I thought that this movie was great. I really feel that it was supposed to be a silly way of conveying the importance of immigrants in society. Though the setting was on a small scale, (the state of California rather than the entire U.S.) it shows the chaos of what could happen and that is just in California. However it was a little far fetched and didn't make sense in some places. I don't believe that the country as we know it would come to an end as the film portrays, but it would suffer some very painful consequences. I thought that overall it was a very good movie. The director, Sergio Arau, is known for his interesting artistic take on his films. This one is really no different. The overflowing glass and leaky water faucet was nice symbolism as well. Although this film is a comedy, it does a nice job of bringing across its serious underlying message. Through some of the fluff and nonsensical points this movie in the end makes its point. Also, the special features interviewing some of the Latino population and their points of view were also a really eye opening complement to the movie.


When I saw this film, I honestly went in expecting to watch an awful film.

The story is well written (although I now know it is based on previous films). And the acting is also well, not great but OK.

One point I will get across though. Aside from the fact that this was so obviously a low budget film with bad editing and good enough story. I did notice an obvious and dare I say... pathetic message.

This film seems to support the idea that the average Mexican feels inferior to the average American, thus the need to make a film to emphasize the idea, by creating a pretend-world where the American begs for the Mexican to return. Basically supporting the fact that Mexicans are no more than laborers.

It was a good film until the end credits when we see the American farmer smoking weed. It is in very poor taste, and it is so obvious that the director wanted to film that and show it. Why? Because he does it himself? Who knows... but that basically destroyed much of the little credibility the film had going.

The film is enjoyable, just forget about the actual social issues and cut the weed smoking scene.


This comedy was touching, scathing and educational. The film addresses the stereotyping of Latinos, and the tremendous economic power the Latin population has in the state of California. Few films are brave enough to take on this sort of subject matter. We see the decimation of the police force, agriculture, and the entertainment biz. But the message is not given in a preachy or cynical style. It's a really great movie for younger audiences because the satire has tremendous heart. It's good for adults too because it's biting and intelligent. Tremendously entertaining and informative. I loved the "surprise ending" and the basic message that family is not defined by blood alone.


Scientist Ray Milland believes he's seeing and speaking to his late young daughter in "Daughter of the Mind," also starring Gene Tierney and Don Murray. I suspect this was a pilot for a series on psychic phenomenon that was to star Murray; hence the "guest starring" credits for Tierney and Milland.

This is an intriguing drama. Milland is a scientist involved in sensitive government work, and our side is convinced that the messages he's getting from his daughter to quit what he's doing - bringing into play the possibility of defection - are a conjurer's trick by the other side. George MacCready, who plays Murray's boss, asks him to investigate. There are some sticking points for Murray. He sees the girl's image, he hears her voice - and then, during a séance, a wax replica of her hand appears in water, with verifiable fingerprints yet! If these things aren't true, how are they being accomplished? John Carradine, who plays an expert in the field of séances and mediums, advises him, "You're going about it the wrong way. Don't ask if it was a trick. Ask yourself, if you were going to do it, how would you?" Gene Tierney plays Milland's wife. 1969 was the last year she worked with the exception of one appearance in 1980. Though not Laura any longer, the blue eyes are still beautiful and vibrant, her smile is still lovely, and though illness has taken its toll, she is still beautiful. Ray Milland is fine as the devastated father though his bad hairpiece is distracting. He lost his hair after a permanent he received for "Reap the Wild Wind," and eventually embraced baldness. Pamelyn Ferdin, a popular child actress of the day, plays the daughter. All in all, a very interesting story.


Daughter Of The Mind is a strange and a very compelling movie. This is one of the rare gems of the made for television movies back in the early seventies.I saw this movie for the first time when I was around eleven years old, and I never forgot it.I saw this recently, and I enjoyed it as much as I did when I was a child.The cast in this movie was very good. Ray Milland was excellent as the grieving father.I have seen so many of his movies, this is my favorite one.The cast also included Gene Tierney and she was wonderful in her part too.Don Murray was very effective in his role.I believe he is such an underrated actor.The music in the movie gives it a very nice quality. I cannot say that this story is scary, it is more of a mystery in my book.It is so nice to see a mystery film, that does not have all of the gore that is so prevalent in the film industry today.I give this film a very good rating, and I recommend to all who love mystery and suspense.


Like Curtis, this movie freaked me out when I was eight years old. I always thought that it was Cathy Silvers and tonight I was watching the 30 year reunion for Happy Days and thought, Let's Google!! Well, her filmography didn't list any TV shows (I would have never remembered Daughter of the Mind ) and found the Pamelyn Ferdin website and then ended up here. One of my life's greatest enigmas has been answered and now I plan to try and locate the movie from the vaults of Movie of the Week which gave rise to Mystery of the week which gave rise to McMillan and Wife, Columbo, The Night Stalker, and McCloud. Whew. Isn't the Internet wonderful?!!


Does anyone remember the name of the medic who escapes over the wall with Papillon and Dega - is it Maturette? In any case, he may mark the first time Hollywood created a gay character - at least in a big-budget film - who is sympathetic, not stereotypical or ridiculous or treacherous, and is given his fair share of personal dignity. First, Papillon wants to prostitute him to distract a guard so that he can escape: He lets Papillon know in no uncertain terms that he's "not a whore" and that "Between the two of us, I'm the one who's killed a man." Later, he shows bravery, solidarity, and resourcefulness equal to the two leads'.

It's a fairly large role, the actor makes a strong impression, yet (almost as important) the filmmakers don't showcase him in a self-congratulatory way ("Look how progressive we are!"). He's not offset by any more "typical" gay characters to lessen his impact, nor, thankfully, by one of those ritual gang-rape-of-the-male-lead scenes that seem to be obligatory in prison pictures (e.g., "The Shawshank Redemption"). This is all especially remarkable in that Hollywood movies at the time were still rife with abysmal gay stereotypes (see "Play Misty for Me," "The Eiger Sanction," "The Producers," any number of others in all kinds of genres.) I'd love to know if this was a conscious decision by Schaffner or the screenwriters (Trumbo and Semple both had good progressive credentials, after all).

By the way, if you're going to see this film, see it letterboxed - it loses much of its visual impact in a standard TV pan-and-scan format.


The music score of Jerry Golsmith for PAPILLON is great. However, I didn't find a very important part : in the movie, during the 2nd escape of Papillon with Maturette and Clusiot, the prison's orchestra plays a music...

I've always wanted to know what was this music, because I found it very appropriate with the action. I supposed it was "classical music" since it was not on the official score of Jerry Goldsmith. But I didn't find it in the credits either, so I made my own search and I found it !

It was "FAUST" composed by Charles GOUNOD in 1859.

...


This movie has a very particular meaning to me. I remember the first time I watched it with my pa', I was 7 or something, and I was really captured by its deep humanity. That was the first and last time I watched this movie since this year, when I found it in a store and immediately bought it. The amazing thing is that, on my way home, I started thinking back about the movie and it was clear to me that I perfectly remembered, after over 15 years, every single part of the movie, from the beginning to the end, even the smallest details. A fact that was confirmed few minutes later when I got home and played it. I reckon not all movies have the same effects. And I think whoever watches this movie is gonna be blown away as I've been before. The real, thoughtful, amazing and, why not, entertaining story this film tells, along with the masterful acting of both McQueen and Hoffman, make of Papillon a really hard-to-forget experience, something you could become addicted to. Unmissable.


The movie centers an unrelenting prisoner( extraordinary Steve MacQueen) who's sent to French Guayana in Devil's Island. He's determined to break out from the gaol placed on a deserted and an impenetrable island. He befriends with an inmate(Dustin Hoffman, a real chameleon actor) who's imprisoned for swindle . They will confront lot of dangers and sufferings until reach freedom . McQueen tries a series of escapes but he's always recaptured . The punishments will be terrible and developed in graphic realism.

The history is based on real deeds, it's adapted from an autobiographical best-selling book about a French burglar named Henri Charriere and Dalton Trumbo(previously prohibited for the Black List and he's cast as the Commandant) and Lorenzo Semple Jr are the screenwriters . The pic is overlong about two hours and half , though is neither boring, nor tiring, but entertaining, because develops many adventures and happenings. The motion picture obtained pretty success ,it was a box office winner . Attained hits at every theaters around the world. The film is a magnificent portrayal of tortures and sufferings of the prisoners in far countries .The yarn's title refers to the starring's butterfly tattoo.

