The Stunt Man [DVD] - Action-Packed Movie for Thrill Seekers & Film Enthusiasts - Perfect for Movie Nights & Home Theater Collections
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DESCRIPTION
Product description 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" Set Contains: 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
REVIEWS
****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Barbara Hershey delivers that line (above) very early in THE STUNT MAN, and she is saying a great deal. She is the old lady who magically transforms into a beautiful young woman, the fantasy, the dream girl at the end of the rainbow. She is the reason we go to the movies.This is a work of art about the creation of a work of art. The work in this case happens to be a movie, and--as with all great works of art--there is one obsessed, cruel, megalomaniacal genius at the helm. Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole) is the most vivid depiction of a Hollywood director ever captured on film. He is a true patriarch, playing father/lover/drill sergeant to his cast and crew, and they all love/hate/fear him for it. Anyone who's ever been near an actual film set can tell you how accurate the character is.But what makes this film just about the last word on the subject is Richard Rush's brilliant blurring of fantasy and reality. That, after all, is the main occupation of those who toil in the "Dream Factory" of show biz. Note the many references to ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Steve Railsback (who is terrific) is Alice, and Eli and his mad crew are what he finds on the other side of the looking glass. He is running from bleak reality, straight into the arms of an instant family: father (O'Toole), uncle (the screenwriter played by Allen Goorwitz), brother (fellow stuntman Chuck Bail), and love interest (Hershey). And they all may be planning to kill him on camera, just to make their movie even better. Now, that's Wonderland--and that's Hollywood!Few films before or since this 1980 gem have given us such a true, terrifying, hilarious view of the process of manufacturing dreams. Truffaut's DAY FOR NIGHT is the only one I can think of that comes close. How tall is King Kong? As tall as we want him to be. If you love the movies, you'll love THE STUNT MAN.
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