SABOTAGE BLU-RAY

New release: Alfred Hitchcock famously spoke about the difference between horror and suspense. To paraphrase his description, horror is when you show a couple at a restaurant and then a bomb under the table suddenly blows everyone up. Suspense is when you show the couple; then show the ticking bomb; then show the couple talking for five minutes about baseball or something mundane; the whole time we're thinking, 'look under the table. look out!" But they keeping talking! At the last minute they look and diffuse the bomb. Then you can start building up the next moment of suspense. But, he added, you should never let the bomb go off. The master of suspense famously broke his rule in one of his early great films, Sabotage (1936). Based on Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent, the film centers around a small movie house in London and a family who become entangled in a web of European saboteurs. Spy Vibers may remember the film contains excerpts from Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon, Who Killed Cock Robin, in a wonderful subtext of emotion and danger. Chilling and masterfully filmed, Sabotage was one of the first Hitchcock movies I ever saw. I went through a period as a kid when I would ride the train over to the Greenwich Library and their film librarian would set up the projector and run movies for me. He showed me all the early Hitchcock films and was one of the people who influenced me to become a film programmer, teacher, and media historian. I later learned, when I was working on my Mort Walker Conversations book, that Brian Walker (Hi and Lois) had a similar experience with that same librarian ten years before me. I wrote to the Greenwich Library once and he was still there! In fact, he said I should stop by on their movie nights if I was ever back in the area. But back to Hitchcock. Sabotage is getting a loving Blu-ray transfer from the original film elements by UK distributer Network! Special features include an introduction by Charles Barr, an On Location featurette, and Image Gallery. More info at AmazonUK and Network. I'm particularly interested to see the print because we've had to endure decades of public domain DVDs that suffered from really muffled sound and poor picture quality. The Blu-ray release date is June 1st and will be a Region-B disc (Spy Vibers in the States will require a region-free player). Another cool treasure to re-explore and look forward to! Enjoy!

Selected Spy Vibe posts: John Buss interview, Diana Rigg eBook, Avengers Season 5 Titles, Saint Volvo, Mod Tales Interview, Agente Secreto Comics, Danger Man Comics 2, Danger Man Comics, John Drake Comics, Der Mann Von UNCLE, Golden Margaret Nolan, Man From UNCLE Rocksteady, Pussy Galore Calypso, Cynthia Lennon R.I.P., Edward Mann Fashion, Leonard Nimoy Tribute, Shatner at 84, Bob Morane series, New Saint Publications, The Saint Complete box set, Gerry Anderson Box Sets, Music For Spies, Thai Bond Design, Brian Clemens RIP, Bond vs Modernism, Imitation Game, New Avengers Books, Ringo Does Goldfinger, Sixties Beat Wear, Popular Skullture, Art of Modesty, Avengers Blu-ray update, Tokyo Beat 1964, Polaroid Spy, Feraud Mod Fashion, Flint Scores!, Bond Danish, New Richard Sala Book, New 007 Comics, Designing Bond Books, Green Hornet Manga, Margaret Nolan Art, No 6 Festival, Barbarella Returns, Designer: Gene Winfield, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Rare Avengers Scripts, Man From Uncle UK Comics, Thunderbirds Comics, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Avengers Book: Bowler Hats & Kinky Boots, George Lois Design & Mad Men, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, The Saint books return, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.

FOLIO SPIES

The Folio Society was founded in 1947 by Charles Ede and has continued to follow their mission to enhance the reading experience by paying close attention to the book itself. As they state on their website, typography, paper, illustration, slipcase, printing and binding are all chosen carefully to create a harmonious whole. The Folio books are sold individually, as well through subscriptions. There is a marketing aspect to their company that reminds me a bit of all of those variant editions that publishers hook us with, although Folio does not produce multiple versions of titles. They are editions made for book lovers and collectors, and I admit that I really enjoyed looking at their designs and choice of titles. As you might imagine, Folio has their hands in great classics from Greene, Conrad, Bradbury, Ambler, le Carre, and anthologies featuring The Strand, Conan Doyle, Ian Fleming, H.G Wells. They also printed a number of espionage memoirs and historic studies. I recently searched their listings and back-catalog and found some attractive editions that may appeal to fellow Spy Vibers. Best designs? I'm partial to Fahrenheit 451 and Enigma. What do you think?

Many of these titles are out of print, but you can still find copies easily. Books to check out: The Human Factor by Graham Greene, Memoirs of a British Agent by Bruce Lockhart, Mission to Tashkent by F.M Bailey, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, Adventure Stories From The Strand (featuring Conan Doyle, Kipling, H.G Wells, Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, Sapper, others), The Spy's Bedside Book (featuring Ian Fleming, Graham Greene, John Buchan, others, and intro by former MI5 head), The Mask of Dimitrios by Eric Ambler, Crime Stories From the Strand, The Double Cross System by J.C Masterman, Enigma by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore, Smiley's People, The Honourable Schoolboy (not pictured), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre, SOE by M.R.D Foot, and No Cloak No Dagger by Benjamin Cowburn. Photos below are from The Folio Society and Juniper Books. 

I have a spy novella coming out. Stay tuned and follow Spy Vibe by clicking the Follow link at top right of this page. 

Check Spy Vibe for recent posts about our discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, my review of SKYFALL, tributes to Donald Richie and Tony Sheridan, the Les Vampires serial on Blu-ray, Lucy Fleming, The Beatles first record session, Ian Fleming's desert island interview, new Ian Fleming book designs, Fantomas, Spy Smasher, Barbarella tv show, British spy comics, Piper Gates retro designs, Cinema Retro, and more. 

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