Interpretation protagonists -McQueen, Hoffman- is top notch, they make a magnificent couple. The support cast though very secondary is very fine : George Coulouris,Don Gordon,Gregory Sierra,Victor Jory, among others. The veteran Jerry Goldsmith creates an exciting and atmospheric musical score and Fred Koenekamp cinematography is excellent with astounding outdoors of the jungle. The picture is rightly directed by Franklin J. Schaffner - Planet of apes, Patton- . The flick will appeal to prison genre buffs and adventures films fans. Rating : good and nice. Well worth seeing.


"Papillon" stroke me as a little shocking since I wasn't expecting so much "controversial" material in a movie this old, in other words, a movie with Steve Mcqueen. Homosexuality, nudity, loads of blood and gore, elements which today STILL have it hard and are somewhat still regarded as tabu. The movie itself is highly entertaining and beautiful to watch but I wasn't really impressed with neither the acting or the story. Steve Mcqueen was never a very good actor for my standards of acting and although he has many really bright moments in this one his inability to stop switching his role on and off to his usual Steve Mcqueen persona didn't help much. Dustin Hoffman is better but is still more of an "along for the ride" character, not his greater work. Prison movies are always entertaining just for their location and this one is saved by some great torture scenes and escapes. Well worth the watch though. 7/10


Henri Charriere? Who's he? This movie is about Steve McQueen! Devils' Island? Where's that? This movie is about Hollywood! I saw this film way back when in a time where Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman were at the height of their popularity. McQueen was the typical "good looking" lead while Hoffman was part of the new wave of "serious" actors. Frankly this was all fluff and this film stands out as a example of popular reputations polluting a interesting subject for a film.

Devils Island had been used by Hollywood as a setting in melodramatic plots not much unlike other prison films. Although his story is based on fact and has tried to bring some more gritty reality to the story, it is still a Hollywood formula film where the looking for respect "actor" but really movie star McQueen is paired with the a new wave (for the time) respectable actor but really movie star wannabe Dustin Hoffman to give it commercial appeal.

McQueen's casting works somewhat he having a tough guy image but Hoffman's casting, again I think meant to make McQueen look good, looks sillier every day. He is just too light to be doing this part, a part someone like Edward G. Robinson would have been perfect for in his prime. Time and social changes has betrayed the phoniness of the late 60's Auteur directing and method acting as some kind of a religion school of thought. McQueen's movie star charisma has held up much better because it was a integral part of him. "Little Big Man" Hoffman's later roles such as as "Tootsie" just makes him a joke as in most famous Hollywood expression of them all: "There's ten dollars I'll never see again."

My favorite part of the movie is when McQueen is in solitary and he tries to stop from going crazy.

I will not go crazy! I will not go crazy! I crazy will not go! Go crazy I will not! Not crazy go not I! I wonder if the audience was as successful? By the way, how do I look? Did the warden ever keep pet mocking birds? I've got such a lovely bunch of coconuts!

In short, McQueen and Hoffman try hard but the movie is just too long.

Of course the biggest bunch of phonies at the time were the audience of pretentious message film as art of intellectual wannabes sitting in the cinema. A generation of baby boomer's once removed from European peasants holding City College degrees lording over the universe. Lure these self important phonies in and be pseudo socially relevant all the way to the bank. Sounds like a formula for a death camp movie, not Devils Island.

In other words. like seeing oneself in some home camcorder production from the 70's, this film has aged as well as canned mystery meat at best.

So there!


I'm surprise that this movie is not listed on Top 250 list!!! what's wrong with you people?! this is a Masterpiece ...god it almost made me cry..please vote good for this movie ..this movie deserve to be on the top instead of stupid movies like "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984) and lots of other not so deserving titles on top 250 films list on IMDB...Steve McQueen is at his best as Papillon...great story and overall an excellent picture..if you haven't seen it yet ,do not hesitate you owe that to yourself if you are a movie fan and don't forget to vote after you watched it we have to have this movie on Top 250 films list..Don't you agree with me?

10/10

Bobby


sorry lemmings, this movie is not about hope.liberal lemmings like to rant, what hope?, what freedom? what the movie really impresses me is certainly not about "hope" but the sufferance, and accepting fate. when people facing such cruel reality. more hope means more despair....everyone has hope, there is nothing special to have hope, nothing to be proud of..what people really need is to understand the reality,have the courage to face the reality..only someone so disillusioned can be so clinical like Mccqueen's character, Henri Charriere

I remember Steve Mccqueen mumbles many time "I don't know" "I don't care".such words show how cool and prepared he is. he is ready for any injustice....

the true reality is not one person was lucky ..and escaped and got free, the reality is so many people couldn't be lucky and able to do the same.. to be broad, so many people are killed everyday in the world.people can't hold their fate, whatever how much they try. if people could really handle their fate, nobody would be killed or treated badly.. if a gang can kill a person, the society can play the role too..the society is unfair, it has been and always will be. just the nature of the society.

talking about hope..shawshank is a movie about "hope".very idealistic about that one can easily escape the prison , easily deal with social machine. life is always wonderful as long as you have "hope"..and do what Andy does... typical brainwashing


The famous novel, which this film is based on, was a big best-seller when it was released. Hollywood, of course, was immediately there and realized, that this was something that you could make a movie out of. Despite good performances by the leading men, the film is much too long, and lacks the dramatic continuity of the book. The music, though, by Jerry Goldsmith and the cinematography by Fred J.Koenekamp are both excellent. A little more French influence on the making of this movie would probably have increased its authenticity.


******CONTAINS SPOILERS****I watched the movie for the first time when I was really young and remembered it being really gripping and intimidating(especially the bug scenes). Having re-watched it again over easter, I must say I was just bored and confused when we got to the second half of the movie. I still enjoyed the first half of the film up until they leave the leper but after that the pace gets strangely confusing. Episodic and disjointed as some say in their comments. I was lost as to why we spend 10 mins watching McQueen living with this Indian tribe running around with this half-naked woman. How much time was that supposed to be? Why do they all disappeared suddenly? I even thought maybe he's hallucinating or something.

I kept trying to think maybe I should give the movie some slack as it is from the 70s. It must have been a very elaborate production at the time with such exotic set. The casting I must say is a total flop though. McQueen and Hoffman are great actors but why them? Shouldn't they be French (or at least have French accents)? Why are the rest of the prisoners Americans? And why are the "bad guys" (i.e. guards) English?? It makes things pretty confusing I must say.

Overall I enjoyed the production but as a movie it is not at all coherent and convincing. Let say I enjoyed the Great Escape a lot more.


Probably the worst movie i've ever seen.If you want to know the true story of Papillon READ THE BOOK!!!

Here are some reasons why this movie is so bad :

1. The script twists the original book in a freaking manner. The 1st escape takes place before Papi reaches the detention island , he escapes from the prison with Maturette and CLOUSIOT not with Dega which is to scared to escape and does not help them in any manner, the escape scene is partial true , there was no party and no guard was so close to raise the alarm like in the movie. BUT in the movie before the escape him and Dega go in woodcutting camp that's not true , Papillon went in the woodcutting camp with Clousiot AFTER THEY GOT CAUGHT, after Papillon escapes with ANtonio ,the guy who speaks Spanish, from a Colombian prison.

2. Apart of changing the initial chapter order they miss a lot of them to, the Conciergerie chapter is not even mentioned and it has a vital role in comprehending the idea of the book. MOST IMPORTANT PART THAT HAS BEEN CUT IS THE TRIAL AND THE DREAMS OF REVENGE THAT KEEP PAPILLON GOING THOSE ARE Extremely IMPORTANT and you realize that after reading the book .

3. Hollywood style is doing marvels :)). Papillon had no butterfly tattooed on his chest he had a tiger tattooed on the chest and he tattoos the Indian chief with a tiger not a butterfly.

Also DEGA is not an important character of the book he appears in the Conciergerie Chapter, the travel to Guyana and at Papillon's 1st solitary detention.

CONCLUSION : They ruined a marvelous book doing a very bad movie.


If you ever take the time to read the novel, you will realize that the movie absolutely sucks. The plot has been butchered, some characters are miscast and it just doesn't give you the same feeling as the novel does. When I read the novel, I felt like I was in prison and like I was going through the same hardships as Papillon was. When I watched the movie, it didn't really leave any kind of impact on my emotions. It seems as though the screenwriters didn't read the novel, but had instead heard a few things about it, and then went on to write the screenplay. That usually doesn't promise a very good movie adaptation. So in conclusion, read the book, do NOT watch the movie.


