A Perfect Murder

Starring:Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo Mortensen, Sarita Choudhury, Michael P. Moran, Novella Nelson, Constance Towers, Will Lyman, Maeve McGuire, Stephen Singer, Laurinda Barrett, Aideen O'Kelly, Reed Birney, Vincent Smith, Bill Ambrozy, George Blumenthal, Iris Braydon, Marion Blumenthal, Andrew Sussman, Robynn N. Sussmann
Director: Andrew Davis
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

A suave tennis player (Ray Milland) plots the perfect murder, the dispatching of his wealthy wife (Grace Kelly), who is having an affair with a writer (Robert Cummings). Amazingly, the wife manages to stave off her attacker, a twist of fate that challenges the hubby's talent for improvisation. Alfred Hitchcock wisely stuck to the stage origins of Dial M for Murder, ignoring the temptation to "open up" the material from the home of the unhappy couple. The result may not be one of Hitchcock's deepest films, but it's a thoroughly engaging chamber movie. It also features Grace Kelly at her loveliest, the same year she made Rear Window with Hitchcock. Dial M for Murder was filmed in the briefly trendy 3-D process, and Hitchcock shot some scenes to bring out the depth of the 3-D field; it's especially good for the nail-biting attempted murder of Kelly, and her desperate reach for a pair of scissors that seems to be just outside her grasp. However, the film was rarely shown with the proper 3-D projection, going out "flat" instead (a 1980 reissue restored the process for a limited theatrical release). Dial M was remade in 1998 as A Perfect Murder, a film that changed and expanded the material, with no improvement on the clean, witty original. --Robert Horton

Product Description

When American writer Mark Halliday visits the very married Margot Wendice in London, he unknowingly sets off a chain of blackmail and murder. After sensing Margot's affections for Halliday, her husband, Tony Wendice, fears divorce and disinheritance, and plots her death.

Knowing former school chum Captain Lesgate is involved in illegal activities, Tony blackmails him into conspiring to kill Margot. When she kills Lesgate in self-defense, Tony implicates her as being guilty of premeditated murder. Halliday must out-stratagize Tony to save Margot's live.
Running Time: 105 min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

"Do you really believe in the perfect murder? ".......2007-07-05

The hit Broadway play by Frederick Knott "Dial M for Murder" has been adapted to the screen several times, including the films made in West Germany and Sweden, as well as a TV movie in 1981 (TV) by Boris Seagal and the film "A Perfect Murder" (1998) directed by Andrew Davis with Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortensen. Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 adaptation was the first and certainly the best one even if the master himself considered it one of his lesser efforts. "Dial M for Murder" will be remembered as Hitchcock's first color film and the first of three thrillers he had made with Grace Kelly, the future Princess of Monaco, in the prime of her beauty and her talent. Using color proved to be very effective in the film. The first two scenes featuring Kelly wearing a white morning dress in the idyllic scene with her husband Tony and right after that kissing passionately her American lover, writer (Robert Cummings) in the red dress, immediately, without many words tell the viewer that the story of passion, deception, betrayal, and ultimately, murder will follow.

Ray Milland (Tony Wendice) is a surprisingly sympathetic villain (which is perhaps not surprising from the actor with talent, charm, and charisma that equal and remind a lot of both Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart) who knows about his wife cheating and decides to teach her a lesson by plotting a very clever murder which will make him a sole heir to her money (she is a wealthy one in the family). His plan is perfect and almost works but Margot managed to not only escape the murderer but to turn the table on him while stunned Wendice is on the phone and listens how his well thought of plan collapses. Wendice is very resourceful and he proved to be a master of improvisation because it took him a few minutes in a cab to switch to a plan B that turned a terrified victim Margot into a cold-blooded murderess. Now it is up to seasoned and shrewd inspector Hubbard (John Williams) to find the crucial piece of evidence and to solve the case.

As always with Hitchcock, his directing is impeccable, the camera rarely leaves Wendice's apartment but the film is never claustrophobic which is the case for many plays' adaptation. It breathes and moves freely and we almost forget that we are in the same room for close to two hours. I would not call "Dial M for Murder" my favorite Hitchcock's film but it is enjoyable, clever, and witty thriller with the interesting twists, outstanding performances, and more than one truly memorable scenes.

I Love this movie.......2007-05-29

This is a great murder mystery. Ray Milland is terrific as the cunning and manipulative husband out for the ultimate revenge. Robert Cummings seems a bit dim at first but then you realize he's just been taking it all in. Grace Kelly is just, well, she's Grace Kelly; elegant, beautiful, perfect. This movie introduced me to the talent of ay Milland. I watch this and "The Uninvited" together.

Do you really believe in the perfect murder?.......2007-03-15

Do you really believe in the perfect murder? Tony Wendice (Ray Milland), a former tennis player, does. That is the reason why he decides that asking someone to kill his beautiful and very rich wife is a good idea.

But why kill someone just for the sake of doing so? Truth to be told, Tony is afraid that Margot (Grace Kelly) will ask him for divorce in order to marry Mark (Robert Cummings), an American writer she had a brief affair with after marrying Tony. Margot decided to stay with her husband, and is not aware of the fact that he knows about her past relationship with Mark, who happens to visit them when Tony decides he has to kill his wife. But how will he do it? And will he succeed?

