The Stunt Man
1978
A Vietnam veteran who kills a stunt man takes his place in an action film. The director of the film insists that the stunt man perform more dangerous and terrifying feats.... Read more
| Starring | Peter O'Toole, Barbara Hershey, Chuck Bail, Allen Garfield |
|---|---|
| Director | Richard Rush |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Thriller |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Peter O'Toole soars off the overacting scale here as a film director trying to make a war movie and hiring the fugitive Vietnam veteran who killed his chief stuntman. O'Toole later claimed that he based his character on the intimidating, ruthless perfectionist David Lean — and he got an Oscar nomination for it. If you can see through the smokescreen of O'Toole's performance, you'll find a slightly subversive, long and rather ramshackle satire about movies, illusion and politics. A lot of the filming was done at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, famous as the main location for Some Like it Hot.
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Overlong, curious, but sometimes compelling melodrama which entertains on the surface while its actual aims are harder to fathom.
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Lacking the innocence of Rush's previous work, this is also short on the really sardonic wit that its storyline (based... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
View all -
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful
O'Toole At His Very Best...Intelligent & Entertaining
A cult gem, The Stunt Man is an overlooked film that, thanks to DVD, has never looked nor sounded better. Part comedy, part tragedy, part drama, part satire, the film could easily be a complete jumbled mess, but instead through the superb acting, script and direction, the film is both beguiling and gripping all at the same time.
Steve Railsback plays a man on the run from jail who, through a series of fateful incidents, winds up on the set of megalomaniacal director Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole) latest war film. Cross, a self serving egotistical showboat of a man, immediately warms to Railsback and soon realises that the man is on the run, and decides to put him well and truly in harms way in return for keeping his secret.
The film is, quite simply, superb. Peter O'Toole recieved an Oscar nomination for his powerhouse performance as Cross, and this is without doubt one of his classic performances.
It may be a little old, but if you want to see how to take the mickey out of Hollywood and celebrate its tacky allure all at the same time, The Stunt Man is an extremely rewarding evening in front of the DVD player. -
What's going on?
One of my favourite films. You can rely on nothing you see and not one of the characters tells a word of truth. Especially savour 'Berts' explanation of his crimes...
O'Toole steals the show with his overcooked performance (as bogus as everything else), but the main reason I love it is its anarchism, warmth and good humour. -
2 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Dont waste your time!
Why oh why did any company bother to convert this into a dvd i'll never know. Its rubbish, dont waste you time!!
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5 out of 7 people found this review helpful
O'Toole At His Very Best...Intelligent & Entertaining
A cult gem, The Stunt Man is an overlooked film that, thanks to DVD, has never looked nor sounded better. Part comedy, part tragedy, part drama, part satire, the film could easily be a complete jumbled mess, but instead through the superb acting, script and direction, the film is both beguiling and gripping all at the same time.
Steve Railsback plays a man on the run from jail who, through a series of fateful incidents, winds up on the set of megalomaniacal director Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole) latest war film. Cross, a self serving egotistical showboat of a man, immediately warms to Railsback and soon realises that the man is on the run, and decides to put him well and truly in harms way in return for keeping his secret.
The film is, quite simply, superb. Peter O'Toole recieved an Oscar nomination for his powerhouse performance as Cross, and this is without doubt one of his classic performances.
It may be a little old, but if you want to see how to take the mickey out of Hollywood and celebrate its tacky allure all at the same time, The Stunt Man is an extremely rewarding evening in front of the DVD player. -
What's going on?
One of my favourite films. You can rely on nothing you see and not one of the characters tells a word of truth. Especially savour 'Berts' explanation of his crimes...
O'Toole steals the show with his overcooked performance (as bogus as everything else), but the main reason I love it is its anarchism, warmth and good humour. -
2 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Dont waste your time!
Why oh why did any company bother to convert this into a dvd i'll never know. Its rubbish, dont waste you time!!
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Peter O'Toole soars off the overacting scale here as a film director trying to make a war movie and hiring the fugitive Vietnam veteran who killed his chief stuntman. O'Toole later claimed that he based his character on the intimidating, ruthless perfectionist David Lean — and he got an Oscar nomination for it. If you can see through the smokescreen of O'Toole's performance, you'll find a slightly subversive, long and rather ramshackle satire about movies, illusion and politics. A lot of the filming was done at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, famous as the main location for Some Like it Hot.
-
Overlong, curious, but sometimes compelling melodrama which entertains on the surface while its actual aims are harder to fathom.
-
Lacking the innocence of Rush's previous work, this is also short on the really sardonic wit that its storyline (based... read more on Time Out
Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop
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The Stunt Man
A Vietnam veteran who kills a stunt man takes his place in an action film. The director of the film insists that the stunt man perform more dangerous and terrifying feats.......
-
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