The Killing Hour

Starring:Perry King, Norman Parker, Elizabeth Kemp, Kenneth McMillan, Jon Polito, Joe Morton, Antone Pagan, Barbara Quinn, Thomas DeCarlo, Lou Bedford, Tom Stechschulte, Louisa Flaningam, Olivia Negron, Steve Beauchamp, Helena Carroll, Tom Erawley, Estelle Evans (II), Robert Fairbairn, Donald Gantry, Reuben Green
Director: Armand Mastroianni
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Poised somewhere between a serial-killer horror film and an old-fashioned murder mystery, Armand Mastroianni's smartly plotted The Killing Hour doesn't quite reach its potential but offers an entertaining ride to the climax. A handcuff killer is running around New York and the NYPD's best hope lies in a psychic artist who sketches death scenes from the eyes of the killer. Norman Parker is a genial New York cop and part-time standup comic who falls in love with artist Elizabeth Kemp, while muckraking talk-show host Perry King exploits her for ratings at the expense of her safety: the killer is out there and he's still hunting. The opening murder scenes are vivid and accomplished, economically realized with style and suggestion, and similar scenes sprinkled throughout punctuate an otherwise flatly directed drama. The film is invigorated by NYC location shooting, an inventive screenplay, quirky, character-rich performances by the always reliable Joe Morton, Jon Polito, and Kenneth McMillan in small roles, and an engaging, understated lead by Parker.

Description

Guns don't stay in their holsters long when vigilantes Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday meet outlaws in the Wild West. James Garner (Maverick) and OscarÂ(r) winner* Jason Robards (All the President's Men) saddle up as the legendary gunslingers in this riveting, fact-based story that is "the closest filmmakers have ever come to the truth of the OK Corral gunfight" (LA Herald-Examiner). With the dust barely settling at the OK Corral, the notorious Clanton brothers unleash their revenge. One by one, they gun down Wyatt Earp's brothersbut they won't have the last shot. Using his US Marshal's badge as his authority, and Doc Holliday (Robards) as his deputizedright-hand man, Earp begins a zealous pursuit of vengeance that the west will never forget.

Customer Reviews:

Earp after the gunfight.......2006-11-27

HOUR OF THE GUN (1967) takes off where director John Sturges' earlier "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957) left off. The movie opens with Wyatt Earp (James Garner) and Doc Holliday (Jason Robards) trading hot lead with the Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan) gang in the Tombstone corral, follows with an extended courtroom scenes in which Earp has to defend himself against charges of wrongful homicide, and concludes with the meat of the movie - the death and serious wounding of Earp's brothers by members of the Clanton gang, and Earp's extended chase of everyone involved.

Revenge almost always works in westerns, and HOUR OF THE GUN is a revenge western. Garner, whose greatest assets are warm charm and an embracing smile, has to play it frosty and focused. The main pull in this movie is constantly brought up by Earp's unlikely friend, the ever loyal Doc Holliday - is Earp an upholder of the law, or someone who uses the law as a means by which he can cold-bloodedly track down and kill the men who murdered and maimed his brothers? I don't normally judge a movie by its historical accuracy (at least as far as I understand the history,) but HOUR OF THE GUN begs it when it inserts a title card after the opening credits proclaiming `this is how it really happened,' or words to that effect. The movie gets Earp's post-O.K. Corral vendetta right and his complex relationship with Holliday is believable. On the other hand, the movie paints Earp as a do-gooder who's driven to the Dark Side by Clanton and his evil machinations - the corral gunfight, even, seems a set-up job by the crafty `Cowboy' (old slang for livestock rustler.) The biggest historical inaccuracy has to do with Clanton's death - I won't throw a spoiler in here, but the movie's penultimate showdown between its protagonist and antagonist works better as a symbolic, rather than factual, capstone.

All in all this is a pleasant enough depiction of Earp's vendetta ride against the Clanton gang. As far as I'm concerned Garner is one of the great under-rated actors of his time, and if he puts a dimmer on his magnetic smile he's makes a convincing Earp - his scenes with Robards, always good, are worth the rental or purchase price. Robards' Doc Holliday is a plum of a part - dissolute gambler, chronic alcoholic, suffering from late-stage tuberculosis. Ryan may play a Clanton a little more smooth and calculating than his real-life model, but he's so good in these kind of roles it doesn't matter. Strong recommendation.