If you really want to know the answers to those questions, and enjoy a well-paced thriller, watch "Dial M for Murder (1954). Enjoy it...

Belen Alcat

PS: "Dial M for Murder" was the inspiration for "A perfect murder" (1998), a film starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Another Great Classic.......2007-02-23

If you are familiar with any of the Hitchcock masterpiece edition DVDs. This is about the same quality, good picture and sound. This is something you would find in a store, not a nock-off. No problems at at.

Cosy theatrical thriller.......2007-02-17

This is a highly intreging, cleaverly constructed thriller with fantastic, sometimes sinister performances from all 3 central players. (Grace Kelly is stunning as well as exuding a sultry innocence). The fact that it mostly takes place in one indoor location does not matter to me but the lack of action may not appeal to some. The film relies on intense, absorbing script which works on all levels and is thoroughly entertaining.
Hitchcock at his 1950s best!

Average customer rating:

Stranger things have happened! Another Hitchock classic!
Never talk to a stranger
Beware of Friendly Well-Dressed Strangers
Strangers on a Train
strangers on a train

Strangers on a Train
Starring: Al Bridge , John Brown , Leo G. Carroll , John Doucette , and Roy Engel
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: 0790731029
Release Date: 1997-06-11

Amazon.com

From its cleverly choreographed opening sequence to its heart-stopping climax on a rampant carousel, this 1951 Hitchcock classic readily earns its reputation as one of the director's finest examples of timeless cinematic suspense. It's not just a ripping-good thriller but a film student's delight and a perversely enjoyable battle of wits between tennis pro Guy (Farley Granger) and his mysterious, sycophantic admirer, Bruno (Robert Walker), who proposes a "criss-cross" scheme of traded murders. Bruno agrees to kill Guy's unfaithful wife, in return for which Guy will (or so it seems) kill Bruno's spiteful father. With an emphasis on narrative and visual strategy, Hitchcock controls the escalating tension with a master's flair for cinematic design, and the plot (coscripted by Raymond Chandler) is so tightly constructed that you'll be white-knuckled even after multiple viewings. Better still, the two-sided DVD edition of this enduring classic includes both the original version of the film and also the longer prerelease British print, which offers a more overt depiction of Bruno's flamboyant and dangerous personality, and his homoerotic attraction to Guy by way of his deviously indecent proposal. In accordance with the cautious censorship guidelines of the period, Hitchcock would later tame these elements of Walker's memorable performance by trimming and altering certain scenes, so the differences between the original and prerelease versions provide an illuminating illustration of censorship's effect on the story's thematic intensity. Beyond all the historical footnotes and film-buff fascination, Strangers on a Train remains one of Hitchcock's crowning achievements and a suspenseful classic that never loses its capacity to thrill and delight. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Strange thing about this trip. So much occurs in pairs. Tennis star Guy (Farley Granger) hates his unfaithful wife. Mysterious Bruno (Robert Walker) hates his father. How perfect for a playful proposal: I'll kill yours, you kill mine. Now look at how Alfred Hitchcock reinforces the duality of human nature. The more you watch, the more you'll see. "Isn't it a fascinating design?" the Master of Suspense often asked. Actually, it's doubly fascinating. Hitchcock left behind two versions of Strangers on a Train. The original version (Side A) is an all-time thriller classic. A recently found longer prerelease British print (Side B) offers "a startling amplification of Bruno's flamboyance, his homoerotic attraction to Guy and his psychotic personality," according to Bill Desowitz of Film Comment. The laying bare of Bruno's hidden nature, along with the great set pieces (head-turning tennis match, disintegrating carousel) and suspense as only Hitchcock can deliver, makes for a first-class trip.

DVD Features:
Interactive Menus
Newsreel:Hitchcock newsreel footage
Production Notes
Scene Access
Theatrical Trailer:Five trailers of Hitchcock movies

Customer Reviews:

Stranger things have happened! Another Hitchock classic!.......2007-05-14

This is one of my most favorite movies and wow, Granger stole the movie from Walker. Walker died soon after making this movie, but it was a true classic. This movie is reasonably priced on Amazon, so buy it with true faith in how great it will be. The movie lasts for generations. I enjoy it every time I see it.

Never talk to a stranger.......2007-04-04

In Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a train" (1951), Robert Walker gave a remarkable and disturbing performance as Bruno, a spoiled playboy - psychopath who came up with a brilliant idea of committing a perfect murder - find a stranger who hates someone strong enough to wish them dead and swap murders with him - he kills yours, you kill his. While on a train, Bruno introduces himself to a handsome rising tennis star, Guy (Farley Granger) who is going through a rather nasty public divorce with his unfaithful wife Miriam in order to marry the woman he loves, Anne Morton. Guy hates his wife but would he kill Bruno's dominating father if Bruno murders his wife?

One of the most discussed and analyzed Hitchcock's films, "Strangers on a train" is considered one of the most satisfying thrillers ever. It is based on the early novel by the master of the psychological crime thrillers, Patricia Highsmith and it is a great artistic achievement in the thriller genre due to the masterful and creating Hitchcock's directing. Many scenes stand out and some are simply carved in the viewer's memory like the head turning tennis match with only one head never turned and the eyes fixed on Guy's's face and these are Bruno's eyes.

