[.ca] The Stunt Man (Widescreen)

From Amazon.co.uk:
The "lost" sleeper hit of 1980 has since become one of the most revered cult movies of all time, largely due to its bawdy, irreverent story about the art and artifice of filmmaking and an outrageously clever performance by Peter O'Toole. As megalomaniacal film director Eli Cross, O'Toole plays a larger-than-life figure whose ability to manipulate reality is like a power-trip narcotic. The focus of his latest mind game is a fugitive (Steve Railsback) recruited to replace a stuntman killed during a recent on-set accident. In return for protective sanctuary, the fugitive takes a crash course in stunt work but soon discovers that he's the paranoid player in a game he can't control, with the dictatorial director making up the rules. Or is he? The Stunt Man is a game of its own, played through the fantasy of filmmaking, and half the fun of watching the movie comes from sharing the stuntman's paranoid confusion. Barbara Hershey has a smart, sexy supporting role as a lead actress who won't submit to her director's seemingly devious behaviour; but it's clearly O'Toole who steals the show. Director Richard Rush adds to the movie's maverick appeal--in a career plagued by struggles against the mainstream studio system, Rush hasn't made a better movie before or since. The Stunt Man clearly represents the potential of his neglected talent. --Jeff Shannon

Amazon.com essential video:
The "lost" sleeper hit of 1980 has since become one of the most revered cult movies of all time, largely due to its bawdy, irreverent story about the art and artifice of filmmaking and an outrageously clever performance by Peter O'Toole. As megalomaniacal film director Eli Cross, O'Toole plays a larger-than-life figure whose ability to manipulate reality is like a power-trip narcotic. The focus of his latest mind game is a fugitive (Steve Railsback) recruited to replace a stuntman killed during a recent on-set accident. In return for protective sanctuary, the fugitive takes a crash course in stunt work but soon discovers that he's the paranoid player in a game he can't control, with the dictatorial director making up the rules. Or is he? The Stunt Man is a game of its own, played through the fantasy of filmmaking, and half the fun of watching the movie comes from sharing the stuntman's paranoid confusion. Barbara Hershey has a smart, sexy supporting role as a lead actress who won't submit to her director's seemingly devious behavior; but it's clearly O'Toole who steals the show. Director Richard Rush adds to the movie's maverick appeal--in a career plagued by struggles against the mainstream studio system, Rush hasn't made a better movie before or since. The Stunt Man clearly represents the potential of his neglected talent. --Jeff Shannon

Additional Features:
Richard Rush leads a joyous ensemble of cast members recollecting the making of the prized and maligned production on the DVD's commentary track. Two deleted scenes are included along with production photos. Production and ad art is also shown from initial sketches to the final poster. In addition, Rush shares his struggles in detailed notes on the DVD-ROM script. The print and sound have never been better than on this DVD, which has been digitally remastered with THX certification. --Doug Thomas

o'toole should have gotten the oscar:
this is a marvellous cult classic and has three fabulous performances in the vastly underrated barbara hershey and steve railsback. of course the main thing here is o'toole. this and my favorite year were made close together and amounted to nothing less than a 'comeback' for the actor. unfortunatley hollwood hasnt made such excellent use of o'toole since then but its a proud spot on this wonderful actors resume

o'toole should have gotten the oscar:
this is a marvellous cult classic and has three fabulous performances in the vastly underrated barbara hershey and steve railsback. of course the main thing here is o'toole. this and my favorite year were made close together and amounted to nothing less than a 'comeback' for the actor. unfortunatley hollwood hasnt made such excellent use of o'toole since then but its a proud spot on this wonderful actors resume

One of the top cult movies from the eighties!:
Through this clever , ingenious script , the brilliant film maker Richard Rush (nominated as best director in 1980) made a emblematic and glorious film for those people who wante to taste something different . Built as a smart chines puzzle , a man suddenly in a location film and the delicate boundaries between the reality and the fiction are broken . Under this perspective the viewer is challenged moment by moment and obilgated to establish who is who and what is what . Think that you are in a mirror hall (Lady of Shangai's ending sequence) and try to find the object and not confuse with its image . Link this premise with another two film made in the sixties (Blow up of Antonioni)and Belle de jour (Luis Buñuel) and more recently Parole des enfants (1995) Open you eyes (Alejandro Amenábar 1997) or The rules of engagement (William Friedkin 2000) and you'll be rewarded by that intelligent plot , loaded with thrills, chills, suspense , riddles and surprises , plus an outstanding cast: Peter O'Toole (nominated as best actor in 1980 for this performance) and Hershey . I'm absolutely convinced since the moment you watch this film , it will become one of your timeless and favorites films. The doubt for acquire this film never must prevail in your mind even for a second.

DIDN'T FLIP MY MINNOW:
Don't get me wrong. This is not a bad movie. It just doesn't compare to Citizen Kane in innovation. Really, some LA Times reporter wrote that! I guess I'm supposed to watch this numerous times, but it just wasn't that interesting to me. Where's the innovation? The crane?(Golly gee Cletus, I never seen a crane that big before) The reflected faces? The cliched lines of the Vietnam Vet? Then there is that quote that's always bandied about, "You're an actor playing a stuntman playing an actor..." I understand what he is saying, it's just not very pithy. I kept waiting for the big suprise, the part of the movie that floored me. It never came. I wasn't drawn into an anti-reality, didn't see a dual reality and did not see any allegory. To some reviewers this is the greatest film ever. There's a guy at DVD Verdict who wrote that this film changed the way he looked at movies. I didn't see that. I watched a movie, that while good, was not thought provoking. I suppose I should watch it again, but it just didn't flip my minnow.

A poor investment:
This review is based partially on ignorance as, with 45 minutes remaining, I stopped watching this film. But, through these eyes, there was nothing that could have redeemed this film. Peter O'Toole was the only bright spot in this film and I felt embarrassed for him - a Shakespearian heavyweight surrounded by a cast fit for nothing better than daytime soap operas. (Although I have enjoyed Alex Rocco as 'Roger Myers Jr.' in the Simpsons.) And there's no defending Steve Railsback's performance; while many saw his Cameron struggling with the director's mania, all I could see was a hack struggling to convey a range of emotions far beyond him. (Were he truly worth his salt, would his post-Stunt Man filmography include such classics as 'Armed and Dangerous', 'Alligator II: The Mutation', 'Nukie' and 'Barb Wire'?) In short, to have sat through the last 45 minutes, any 'payoff' would have been like given a dime back from my dollar.