The Killer's Kiss (1955) was director Stanley Kubrick's second feature film, and it shows great improvements from his rather amateurish first feature, Fear and Desire (1953). Indeed, I'd even say that this film is a minor noir classic. The main character is the classic noir "down-on-his-luck prize fighter", who meets the girl of his dreams (who naturally, isn't as innocent as she seems), and runs afoul of her gangster boyfriend who runs the dance hall where she works as a hostess. The location shooting in New York City is among the best ever done, and the film definitely exudes a sleazy, smoky, back street atmosphere. The film has a volcanic, violent energy, and I think The Drum Thunder Suite (from the album "Moanin' " by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers captures the film's spirit to a tee. The basic story is pretty evident from the video, so if you haven't seen the film already it's probably not a good idea to watch this yet.