Hour of the Gun.......2006-11-22

The film did not really take off or grip my attention. However it is interesting history, and ends like a classic western, with good performances- especially Robards, and a great atmospheric score by Jerry Goldsmith.

Hour of the gun.......2006-11-10

Very well acted James Garner movie. Not the side that people are used to seeing of him. Jason Robards is also good as Doc Holiday. Not very historicly correct but good entertainment. Highly recommed for the western enthusist.

When the Legend Becomes Fact.......2006-01-01

There's no Hollywood romanticism in director John Sturges' hard-hitting account of the O.K. Corral aftermath. "Hour of the Gun" (1967) remains among the great unheralded Westerns, with superb performances by James Garner, Jason Robards and Robert Ryan. The role of Wyatt Earp is a perfect fit for Garner -- it's too bad he didn't appear in more Westerns of this caliber. Far superior to Sturges' overrated "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957).

IMHO ....superior to Gunfight at the OK corral .........2005-11-20

I am happy to add my review to the others here....who , like me, prefer this to what the critics site as the superior "Gunfight at the OK Corral"...
This is a wonderful story...with much better shades of personality in Wyatt Earp by James Garner than the over the top performance by Burt Lancaster....the story is closer to reality and the film itself is shot beautifully by Lucien Ballard ( a truly great cinematographer). At the bargain price its being offered on DVD...if you are a western fan...YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED.

Average customer rating:

The Dark Hour
"Dressing as a woman ... I know it's illegal."

The Dark Hour
Starring: Ray Walker , Berton Churchill , Irene Ware , Hobart Bosworth , and Hedda Hopper
Director: Charles Lamont
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001DMWSY
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Customer Reviews:

The Dark Hour.......2006-07-29

It is difficult to judge this film. It is 70 years old, acting and directing methods have changed, the acting may appear to be stiff, it is better than today's talent.

"Dressing as a woman ... I know it's illegal.".......2005-12-14

When wealthy, crotchety bachelor Henry Carson (William V Mong) is found murdered in his study, there are plenty of suspects. Henry Carson and his reclusive brother Charles (Hobart Bosworth) lived together in a remote mansion with their niece Elsa (Irene Ware). Shortly before his death, Henry seemed nervous, and no one is exactly sure how he made all his money. Young detective John Landis (Ray Walker) is romancing Elsa, and so more experienced, retired detective Paul Bernard (Berton Churchill) steps in to help solve the crime. The suspects include: a sneaky butler, a garden prowler, the cross-dressing uncle, Elsa's Aunt Tallman (Hedda Hopper) and an ambitious chemist who lives next door.

Directed by Charles Lamont, "The Dark Hour" is fairly unexciting, standard fare, and the entire production contains a stiffness and artificiality that is unappealing. While the conclusion of the investigation is unnecessarily complicated (it's impossible to guess who murdered Uncle Henry), little time is spent on motive. The idea that the plot contains a cross dresser makes the film sound more interesting than it is, but there's still some fun to be gained by watching 30s detective work. This Alpha DVD print was decent with just a few white vertical lines at the very beginning of the film--displacedhuman

Average customer rating:

Another Underrated Thriller!
watchable
Serial Killing that is not serious at all
Murder Mystery at its Best
SURPRISINGLY GOOD MOVIE

The Killing Hour
Starring: Perry King , Norman Parker , Elizabeth Kemp , Kenneth McMillan , and Jon Polito
Director: Armand Mastroianni
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 6305797110
Release Date: 2000-03-21

Amazon.com

Poised somewhere between a serial-killer horror film and an old-fashioned murder mystery, Armand Mastroianni's smartly plotted The Killing Hour doesn't quite reach its potential but offers an entertaining ride to the climax. A handcuff killer is running around New York and the NYPD's best hope lies in a psychic artist who sketches death scenes from the eyes of the killer. Norman Parker is a genial New York cop and part-time standup comic who falls in love with artist Elizabeth Kemp, while muckraking talk-show host Perry King exploits her for ratings at the expense of her safety: the killer is out there and he's still hunting. The opening murder scenes are vivid and accomplished, economically realized with style and suggestion, and similar scenes sprinkled throughout punctuate an otherwise flatly directed drama. The film is invigorated by NYC location shooting, an inventive screenplay, quirky, character-rich performances by the always reliable Joe Morton, Jon Polito, and Kenneth McMillan in small roles, and an engaging, understated lead by Parker.