I heard this film had got Oscar for something. Haven't you ever thought why films of such different levels get Oscars? Nobody is surprised that "Coocoo's nest" did but this one! Extremely unimpressive McQuinn's play and Hoffmann who tries to save the situation and fails. And who could wait that the director of Planet of the apes may product such an unfortunate picture?!


Watching Papillon today it occurred to me that the film it most resembles is Birdman of Alcatraz. Both Steve McQueen and Burt Lancaster were sent to prison for murder convictions although allegedly McQueen was innocent. Both were based on true characters who wrote, in the case of Lancaster ghost wrote, their own memoirs of their time in the joint and the films are based on those books. And certainly both men were rebel spirits.

In Lancaster's case it's an internal rebellion against the rules of the penal system. Of course in the work he did developing those bird remedies, he rehabilitated himself in a way that 'the system' did not understand.

But in the case of Henri Charriere aka Papillon for the butterfly tattoo on his chest, he just wants out of the penal colony at Devil's Island and makes many attempts to get shed of the place. The film is about his many attempts and his refusal to quit no matter what is done to break him. Devil's Island in the Thirties was not any better than it was when Alfred Dreyfus was doing his time in the tropical prison. Still McQueen is resourceful enough as you will see.

McQueen though he's far from French has the rebel persona that really fits this part. Had he been younger and this been a French production I could have seen Jean Gabin in the role. It's one of McQueen's best roles and he holds your interest throughout this nearly three hour film.

Leading an impressive supporting cast is Dustin Hoffman who plays what we would now call a white collar criminal. He becomes a devoted acolyte of McQueen seeing he's going to need friends himself if he's to survive Devil's Island. He also wants to escape in the worst possible way.

Later on we see Hoffman in a different light as if completing the Birdman of Alcatraz analogy, Hoffman's role is similar to that of Telly Savalas who's a tough character when we first meet him in Birdman, but later becomes acclimated to prison life. Hoffman has worked himself into a nice situation relatively speaking on the Island and has resigned himself that this is his home for better or worse. It's a very good performance by Hoffman as his character changes during the film.

I'd really recommend seeing both Birdman of Alcatraz and Papillon back to back. It's a good prison doubleheader for a rainy afternoon.


This is one of the best pieces of creative work. What makes this movie even more powerful is the fact that it is based on truth. It makes one realize how lucky one is to be born free and live & breath in environment where there are no shackles. It instills in you the love for free world where one is born and where life runs and smiles and where humanity prevails over the anguish & pain of inhuman torturous places like Devils Island. We must learn to love our freedom while we still have it. The movie portrays the horrors of solitary excellently and of all the worst things that a human may do to the other, i think solitary lies at the lowest level of humanity. You can feel it through, the unbearable distress of solitary confinement and how it cripples all you ability to think and believe. I think Mcqueen was excellent there. I recommend this for all those who have the desire to understand the urge of running from a hell like devils island and back into the world, our world!


'Papillon' tells one of those stories that we remember for a long time. It is the tale of one man's life, an unbreakable friendship, and an inability to accept defeat against impossible odds. The film was based on the memoirs of convicted French felon Henri Charrière (though several critics have expressed doubt over the factual accuracy of the described events), who spent many years incarcerated in the brutal penal settlement of mainland French Guiana. The film was adapted by Dalton Trumbo and Lorenzo Semple Jr., and directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, who is most well-known for 'The Planet of the Apes (1968)' and 'Patton (1970).' Steve McQueen delivers a formidable performance as the convict Charriere, nicknamed "Papillon" because of the butterfly tattoo on his chest. Claiming to have been framed in the murder of a pimp, Papillon seeks immediately to escape from his imprisonment, employing the services  and later the friendship  of the withdrawn and vulnerable, but nonetheless resourceful, Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman).

One element that 'Papillon' accomplishes so powerfully is the torture and suffering that takes place in the prison. The bodies of exhausted and wasted men litter the paths, and most inmates have grown so accustomed to the prospect of death that they greet each carcass with a painful indifference. After a failed escape attempt, Papillon is sentenced to two years in solitary confinement, a truly horrific punishment with the sole aim of crushing the prisoner's spirit and sanity. Despite a few inexperienced dream sequences, this segment of the film is handled masterfully, and McQueen excels, deteriorating into the jittery, wide-eyed, physically-drained shell of a human being who has only a paper-thin grasp on both life and reality. A remarkable thing about Dustin Hoffman is that I've never seen him play the same character, and Louis Dega is no exception. Beneath his thick-lensed spectacles and shy countenance lies a true friend; one who, despite their differences, will risk everything to repay a good deed once done.

During the last third of 'Papillon', not including the final act, Schaffner veers slightly away from the touching human friendship story and descends into above-average adventure mode, which was interesting but not on par with the rest of the film. Though it appeared in Charrière's original novel, the ill-developed (and dialogue-sparse) sub-plot of the brave white man earning the admiration of the natives was a Hollywood cliché that I could have done without. Additionally, a wonderful ending was tarnished somewhat by an unnecessary few lines of closing narration. It would have been much more effective had Papillon's fate been left open to the audiences. Of course, the fact that the writers were working off a true story perhaps makes that idea completely redundant. Nevertheless, 'Papillon' is a magnificently memorable prison drama, with two outstanding central performances (neither of which, I was shocked to discover, were nominated for an Oscar). The film's themes  of an innocent man finding the courage, hope and friendship to survive the horrific treatment of a cruel prison system  almost certainly served as inspiration for Frank Darabont's 'The Shawshank Redemption (1994).'


"Papillon" is a tiring but highly entertaining film that I am rating higher than it deserves for a specific reason. It's not perfect; it has many flaws that have already been explained in other comments, one of the main one being that the story is so vast, a standard feature film can hardly do it justice (it would have worked better as a miniseries). However, I can forgive all that and more, because this film contains a scene that left such an impression on me, I am sure it will be in the back of my mind for as long as I live. I am referring of course to the scene where Papillon is sent to solitary confinement for two years. It's only 25 minutes long in real time, but it's one of the most gripping and harrowing sequences I have ever seen. Papillon is enclosed in a tiny box, five paces across, no windows, high ceiling, constantly monitored by guards, and is not allowed to make the slightest noise. Without revealing too much, his resolution to get through the two years without trouble goes wrong early on, and the warden does everything he can to push him into total insanity. The fantastic suspense that follows is unmatched by almost any psychological horror film.

McQueen starred in "An Enemy of the People" a few years later, supposedly to prove that he could act in a straight drama, but he didn't need to. His performance in these 25 minutes is wonderful as he transforms from a quiet, confident man to a mumbling maniac. The elaborate makeup certainly helps, but the desperation in his eyes and voice is all genuine. There is no need to doubt: the man could act.

It's not the only memorable scene; there are many, but it's the most impressive. It's helped by Schaffner's intense direction, injecting more and more tension into each scene until it reaches heart-attack levels in the confinement sequence. The film's dialogue is also quite intelligent and quotable, moreso than in most prison films. The whole thing is a bit of chore to get through, but the scenes of human will beating the odds make it all worth it. 9/10.


The first thing we should realize here is that I have judged this movie not by how professional the actors are or how good the filming is, but for the general feeling this movie gives you.

If you grew up in Sweden in the eighties or nineties you WILL recognize a lot of details in this movie. The script may not be to good written, but the movie has a very clear message to send to the viewers.

This movie is really fun to watch everytime just because of the funny quotes that are made in the movie. Really stereotype characters and extremely violent, but in some way interesting to see how this young director want to display the life in the suburbs of a swedish major city.

Love it or Hate it. Compare it with "Boyz in the Hood" if you'd like


The director has managed to get a precise picture of the hard knock Stockholm suburban life. The script, which is based on an Astrid Lindgren classic, is catchy, funny and mind blowing. The most familiar and loved actors of Sweden have been brought together in this modern classic, in a Ocean Eleven fashion.

The movie starts us of in a high speed chase on foot, and straight away we want to know more about this ruffian. the following scenes really have some pretty and heart breaking moments that leaves no human being untouched. I had to stop the movie and dry my tears from time to time.

This movie is not appropriate for kids(23 and under), I still have nightmares and must visit a shrink to keep me calm. I specially remember one scene that gives me the chills........I can only say one thing. A man....and a dead fox!!

Stockholm has a major problem with drugs. And everybody is invited. 2 grams of heroin cost less than a pack of Marlboro. So of course every kid run around with chemicals in their veins.