Beware of Friendly Well-Dressed Strangers.......2007-03-24

Two cabs drop off two men at a train station in Washington DC for long distance travel. Bruno Antony makes his acquaintance with Guy Haines, the tennis star. Their characters are quickly established. Bruno is a too-friendly stranger (a bad sign?), a ne'er-do-well rich man's son. Bruno has the idea of committing the perfect murder: no motive to point to the killer. Guy humors Bruno instead of telling him where to get off (not a New Yorker). Guy's wife, pregnant with another man's child, no longer wants the divorce. Guy is so angry he threatens to strangle her. We see Bruno described as a "naughty boy". Bruno's father threatens to get medical treatment for him. [Does the apple fall far from the tree?] So Bruno goes ahead with this imagined contract, He stalks Miriam, Guy's wife, who goes to an amusement park with two men. [This shows popular entertainment before television.] And Bruno carries out his self-appointed mission.

Guy returns on another train. Bruno is lurking in the shadows of night to see him. The police drop by Guy's home. Guy visits Ann Morton, a Senator's daughter, and hears of Miriam's murder. There is humor in the Senator's remarks. The professor on the train remembers little. Now Bruno begins to stalk Guy. [The police don't notice this?] There is a funny scene at the tennis club where people's heads move mechanically, except for one man. Bruno's conversation with the Senator shows his increasing insanity, and so does his trick with the old lady. He is so weird it can create a scandal in Washington! Ann Morton figures out what happened: her sister Barbara resembles the late Miriam Haines! The watching detectives also see that "something funny is going on".

Guy calls Bruno to tell him his plan will be followed. [We see a watchdog that doesn't bark as a stranger?] There is a surprise here! The police learn of Guy's absence from home. Ann visits Bruno's mother, but little is accomplished. Bruno plans his revenge. Luck upsets Bruno's plan when the lighter slips from his hands. A crowd watches its retrieval. Once again Bruno visits the amusement park [remember them?] waiting for the darkness to cover him so he can plant Guy's lighter at the crime scene. The merry-go-round plays "Ain't We Got Fun". Guy shows up to follow Bruno, a fight on the carousel while "The Band Played On". There is a dramatic finish to the ride, and the truth is discovered at last when it slips from Bruno's hand.

You can pick out some faults in this story, but it seems quite good with its mixture of drama, suspense, and humor. Raymond Chandler wrote the screenplay.

Strangers on a Train.......2007-03-19

I'm not a real Hitchcock fan, but this movie by far is my favorite of anything he's done. The story line, suspense and drama is absolutely first rate. If you want to try a Hitchcock film, this one is it.

strangers on a train.......2007-03-09

This Albert Hitchcock film based on a Patricia Highsmith novel was not successful by normal standards when released. long undervalued as one of Hitch's suspense movies, it is now being given the credit it deserves. This movie is both sudtle and startling in revealing the underbelly of those attractive people who walk among us harboring malice and death. Like Highsmith's Ripley character, Walker plays a composed neurotic as he convinces a stranger on a train to swap murders with him. Problem is only one of them was serious. Grand fun, and the ending will blow you away.

Average customer rating:

money talks
Mistake to compare it to the Classic
twisted
A perfect thriller with unexpected twists
Much Better Than The Original....Except The Ending

A Perfect Murder
Starring: Michael Douglas , Gwyneth Paltrow , Viggo Mortensen , Sarita Choudhury , and Michael P. Moran
Director: Andrew Davis
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305128928
Release Date: 1998-11-03

Amazon.com

The husband (Michael Douglas) is a currency trader whose portfolio value is going right down the drain. The wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) is the heiress to a $100 million fortune. The marriage is not a happy one, but the promise of long-term affluence keeps them together. The wife pursues an affair with an artist (Viggo Mortenson) who gives her all the passion she doesn't get at home, and when the husband finds out, well ... someone's going to pay with their life. Who will the unlucky one be? We wouldn't dare spoil the elegant plot twists of this devious thriller, but it's well known that Douglas excels at portraying greedy characters with ice in their veins. Here, it's easy to assume that Douglas has pulled off, as the title implies, a killing that nobody will ever pin on him. But this is the kind of glossy thriller (loosely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder) that delights in disrupting your expectations, so it grabs your attention right up to the final scene. It's a bit too cold to really draw you in (hey, these are not very nice people we're dealing with here!), but with its able cast and stylish direction by Andrew Davis, this less-than-perfect murder thriller is still definitely worth a look. The widescreen Special Edition DVD includes audio commentary by Michael Douglas, Andrew Davis, and producer Peter McGregor Scott, an alternate ending deleted from the finished film, and sketches by the film's costume designer. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

money talks.......2007-01-27

This is a great movie - entertaining, full of twists and turns and is beautifully underplayed. Not excessive in its violence, but packed with intrigue and moments that had us scrunching the cushions and on the edge of our seats.

Michael Douglas is brilliantly cold and classy, Viggo Mortensen keeps you in a permanent quest to work out what he is thinking and what he will do next. Gwyneth Paltrow and David Suchet are superb in their respective roles of potential victim and suspicious police officer.

