hollyberryholly

The Stunt Man (1980)

Quite Possibly the Worst Movie I've Ever Seen

I saw this movie last night at my husband's insistence - he saw it years ago and bought it online. 30 minutes into the movie, I was still asking, "So what's going on here?" "Huh?" "Whaa...?" "I don't get it." My bathroom break didn't even require putting the DVD on "pause." It takes about the first hour of the movie to figure out the plot, and by that point, I just didn't care. I'm not sure what the writers were thinking, but it couldn't have been anything about making a coherent story that viewers could follow, and invest themselves in.

Peter O'Toole is wasted in this movie. I wonder what he was thinking; maybe he needed some cash.

Barbara Hershey was in about every third movie during this time period, and plays about the same character in each one.

I last saw "Helter Skelter" starring Steve Railsback 15-20 years ago, and the moment I saw him the "The Stunt Man," he was immediately recognizable. Apparently he has only the one facial expression: freaky. Even during love scenes, he looks freaked out. There is no tenderness; when he smiles, it never reaches his eyes. That was apropos for "Helter Skelter," but perhaps not for this movie.

During the first few minutes, I wondered if I wasn't seeing some odd re-tread of "First Blood." Where's Rambo when you need him?

In short, don't waste your time. If you want to see freaked-out Railsback, watch "Helter Skelter" - it's a better movie, and is actually based on a true story. If you're looking for a misunderstood Vietnam Vet, "First Blood" has a coherent message, and besides, Stallone is a lot cuter (just my opinion). If you want to see O'Toole's acting chops, there are many great films to choose from. Just not this one.