Philip Marlowe Private Eye Collection

I LOVE this series! I accidentally clicked across an episode on PBS one night and was stunned by its accuracy and quality! I watched all the episodes PBS showed but when I went to find it on DVD I discovered that it had been discontinued by the distributor! I quickly ordered one I had found on Amazon.com and when it arrived I immediately put it into the player and started running through the episodes. Just like any other series some episodes are better than others, but there isn't a single episode I don't like. I am utterly impressed by the production values of this series! Everything from the look and feel of the visuals to the sets and locations to the acting and actors to the music is true to the genre and period and to Raymond Chandler's books! I started out as a fan of Chandler's books, as well as stories of others of the genre such as Sam Spade, Bulldog Drummond and Johnny Dollar. Then I began collecting hundreds of the late 1940's and 50's radio shows called "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe", which although are loose interpretations of Chandler's stories, I fell in love with never the less. Then I found this HBO T.V. series! I didn't think that anyone would ever be able to equal the acting of Gerald Mohr's portrayal of Philip Marlowe in the radio series, but actor Powers Boothe who portrays Marlowe in this DVD series changed my mind! He is perfect for the role! He brings all the swagger, toughness, sex appeal and period behaviorisms to the role in full measure. I haven't been impressed by much else that I have seen of Powers Boothe's work, but if this series is any indication he is a much better actor than I ever thought. Everything about this series takes you back to that time period and puts you right there along with Philip Marlowe. The stories are gripping and suspenseful. One of the nice things about Chandler's "Marlowe" is that he is a flawed, almost anti-hero. He loses many battles but usually wins the war and he isn't afraid to bend if not break the rules a little to get to the truth. He gets his mouth busted a lot but gives back just as good. Yeah, he always falls a bit for the girl, and there is ALWAYS a girl, but in the end, Marlowe is street and life wise enough to know when to send the girl packing. His girls are almost always damaged or slightly dangerous. He is a knight in tarnished armor who rarely ever comes out too far on top, especially when it comes to money. But he always wins the war of right and wrong and makes crime a harder business for the criminals. This set has all 11 episodes made for the series. This series was made when HBO was still producing some great TV and made-for-cable movies! HBO had a lot of money at the time, and it shows. It was well spent on great sets, locations, costumes and cars and some great period acting, especially by it's star, Powers Boothe. The series has two different opening and closing credit sequences which basically cut the series in two, the first five episodes being created in 1983 and the last six in 1986. The first credits sequence was a bit more "in your face" with screeching horn music, gangster silhouettes firing Tommy Guns and very stylized images of Philip Marlowe loading and firing his revolver. The second credits sequence is much more subdued and fit's the genre better in my opinion. It has a simple shadowed background and much softer but sexier horn music. It makes one imagine Philip Marlowe sitting in a night club, sipping a scotch and smoking a cigarette while staring at a dame from across the room. What is in between the opening and closing credits is even better! I am thrilled to have been able to get one of these sets before they are impossible to get! I suggest to anyone who is a fan of the 30's & 40's detective story genre, in particular of Philip Marlowe, that they get this set while they can too! It is an amazing series and at an incredibly reasonable price. Don't miss your chance to own this set! I hope the studio will re-release this series in the future but you never know for sure! Read more

The problem with this set is that it was a made-for-TV production and they just didn't have the money to do it right. The sets are mostly dull, the actors drive back and forth over the same stretch of road and in the early episodes the night scenes are obviously shot during the day. Noir experts will note that many props are not from the correct era. The later episodes are a bit better than the earlier ones, however. If you're looking for modern/retro noir there is some. Farewell My Lovely with Robert Mitchum is wonderful, as are Cast A Deadly Spell and Witchunt. Modern semi-noir films for those weary of happy endings include The Two Jakes and The Hot Spot. But why not just get a copy of Out Of The Past and see the real thing? Read more

I really enjoyed this series, mostly of Raymond Chandlers earlier shorter stories that were not made into feature length films. Powers Booth is an excellent phillip marlowe, the dialogue is preserved well from the written stories. On the outside the stories might seem a little complicated, they are not filmed like other mysteries where the viewer can try to guess the overall MO and/or identity of the murderer(s). And alot happens in a short time, leaving the viewer with few clues. The REAL DEAL is always left until the end and only Phillip Marlowe can figure it out! The quality of the DVD is ok. There are no subtitles, or closed captioning (it wouldn't work on my TV anyway), sometime you have to rewind and turn up the volume to catch the clever quips. In one story, for instance, a lady is passed out and snoring. Well the snoring isn't just quiet background noise, it makes it hard to hear the actual dialogue of the two persons in the room with her. Is this a DVD flaw or on purpose by the film makers to emphasize her loud snoring?? I'm not sure but it makes the scene unforgettable. Read more

The PHILIP MARLOWE, PRIVATE EYE COLLECTION, harkens back to a time when a weary Shamus entered his office only to find the desperate, leggy blonde in distress. Considered edgy for its day, this HBO production is certainly mild by today's standards. It was made before HBO hoisted the mantra of the gay and socialist agendas. As such, it remains as one of their better productions. This collection features eleven tales direct from the pen of Raymond Chandler. Powers Boothe is excellent as Marlowe, capturing the hard-boiled mien of the genre. The picture for this video collection is not as sharp as it should be for DVD. This could be due to the quality of the originals, or could be a copying deficiency by Goldhil Productions. While the discs are watchable, definition lines are often blurred causing some colors to run. Its a DVD, but its similar to watching a VHS tape. For this reason, I cut off one star on what otherwise would have been a top rating. Read more