blast of Silence" very much. However, watching this making of film after made for a very satisfying viewing experience. This is because learning about the very, very, very low budget and compromises made to make the film really made me appreciate Allen Baron even more. For example, while he wrote and directed the film, the only reason he starred in it was that Peter Falk (a friend) couldn't do it for next to no salary--and they couldn't afford anyone else! For the most part, Baron just walks around the filming locales in New York City and talks about how he made the film, how it was marketed and how it was recently re-discovered. All in all, a very intriguing film--one that new filmmakers SHOULD see as it will help them to understand that excellent filmmaking doesn't need huge budgets, explosions or even big-name actors.

This featurette, by the way, is included with the film in the Criterion release.

Good but not great look at the making of a New York Noir gem.

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 13 June 2008]

Expansion of a 1990 documentary about the making of Blast of Silence, a late in the game film noir thriller that was filmed on the streets of New York City to great effect. The original version was made after the film was rediscovered at a German film festival and a TV film crew went and followed director and star Allen Baron around the films locations while he talked about the film. This expansion includes that footage as well as 2006 interview with Baron. This is a good but not great look at the making of the film as well as the career of Baron. The problem is that the stories that Baron tells seem to be almost random and often spiral out in odd directions, for example he talks a great deal about a closed restaurant and how its was important to the New York theater community. Its not bad, its just not on point. When Baron is on point the stories are great. The film is also great in the way that it shows how the city has changed over the thirty years between when the film was made and Baron revisits the locations. (I should also mention that on the Criterion DVD of Blast of Silence, where this film is included as an extra, there is also a series of stills that brings the changes of the locations up to 2008.) Baron also muses a great deal about the psychology of his character from the film. I'm not sure that its all that necessary since much of it seems pretty clear in the film itself. Overall I liked this look at the making of Blast, but I didn't love it. Its too unfocused to be wholly satisfying. Still I did enjoy the hour I spent watching it but I don't know if I would watch it again, not because its bad but I don't think I'd get much out of a second viewing. Worth a look if you've seen Blast of Silence. If you haven't seen Blast then don't even consider watching this partly because its full of spoilers but mostly what is discussed will mean nothing to you unless you've seen the film its about.