Here at Ignite, we’re abuzz with excitement for our brand-new disc: a 4K restoration of the classic film noir The Big Combo by the incredible Joseph H. Lewis, spine number 4. That, of course, means this is Ignite’s fourth physical release, following Invaders from Mars, The Story of G.I. Joe, and Re-Animator. We choose these films carefully, and our commitment not just to classic cinema but to its most offbeat, unsung treasures is stronger than ever.

As Ignite Films’ president Jan Willem Bosman Jansen says: “Film preservation is all that matters. We want to bring back these masterpieces of film noir and give them their rightful place. It is such a joy to bring this film back to its original glory. Black and white is never out of fashion. You’ll see.”

The 4K restoration is truly astonishing — the beauty of the grain and the imposing shadows are clearer and more luminous than they’ve ever been. With John Alton’s lighting as our guide, we had to do right by every wisp of cigarette smoke and porcelain face. From our product page: “This digital restoration of The Big Combo was undertaken by Ignite Films, working from a 35mm Fine Grain Answer Print and a 35mm Optical Sound Negative. The picture was restored in 4K by The Grainery, while the audio was sourced from a UCLA restoration funded by The Film Foundation. The color grading was carried out by Gosia Grzyb under the supervision and approval of Scott MacQueen.”

The first thing you’ll notice is that our banner has changed as we slip into noir mode, courtesy of Alex Kittle, our in-house illustrator who has handled all of our website designs to date. Alex had this to say: “I love the variety of films Ignite releases, from war classics to cult horror, and it’s so exciting to add an unsung noir like The Big Combo to the mix so it can reach new audiences. For my illustration, I knew I wanted to pay tribute to its stylized lighting and brutal atmosphere while including the distinctive Lee Van Cleef in an early supporting role.”

Our new edition has a boatload of incredible features, from original essays by Eddie Muller, Ben Sachs, Katie Stebbins, Alonso Duralde, and actor and singer Garrett Clayton to interviews, video essays, and a brand-new commentary by film historian Imogen Sara Smith. Imogen says: “The Big Combo is the B noir in excelsis, a feast of ultra-stylized lighting, brassy jazz, and luridly overheated dialogue. In my commentary, I enjoyed digging into the shoestring inventiveness of Joseph H. Lewis and John Alton, the operatic take on crime-movie formulas, and the mystery of screenwriter Philip Yordan, a notorious ‘front’ for blacklisted writers who may, or may not, have written this one himself.”

The film is truly a mysterious gift that keeps on giving. In the coming weeks, we’ll have new content on The Maze to whet your appetite for chiaroscuro thrills and erotic cops-and-robbers drama, filling you in on the players who made this one sing. Click that pre-order button — SteelBook or Standard — and prepare to get knocked out by The Big Combo as you’ve never seen it before.