Category Archives: William Finley

1978 Films, Amy Irving, Andrew Stevens, Betty Buckley, Brian De Palma, Carrie Snodgress, Charles Durning, Dennis Franz, Fiona Lewis, Horror, John Cassavetes, Kirk Douglas, Melody Thomas Scott, Thriller, William Finley

The Fury-1978

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The Fury-1978

Director Brian De Palma

Starring Kirk Douglas, Amy Irving, John Cassavetes

Scott’s Review #1,446

Reviewed October 15, 2024

Grade: A-

The Fury (1978) is one of Brian De Palma’s films that flies under the radar and is underappreciated. It contains many of his trademark effects like slow-motion camerawork and incorporates actors who appear in more than one of his psychological thriller films.

The story might be more complicated than it needs to be and while legendary actor Kirk Douglas gets top billing he disappears for a good part of the film before returning towards the end. He hands the reins to Amy Irving who capably carries the rest of the film.

This is a small gripe for a film that ranks pretty close to classics like Dressed to Kill (1980), Carrie (1976), and Blow Out (1981).

I’m as guilty as anyone else for underappreciating The Fury since it’s only my second time viewing it.

The all-star cast features John Cassavetes as the villain, Carrie Snodgress, Charles Durning, Douglas, and Irving. That’s enough to make cinema fans want to see it. There are also unique actors in small roles who flesh out the quirky cast in a major win.

The screenplay by John Farris was based on his 1976 novel of the same name which feels a lot like a popular Stephen King novel.

The Fury utilizes the talents of esteemed John Williams who scored such greats like Fiddler on the Roof (1971), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), and Jaws (1975), to name a few. The highly lauded composer aptly uses the music to enhance the overall product.

Events start in Israel when a plot separates CIA agent Peter Sandza (Douglas) from his son, Robin (Andrew Stevens), but the distraught father manages to see through the ruse.

He realizes that Robin is being held at an institute by Ben Childress (Cassavetes) because the teenager possesses supernatural powers that Ben intends to use as weapons.

Meanwhile, Gillian (Amy Irving), a teen with telekinesis, forms a psychic connection to Robin and teams up with Peter to find and rescue him. They are forced to endure villains intent on destroying them for their gain.

I am amazed how well the film, made in 1978, holds up tremendously decades later considering the characters play dated video games and the automobiles are very 1970s. The overindulgence of 1970s ‘stuff’ is what holds the most appeal.

Appealing is the glimpse at hundreds of extras appearing in the many exterior Chicago scenes. While Gillian and her friend La Rue (Melody Thomas Scott) stroll down the boardwalk they pass teams of regular people harkening back to a time long ago.

The unwieldy American sedans popular in the mid-1970s pepper the streets of Chicago while the sofa and carpet styles of the time are prominently featured at the Paragon Institute feeling like a nostalgic hug in authenticity.

When the character of Gillian is introduced during a high school sequence parallels to the film Carrie are immediately noticed. Carrie and Gillian are both high school students, who possess psychic powers, including telekinesis, and these powers harm people who physically touch or provoke her.

The kicker is that Irving also appeared in Carrie but not as the title character.

The best scenes are when Hester (Snodgress) is struck and killed by a car propelling her bloody body through the windshield or when Institute employee, Dr. Susan Charles (Fiona Lewis) is tortured and spun to death over a lavish dinner table setting.

The food references are plentiful, mouthwatering, and fun to track. Hester and Gillian chat and giggle over heaping hot fudge sundaes, while scrambled eggs and dinner are mentioned during other scenes.

Some plot holes or inexplicable story points like Robin’s turn into a psycho and turning on his father because another psychic will replace him aren’t as compelling as other points of the film.

During one scene Gillian has Robin’s powers transfer to her causing her body to writhe and contort in an unconvincing way and Irving looks plain silly.

Being a huge De Palma fan I’m glad I dusted The Fury (1978) off the shelf because it’s a terrific watch with an exceptional cast. It contains many of De Palma’s trademarks making it fantastic, especially for his fans.

1973 Films, Brian De Palma, Charles Durning, Horror, Margot Kidder, William Finley

Sisters-1973

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Sisters-1973

Director Brian De Palma

Starring Margot Kidder, Jennifer Salt

Scott’s Review #178

60002455

Reviewed September 29, 2014

Grade: B+

Directed by stylistic film genius Brian De Palma, Sisters (1973) is an early entry in the famed director’s repertoire and a direct homage to the classic films of Alfred Hitchcock.

The film stars Margot Kidder as a French-Canadian model named Danielle Breton, who shares a Staten Island, NY apartment with her demented twin sister Dominique. For many years Danielle and Dominique were conjoined twins and only recently surgically separated.

After a romantic date with a new acquaintance, Danielle begins to feel ill and Dominique murders the new boyfriend after he surprises, who he thinks is Danielle, with a birthday cake.