In 1993 we had movies like the very sad Schindler's List, the funny Groundhog Day and if we combine these modern classics we get......you know what......Sökarna!! See it, to believe it!!!


This is so awful that it's offensive to movies that are just plain awful.

The acting is garbage, the story is garbage, the filming is garbage.

It's just a bunch of kids (whom many seem to old for the parts) that talk about their and other peoples genitals, and commits acts of violence for no apparent reason.

Also the bad guy (as if the "kids" weren't dislikable enough) is a disgusting old bald man who likes to dress in leather and works as both a butcher and as a amateur porn film-maker.

If you have had the accident to buy this movie, find the closest dumpster and dump it down quick.

Yes, you could of course sell it to some poor soul who hasn't read this review BUT do you really want that on your conscience?


This movie is really cool even though there are to much early 90's reminders in it. I just love the scenery and the acting. you want to watch a real swedish gansgta movie rent this one. Liam was the kind of gangster he played in this movie ( he has changed to the better now.. he found god). I really hope they will show his upcoming movies on cinemas.


this is a exellent film to watch a rainy night with your friends.. their old Stockholm ghetto talk is really something! I really recomend this film too all the swedish IMDB members out there!

ghetto talk: "kom igen vi shappar"

"biga pengar"

"vi slaggar här ikväll"

"va fan vill du??....fitta!


Wow. This really is a lousy movie. There is not one single instance in this film where it doesn't feel like a comedy trying to pull itself off as a thriller. And we know what happens then, don't we? Complete with 2D-characters and single-minded acting, some grotesque details and stupid dialogue, "Sökarna" slithers at the bottom of the heap of bad Swedish movies. Looking back at this film feels like looking back towards the end of a very long tunnel - even though it was made as late as '92.

Well...I hear of a sequel. And unless the guy with the skinned fox on his shoulder (yes, you heard me) is in it, I won't go see it.


Documentaries are supposed to be recitations of fact, stripped of emotion and bias. Thankfully, the "Magical Life of Long Tack Sam" is a reverential and emotional examination of a fascinating man by a great-granddaughter who never knew him. This is a long-distance story of familial love; it doggedly transcends the mists of time that all too often obscure the life stories of the average man even from his own descendants.

Long Tack Sam, as he was known, should have ended up as the most obscure of the obscure -- a Chinese youth in a land riven with conflict, poverty and turmoil. But owing to his talent, drive, courage and a consuming entrepreneurial spirit, he became a world-renowned entertainer, parlaying the ancient Chinese acrobatic tradition into a magic act that toured the world.

Anne Marie Fleming reveals the history of an unusual family that, to her surprise, seems to have forgotten the great-grandfather they knew but she did not. She finds physical traces of Sam's legacy stored in museums around North America and in a cedar chest in Hawaii. One such artifact is a beautiful silk backdrop from his vaudeville days.

She also locates the spiritual remnants of her great grandfather in the memories of old magicians, vaudevillians and even a film clip paen to Sam delivered by none other than Hollywood's most famous prestidigitator, Orson Welles. With more irony than sadness, she notes that Sam is forgotten not only in Europe and America where he so frequently toured, but in China as well, noting that he incorporated so much of other cultures within his life that he perhaps became foreign to his own origins.

The family is strikingly interesting owing to its international character. Sam marries an Austrian woman and his children and grandchildren are spread throughout the world. (This during a time when Chinese were still treated poorly by most cultures and by officially repressed by immigration laws worldwide.) This cultural collision is deeply fascinating. We learn her great-uncle went to boarding school in England and Austria and is in a photograph standing behind Adolf Hitler during the Nazi leader's visit to his school. This fact would have undoubtedly disturbed the lunatic zealot of racial purity had he known it. This tradition of multiculturalism is an enduring factor in the life of this Sam's family: Director Ann Marie Fleming was born on Okinawa of Austrlian and Chinese heritage.

I never cease to be amazed at criticisms of films and documentaries by those who find a film "too long" or "boring." There is a difference between "reel" life and "real" life. Perhaps my own grandfather's accomplishments and zest for life against great odds makes me comprehend Fleming's appreciation of her forebear grandfather who understood the nature of drama and honed it to wow the public and carve out a modicum of success.

Comprehending Long Tack Sam's background, his narrow escape from a life of obscurity and poverty, his entrenched optimism, and his ability to bridge cultures while astutely producing a popular stage act, may be difficult for those addicted to special effects and the emotional manipulation of fictional contrivance. Life is more complicated, difficult and, ultimately interesting than anything Hollywood can conjure which is why documentaries can be so spellbinding.

Some who have criticized this documentary seem to believe Fleming is beating her own drum, or holding out her great-grandfather and her family as more interesting than they really are. What Fleming is doing, and we should be thankful she does so, is reminding all of us that we each have a fascinating history that should not be forgotten. This history is perhaps most important among our relatives who grew up in a time when a man had to wreck his body physically to make a living, or, in order to escape poverty, demonstrate extraordinary ability and courage to overcome stultifying physical and cultural boundaries. One cannot appreciate the Long Tack Sam's magical life unless one can grasp the circumstances of his times, which is part of Fleming's message.

The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam is a salutation to a remarkable family history driven by the accomplishments of a man who possessed courage and tenacity -- the true alchemic components of a "magical" life.


This film is one hell of a sumptuous visual feast. The animated photographs are wondrous, seeming to bring Long Tack Sam and kin back to life. The multiple "origin" comics are lush with color. Both merge seamlessly with candid interviews and found(?) footage. I cannot rhapsodize enough about the aesthetics and style. Kudos to Ann Marie Fleming for this biographical masterpiece on her great-grandfather.

The storyline is equally compelling. The scenic shifts from place to place, country to country, allow Fleming to uncover new facts about the acrobat/ magician's life, and cleverly parallel Sam's own perigrinations. Globetrotters, par excellance, the travels of Sam and Fleming provide effective narrative ballast, and in particular, Fleming's adept narration carefully focuses our attention, so that we feel privy to the historical events Sam lived through during the early and mid 20th century.

The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam is in every sense a celebration of an almost forgotten man, who perhaps until now, never got his proper due. And it pays homage not just to the remarkable Sam, but to other members of his family as well (especially his daughter Mina, Fleming's grandmother). With its grea t style and storytelling, this is a film to be seen again and again.


In total contrast to the opinion of, Igetheheat, who might be more appropriately named, Philistine, this is a gem of a documentary, that works well on many levels, as you can clearly see from the scores that other viewers have given this film.

First of all it is an interesting story of international romance and history, thoroughly engaging to anyone with a sense of wonder. The film has great charm which is enhanced by the incredible animation of characters in old still photos, as well as some wonderful, delightfully original animation.

Second, the story unfolds, from the point of view of the great granddaughter (Ann Marie Fleming, the filmmaker)as she tracks down the story of the great Long Tack Sam. He is an incredible person, courageous (to runaway to join the Circus and leave his home), ambitious, and obviously very talented (acrobat, and magician).

Third, it brings to focus, an era of vaudeville entertainment, that is no longer with us, so that we can only get a glimpse of what this was like from recreations and documentaries like this. It does this very well with still pictures, animations and interviews with people who remember the past.

You can enjoy this work on many levels because it, for me at least, it succeeds at every level. Bravo!!

PS Added June 2006

For those that enjoyed this movie, you might also enjoy Donna Schatz's documentary "Balancing Acts", which is making the rounds of Public TV in 2006.


Almost a documentary, this is a very well made biography of director Ann Marie Fleming's great grand-father. As a view into a period it enlightens so many disparate historical events; it seems Sam was an global perambulator, sometimes skirting and sometimes being involved in many geopolitical happenings, but always in pursuit of his work and his loves.

The format mix of film, interviews, comic book cutouts and animation holds interest over the hour and a half of run time. We get a strong sense of who this man was, and are only left to wonder why we didn't know more about him already.


Just saw this film at the 2006 Pacific Rim Film Festival in Santa Cruz, CA, which at this writing has a couple more days to run. Its easily the most captivating offering so far, and structurally one of the most creative.

Filmmaker/director/writer/animator Anne Marie Miller, a great-granddaughter of the subject Long Tack Sam, used her abundant skills and industry contacts to craft a deeply moving portrait of her once-famous vagabond Chinese ancestor, his Austrian wife, and their three children. It shows a family who made the bulk of their living from an international vaudeville circuit, but who were kept on the move as much by international events spanning both World Wars as by their own pleasure in traveling the world. One of the fascinating relics of their lives seems to be a tendency in their descendants to continue to spread far and wide. Indeed, its this mostly-unknown treasure trove of aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and old acquaintances in multiple countries who ultimately provide as much material in collective form as the various museums and associations of magicians Miller also consults.

