Les risque-tout

In the 1960s, Robert Forster was starring in major studio movies like "Medium Cool" and "Reflections In A Golden Eye". But something happened to his career, and by 1977 he was appearing in low budget product like this movie. All the same, Forster gives a pretty credible performance, and the general level of acting by the other performers is acceptable. But it's hard to think of anything else positive about this movie. There are a number of stunt sequences, but they come off as just okay at best, routine at their worst. The main problem is with the script. Forster's character is supposed to be investigating his brother's death as well as the deaths of other stuntmen, but he hardly does any investigating at all. Most of the movie is obvious padding, and the revelation of the culprit only seems to come because the movie can't be padded out any more. Only if you're desperate.

I wish I saw "Stunts" when it first came out. I would have been thirteen years old and I would have loved every second of it. Watching it today, I liked a whole bunch of it. This movie has goodwill to spare. The cast is very likeable and most of them give nice performances. The story is silly but the stunts are cool so that balances out. The location photography is very good. I feel like visiting that hotel. All in all, I plan on watching "Stunts" again real soon. Honorable mention: Ray Sharkey.

STUNTS opens with a pair of black-gloved, up-to-no-good hands, as they tamper with a helicopter's safety line. Not long after, a stuntman tumbles from the same craft.

Splat!

Enter Glen Wilson (Robert Forster), who also happens to be a stuntman. Attempting to uncover the truth about his brother's demise, Wilson finds out what we already know.

Soon, Wilson's stuntman friends start having tragic "accidents" of their own.

While not overly thrilling, this movie does hold its own as a murder mystery. Forster is as good as ever, and he's joined by Fiona Lewis as stranded reporter, BJ Parswell.

Co-stars the wonderful Joanna Cassidy and Richard Lynch...

Small drive in film that is really well made and entertaining. The story is straight forward and easy to follow. Someone is tampering with stunt props resulting in what appear to be accidents causing the death of multiple stuntmen. No motive is apparent, and there appear to be a number of culprits who could be the doing this. Robert Forster is the Brother of one of the victims, and he more or less takes his Brother's spot on the stunt team. As the death rate climbs, Forster remains determined to see justice done. No police are involved, as stuntmen have their own way of dealing with a comrades demise. The cast is strong, and includes the always interesting Richard Lynch. This is a movie to seek out, if you enjoy low budget films that are a very pleasant surprise. - MERK

In the late 70s and early 80s, action films didn't rely on CGI to wow the audiences; stunts were what packed in the crowds—real stunts performed by real stuntmen.

Anything with cars flying 30 feet through the air would be guaranteed to fill the theatres and the limits were pushed by these 'fall guys' as to what they would do in order to impress. Stunts—AKA 'Who Is Killing the Stuntmen?' AKA 'The Deadly Game' (UK video title)—tells of one such guy, Glen Wilson (Robert Forster), who becomes involved in the making of a movie after his brother mysteriously dies performing a stunt. Suspecting foul play, he searches for clues between filming, aided by a feisty female reporter (Fiona Lewis).

Director Mark L. Lester, who later helmed the 80s 'classics' Class of 1984 and Commando, packs the film with all manner of death defying feats, but struggles to make anything special from the run-of-the-mill script. Despite a good performance from the ever-reliable Forster and good support from a raft B-movie regulars (including the great Richard Lynch), the result feels very much like a made-for-TV movie, and lacks the grittiness I was hoping for.

Stunts is enjoyable on a nostalgic level (if you love the vibe of 70s flicks, then there is some fun to be had from the movie's general atmosphere), and it does contain a few fairly impressive action sequences, but I found that, even at a running time of less than an hour and a half, the film only just managed to keep my attention.