But is it Dominique or is it Danielle?

Meanwhile, a neighbor, Grace Collier played by Jennifer Salt, witnesses the murder from across the alley, and in a highly dramatic scene, involving the victim attempting to scrawl “help” on the window, Grace gets the police involved.

The authorities are skeptical and unsympathetic to Grace’s claims since she works as a newspaper reporter and is constantly challenging the police department in her articles.

Finally, when the police do search Danielle’s apartment, no dead body is found. This sets off the plot for the remainder of the film as Grace looks for the missing body on her own (in Nancy Drew’s style) with the help of a detective she hires, Joseph Larch, comically played by Charles Durning.

One point to mention about Sisters is that the film is a blueprint for De Palma films to come, but that does not mean it is not engaging on its own merits- it pales in comparison to other De Palma gems that followed, such as Carrie and Dressed to Kill.

It feels raw and slightly underdeveloped compared to those aforementioned films.

Danielle’s ex-husband and doctor, Eli, while creepy and sinister, is not fully explored, and his relation to events taking place is a bit vague throughout much of the film.

Techniques such as the split-screen showing simultaneous action oftentimes relating to each other are introduced in this film and are a marvel to watch as so much of the plot is revealed in these sequences- activity in Grace’s apartment contrasts with and interchanges perfectly with action in Danielle’s apartment- highly effective and suspenseful.

DePalma uses many Hitchcock influences, but in no way steals them- the idea of a set of conjoined twins with mental illness was taken from a real-life story of Soviet twins.

Viewers familiar with Psycho will smile during the murder scene as influences are apparent- Rear Window is certainly referenced as countless scenes of the camera looking into Danielle’s or Grace’s apartment or the camera looking out onto a street scene or someone with binoculars spying out of their apartment and into someone else’s apartment across the street- very visually oriented.

The Hitchcock similarities continue with the musical score- it is composed by Bernard Hermann, a frequent collaborator of Hitchcock films- think Vertigo.

After all of the psychological build-up throughout the first hour of the film, the final thirty minutes or so, taking place within the confines of a mental asylum, is confusing and unrealistic, as various flashbacks and dream sequences are used, even using one character taking the place of another in a dream- edgy and unique, but tough to follow and organize properly.

Grace is assumed to be a newly admitted mental patient seemed far-fetched. What exactly transpired between Danielle and Dominique present and/or in the past?

Even though events are explained, I found myself scratching my head a bit after the film.

For fans of Brian De Palma films, Sisters (1973) is a perfect movie experience to show the influence to come and not a bad film on its own either.

1980 Films, Angie Dickinson, Brian De Palma, Dennis Franz, Horror, Keith Gordon, Michael Caine, Nancy Allen, Scott's Top 100 Films, Scott's Top 20 Horror Films, William Finley

Dressed to Kill-1980

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Dressed to Kill-1980

Director Brian De Palma

Starring Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Michael Caine

Top 100 Films #13    Top 20 Horror Films #5

Scott’s Review #164

60020714

Reviewed September 2, 2014

Grade: A

Dressed to Kill (1980) is Brian De Palma’s greatest work throughout his storied career.

Set in New York City the film is essentially divided into two halves.

The first half centers around Angie Dickinson, who plays a bored housewife named Kate. She is unhappy in her marriage and seeks therapy from a psychiatrist played by Michael Caine, whom she makes sexual advances towards.

She is unfaithful to her husband, yet is a kind, intelligent, cultured woman. She adores her son and loves her husband, but is utterly unfulfilled with life.

Do we, the audience sympathize with her? Does she get what she deserves? Is she a victim? One powerful scene involves a wide-eyed little girl who cannot stop staring at Kate. Can she sense Kate’s shenanigans? Does she sense her conflict? Does Kate feel guilt? Kate is a complex character and brilliantly played by Dickinson who gives the character sexiness, softness, and appeal.

After a shocking event in a high-rise elevator rivaled only by the shower scene in Psycho (1960) in its surprise and terror, the remainder of the film belongs to Nancy Allen, who plays a prostitute named Liz, determined to solve a mystery to clear her name.

De Palma sets the dreamlike tone to the film with a sizzling opening shower scene sure to make the prudish blush in its explicitness, which I found deliciously sexy.

A ten-minute museum sequence speaks volumes without dialogue as Kate has a cat-and-mouse flirtation with a stranger.

The brilliance of Dressed to Kill is its versatility and complexity and contains one surprise after another from the elevator scene to the final reveal to the final stage itself.

It is part horror film part thriller and always stylish.

The film was surprisingly not well regarded upon its release, but over the years has achieved respect due to its creativity and excellent mood. Many scenes are shot in slow motion adding an effect to them.

Dressed to Kill (1980) is simply brilliant on every level.