Customer Reviews:

Another Underrated Thriller!.......2005-08-14

THE KILLING HOUR (originally titled THE CLAIRVOYANT) is a vivid, well-crafted adult thriller in the tradition of Brian DePalma and the gialli of Mario Bava and Dario Argento. It is also an oasis from the teen-slasher craze at the time. A body is discovered floating in the Hudson River with handcuffs. Soon two more murders involving handcuffs ensue and the police, including detective/comedian Larry Weeks (Norman Parker, who is incredible), is on the case. But so is talk-show host Paul "Mac" McCormick (soap star Perry King), who does exactly what the police didn't want to happen: turn the killings into a media spectacle. And soon a young art student named Virna Nightbourne (Elizabeth Kemp), who can mysteriously sketch each murder as they happen, becomes involved.

This film is kind of like EYES OF LAURA MARS as it would have been directed by Bava or Argento. But I will say that director Armand Mastroianni (HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE, which featured Kemp) can accomplish so much while showing so little in terms of the murder sequences! In fact, the pool murder, cast in an ominous red glow, looks like something Argento or Bava would have come up with. Also, the music score (by Alexander Peskanov, who scored ALONE with his brother Mark) resembles something Pino Donnagio would have composed for DePalma. And after all, why go for graphic violence when you have such fine performances, especially from character actors Kenneth McMillan and Joe Morton? This thriller is definetly worth your time!

In terms of extras, there's a fun and insightful commentary by Mastroianni and then Anchor Bay head Bill Lustig, who talk about how the film came to be (William Friedkin was involved) among other things. We also get five deleted scenes (obviously cut to speed up the movie), one of which ended up in the trailer. Best of all, it's an unrated director's cut! Don't miss it!

watchable.......2005-07-13

not a bad but not an awsome movie but it worth a look

Serial Killing that is not serious at all.......2001-02-16

A thriller that is fascinating from the very start. A serial killer is handcuffing his victims and then killing them ruthlessly. But a girl has a sixth sense and she sees the killings, the murders, the victims in their ordeals. The murderer is the final surprise of course, especially since the police goes the wrong way and covers him for us. The problems touched in this film are simple. the role of the media and particularly TV as a discloser of investigation details, and then the development of a debate about such serial killings with only one objective : to make a lot of audience and hence a lot of money. To be famous first of all and above all. The second question is that of prescience : is it possible, acceptable, believable, etc ? It is convincing in the film, but not much more. The third problem is the motivation of a serial killer and the famous profiling of the FBI. It is both rejected by the older cop who is responsible for the investigation, and by the film because the motivation of the killer is totally antagonistic with the profiling technique. All the victims have handcuffs but apart from that there is no other connection between the various victims or murders and the motivation has nothing to do with standard and even substandard serial killing motivations. It is something completely different. I can't reveal it here of course. But this very « plot » makes the film very trite. It is dynamic, entertaining but it is not very enlightening on the subject it deals with. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX.

Murder Mystery at its Best.......2000-08-08

Once called "The Clairvoyant", The Killing Hour is a suspense/thriller/murder mystery rolled into one. Personally, I prefer the original title, since it better captures a key element of the story. Our protagonist (played by Elizabeth Kemp) has two unique gifts. She is an artist and has a sixth sense. But she doesn't see dead people, instead she can foresee who will be the next victim in a series of seemingly unrelated murders. Unrelated that is, except for the handcuffs found on each victim. Her clairvoyance strikes her when she is drawing and usually, she draws the next victim. She begins to panic, when during one of her episodes, she draws herself.

When she finally goes to the police, she manages to convince the skeptical officers assigned to the murders that their may be some validity to her story. More willing to believe her, a TV talk show host/reporter (played by Perry King) tries to befriend her and interview her on his show.

Slowly, the killer moves in on her. The clairvoyant knows he (or she) is near, but her power doesn't reveal the face to her. Nor does the director give this one away. We have to wait until he is ready to reveal the killer, but once he does, it all makes perfect sense.

Overall, I found this movie to be a pleasant surprise. Suspenseful, cleverly written, well acted, it will keep you guessing until the end, when the killer finally and unexpectedly, is revealed.

SURPRISINGLY GOOD MOVIE.......2000-05-16

At first glance, you might think this is an exploitation movie that thrives on T and A and extreme violence, but the Killing Hour, aka the Clairvoyant, is a surprisingly well produced, well directed, and well acted movie. Good perfomances by Elizabeth Kemp (especially Liz Kemp) and Perry King.

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