Furie

Brian De Palma directs John Farris' novel like a wizard at a witches convention. Thrills, intrigue and paranormal with vivid violence. Kirk Douglas goes in search for his kidnapped son(Andrew Stevens), who has been snatched by the head of an institute for psychic research. The ruthless boss(John Cassavetes)and his administrative assistant(Charles Durning)are also cultivating the psychic powers of a young girl(Amy Irving). Both young people with their extraordinary mind power can be sold to the highest bidding terrorist organization.

My favorite two scenes happen to be two of the most violent scenes in the movie. The first is where the alluring Fiona Lewis playing Dr. Charles is elevated into the air by Stevens and is set to spinning until she bleeds to death. The second scene that gets to me is in the final moments when Cassavetes gets his just desert.

Douglas is showing his age in this role as the business tycoon, who himself was left for dead. He still proves to pack a punch and hold his own as the lead. Carrie Snodgrass is ho-hum in her role as Douglas' lover and friend of Irving. Her character's demise is also quite violent. Miss Irving is perfection in her young and charming way. Look for Gordon Jump(of WKRP fame)in a small role and yes that is Dennis Franz(of NYPD Blue) early on as the young cop with the brand new car.

Sometimes a little bit slow, but this is your part in earning the big bangs for your bucks. John Williams provides a very haunting score that keeps this thriller thrilling.

"The Fury" was a decent movie. It started off rather fast paced and I was somewhat clueless as to what was going on, but as the movie went on I got into it. Peter Sandza (Kirk Douglas) was going through great lengths to find his kidnapped son, all the while his son, Robin (Andrew Stevens) was under the watchful eye of a government official interested in Robin's psychic abilities. A collision course is set between Robin and another young lady with psychic abilities as well. The movie has a bit of suspense and a bit of spookiness to it as well. The ending was a total surprise and very um... bloody. I liked the movie, I thought the story was unique enough and the suspense and action wasn't half bad.

'The Fury' is a very interesting mixture of science fiction, horror, action, and espionage thriller. One of Brian De Palma's most underrated movies, it isn't without some flaws, but overall I enjoyed it much more than some of his most recent disappointing efforts like 'Snake Eyes' and 'Mission To Mars'. They might be much better known than 'The Fury' but they are not better movies. The plot is a bit convoluted at times, and maybe a little TOO ambitious, but there are several classic sequences that make this a must see for any De Palma fan. The whole thing comes across like a cross between 'Carrie' (De Palma's previous movie), and Cronenberg's 'Scanners', a movie it predated by three years, interestingly enough. Amy Irving, who also appeared in 'Carrie', is beautiful and believable as Gillian, a troubled teen attempting to understand and control her frightening paranormal powers. Veteran Kirk Douglas ('Spartacus', 'Saturn 3') and cult director/actor John Cassavetes ('Rosemary's Baby', 'The Killers') are both solid as friends-turned-enemies who once worked for the same nameless Government agency. Douglas' psychic son Robin (Andrew Stevens) is kidnapped by Cassavetes and his cronies and experimented on until he reaches the brink of madness. Douglas desperately searches for him by any means necessary, a quest which inevitably means he encounters the traumatized Gillian, who has an increasing psychic link with Robin. Irving and Douglas are both excellent in this movie, Cassavetes plays a fantastic villain, and the supporting cast includes Carrie Snodgress ('Diary Of A Mad Housewife'), Charles Durning ('O Brother, Where Art Thou?'), Fiona Lewis ('Drum'), and cameos from Daryl Hannah ('Bladerunner'), De Palma semi-regular William Finley ('The Phantom Of The Paradise') and a noticeably younger and thinner Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue'). While I couldn't argue that 'The Fury' is De Palma's best work it has aged very well indeed and is recommended viewing. This is one movie that deserves to be re-evaluated!

Fortunately, De Palma's hyperbolic, visually compelling, science fiction occult espionage thriller moves so fast that the ludicrous dialog, indifferent performances, and Swiss cheese plot don't spoil the fun. The Fury starts from an interesting premise, but De Palma is clearly more interested in the spectacular set pieces than logic or characterization. The potentially most interesting character Robin is off screen for too long and instead we get low comedy relief with Mother Knuckles and the off duty cops in the Caddilac. Also, Gillian's mother and the students at the Paragon Institute seem to disappear. And where Sissy Spacek was touching as Carrie, Amy Irving and Andrew Stevens as psychic teens who unleash the fury are whiny and callow, and you don't really care about their fates. Though Douglas, Snodgress, Cassavetes and De Palma regular William Finley ( Raymond Dunwoodie) are always interesting, the rest of the cast is pretty bad. And a scene between Irving and Douglas on a bus is embarrassingly bad. Still, The Fury with its telepathic visions, its pulse pounding score by John Willams and Richard H. Kline's elegant deep focus cinematography is superior to junk like The Eyes of Laura Mars. De Palma pulls out all the stops and creates some spectacularly over-the-top scenes. Faults and all, The Fury is more entertaining, and less pretentious and derivative than most of De Palma's more recent efforts to say nothing of Dressed to Kill, Body Double, Obsession, Wise Guys, Carlito's Way, Raising Cain, and The Bonfire of the Vanities.

THE FURY

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Sound format: Mono

An ex-government agent (Kirk Douglas) enlists the help of a gifted psychic (Amy Irving) in the search for his equally gifted son (Andrew Stevens), who has been kidnapped by a sinister cartel for nefarious purposes.

Dismissed at the time of its release as a mishmash of themes and genres, Brian De Palma's dazzling thriller encompasses Middle Eastern terrorism, government conspiracies, psychic horror, and a series of Grand Guignol set-pieces, orchestrated with pulp grandeur by a director flexing his creative muscles. Highlighted by John Williams' magnificent score (a genuinely eerie composition, one of the best of his career), the film builds slowly and surely to an explosive climax which closes proceedings on a note of absolute screaming hysteria (celebrated and vilified in equal measure by fans and critics alike!). The supporting cast includes John Cassavetes, Charles Durning and Carrie Snodgress, all of whom add gravitas to the material. Look fast for Daryl Hannah in an early pre-stardom role.