This is a great thriller, very loosely based on the classic "Dial M for Murder", and makes a great evening's viewing. If you like a good murder mystery, you will enjoy spending a couple of hours with this stylish and absorbing film.

Mistake to compare it to the Classic.......2007-01-02

The stock review on this movie told me that it was a loose remake of the Alfred Hitchcock Classic "Dial M For Murder." The promo also told me that it had a clever script and unexpected plot twists. So what do I spend my time doing as I watch the movie? Waiting to be caught off-guard by plot twists, and waiting to be impressed with a clever script. Well, I waited in vain. The better promo would have been; "This is an ok movie that stands on its own as a tense thiller." Had they said this, it would deserve ... um ... 4 stars.

This feeble remake presents nothing clever, nothing surprising and does not come close to the mastery of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece.
Sheesh, this movie might as well have put up a subtitle that said "the Grace Kelly wannabe will grasp the meat-thermometer to 'unexpectedly' kill her attacker."
As for us being "surprised" that the attacker was not the playboy guy, I knew it wasn't the moment the almost-masked guy slipped into the parking garage and the cameraman hid his face from us. duh!
As for the clever script, Michael Douglas basically tells his wife that he's going to kill her. Gee, is that tension? No, it's just annoying to watch and wonder just how stupid this blond wife is supposed to be.
As for the movie being clever? Not when they claim that it's a remake of a Hitchcock masterpiece. Also, the plotting husband gives an unconvincing reason as to why the playboy can't just go kill her in the bathroom. The viewer feels like shouting "it's because this is a remake of a film where the wife is on the phone when she is attacked!" I feel like also quoting the fictional-fictional Jack Slater (in Arnold's Last Action Hero) saying his expected and corny line of "big mistake."

A big reason why "Dial M For Murder" remains a masterpiece, is that Hitchcock limited himself to basically one set, with very few exceptions. Even his cameo was masterfully slipped into that expensive "flat" (in the picture on the wall). (He did the same self-challenge in Rear Window and Lifeboat.) The 1954 wonder-work (Dial M For Murder) has a tight script and mesmerizing camera work which endure to this high-tech day as one of the best of the best by the best, and not easily "remade" by this ok film.

twisted.......2006-12-10

Michael Douglas is so convincing as a cold, calculating criminal/big business man, who hatches a scheme to do away with his cheating wife. Since the other man in the picture is also quite deviant, the plot gets complicated and things don't work out as planned. The result is an intelligent thriller that will draw you into the intrigue and keep you guessing as to what will happen next. Definitely the kind of movie that can be enjoyed again and again. Absolutely not a good choice for younger viewers though.

A perfect thriller with unexpected twists.......2006-07-14

+++++

This movie is based on the play "Dial M for Murder." Contrary to popular belief, this is not a remake of the famous 1954 Alfred Hitchcock movie that was also based on this play.

In this movie, Wall Street businessman Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) seems like a devoted and caring husband...He isn't.

His beautiful, rich, sophisticated, accomplished, and much younger wife Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow) seems like the perfect wife...She isn't.

And when Steven hires Emily's lover (Vitto Mortensen) to kill her, it seems like a perfect murder...It isn't.

In fact, nothing is what it seems to be in this sleek and stylish thriller filled with suspense and smart, sharp dialogue.

At each unexpected twist and turn in his "perfect" murder plot, Steven manages to improvise brilliantly. (The numerous twists in this movie are what keeps it interesting and suspenseful.)

Michael Douglas gives an extraordinary performance as the Wall Street wheeler-dealer Steven Taylor. Both Paltrow and Mortensen also give good, interesting performances.

The inside photograpy of the Taylors' luxurious apartment is beautiful. Actually, this entire movie is filmed quite well. The background music helps add to each scene.

I had problems with the movie's ending. I felt it was not of the same high calibre as the rest of the movie. But wait! There is an alternative ending that I thought was much more satisfying.

Finally, the DVD itself (Special Edition) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It has a few extras, the alternative ending (alluded too above), I felt, being the most interesting.

In conclusion, this is a sleek, sophisticated, and stylish movie that keeps you absorbed in it due to its numerous twists and turns!!

(1997; 1 hr, 50 min; wide screen; rated 'R')

+++++

Much Better Than The Original....Except The Ending.......2006-05-05

Boy, here's one re-make I thought was far superior to the original ("Dial M For Murder," with Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Bob Cummings.) In this film, the stars are Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow and Viggo Mortensen.

The best part of this film may not be the story, or the acting, both of which keep you glued to the screen, but the stylish photography and sets.. They look magnificent, mainly the apartment of the the two leads. I was constantly awed by how good this film looks. The DVD transfer is beautiful.

I also prefer the sequel because it has more twists and is complex enough to thoroughly enjoy every 3-4 years. Also fun are the short speeches each character gives on occasion, usually when they smugly think they have the upper hand. Each time that happens, their antagonist winds up going one up on them! There isn't much action in here but when it occurs, it's very intense.

