The Man Who Wouldn't Die

I Caught this film late night on BBC2 one Friday and I was pleasantly surprised. Roger Moore is one of my favourite actors but even I have to admit he doesn't have the most glowing CV. This was really good though. There are great performances from Rog and McDowell.

The director skillfully mixes comedy and suspense never overbalancing the film with too much of one or the other. I think it would have been good if the film had of had a slightly larger budget to up the production quality a little, I think then it could have been released theatrically and comfortably made its money back.

I wish Roger were in Moore (good one eh?! erm yeah...) movies but I guess he doesn't have so much time with all his charity work and being on TV etc. No matter, its always a pleasure to see him in a quality film or show.

You know the type of film, you leave your comfortable chair to make some tea and don't bother to pause the film, and that's when you are forced to acknowledge the film is not so good, as otherwise you would have paused it. Well this is a non pauser of a film, so if you like tea or coffee and have many breaks during your movies then this is perfect.

One of my all time favorite Stars is Roger Moore so when I saw this title on a VCD at $2 new whilst working here in Dubai I snapped it up.

As the film progresses the labored script becomes increasingly painful for the cast to deliver, sometimes you feel they are almost screaming to get to the end of the next scene and they would start each scene petrified especially if it were long, I noted to myself how they began to look happier towards the end of the film, ....as I did.

Macolm McDowell tries very admirably to deliver his lines seriously but he questions you with pain in his eyes as to what type of Film this is, but you will have the same look as he does and as the director must have had.

I always have been a sucker for Roger Moore films. Even though his charm has inevitably diminished with age, he still remains Simon Templair for me. His 'savoir faire' on the screen is unmistakable, it should be copyright protected (if it hasn't been already).

In this somewhat Hitchcockian film for TV (whivh proves once again that low budget TV movies can nowadays be much better than many made for the large screen), he creates a good atmosphere together with Malcolm McDowell who is as always, a truly exceptional villain. A thriller almost (as Moore) of other times, based on plot, twists and turns, and not on special f/x. A very welcome change. Thanks Roger!

I've always been interested in Roger Moore's post-Bond twilight years. I spotted this film gathering dust in a video shop while on holiday in Copenhagen and hired it. It's excellent! Moore is on top form and very funny. He was 67 when this was made but plays a 48 year old - those who say he was too old to play Bond, take note!).

The plot concerns a mystery writer turned journalist, Thomas Grace (Moore) who is approached by psychic Jessie Gallardo (Nancy Allen from Robocop) who claims that a master criminal, Bernard Drake (MacDowall) is going around murdering people in a style based on Grace's books. After initial scepticism, Moore pits his wits against MacDowall's criminal genius.

There are some interesting fantasy sequences where Moore imagines himself as the heroes of his own mystery books. Shame about his attempt at a northern accent though! My one criticism would be the low budget, shaky tv-movie production values and some rather offbeat comic-book style scenes. It's exciting stuff, but probably won't appeal to those who aren't fans of Moore or MacDowall.

Society columnist and former thriller writer Thomas Grace (Roger Moore) based his most successful book, "The Man Who Wouldn't Die", on the notorious killer Bernard Drake , now supposedly dead following a prison fire. But an artist (Nancy Allen) approaches Grace after she has psychic visions and claims that Drake is alive and carrying out murders featured in the plot of Grace's book.

Roger Moore stars in this lively and offbeat thriller which is a sort of an ode to mystery/pulp fiction. Moore is a joy to watch, smooth as ever and sharp. He's 67 here and doesn't look it. He always makes a film watchable. Pity he didn't make more mystery films around this period, or do a TV series. He is well supported by Nancy Allen, a psychic who warns Moore about the murders about to occur from his arch nemesis Malcolm McDowell, who relishes in his fiendish role and is deliciously hammy.