Long Tack Sam and his magical-acrobatic revue are just one example of entertainers who were very famous in their day, but who somehow have fallen through the cracks of history, even within their own family. Like the estimated 90% of all silent films lost to time and decay, what remains is the more interesting for the glimpse it provides into the early and middle last century. And Sam's story is yet another grand edition to the immigrant history of the U.S. and Canada.

The only negative to all this is the fact no studio has picked this film up for distribution. Its a crime its not on DVD, and a worse one that its not been shown on PBS, nor, apparently, is PBS interested, according to the filmmaker. What the thinking is behind that decision is simply beyond me. Considering that PBS found the peculiar, disturbing, and emotionally distant documentary on the "art" of Henry Darger worth airing at least once, their lack of interest in "The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam" is puzzling.

Bottom line: keep an eye on your local film festival circuit, if you're lucky enough to live where one is held. This is a movie worth seeking out.


This is a qualified 10 out of 10 as the first hour or so of this documentary is great, the last half hour and/or the 90 minute total length started to put me too sleep. I mainly gave it a 10 because I was amazed at the techniques used in this film, fantastic animation, music, great sense of humor, editing and these are things I don't usually notice in a movie. The filmmaker must have had a huge budget to make this film. I hope some day she does a TV series as she is truly an innovator.

I thought the first hour was magical. The filmmaker is an excellent narrator & her narration was great. But after about an hour or so, I started to fall asleep, I think the film maker has the potential to be another "Orson Welles" if she learns pacing and that more is not necessarily better and figures out that an hour of stimulation beats an hour of stimulation & a half hour of boredom.


The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam is as engaging as watching 90 minutes of disjointed Super-8 home movies of people you've never met, except with none of the cute kids or humor that might redeem the home movies. Consider it The Blair Witch Project without a story and with no acting.

The story relates the filmmaker's progress in documenting the life of her distant grandfather who was a famous vaudeville magician and acrobat. The angle is that, while Long Tack Sam traveled in the same circuit at other vaudeville artists who are globally known, he is unknown - totally forgotten. The filmmaker attempts to flesh out the man and to explore why he is forgotten.

Having seen the movie, I understand why he is forgotten. His story, at least as related in the movie, is wholly unengaging, and the film does him no favors by droning endlessly trying to make him interesting, when in fact, he is totally undistinguishable from the hundreds of other two-bit performers scraping together a living in the early 1900s. There is no filmed footage of his act; so we are meant to appreciate his performance through animation.

The film is painfully uninteresting to watch. I screened it among a film society audience of highly forgiving film lovers, and I believe it was the first film shown in our forum to have had audience members leave, continuously throughout the movie.

One positive note: the film uses a cute technique of animating still photos, but even that novelty wore off after about 5 minutes of it.

I recommend the movie as a non-narcotic solution if you are suffering from insomnia.


This pretentious film focuses entirely on the director for all but the first thirty minutes of the film. According to this documentary, we should all be so lucky to have an ancestor as famous as Long Tack Sam. But this would be only to bask in his glory, not to celebrate his life.

In the film, we learn very little about Long Tack Sam's life and we don't see many photos of him. The film is all about Ms. Flemming's experience as she makes the documentary and is overly redundant when delivering this information. In the end I was bored and disappointed.

 This is two hours I want back so I can spend it watching a real documentary on someone who actually had a magical life.


I first saw this movie on video around the time it was produced. I immediately liked it even though it was a bit bleak. But the late 80's were full of apocalyptic nuclear holocaust movies and this was the only one that stayed with me. Now, years later, I've just rewatched it (this time on DVD) and I still think it's a very good -- but not great -- movie.

Admittedly, there's some over-the-top 80's haircuts and costumes, stuff that would be seriously 'retro' nowadays. And the acting, particularly in the beginning, is 'obvious' and a bit tiring. But when the hero receives that fateful phone call, it all changes. Suddenly, it's like watching a stage-performance of a play, a pressure-cooker where everyone suspects everyone else and no one knows what's really going on.

In fact, one of the best parts of the screenplay is that we, the audience, also don't really know what to believe (until the very end). We watch the hero struggle with what to tell people who's help he needs: if he tells them the awful truth, they may not believe/help him; if he tells them a more believable lie, is he denying them the chance to survive or at least to die with their loved ones. Either way, both he and the people he meets turn to progressively more and more extreme behavior -- people die! . . . and what if it all turns-out to have been a hoax?

In all, I think this movie ranks as a great sci-fi film, and in the truest sense of the genre: What If. It's not about aliens or galactic empires or anything else that's more fantasy than reality. Instead, it's a situation that any of us could easily imagine and I think this is why it stayed with me all these years, why it now forms a part of the framework for my imagination whenever I find myself catastrophizing about terrorism or natural disaster, anything that could separate me from the ones I love. What would I do?


Hello there,

You're definitely interested in this movie if you've got this far on the IMDB...

If you're, like me, a child of the 80's (teenager in the 80's) who saw this movie in the cinema's with that great soundtrack from "Tangerin Dream" in it(in the middle of the cold war),than you really are going to like this movie... I was able to track down this movie on PAL VHS-Tape on Ebay(you can buy it on DVD now,zone 1 only) and saw it last night on my own again. Ok,I'll have to admit that it's dated now (look at the clothes...)but that same sad feeling that creeps slowly into your head while watching this movie is still there! I really hope with the whole of my heart that we never,and I say NEVER,have to witness the day that our chosen leaders make the same stupid mistake of launching a nuclear attack on a country like they do in this movie... This is not your typical big budget,special effects loaded action-vehicle about a full-on nuclear strike but a modest little movie about what happens to a small bunch of people that finds out by accident that their country (USA) has launched a nuclear attack against another unspecified country and are getting back what they've started....

If you have your heart at the right place,then this movie grabs you by the throat and won't let go...

On the other handiIf you ONLY like comedy's and big budget action movies(which I also like very much)then you're probably going to despise this one...

Go now and find this little gem of a movie,I know you want to...

Cheers,

Dirk


I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic movies; for some reason, the thought of civilization as we know it grinding to a halt on a backdrop of nuclear bombs falling intrigues me to no end.

There are a host of movies that deal with Life After The Bomb, a whole lot more dealing with Life While Preventing The Bomb, but not very many that deal with Life Immediately Before The Bomb. This is one of the latter, and I think it pulls it off really well.

This offbeat movie chronicles a few hours in the life of a character who has just found out that the missiles are on the way.

This movie is rather offbeat; the acting is not bad, but just unlike normal hollywood acting, even despite a few familiar faces. The pacing is different, the sets are different, the colors are different. And in this case, the differences give it an edge that is quite intriguing.

The main character (tom cruise's ill-fated co-pilot in top gun) displays such an acute, personal anxiety that really grabbed my attention and really made the movie hit home.

While some of the other acting is less than stellar, in a movie like this it does not detract.

This movie really did make me think about what I would do in a similar situation. Very thought-provoking.

If you are as intriguied by nuclear war as I am, you should definitely watch this film.

8 / 10


SPOILERS. What a disappointment. After hearing much about this blink-and-you-missed it 80s apocalyptic love-story thriller, I finally managed to track down a battered old VHS copy, but my feeling now was I needn't have made the effort; it's been hard to find for a reason.

Anthony Edwards gives a credible performance in an otherwise ridiculous film. The director seemed intent on delivering the antithesis of the fluffy neon 80s teen fare but in the process blew up his own film by throwing logic and plot out of the window. It starts well enough and the middle section of the film is quite exciting, especially as the time begins to tick away and Harry is hampered at every corner from achieving what he sets out to do. Sadly it never progresses from there, as the constant set-backs just get annoying in their obvious contrivance and the film descends into ludicrousness.

Ultimately this is a seriously bleak film, especially as the "point" of this is the eternal nature of love, even one hour with your true love is better than nothing etc etc etc. This entirely fails to pay off as the script for the lovers is risible (they won't be diamonds, they'll be soup) and Mare Winningham is not up to the task of proving to us that she genuinely loves this man in the closing moments, rather that she is scared out of her mind (who wouldn't be) and will say anything. No one apart from Edwards gets to advance their character anyway, so Winningham is just dragged through the streets at 4am in a daze. A better tagline for the film would have been "If you had one hour left to live, would you waste it like Harry and Julie?".

