Blu-ray Release: The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946 and 1981)

Blu-ray Release Date: Nov. 13, 2012
Price: Blu-ray $19.98 each
Studio: Warner Home Video

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)

Just like both versions of I Spit On Your Grave arrived on Blu-ray at the same time, both the 1946 and 1981 versions of The Postman Always Rings Twice got the same treatment.

The first adaptation of James M. Cain‘s novel stars Lana Turner (The Bad and the Beautiful) and John Garfield (Gentleman’s Agreement) as a married woman and a drifter who fall in love then conspire to murder the woman’s husband. Of course, there are always consequences.

Tay Garnett (The Delta Factor) directed the 1946 film, which was written by Harry Ruskin (The Great Guy) and Niven Busch (Duel in the Sun).

The 1981 version was directed by Bob Rafelson (Five Easy Pieces) from a script by thriller guru David Mamet (TV’s The Unit). Jack Nicholson (Chinatown) and Jessica Lange (Cape Fear) took over the starring duties, and the cast also includes Anjelica Huston (The Big Year) and Michael Lerner (Mirror Mirror).

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

The 1946 film noir version of The Postman Always Rings Twice is not rated, but the 1981 version is rated R.

Both are highly acclaimed by critics, who called them sexy and steamy, although most critics agree that the original is tops.

Neither of the Blu-ray releases offer special features, although it would have been nice to see a featurette with Nicholson and Lange looking back at this classic.

Novelist John M. Cain also wrote the books behind the films Double Indemnity (1944) and Mildred Pierce, which was made in 1945 and remade as a TV mini-series starring Kate Winslet in 2011, among others.

Buy or Rent The Postman Always Rings Twice
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