The Glass Web 3D

There seems to be an odd misconception about films in 3D needing to all be about the visual gimmick and are then somehow “lesser” films by default. Not every film needed to be underwater monsters or space invaders to be worthy 3D features and deliver quality entertainment, they could be tight, suspenseful Film Noir thrillers too. If you’re a guy like Jack Arnold, you directed underwater monsters, space invaders, and thrillers in glorious three dimensions. The Glass Web might not be as flashy as his later outings like The Creature from the Black Lagoon, but the saucy script from Robert Blees and Leonard Lee, the swift-tight pacing, and the subtle visual spectacle pulls you into the world of sensationalist television production and murder! 

Our story is about hot-ticket television writer Don (John Forsythe). As the head writer for the sensational TV show Crime of the Week, Don gets all of the accolades while fact checker and details man Henry (Edward G. Robinson) picks at the scraps. But Don has a few skeletons in his closet. After having an affair with the show’s starlet Paula (Kathleen Hughes), she’s putting the blackmail screws to him for $2500. But when Don goes to pay her off, he overhears loud arguing inside her apartment. After hiding out so he doesn't get caught, he finds her on the floor dead. Thinking his troubles are over and free and clear, he finds out his boss Dave (Richard Denning) and Henry have cooked up a scheme to make Paula’s murder their next episode. Now Don has to write the crime for primetime television - and in this business, the details matter! 

Jack Arnold certainly made his mark in 3D filmmaking leveraging the format for the four terrific classics It Came from Outer Space, The Glass Web, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon and Revenge of the Creature. While Arnold may be better known for his Sci-fi monster material, he was an expert hand in almost every genre, from Comedies such as The Mouse That Roared to Westerns with No Name on the Bullet. Why wouldn't he deliver an exciting, tantalizing Film Noir in three dimensions with The Glass Web? Regardless of visual format, it’s a great film first with excellent performances from Forsythe, Robinson, and Hughes. The plot is simple and to the point, but it cooks where it counts. For added fun, be on the lookout for Kathleen Freeman showcasing the same gruff sass as when she ripped into Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks 30 years later. 

But The Glass Web is a 3D feature and it’s fun stuff! This was Arnold’s second 3D feature and instead of objects popping out at us, we’re sucked into the inner workings of a primetime television show. There are plenty of pop-out gimmicks for the glasses-wearing cinema fans to get excited about, there's a mid-point segment that is nothing but popouts, but it’s how subtly and effectively the camerawork pulls us into the action that makes The Glass Web a suspenseful entry. Boom mics and cigarret packs are good for the gag, but tight hallways and darkened stairwells offer their own sense of claustrophobic depth. To be fair, the film is great in 2D, however, it’s genuinely exciting in three dimensions. 

Vital Disc Stats: The 3D Blu-ray 
Marking its debut, The Glass Web breaks onto 3D Blu-ray thanks to Kino Lorber Studio Archives and 3-D Film Archive. Pressed on a Region A BD50 disc, the disc is housed in a standard case with reversible insert art and o-card slipcover with one pair of Anaglyph cardboard 3D glasses. If your setup is 3D ready, it’ll automatically convert your screen to standard stereographic digital 3D. If you don’t have a 3D setup, you can select the anaglyph option at the main menu.

It’s a little hard to keep singing the praises of a team like 3D Film Archive when they have so many countless examples of exceptional work, but here we are again highlighting another exceptional restoration accomplishment with The Glass Web. As I alluded to in my main review, the use of 3D here isn’t all flashy and wiz-bang-pazzaz, but it’s strikingly effective. There are plenty of pop-out effects to be sure, but often they’re so effective and effortless you don’t feel like you’re sitting for a gag but a piece of the story. Even if it’s Forsythe, Robinson, and Denning standing in front of the screen with their scripts out, you feel like you’re in their production meeting huddle. This was one of those times where I wished I had a massive screen because it felt like being right in the middle of the action, especially for the walk-and-talk hallway shots. 

Details were crisp and clear without any real issue. There were a couple of optical depth shots towards the end of the second act that didn’t quite come together for a convincing sense of depth, but that’s not a transfer issue. Otherwise, the image offers an excellent grayscale for the black and white photography, without any serious or notable speckling or damage issues and a nice naturally cinematic layer of film grain. I’m not quite sure yet how to rank this one in the catalog of 3-D Film Archive releases but it’s a Top Five for sure!

Now for the Anaglyphic side, it too is another excellent transfer. As I’ve mentioned in previous 3D reviews, migraines always kept me away from Anaglyph 3D presentations so I bristle if that's the only option. Here, 3-D Film Archive’s conversion process again shines and actually makes that format easy on my eyes, generating that splendid sense of depth. You lose that grayscale clarity in Anaglyph, but it’s still a great way to watch and enjoy this film if you don’t have a suitable projector or television set. 

On the audio side, we have a crisp and clean DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio mix that brings the film home. Dialog, the ever reliable Joseph Gershenson music direction, and the robust sound effects make for a fitting sonic experience. I especially loved the attention to detail for the television production where the sound guy would have to do the extra-heightened effects live and in camera. Then there’s the repetitive but key use of a certain song to fill some important scenes. The mix is free of any hiss, dropouts, or age-related distortions.

On the bonus features front, what is light in quantity makes up for the heft of quality. The principal extra here is a terrific audio commentary from historian Jason A. Ney, Mike Ballew, and Greg Kintz. The track is breezy and detailed. It might sound a tad scripted or written and descriptive of the action, but it does offer plenty of detail about the production, adaptation changes from the original novel, casting, and the film’s reception. Definitely worth a listen if you're a fan of the film. 

• Audio Commentary from Jason A. Ney, Mike Ballew, and Greg Kintz.
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot

It’s been a long time coming, Jack Arnold’s The Glass Web is finally here on 3D Blu-ray. The second of Arnold’s run at three-dimensional filmmaking is a nice tight Film Noir feature within a smash television production. It might not be the flashiest film, the 3D visuals might not be the most eye-gouging gimmick, but it’s a solid suspense flick with slick three-dimensional visuals. John Forsythe and Edward G. Robinson deliver while Kathleen Hughes digs in as our blonde Femme Fatale. Now on Blu-ray from KLSC, we have another marvel of a restoration from the team at 3-D Film Archive. The visual depth is easy on the eyes for some fun dimensional effects in both stereographic digital and Anaglyph 3D with a nice clean audio mix. And if you really like you can watch the film in 2D too. An informative audio commentary props up the bonus features for another very Highly Recommended 3D Blu-ray release.