The only thing that annoys me - unfortunately it's a big one - is the ending in which I don't believe justice totally prevailed. I can't wrote much more without spoiling it for those who have not seen this. One of the parties comes out looking like a 'an innocent victim" and that person was hardly a "saint." If all the parties had received just due, it would have been more satisfying and I would have rated this a '5' without hesitation.

Average customer rating:

Deathtrap-What a plot!
Everything it should be...
Deathtrap
What Happined?
Bon Mots and Claustrophobia

Deathtrap
Starring: Michael Caine , Christopher Reeve , Dyan Cannon , Irene Worth , and Henry Jones
Director: Sidney Lumet
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00000JGHT
Release Date: 1999-07-27

Amazon.com

Man (Christopher Reeve) writes play. Older washed-up hack (the blissfully hammy Michael Caine) covets play. A meeting is arranged in a remote cabin festooned with various sharp objects. To reveal anything more would serve to ruin one of the most wondrously convoluted plots of the '80s and '90s. It's a cerebrum-bending romp from start to finish, with marvelously airtight plotting that simultaneously parodies and honors its genre, and two vibrant, continuously morphing lead performances (pity poor Dyan Cannon's weak-link wife, though, who gets stuck with the shrillest character and worst dialogue of the lot). Based on Ira Levin's long-running play, this adaptation's rhythm is thrown off a bit by director Sidney Lumet's somewhat misguided attempts to open it up for the screen, but the script and performers are so playfully adept that, as one of the characters says, "even a gifted director (which Lumet most certainly is, based on evidence such as Dog Day Afternoon and Network) couldn't hurt it." Delirious, nasty fun that's twistier than a corkscrew and loaded with enough red herrings to keep Flipper fed for a year. --Andrew Wright

Description

Ira Levin's cat-and-mouse Broadway suspense smash about a playwright's deadly game of murder gets diabolically comic screen treatment.

Customer Reviews:

Deathtrap-What a plot!.......2007-03-18

A well done adaptation of Ira Levin's Broadway hit. Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon and Cristopher Reeve deliver beautifully in this comedy that takes unexpected turns and surprising twists. Michael Caine is a playwright who has hit the wall with a series of Broadway flops. He has a plan and conspires with his wife, Dyna Cannon, to obtain a play from a former student, Christopher Reeve, a play that will save Caine's career.
Sounds boring? Anything but. From here the plot is full of laughs as it thickens.
The interaction between Caine and Reeve works wonderfully, their stage relationship a surprise. As always, Caine is superb and this was a great vehicle for Reeve to break away from his Superman role. "Deathtrap" is pure acting without the bells and whistles of today's computerized films.
I greatly enjoyed "Deathtrap" and encourage purchasing this DVD to add your collection. I highly recommend this title to teens and students as a cultural break from the currently popular but mindless films.

Everything it should be..........2007-02-19

Suspense, tension, humor, surprise twists... this one's got it all. It works on so many levels.

I watched this again recently and for the first time realized what an opportunity this was for Reeve to display more of his acting range. As for Michael Caine, well he was brilliant as ever in his Deathtrap role.

Well worth picking up.

Deathtrap.......2006-11-11

Arrived in excellent condition when promised. Since this was a gift, I really don't know how well it could be viewed.

What Happined?.......2006-05-14

I saw this play live over in Austin and loved it! It was funney and was very good. Then I bought the movie, and I wanted to burn it! They got everything WRONG! They changed the begining, thay changed the ending when thay had a perfect beging and RELLY funny ending! The beging I could deal with but then the ending, I just didn't see the point in it. And the actress for the wife is HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE! This movie version is a wast of tome and money! If you are lucky enough to see it live, keep the memories and don't buy the movie unless you want to be as dissipointed as I am. DON'T BUY THIS MOVIE!

Bon Mots and Claustrophobia.......2006-04-27

I feel strongly that movies should be judged by the standards of their day. Thus, one can't quibble with the special effects of the original STAR WARS because they were state-of-the-art for their time.

That said, DEATHTRAP may well have been a vicious little thriller upon its release, but it feels rather dated to the modern viewer. *SPOILER ALERT* The production values, claustrophobic setting, and soundtrack have not worn well, and even the famous scene where Michael Caine and Christopher Reeves kiss may have once outraged and shocked audiences, but today it is downright chaste (and hardly convincing.)

Yet the film is still worth watching on a rainy day. DEATHTRAP's dialogue does retain some wonderfully barbed bon mots, and Michael Caine is really in his element as a plotting playwright. Reeves acquits himself well enough, but in the end, the film's downright silly ending leaves one with a stale taste in the mouth. More popcorn!