I can't help thinking what a fascinating film this could have been if Harry had started all the panic and bloodshed only to discover he'd been wrong all along - that would have been a far more interesting ending to the one we're presented with. I found myself praying for a "it was only a dream" sequence at the end, and I deeply loathe those, so that only goes to show how little I appreciated this film. Avoid this like fallout.


This is actually my favourite American movie ever, and also my favourite thriller ever. I've seen it three times, and I've been blown away on each occasion. Some elements may be compared to Terry Gilliam's Twelve Monkeys, but I find Miracle Mile superior to it.

The plot is incredibly good, with much more depth than I thought after seeing it the first time - at that time I mistakenly thought it was a little flawed. The use of colours is also noteworthy.

While the movie is extraordinarily captivating overall, I think a few scenes in the beginning have a somewhat cheesy 80s feeling to them, but they're still strangely hypnotic.

One might also wish that some of the acting were a little better. Nevertheless, I see now that Anthony Edwards makes an absolutely outstanding acting performance in the lead role. The Tangerine Dream soundtrack is also excellent. By all means, don't let the movie's quite apparent weaknesses deceive you into thinking that this is just another second-rate, one-dimensional thriller.


I know this movie will have its haters and they will have some credible reasons. I have never heard of it but its one that I stumbled upon today on TV and can not get it out of my mind now almost 12 hours later. The closing music by Tangerine Dream "If It's All Over" is both hauntingly beautiful and emotionally sad! The question throughout the story is- is the attack real, or a prank, or a dream? I won't present any spoilers but I have to admit I wasn't prepared for the ending. I was very surprised and maybe shouldn't have been. If you ever get the chance to see it do so. As I say, there are faults with the movie but overall its a thought provoking movie and on its own terms terrifying. What would you do if you believed the end of the world was coming in less than one and a half hours?

Perhaps part of my liking of this movie on a subconscious level was my own brush with death a few weeks ago in a potential drowning incident, having 60 seconds to helplessly struggle for survival and really believing I might not survive and may really have met my end. For the first and only time in my life I experienced the true panic and fear of 'the end'. Fortunatly there was an EMT and firefighter on a boat that pulled me while helpless to safety.


How on earth did such a sublime film pass under my radar for so long? While visiting a friend the other night, he mentioned that he had just received this DVD in the post that day and was dying to watch it. I had never heard of it, but he recommended it so highly I agreed to watch it.

Wow. What an amazing film.

I had no clue what the plot was about, and I think it benefits from that. If you have not seen it yet, try to avoid spoilers and stop reading these reviews! Miracle Mile's unpredictable roller-coaster plot is probably its strongest aspect, and you would probably be well-served not even reading the video or DVD case. Unlike most other films, at any point, it is impossible to guess exactly what will happen in ten minutes time, and this makes it a delight to watch.

The script is masterfully directed, and the cast are uniformly superb and perfect for their roles. Its low budget lets it down a little in its closing moments, but it is notoriously difficult to get funding for a script such as this, so the flawed effects are easily forgiveable.

Miracle Mile is gloriously non-Hollywood, one of those weird American films that feels extremely European throughout, which only serves to add to its surreal and bewildering nature. It even has a beautiful and sad love story tying it all together.

See Miracle Mile. You will love it.


Low budget but excellently executed suspense film. As others have said, the action begins when Anthony Edwards picks up a ringing pay phone and gets a frantic message from someone in an ICBM silo who has apparently dialed the wrong number saying the missiles are on their way. For the next forty minutes it's a case of chicken little crying the sky is falling, as Edwards single handedly starts a panic in Los Angeles that has the populace rioting and fleeing for the hills. Halfway through the movie he pauses for breath as he views the carnage he's inspired and finally asks himself "Is this real? Have I caused a panic over a prank call?" - in an attempt to verify what's happening he dials the number the serviceman was trying to connect to and is connected to a very puzzled father of an airman stationed at a missile base. Dramatic pause - yes, the sky IS falling...


...at least for this wizened ol' film buff, "Miracle Mile" seems to be woefully under-seen by IMDbers, which is a shame. It's littered with known (and much lesser-known) character actors like John "I married Shirley Temple!" Agar, Denise "I was Tasha Yar!" Crosby, Mykelti "Let's go shrimpin' with Forrest!" Williamson, O-Lan "I married Sam Shepard" Jones, Robert "I've been on so many TV shows you'd be amazed!" DoQui, Brian "The Terminator took my clothes!" Thompson, Earl "I was Sarah Conner's shrink!" Boen, and others whose identities I'll leave to the investigations of the determined reader. The film's stars, Anthony "ER" Edwards and Mare "Georgia" Winningham, embody a welcome change from the typical Hollywood "beautiful people" leads, and share a great chemistry portraying tentative new lovers who ultimately share a decidedly unusual courtship. "Miracle Mile" is worth seeing for these people alone, awesome Tangerine Dream score notwithstanding.

No matter. Writer/director Steve De Jarnatt never did much else of similar note, but as far as I'm concerned his reputation is cemented by this wonderfully dark romance. Released shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the U.S.S.R., it's Armageddon time shortly after Harry meets Julie, and what fun it is to watch Romeo battle his way to the side of his Juliet. Who can help but smile at the clunkiness of what passed for "mobile" phones back then, or miss the blatant symbolism of authority figures immolating themselves with a careless squeeze of the trigger? "Miracle Mile" is b-movie wonderfulness, and practically screams for a big-budget remake (and if there is, I hope to high heaven that De Jarnatt gets to write it); it's essential viewing for all end-of-the-world movie fans, and far more entertaining than the likes of the recent remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still." The 2003 DVD release is sadly a retread of the much earlier full-screen laserdisc release, but still very watchable. In fact, it's not to be missed.


I first saw this movie 15 years ago; then the night before last I stumbled onto it again. All I remembered was the central device of the hero answering the fatal phone call, and that it was a *real good flick*. So I rented it again...

Wow. From the moment Harry tosses his lit cigarette and thus sets his part in the unfolding drama into motion, it's a heartpounding, heartbreaking ride to the inevitable conclusion. The story's unsettlingly plausible -- who hasn't answered a ringing pay phone? And what would we do in a similar situation? All the characters are believable and mostly likable, albeit some of them strangely so. And despite the human depravity of thermonuclear destruction, it says a lot about the good parts of people -- the doomed attempt of the cop to save his partner, the way the grandparents reconcile, the return of the helicopter pilot for Harry and Julie.

At the end, I looked at my partner and all I could say was "At least the old folks got to have their sandwich before it all hit", and then I busted out crying. It's that kind of movie.


It has been years since I have seen this film, but was kinda worth the time. I fine apocalyptic films interesting as a rule, but the directors over the top use of the color orange was distracting. It popped up in every thing from main character's shirt to elevator buttons, on and on. I found some of the special effect cheesy (such as when a character is suffering the effects of an explosion). Some of the hysteria was a bit overdone, all taken on the word of one guy corroborated by someone else most hardly new. Had the film taken the time to set a context by which this hysteria could have become such a driving force (as opposed to allowing the historical context of the late 1980's do it) the film would have fared better over time. I always enjoy Anthony Edwards, but again, I did have some problems with plausibility. The brief sexual tid bits are underplayed (perhaps due to the tastes of the times) but should have been made a bit stronger. There were some gaps in the plot events atop the skyscraper, and too much was left to the imagination for good continuity. This was the case when one character came back with a bloody mouth, and missing a friend, all with no explanation.


A beautiful love story with a very strange background. No big movie stars, no big budget special effects but a very strong story line and characters. The sound track is typical Eighties (Tangerine Dream), strange today but it still creates a excellent atmosphere.


This film has been on my wish list for years and years. I'd heard so many people commenting that it was one of the best paranoid movies ever. Now, I love suspenseful thrillers and there has been some amazing movies based on an apocalyptic scenario; The Day After, Dawn of the Dead, 12 Monkeys, 28 Days Later, Planet of the Apes, Terminator etal, so was really looking forward to this movie. The synopsis to Miracle Mile sounded really cool, angsty and believable, but what I found myself watching was probably one of the most unbelievably annoying, cheesy, badly acted, badly directed, and badly edited movies I've seen in a long time. In a nutshell it was awful, made worse by the fact that it could have been quite brilliant. As I said the story had the potential to be something special, but the clumsy screenplay and shoddy direction nuked that idea right out the window. It was also oddly camp as hell, quite an achievement for a film depicting the end of the world. Fair enough the 80's trappings didn't help, but what was unforgivable was the performances by EVERYONE involved. What the hell was everyone on? Did they all assume they were shooting the worst film of their careers and therefore were too embarrassed to deliver anything remotely like a competent performance? Every part of this film sucked, right through to the retarded ending with the bloody daft helicopter, complete with a HUGE gay lycra cald pilot (bizarrely played by the hulking Brian Thompson of X-files fame). The only, thing that made it almost worthwhile was seeing this rubbish nuked off the screen at the end. So to surmise, if you want to watch a nuclear thriller with unintentional laughs which is camper than a row of Rocky Horror Show fans then I'd point you to Wargames, because I simply can't recommend Miracle Mile to anybody. Not even the director of this crap, who by rights should be forced to watch this movie again, and again until he publicly denounces his film as the worst since Howard the Duck. Hang on a minute, maybe those two crapfests would make a suitably horrid double bill in purgatory.


