Fear Is the Key

This is one of my favourite movies of the 70's and in my opinion , very underrated. I certainly think it has the best car chase , ie; when the car is dented , it remains so in the next shot , not back to showroom condition ! ( the one in Bullitt is perhaps the coolest , but how many times does McQueen pass that green Beetle ! ) along with the great Roy Budd soundtrack. Barry Newman is great in the lead role , and although the plot is a bit far-fetched in places, it is great entertainment and has a good twist at the end , but I do think the underwater scenes looked a bit like the bottom of a goldfish pond ! One of those great movies nobody has heard of ! This is available on DVD in Scandinavian countries so grab a copy.

This is a formula movie, make no mistake. It is an action-adventure, with a mystery, so I won't spill the plot. It begins with the same male hero we see in all movies made after 1940, a man so vicious and mean that the movie's idea is to turn your thinking around about the guy. And after the first few minutes you think "There is no way this guy could ever be anything but a punk", and they "getcha"! A very wonderful turnabout. The character in the movie is the key, and the screen writing, directing, and acting are superb. It maybe the only movie that you ever see that changes your mind about a character from the start, and maybe the best example of a movie which does so. What is extraordinary is that this movie has never resurfaced, and never got the credit it deserved. The end is one of the best Hollywood endings ever since "Charade".

Fine actioner based on Alistair MacLean's novel holds a few surprises for those lucky enough to catch this underrated gem. An unorthodox and at times bitty script is held together by an amiable cast including a young Ben Kingsley (debuting with a full head of hair) surprisingly in his only film before his Oscar winning performance of 'Ghandi' ten years later.

The screenplay is a crafty one, with Barry Newman ploughing through the first half of the film seemingly out of control and playing a role hauntingly similar to his one in 'Vanishing Point' but this time in a Ford Gran Torino, keeping the viewer guessing what's going to happen next and why. After a slightly boggy, espionage filled middle act the film coolly builds to a dramatic nail-biting finale and it is only here in the film's dying moments do you actually discover the truth. Though the ending may not quite reach some viewers expectations, it does wrap things up succinctly, making the thrills on the way (including a fine car chase that bursts from a courthouse breakout) all the more worthwhile.

WOW! I watched this adaptation of an Alistair MacLean novel tonight and it is fantastic. Barry Newman stars as John Talbot, a drifter who ends up getting into it with the local police in a parish in Louisiana. He gets hauled before a judge but breaks out of the courtroom, taking oil heiress Sarah Ruthven (Suzy Kendall) hostage in the process. What happens after that is gonna remain a secret for the element of surprise.

This is a slammin' action film in reverse. The first half hour is comprised of an amazing car chase that is right up there with the likes of THE FRENCH CONNECTION. Seriously, this is one of the greatest (and unheralded) car chases of all-time (courtesy of VANISHING POINT's stunt coordinator Cary Loftin). After that, the film settles down to tell Talbot's complex story. Newman, also fresh off that other car chase epic VANISHING POINT, is quite good as the mysterious Talbot. Supporting turns include John Vernon (I wonder if he a good guy), Dolph Sweet and a weaselly looking guy in his film debut named Ben Kingsley. The stellar score is supplied by Roy Budd (GET CARTER).

This is one of those movies with a mammoth "I did not see that coming" moment. The set up for this startling revelation is quite convincing, and Barry Newman's motivation for revenge is overwhelmingly strong. Unheralded character actor, Dolph Sweet, steals every scene he is part of. Ben Kingsley with hair takes some adjusting to, but his acting is solid. Unfortunately John Vernon was not convincing as the head bad guy, perhaps because I can't get by thinking of him as Dean Wormer in "Animal House". The movie itself is extremely uneven, with a grabber opening, followed by a prolonged car chase that seems like it was yanked right out of a "Smokey and the Bandit" movie. The actual plot is murky and difficult to follow, but is pulled together quite well in the showdown conclusion. Recommended for the unusual twisted plot and some solid performances. - MERK