Strangers on a Train (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Stranger things have happened! Another Hitchock classic!
Never talk to a stranger
Beware of Friendly Well-Dressed Strangers
Strangers on a Train
strangers on a train

Strangers on a Train (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock , John Brown , Leo G. Carroll , John Doucette , and Roy Engel
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002HOERG
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com essential video

Description

En route from Washington, D.C., champion tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meets pushy playboy Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker). What begins as a chance encounter turns into a series of morbid confrontations, as Bruno manipulates his way into Guy's life. Bruno is eager to kill his father and knows Guy wants to marry a senator's daughter (Ruth Roman) but can't get a divorce from his wife. So Bruno suggests the men swap murders, which would leave no traceable clues or possible motives. Though Guy refuses, it won't be easy to rid himself of the psychopathic Bruno. Hitchcock's daughter Patricia appears in this film. The extra features included on the DVD are: Alternate 'preview' version of the film; Commentary by director Peter Bogdanovich, Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stephano, Strangers on a Train author Patricia Highsmith and biographer Andrew Wilson; New making-of documentary Strangers on a Train: A Hitchcock Classic, with Farley Granger, film historian Richard Schickel, Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell and other Hitchcock family members and colleagues recalling the making of this suspense landmark; Three intriguing featurettes: The Hitchcocks on Hitch, Strangers on a Train: The Victim's P.O.V., Strangers on a Train by M. Night Shyamalan; Alfred Hitchcock's Historical Meeting, a vintage newsreel.

Customer Reviews:

Stranger things have happened! Another Hitchock classic!.......2007-05-14

Never talk to a stranger.......2007-04-04

Beware of Friendly Well-Dressed Strangers.......2007-03-24

Strangers on a Train.......2007-03-19

strangers on a train.......2007-03-09

Perfect Husband - The Laci Peterson Story

Average customer rating:

DVD Review
pretty good
broad, choppy, yet interesting take on a very important case
Scott, Scott, Scott
Started out OK

Perfect Husband - The Laci Peterson Story
Starring: Tom O'Brien (II) , Paul D. Roberts , Randy Mulkey , James Whitson , and Cassandra Eller
Director: Roger Young
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Perfect Murder, Perfect Town
Laci: Inside the Laci Peterson Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library)
For Laci: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Justice
Murder in Greenwich
If Someone Had Known (True Stories Collection TV Movie)

ASIN: B0001Z3HWC
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Product Description

Prepare to go behind the scenes of one of the nation s most tragic and inexplicable murders. By all appearances, Scott and Laci Peterson were the perfect couple - until Christmas Eve 2002, when 28-year-old Laci went missing while walking her dog. After an agonizing almost four-month search, her body, and that of her unborn child were found in the Richmond marina at Point Isabel. As the investigation and the media frenzy came to a shocking head, Scott was arrested for the homicide. Now, as the nation stands in wait, and Scott stands accused, The Perfect Husband tracks the events leading up to Laci s disappearance and death through the people who knew them best.

System Requirements:
Running Time: 84 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

DVD Review.......2007-05-12

I think the movie was well done and the actors played their parts well. I was watching the actual trial and facts in the movie followed the trial very close.

pretty good.......2006-07-13

dean cain did a good job, i thought it could of been better, but the points and details were pretty much key and some parts lacked..but over all it was pretty good

broad, choppy, yet interesting take on a very important case.......2006-06-08

My curiosity and heightening interest in the Laci Peterson case finally compelled me to rent this film. Having become heavily focused on all aspects of the case from the time I read Sharon Rocha's recent heart-tugger "For Laci," I was very interested in seeing the film that was formulated and inspired by Amber Frey's quickly released book "Witness."

My opinions on the performance of Dean Cain clearly will not differ from those of anyone else's on this site; he did a remarkable job at hitting it right on the nail. His eyes, his mannerisms, his behavior...it was all amazingly on target. In his interviews and conversations with others about Laci, Scott Peterson has been known for using "uh" and "um" more than actual words from the English language in order to bridge the gap between concocting his lies and actually saying them. The way he has stared into space and babbled aimlessly to the extent that he sometimes actually forgot the question he was initially asked speaks volumes in itself, and Dean Cain did a perfect job at re-enacting that.

As for the film focusing predominantly on Scott, his behavior and his two "composite" friends Tommy and Kate, I think what we have to understand here is that this movie was made just as Scott was arrested and taken to trial. That was a point in the case where everything started crashing down, and of course everyone wanted to get as much emphasis as they could on how Scott Peterson was reacting to everything surrounding his wife's disappearance, as well as the discovery of Laci and Conner's bodies. At that time, everyone really needed and wanted to see what Scott's present role was in all of this, and I think that was the portrait this movie tried to convey.

Granted, the movie was made much too early, but such is to be expected with cases like this--people are always eager to spawn a TV movie as quickly as possible. The scenes were choppy and seemed to end really abruptly. It was a quick-paced, 86-minute TV film that lacked emotion and close examination of Laci's family and friends, who deserve to have their perspective acknowledged.

All in all, though, it was a good enough film for what it was: a quick, informative story that wanted to lay out some facts and shed some light on Scott's overall demeanor. Even if some of the information was a bit scattered and wayward, they did a good job at zooming in on Scott and revisiting some of the word-to-word conversations that he had with police, Amber, friends, and members of Laci's family.

It is a truly gripping story, unforgettable and worthy of a fuller portrait (similar to the book that Laci's mother Sharon wrote earlier this year). Given a few more years (or maybe a lot more years), I think this will make a terrific movie, providing more complete details and a well-rounded pursuit of the feelings and emotions experienced by everyone involved. It's a case with very raw human emotions that America has really gravitated to, and it is really a startling moment from history that people will remember for decades to come. A future movie could include areas about Scott and Laci's courtship, marriage, and life before December 24, 2002. So much has been documented about Scott, his mistress Amber Frey, and the charges he has faced, but it would be nice to get even more on sweet Laci--the innocent victim who was mere weeks away from delivering her first child when an indescribable crime took it all away from her. Discussing all these details would surely make an excellent film that I would watch without hesitation, and I have no doubt that it will eventually happen.