I didn't intend to write a comment on this movie, but when I looked at the comments that are here, I was totally shocked to find so many people saying the movie is "great." I had to post this comment in an effort to balance things out just a little. I can only hope that it's some huge and elaborate practical joke that all these positive comments have been posted. Now, I must admit that I missed the first few minutes of the movie. Perhaps that would've made a difference. But I really don't think it would! I came in at a point early on, where Anthony Edwards is about to get some sleep, after which the power goes out and he wakes up late. Whatever happened before that may have been the most terrific piece of filmmaking ever, and maybe by missing that I missed the true "greatness" of the movie. But I highly doubt it.

Where I came in was, I believe, where the plot really starts. And I understood who was who quite well enough. The movie was a little odd, and quirky right from the start (where I came in,) but not SO odd that I couldn't stick with it. I stayed with the movie just because the concept of the movie was intriguing enough to keep me watching. But as the movie progressed it got weirder and weirder, and the writing got dumber and dumber!

I finally reached the "point of no return," where you finish the movie not because you're enjoying it, but because you've already invested so much time in it that you figure you might as well finish it off. The movie got increasingly bad all the way to the end. The characters did some of the most infuriatingly stupid things that I think I've ever seen. And I do mean STUPID. I want to say the acting was bad, but looking back I don't know that that's true. I think the primary actors were putting a lot into it, but the characters were so ridiculous, it made it seem that the acting was bad. Plus there was not enough character development to make some of the situations seem as natural as they maybe could have. So if I had to point to one thing as the reason this movie stinks, it'd be the writing. It was totally moronic. The acting by the primary stars wasn't the worst I've ever seen, but it wasn't great. The acting by every one else...well, let's just say it wasn't GOOD. I don't know if the movie was cheap to make, but I really hope it was, because it really looked it.

The movie was just all around bad. Battlefield Earth would be able to stand next to this one and hold its head up high. And Battlefield Earth was rotten. Again, I can only pray that all these positive comments about this movie are part of some huge prank. The only other way I can imagine that all the positive remarks got here is that the director of the movie is now unemployed and has all day to write and post new ones. Perhaps to trick people into buying the movie, so he can get some money for food. But let me end by WARNING all who have not seen the movie, but have read all the positive comments and are considering buying it: PLEASE, for your own sake, DO NOT buy Miracle Mile! If you feel you must see it, rent it first!! Or heck, wait for it to play on television; if you have to wait forever, you won't be missing anything! TRUST ME!


After years of reading reviews in books and online about how good Miracle Mile was, I finally got the chance to see it tonight on tv.

As someone who was seriously moved by other films dealing with impending nuclear doom scenarios such as Testament, The Day After and Threads, I was really looking forward to seeing this.

Imagine my disappointment then to sit down and watch a film with a great premise totally ruined by illogical plot development, ludicrous dialogue and characters who I never got to care about.

What is it with modern day moviegoers who would accept such laughable execution of an appalling script?

Is it any wonder the writer/director's CV looks painfully thin since this film?

Garbage of the lowest order - one out of ten - and that's only cos this trash lasted less than 90 mins.


This movie is bad in every respect. The direction is bush-league, after-school-special quality. The acting is bad. Mare Winningham sleeps through this dog, as I did. Anthony Edwards did an OK job of acting, but he seems to be as disinterested as I was in this movie.

The special effects are third rate. The plot idea isn't as developed as it could be.

Anthony Edwards needs to rush to the "ER" and have this movie surgically removed from his resume.


An intriguing premise leads to a feature length film with very limited story line to go on. A young man learns of an imminent nuclear holocaust just as he is falling in love with a young waitress who shares his feelings. Witnessing incredible chaos, people committing suicide left and right, the couple ends up on the roof of a tall building. Eventually giving up on having a "quickie", the two heroes appear ready to face their doom. The final lines have a touching finality. In 1988 (the release year) a large number of people all over the world still had great fears of a nuclear war and the subsequent end of the world. Fearing such doom as a certainty has become less of a concern since the end of communism and the arms race. With the fears diminished, the message of this film may have weakened considerably.

The material presented here would have made for better viewing if turned into a 20-30 minute short film. To stretch a story that can be summarized in 2 paragraphs into a feature film is, like the words suggest "stretching it". The congenial leads make the viewer empathise with their plight, yet it is understood that there will be no happy ending. It's like purchasing a one-way ticket to an unknown destination. All you know is that you will not return home. This is no "Day After", but OK viewing for fans of love stories.


"Miracle Mile" is a very effective black comedy/thriller from director Steve De Jarnatt. Average guy Anthony Edwards takes a call in a public phone booth and discovers that the end of the world is terrifyingly near; thus begins a race against time as he must locate his girlfriend and get out of LA.

Both leads, Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham, are quite impressive as is De Jarnatt's controlled direction. His use of cinematography and mix of comedy and drama shows his definite idea of where he wanted to take us. It's all topped off with a splendid Tangerine Dream score. Highly recommended!

Saturday, October 5, 1991 - Video

Steve De Jarnatt's great direction is a real bonus, as the tension he creates amidst all the black humour and drama is excellent. Anthony Edwards is perfect as 'Harry', and puts in a good performance. Supporting cast are also good.

A very clever, well-filmed double-edged thriller, with a great soundtrack from Tangerine Dream. Still a great pleasure to watch even for the third time.

Wednesday, June 3, 1992 - Video


Once I got it, I laughed so hard I squealed and wet myself.

This movie served up a delicious stack of preposterous improbabilities neatly pancaked one atop the other. Time was stretched to such infinite bounds that it brought back visions of the miles of hallway and secret passages weaving throughout the tiny shack in Evil Dead II. That mountain top box hut was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside; if you didn't get that, you won't "get" this movie.

It took a good 30 minutes before I realized that I wasn't watching a pathetic apocalyptical made for TV love story and suddenly grasped the neatly crafted humor cleverly stitched just beneath the scenes of growing panic and mushrooming affection.

A tiny helicopter becomes the perfect Noah's Ark metaphor with a gay bodybuilding Vietnam era Huey pilot snatched from a local health club at 4:00 in the morning along with his submissive girlfriend "Leslie" dutifully at the stick. We begin to sense the escape's ultimate futility on the pre-dawn Wilshire roof top while an odd collection of passengers line up two-by-two for the first leg of their voyage to sanctuary in a water rich hidden valley of Antarctica.

Clocks, Mad Magazine like, are relentlessly ticking away in the background reminding us that time has not stood stillthough you'll believe it has, it must have!

The End of the World hasn't been this funny since Kubrick's wink at oblivion in Dr. Strangelove. You too may lose some vital bodily fluids on the Miracle Mile.


To say the least, the first 30 minutes is certainly awesome, considering the premise: what would you do if the end of the world was fast approaching. While I liked the movie overall, the impending scene where people were trying to set up a dispersal sight was a bit unrealistic and far fetched. But besides that scene, this movie is certainly one that hangs on to you. While some of the moments were rather strange and surreal, the impending desperation that falls on Anthony Edwards' character is quite interesting, considering he has no need for monetary wealth. It's a good little movie to watch in the middle of the night (which is when I watched it) and certainly one that is worth a repeat viewing.


I'm one of those who actually liked this film and after reading the reviews here I'm glad most rated this film above average. Some say the characters are stupid and they will frustrate you but I don't remember this, all I remember is that it was a pretty suspenseful "what if the russians nuke the us" film. Compare it to "Deep Impact" without the effects but better. I hope it gets released on DVD soon. I love the ending.


I love this movie.

First saw it quite a few years ago and now it's just been on MGM.

I love end of the world movies.

Looks like George W Bush may bring this love to life!

