Touch of Evil (New Trailer) - In cinemas 10 July | BFI release

Here’s our brand new trailer for Orson Welles’ noir masterpiece Touch of Evil, which returns to cinemas across the UK from 10 July.

For more information on the nationwide release click here

“A brilliant fusion of pulp art with continental sophistication; it has all the energetic cruddiness of a Sammy Fuller ‘B’ picture, and all the self-consciousness of a New Wave melodrama.”
James Naremore, The Magic World of Orson Welles, 1978

Charlton Heston (starring here as Mexican border cop Mike Vargas) was apparently instrumental in persuading B-movie producer Albert Zugsmith to hire Orson Welles – who hadn’t directed in Hollywood for a decade – to make Touch of Evil.

Beginning with one of the most celebrated tracking shots in cinema history, a bravura three-minute take in which a bomb is planted in a car that then explodes after crossing the US border, Welles created a baroque, highly stylised masterpiece from inauspiciously pulpy source material.

With its story of murder, marijuana and police corruption, Touch of Evil is considered among the last of the 1940s/50s cycle of crime thrillers known as film noir. Welles’ vivid turn as corpulent bent cop Quinlan provided one of the genre’s most memorable villains.

Iniquity south of the border also colours Welles’ prior film noir, The Lady from Shanghai (1947), starring his then-wife Rita Hayworth.

[torgosaves]

I was so shocked by this movie... in a Good way! I didn't think it'd feel so modern. Almost like a movie from the 70s in how brutal and honest it was, but still retained that noir style that really makes it something special.

[stumpycatvm]

the wide angle cinematography looks amazing

[bobgrantsbus]

Opening shot through to the end are a masterclass on how to make a film.

[britishfilminstitute]

Our explosive new trailer for noir masterpiece Touch of Evil has landed!

Meet Orson Welles’ most brutal creation…

[TheGreenestG]

One of the best trailers I've ever seen - amazing

[TheValeyard]

Janet Leigh really should learn her lesson when it comes to staying at motels.

[cjknotty]

Great opening shot, great soundtrack and great director. Looking forward to watching this at the BFI.

[bruce]

This movie is so hokey pokey even sorta corny but that's what makes it so good. Bet y'all don't know location shots were Venice Beach and Palmdale for the more rural desert type scenes cuz that's literally all Palmdale was back then. Some scenes crack me up like where Vargas and Schwartz are flying along in a Chrysler convertible through TJ, or whatever the fictional Mexican town is? That's actually using old rear projection technology when it shows a car moving while it's actually stationary with a projected background on a screen behind it. Well that's an alleyway somewhere in Venice! What's so funny is they're doing lkke 100 LOL! I'm 66 from San Diego next to TJ but can remember as a little kid when the border crossing was very small, nothing like the 24/7 packed overcrowded monstrosity it is today thats for sure.

[summerz]

Watching from a hospital bed shall never forget👀

[TheFireflyGuy]

Seeing this in the cinema tonight - can't wait.

[sberu]

What can you say Akim Tamiroff's hairpiece, Charlton Heston's mustache, bongos, juvenile delinquents and Orson, yeah that's right Orson Wells, the genius, painting a picture of himself as the ugliest, sweatiest, dirtiest, downright nastiest cop you've ever seen. Turn up the sound, let's watch it again!

[iac]

A fast paced annoying Movie; where
everyone's either Stupid or Evil.
Charlton Heston, who's supposed to
be Mexican (without so much as an
accent) seems to be the only normal
smart one in the entire Movie !