Kenneth Turan’s noir-ish DVD picks: Darkness begins with a D

Film noir is, by definition, a dark genre, and there is a trio of new DVDs that, by bleak coincidence, all begin with the letter D.

“Dark Crimes: Film Noir Thrillers Volume Two” is the latest offering from TCM’s Vault Collection. It features a pair of films (“Undertow” and “Hollywood Story”) directed by future horror impresario William Castle, and two by the great Fritz Lang: “You and Me” and the classic “Ministry of Fear.”

“Detective Story,” directed by William Wyler, stars Kirk Douglas as a New York Police Department detective who is letting his job get to him. Co-starring Eleanor Parker and William Bendix, it was nominated for four Oscars, including one for supporting actress for Lee Grant.

Finally there is the one and only “Detour,” directed by Edgar G. Ulmer with Ann Savage and Tom Neal on the road trip from hell, a cult film that completely deserves its enthusiastic following.