Auto Focus details
| Format: | 18 DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Kurt Fuller, Michael Rodgers, Maria Bello, Ron Leibman, Greg Kinnear, Rita Wilson, Willem Dafoe |
| Director: | Paul Schrader |
| Genre: | Drama - Crime |
| Studio: | SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
Auto Focus |
18 Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 41 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | Not currently released |
| Main languages: | English |
| Hearing impaired subtitles: | English |
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Most helpful review
Not exactly heroic
By Tim Turner from Manchester , 18 May 2004[Highly rated reviewer]
If you haven't seen Bob Crane in 'Hogan's Heroes', this film might seem a bit remote. On the other hand, if you've seen any movies directed by Paul Schrader or based on his scripts, you don't need to, because you'll recognise it as one of his habitual low-life studies. More or less a true story, this shows the gradual slide into degradation of Crane, an effortlessly nice TV star obsessed both with having sex, and with filming himself having sex.
As played by Greg Kinnear, Crane is a colourless, hopelessly bland charmer with almost no redeeming features, overwhelmed by the opportunities that fame offers him. There are some very funny sequences, and Schrader handles it with uncharacteristic lightness. It's odd to find a film about such a sordid subject which is so genial and unsensational. Kinnear and Willem Dafoe also give excellent performances. Nevertheless, it's not exactly cheerful watching a man throw his life away, so you should only watch this one if you're in a very good mood.- Was this review helpful to you?
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All reviews
(26)Who cares about Bob?
By jesuskenevil (245 reviews) from Bruton , 27 May 2010Bob Crane quickly descends into a world of sex and alcohol, making him unemployable and, ultimately, unlovable. Dafoe is good as the needy but unstable friend and Kinnear is at his usual standard. Why does it feel a little flat? Well shot, good acting, period captured well......Well who cares about Bob Crane? Like the movie, he's not typical or extraordinary.- Was this review helpful to you?
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stay focused
By gingerspike (410 reviews) from Grimsby , 27 Feb 2010i really didnt know what to think this film was going to be like. thought maybe it would just be an excuse for some cheap titilation and pseudo shock tactics but it was a good film with some good acting. worth a look.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Sad but good
By a customer from Carmarthen , 14 May 2009This is a sad tale of how fame can destroy a person. We see graphically how a character played by Kinnear exploits his fame but with an able parasite the Svengali-like Dafoe constantly hovering over him.
Because of its subject I found this uncomfortable viewing as it is always sad to me to see a person self destruct. Nonetheless this film has a comprehensive well drawn story with good direction and solid support to the two main characters.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Nice n' Sleazy
By JHawk (102 reviews) from Edinburgh, Scotland , 09 Oct 2008Schrader really is quite good at depicting man's descent into decadence and sleaze (Taxi Driver, Light Sleeper, and most recently The Walker), without being too exploitative.
Auto Focus tells the story of sixties U.S tv actor Bob Crane - his rise and fall from radio and tv stardom into porn-addled obscurity. Greg Kinnear is a revelation in the lead, his all-American style used perfectly. Willem Defoe shines in a good-sized role (rare of late) as the unwitting accomplice in Crane's descent into porn/sex addiction.
A great wee movie that has great period detail, a fine script (adapted from Robert Graysmith's book) and a good ensemble cast.- Was this review helpful to you?
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death by tape worm
By a customer from Norwich , 02 Feb 2007Having seen Hogan's Heroes ad infinitum during my childhood, Auto-Focus provides a degree of insight into Bob Crane, the actor who played the protagonist. Sadly the character of Colonel Hogan was a role model for my friends and myself. He evinced as much cool as a '60s sitcom ever achieved. It is not surprising that he was a ladies man (to adopt a euphemism out of respect). What does seem anomalous is that he suffered fools gladly. Dafoe plays creepy video tape proponent and parasite Carpenter with customary relish, and shows how his desperation pushed temptation into harm's way. This is a good film. It is entertaining even as a parable about the dangers of excessive indulgence and consequent social disapproval that translates to career carnage. The bonus features provide some interesting background for what is a bizarre tragi-comedy.- Was this review helpful to you?
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