Buried with a Beating Heart, this Low-Low-Low-Budget Movie Hangs on to Film-Noir with a Last Gasp of Nihilism and Seedy Style.The Result was a Forgotten, Little Seen Film Relegated to Bottom of the Bill Double Features and Fell almost Instantaneously into a Comatose State of Existence, but Thankfully the Plug was Not Pulled and it Remained almost Dead but Still Alive.The Revitalization and Return from its Dying State was Thanks to Film Festivals, Critics, the Cult of Sleeper Cinema, and Later the likes of Iconic Director and Film Historian Martin Scorsese. It was Featured in the Underground Book "Re-Search".The Talent Showcase of the Writer/Director/Actor, Allen Baron was Not Fully Realized and He Pacified Himself with Easy Paychecks in TV-Land for the Remainder of His Career.Now Considered a Favorite among Film Fanatics, especially Fans of Film-Noir and Indie Cinema, the Newly Released Criterion Collection Disc has caused Glee among Film Geeks and is Available for all to See. Hard to Live Up to its Accolades among the Obscure Inteligencia, it Impresses those that Seek it Out because of its Bleak Presentation and Unpretentious Display.The Movie Manages to Entertain as a Curiosity Piece and Provides Inspiration for Aspiring Filmmakers with Little or No Money. Worth a Watch for Fans of Film-Noir, B-Movies, and those that Love to Find Forgotten Little Gems.The Sharp Expression of the Existential Big-City Images, Low-Brow, Paperback, Pulp, Voice Over Narration that is Numbingly Repetitive but Adds some Charm, and the Overall Audacious, Uncompromising, Challenging Production make this a Remarkable Entry in the Field of Forgotten Films.For Better or Worse the Movie is now in a Deconstruction Mode from Thankful Pontificates and much Verbiage is out there for Your Consideration.

It seems there is some kind of connection between a movie being black and white, low-budget and receiving more positive reviews than it actually deserves. Since I love noir movies, I had lots of expectations of Blast of Silence, but the one word that best describes this movie is: dull. To use a line from a Monty Python's sketch: "It's dull, dull, dull..." Almost nothing happens during the entire movie! The music is very annoying, but the worst part is the narration: it fills the whole movie and destroys any tension it could have had, if any. Plot consists in the main character uninterruptedly going from one place to another. Completely overrated and the proof that IMDb ratings are not at all reliable.

Though far from being great and containing way-way too much voice-over narration for its own good (as you'll find out for yourself), this grungy, low-budget Crime/Drama from 1961 (featuring one of the blandest protagonists imaginable) is still well-worth a view for anyone who can appreciate this particular genre of film.Though Blast Of Silence (BOS) is not quite what I would consider to be true "Film Noir", its grubby, greasy, cynical, little story about thugs, ruffians and lowlifes certainly had its fair share of entertaining moments.Set in NYC (just a day or 2 before Christmas), I guarantee you that BOS's black-hearted story will not, in any way, put you into the yuletide spirit. But, its up-tempo jazz score (which was pretty cool) may help to alleviate some of the story's more depressing moments.And, hey, if you're looking for some comedy relief - BOS actually does offer the viewer just that (unintentionally, of course).There's one episode where Frankie Bono viciously attacks the obese Ralphie with an axe. And this alone is certainly worthy of a couple of laughs.But BOS's ultimate comedy gem was when Frankie (who's attending a festive Christmas party) gets down on his hands and knees beside his opponent and at the word "Go!" these 2 fools vie to win the peanut-pushing race using only their noses to nudge the peanut along. (Yep. 'Tis the season to be jolly!?) Anyways - BOS's story concerns the callously-minded activities of Frankie Bono, an emotionally dead (well, almost) hired killer from Cleveland who has come to NYC to fulfill his contract obligations to rub out an arrogant, second-fiddle crime-boss named Troiano. As expected, when Frankie's comfortably numb "cool" gets seriously rattled, things tend not to go as originally planned.Filmed in stark b&w, BOS had a mere running time of only 77 minutes. You may find, like I did, that this film's story bared a lot of similarities to Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" from 1976.

Allen Baron established himself in 1961 as one of America's most promising new filmmakers with Blast of Silence, a noir thriller that he wrote, directed and starred in. He practically disappeared from the industry afterwards, directing only a handful of other projects that haven't lasted the test of time and mostly working in the television field, but his debut feature lives on as a gritty, atmospheric work of art. Immediately, the film explodes onto the screen, surrounding the viewer with sounds of a child being born, as we are narrated through child birth and find ourselves inching closer and closer to a distant light. The style is unique and very aggressive, as Baron is essentially giving birth to his audience into the world he's about to shove us down.The premise is a simple one, stripped down to it's essentials as Baron's hit-man Frank Bono is sent from Cleveland to New York in order to perform a job. It's a standard pulp set-up, but Baron constructs it all in a bold and innovative fashion. For starters, most of the dialogue is told through narration, but the narrator is his own character and tells everything from the second-person. Baron creates Bono as his audience, having the narrator refer to the character as "you", telling us what is happening in our mind in response to the surroundings. It's an absorbing technique that draws you in quickly and he utilizes it for the entire picture.We are constantly reminded of how Bono wants to be alone, but over and over he finds himself having to confront one person or another, be it an old flame or an overweight gun dealer and his pet rats. Baron surrounds us in chaos, a technique which gets us to deeply appreciate the serenity of isolation we are often told about. There's not much violence in the picture, but when it does come on screen it is surprisingly graphic for it's time. Thanks to some quick, chaotic editing, each moment of violence is unsettling and as aggressive as the style itself. We see Bono walk the streets of New York casually, but after seeing the violence that he is capable of this simple act takes on a much more grim and intimidating tone. The whole film has a very gritty, bleak atmosphere that is perfectly contrasted by the seasonal setting, occurring in the period from right before Christmas Day into the New Year.Blast of Silence is just what it's title suggests, an explosion of an isolated creature into a world that he wasn't ready for; or maybe it wasn't ready for him. Constantly it feels like Bono doesn't belong, and Baron utilizes this to give the film an uneasy tone, as if something dangerous could be coming at any turn. There's a theme of social unrest that lurks in the background at all times and Bono is just another of the many unruly citizens who occupy our common streets. It's a shame that Baron didn't continue displaying his immense talent after this one, because it really is one of the finest debut features I've come across.