Scott, Scott, Scott.......2006-03-12

I first watched this on USA. I did find it on DVD at Best Buy. There are definitely things that are incorrect. There's way too much focus on Scott, not enough on Laci or her family (including Conner), and way too much on Tommy and Kate. Not enough coverage with Amber, either. I think this movie was made too early, because it ends with his arrest. They should have waited a year or two and at least have the facts. But I still like it, because it is actually a good drama. I also like the music that builds up to scenes and in the end. I feel for Laci, Conner and her family, with all the hell they must be going through. R.I.P.

Started out OK.......2006-01-22

PERFECT HUSBAND is a watchable film, but far from perfect. It just moves too slowly for its own good. Add the annoying best friend who refused to believe anything bad about Scott Peterson and this made it a reasonably difficult 84 minutes to sit through.

Those criticisms aside, Dean Cain was quite good in his role as Scott, as was the grieving Dee Wallace as Laci's mother. However at the end of the day, why does a movie like this get made when this sort of thing goes on all the time every day of the week across the world. Was there something particular about these cirumstances that warranted a film? I ask this because the script for the film was not written well enough to pull the viewer in. Not enough information was presented to the viewer to help us form an opinion.

Average customer rating:

Chilling
A Good Movie Hampered by a Bad Title
Numbers game
A Star is Born!
Sandra Bullock in her first serious role

Murder by Numbers (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Sandra Bullock , Ben Chaplin , Ryan Gosling , Michael Pitt (II) , and Agnes Bruckner
Director: Barbet Schroeder
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

High Crimes
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ASIN: B00005JL29
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

While reinventing Leopold and Loeb for a new and troubled millennium, Murder by Numbers probes the disturbing psychology of two teenaged murderers and the cleverness of their crime. Like Hitchcock's Rope and other films inspired by the Leopold and Loeb case of the 1920s, the film intensifies as it explores the repressed (and subtly homosexual) tensions between high-school outcasts Richard (Ryan Gosling) and Justin (Michael Pitt), who randomly kill a woman to enact an amoral philosophy--and to tease a savvy homicide detective (Sandra Bullock) with misleading clues. While clashing with the by-the-book procedure of her partner (Ben Chaplin), Bullock gives one of her best performances in a role that comes with its own set of psychological hurdles. It's comfortable territory for Reversal of Fortune director Barbet Schroeder, who draws fine work from his cast while proving that there's no such thing as a perfect crime. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The body of a young woman is found in a ditch in the woods of the small California coastal town of San Benito. SANDRA BULLOCK ("Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood," "Miss Congeniality"), stars as Cassie Mayweather, the seasoned homicide detective and crime scene specialist assigned to the case along with her new partner San Kennedy (BEN CHAPLIN - "Lost Souls," "The Thin Red Line"). The two dectectives make their way through microscopic hints of evidence, which seem to indicate a random act of violence, but Cassie has a gut feeling that there is more to this murder than meets the eye. Something about this case reminds her of her past exactly at a time when she is asked to appear at a parole hearing on an old police matter. These events force Cassie to revisit the past.

Customer Reviews:

Chilling.......2007-06-15

This moviewas frightening to me, both as a mother and a random person. A popular kid, a brilliant kid and together they murder a woman putting her groceries in her car. Just Because.

A Good Movie Hampered by a Bad Title.......2007-06-13

The title of this movie is misleading. It leads you to expect an Agatha Christie-style whodunit, whereas in fact this story is more of a realistic, edgy take on a Leopold-and-Loeb kind of murder.

As in the real Leopold and Loeb case, a lot of the detective work here revolves around establishing who was instigator of the crime and who was mere follower. There are some interesting twists on our expectations.

Paralleling the often reverse relationship between the killers is the reverse relationship between the male and female detectives on the case. Sandra Bullock takes the lead and doesn't stand around merely batting her eyes in admiration of her male's partner's prowess. And most unexpected of all, her male partner is quite willing to admire and learn from her competence.

This is an intelligent film that deserved a better send-off.

Numbers game.......2007-04-06

Murder by Numbers has an interesting, if derivative premise -- two high school students plotting what they think will be the perfect murder. The dramatic device lets the audience in on the crime and the investigation, so the tension arises as the antagonists and protagonists get closer to each other. This is nothing new and director Barbet Schroeder doesn't improve on the convention, but he overcomes a possible extended cliche by getting very good performances from most of his cast. Ryan Gosling is especially compelling and his subsequent work bears out the notion that he is a major talent. Sandra Bullock adds a new facet to her standard screen persona by playing a more aggressive character and her foil, Ben Chaplin, adds a nice touch as her sympathetic if puzzled partner. I was not much enamored of Michael Pitt's performance, though that may be a function of the way the character was written. His inwardness, if I may call it that, seemed overplayed at times, and the revelations of the character's actions and motives felt forced. This was probably, however, the most difficult role of all. I also had some problems with the final set piece at the ocean house, especially the sequence on the crumbling porch which looked very stagy and incongruous in style with the preceding pieces. But it is good, if not great, film. Bullock is always worth watching and her sparring with Gosling in this film was, for me, its highlight.

