Touch of Evil (DVD, 2000, Restored Version)

From the beginning which starts with a fiery car crash, this film noir classic thunders onto the screen with the grace of a freight train slowly grinding it's way across buckling asphalt and concrete. The heavy atmosphere present in the film is created by the larger-than-life skills of Director and star Orson Welles. Welles plays a corrupt border-town who teeters his way through drug smuggling, murder and kidnapping investigations with little evidence but a strong nose for what he feels is the truth. Throughout the film, Welles' character, Sheriff Hank Quinlan abuses his powers of authority with the command of a well trained boxer in the ring. As the film progresses, Quinlan tumbles into a drunken spree, where he goes on to exact a deadly form of border justice on anyone who gets in his way. Welles is joined by co-star Charlton Heston, who plays the Mexican Detective Mike Vargas. Janet Leigh has a role in the film as well, playing Vargas' newlywed wife. She stays in a border hotel room that's managed by a very young-looking Dennis Hopper. The film is striking not just for it's incredible acting (Orson Welles actually appears to be really getting drunker as he stumbles to the film's final conclusion), but it's cinematography as well. "Touch Of Evil" is be a "must-see" movie for anyone who enjoys suspenseful plots and intriguing character studies. It's release date of 1958 places "Touch Of Evil" at a time when Heston's and Welles' careers were still extremely vital--Don't miss a chance to see these two powerhouses ignite the screen in two very different ways.