A Star is Born!.......2007-03-29

Murder by Numbers starring Sandra Bullock is an all-around engrossing crime drama. I wasn't expecting much from this movie before I watched it, the previews for it made this movie seem drab and less than thrilling but I was pleasantly surprised how actually good this movie is. First of all, Ryan Gosling steals every scene he is in, you could tell Gosling was on his way to bigger and better things. He is amazing as the creepy and high-school bored Richard. Bullock pulls off another solid preformance, I have been a huge fan of Bullock since While You Were Sleeping, she has great charisma in every movie she appears in. I highly recommend Murder by Numbers, you won't regret it.

Sandra Bullock in her first serious role.......2007-03-09

For all those who can't help breaking into the same wide eared grin whenever Bullock cracks up this is not the movie for you. She plays a deeply flawed character who is, coincidentally, quite good at her job as a cop. In solving this murder, Bullock has to face herself, her fears, and some very smart villains who are right there to the last second.

Average customer rating:

Kiefer Sutherland's Worst Ever Movie

The Killing Time
Starring: Beau Bridges , Kiefer Sutherland , Wayne Rogers , Joe Don Baker , and Camelia Kath
Director: Rick King
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Trapped in Silence
Eye of the Killer
Dead Heat (2001)
The Right Temptation
Desert Saints

ASIN: B000EDWLWI
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Description

Kiefer Sutherland of 24 stars as a disturbed young killer who steals the identity of his latest victim to become deputy of a sleepy coastal town. But when the soon-tobe- promoted sheriff (Beau Bridges of HEART LIKE A WHEEL) and his mistress (Camelia Kath) plot to kill her wealthy husband (Wayne Rogers of M*A*S*H) and frame the new deputy, their perfect crime takes some very unexpected turns. In a place where everybody has something to hide, are two lovers with a taste for homicide any match for a lone psychopath with a passion for vengeance? Joe Don Baker (WALKING TALL) and Michael Madsen (RESERVOIR DOGS, KILL BILL) co-star in this gripping noir thriller that pulses with sex,suspense and a murderous new twist.

Customer Reviews:

Kiefer Sutherland's Worst Ever Movie.......2007-04-11

Without a doubt Kiefer Sutherland's worst role of all time was in 1987's The Killing Time. The movie itself almost derailed Sutherland's career.

Kiefer Sutherland stars as a hitchhiker who kills Brian Mars who has just been hired as a deputy sheriff in a coastal county in Louisiana. Sutherland assumes the identity of his victim and arrives in the county seat to become a new deputy sheriff and nobody suspects otherwise. And this despite the fact that Mars was supposed to be a very good friend of the chief deputy sheriff (Beau Bridges) and also despite Sutherland's tendency to make psycho-type statements such as saying that he likes being a deputy sheriff because he can carry a gun and shove people around.

Perhaps part of the reason why nobody catches on to Sutherland's deception is that in this particular county, incompetence in law enforcement is rampant. The county sheriff, played by Joe Don Baker, is a a good old boy to a comical degree. Even by the low standards of Hollywood, Baker's exaggerated Southern fried sheriff behavior is absurd. If The Killing Time was a comedy, then it might work. However, in an alleged straight action drama, Baker's act is screwy.

The chief deputy sheriff is not much better. Despite the fact that his ex-girlfriend is now married to a wealthy San Francisco real estate developer who has a nice estate down in the Louisiana county, he keeps on messing around with her to the point of going to San Francisco to attend parties that both she and her husband attend. This on a salary that Bridges's character says is a bit short of $20,000. The husband (Wayne Rogers, formerly Trapper John on M*A*S*H*) is understandably concerned about the fact that this Louisiana lawman keeps on hanging around his wife, especially since the wife clearly likes Bridges's attention.

As it happens, the husband has every reason to be concerned. His wife wants to murder him and marry Bridges and the chief deputy sheriff kind of waffles on the idea. One night, the wife puts a knockout drug in the husband's drink and invites her boyfriend over to finish him off. Bridges freaks out, telling his galpal that murder is wrong and should never, ever be done. They put the husband in bed and he wakes up the next morning complaining of a hangover.

It is at this point that the movie lurches beyond the limits of believability. Bridges calls his gal and arranges for her to meet him at the abandoned lighthouse. There, he tells her that he's decided for reasons too sensitive to share with the audience that he's decided that she's right, that hubby must die so that they can get married and live happily everyafter. Not only that, but he's also come up with the neat idea of doing it in such a way that he can use his position to frame Sutherland for the murder. In other words, the chief deputy sheriff has decided in about 24 hours or so that not only is murder ok, its quite acceptable to frame an innocent man for a capital offense in Louisiana, where they take the death penalty very seriously.

Even more unbelievable is the fact that Bridges and his girl make their plans in Very Loud Voices so that Sutherland, who by the stroke of fate is also in the abandoned lighthouse, hears everything. Being a psycho, he plans on killing the husband himself, framing Bridges for the crime, and then blackmailing the girlfriend