Having now seen it a few times I can get to savour its elements...the way the beginning give no clue to subsequent events and the doubt some may have right through it that it's all some horrendous mistake.

What a wonderful way to die!

What a great way for Los Angeles to end!

The cast and direction and music are outstanding.


I first seen it on our national TV before more that 10 years and I was stunned ! Movie is simply great ! So easy and in the same time so great...... anybody have a copy ?


-- Small Spoiler --

The Miracle Mile helps you remember that a good movie can be one without a happy end. Something Hollywood forgets these days.

We need more good movies and less happy ends!

The movie itself is a refreshing change from the usual Hollywood crap we get to see these days. If you happen to stumble upon it, take a chance - see it.


Too bad this little gem was not seen by many in the theatres for it is truly a work of art. A man gets a call from a telephone booth saying the world is going to have a nuclear war in 90 min. Is it true? Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham and Denise Crosby all do a good job. And the excellent soundtrack by Tangerine Dream makes it even better. The ending will haunt you for days. Rent this movie!


I can tell you nothing about Miracle Mile. Except that it is a love story set against a tragic background, and that it is a beautiful piece of filmmaking showing the best work of several involved. This movie was destroyed by its own practical nature--which renders it unpromotable--but it exists somewhere. Find it.


It's typical to stumble upon badly produced junk like this on late night TV. I just can't believe how bad it was produced. I don't know where the 3 million dollars went in making this film? Probably just for the main actors.


I was intrigued by the storyline, as I was surfing the cable channel late one night; an apocalyptic tale of two lovers trying to escape to Antarctica to avoid a nuclear holocaust! What entailed, however, was one bumbling misstep after another by two young lovers who were not exactly the sharpest tacks in the box. How I made it through from beginning to end in itself was a Miracle! Don't waster your time on this horrible flick unless you are being paid large sums of money to watch it!


Run do not walk from this terrible disappointing excuse for a movie!

If you want to see a real piece of cinema about Nuclear War, then get yourself a copy of one of the following: American movies "The Day after" & "Testament" or the British films "War Game" or "Threads".

Miracle Mile has to be the worst Nuclear War Movie to ever be made.

Unrealistic, Terrible effects, None existent plotlines, Just terrible...... If it comes on TV and the other channels offer nothing then just maybe watch it.... Of course Im sure you have QVC!


This has to be one of the most aggravatingly dumb movies ever made. I can't believe the positive comments that I see here!!! Maybe it didn't make any money at the box office because it stinks!!! Did any of you ever think of that? You get the feeling while watching this thing that all of the characters are moving in slow motion with no sense of time. The dialog is horrid and the acting is worse. Plot holes galore!!! Did anyone else notice the similarity to "After Hours" in the night scenes???


I guess the age of Camelot is dead. Modern viewers don't seem to appreciate a love story about a petra-fried beau trying to save his gal from Vesuvius. Ah! His love was hotter than the volcano; but, unfortunately, he was combustible. The artist feels drawn to her centuries old beau and murder ensues in this awesome-effect B movie. The film is reminiscent of the mummy genre. The title character is hideous and scary. There is a love triangle that is quite poignant. Performances are acted with affection and the cast is solid. Direction is typical for the 50's (and that's a good thing!) Excuse the pun; but, this film is definitely not a 'potboiler'.


The actors in this dull-witted failure of a film seem mismatched. Richard Anderson is not for one minute convincing either as a doctor investigating the strange zombie-like creature, or as a lover to the artist/love interest Elaine Edwards. Ms. Edwards is not especially convincing as an artist either, but together they start as much fire on screen as a CO2 extinguisher. Jerome Bixby's script can't decide whether to make the Faceless Man tragic hero or outright monster, and ends up doing both in fits and starts. Which goes to say that neither is done well at all. And anyone who's watched any Edward L Cahn film knows the meaning of "pedestrian" in spades. The end of the film proves just how little of a threat the Faceless Man really was to anyone, and consequently how stupid all his victims were.


CURSE OF THE FACELESS MAN (1958) is little more than a low-budget rehash of "The Mummy" story set in Griffith Park Observatory doubling as the Museo di Pompeii and Malibu locations doubling as the Bay of Naples. Though the film clocks in at sixty-three or so minutes FACELESS MAN plods along at a snail's pace. Quintillus Aurelius is an Etruscan buried in the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius who returns to the 1950's to reclaim his lost love (who has superhuman lung power - when this girl screams, she SCREAMS!) Not completely without charm but not a memorable moment in horror film history either. With Richard Anderson (FORBIDDEN PLANET, SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN) and Wolf Barzell (FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER). This flick is probably best enjoyed by Baby Boomers who were frightened by it as kids.


I remember seeing this film when i was about 8 or 9 in the early 1970s. I was scared stiff then but now look back on the memories and laugh. I discuss with my teenager kids about all the old hammer horror films that i used to watch from the 50s,60s and 70s.Im trying to get a copy of this film and any other films with the Faceless Man titles. ( black and white horrors ).If anyone can help me out it would be appreciated.I will pay money and costs of shipping or exchange for some items from Australia ie White pointers (Shark) tooth pendant.On vhs tape can be either ntsc or pal recordings.Just remember you can never replace the memories or scared feelings that these old hammer horrors gave us when we were young and impressionable.I gave this a 10 rating cos it was the first horror film i saw and the fond memories of how scared i was are still with me to this day 30 years later.


Wow. It's hard to believe that Miss Blanche Sweet was fifteen when she was directed by the great D.W. Griffith in this Biograph production from 1911. Blanche, at such an early age, was not only extremely mature in terms her physique and baring, she was a remarkably accomplished actress. Her naturalistic acting translates well with modern audiences (at leased with all my friends to whom I've shown this movie). This film is a good one, suspenceful and atmospheric, but it's definatly not the best of Griffith's Biographs. It ranks pretty highly with the other work of his that I've seen. It is certainly aided by Sweet's performance, and also helpful the exemplary early use of "montage" which Griffith had been putting to use in his films as early as 1909. For a peak at what a great man like Griffith was doing before he made The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916) and Way Down East (1920), this is certainly one to take a good look or two at, just to get a peak at what the future had in store for cinema history.


Advertising for D.W. Griffith's 'The Lonedale Operator (1911)' proudly exclaimed the words "This is without doubt the most thrilling picture ever produced!" Well, it probably wasn't, but the marketing firms have to earn their commissions somehow. Though it is often celebrated for its pioneering use of editing and suspense, this 17-minute Biograph is not all that different in style from Edwin S. Porter's 'The Great Train Robbery (1903),' which I can certainly remember being even more exciting than this, though perhaps hindsight has clouded my memory. By 1911, Griffith had been experimenting with cross-cutting for several years  notably, in 'A Corner in Wheat (1909)' for thematic effect, and in 'The Sealed Room (1909)' for some excellent suspense. Filmed over four days in late January and early February, 1911, 'The Lonedale Operator' doesn't quite live up to its reputation as "the most thrilling picture ever produced," but it does have its charms. Furthermore, by cutting rhythmically between the trapped heroine, her two assailants and her eventual rescuers, Griffith manages to keep the tempo tense.

Fifteen-year-old Blanche Sweet plays the daughter of a train station operator, who takes her father's place when he falls ill. Unlike many of Griffith's other leading women, such as Mary Pickford and Lilian Gish, who were generally innocent and helpless souls, Sweet plays her character with strength and conviction. Even when accosted by two men who could easily overpower her, she uses her resourcefulness to outwit the two rather dim-witted thugs, holding them off for just long enough to accommodate the arrival of her rescuer and male suitor (Francis J. Grandon). Of course, no woman could be expected to endure such an ordeal without responding in the appropriate fashion, and, as all heroines do under stress, Sweet takes the opportunity to pass out for a period of time. A little tame by today's standards, and perhaps too brief to produce the maximum level of excitement, this is nonetheless an interesting and likable short film. As for Griffith, he apparently liked 'The Lonedale Operator' so much that he promptly remade it the following year, as 'The Girl and Her Trust (1912).'


Wow was I confused when I saw this movie from 1911. I didn't recall having seen THE LONEDALE OPERATOR when I started the film, but soon after it started it was like a case of déjà vu. I KNEW I had seen the film before and even reviewed it on IMDb but I didn't remember it as being called 'THE LONEDALE OPERATOR'. After a little checking, I found that the film I had seen was THE GIRL AND HER TRUST (1912) and the films were virtually identical. And, oddly enough, both are 17 minutes long (though the speed at which the films are cranked may make this slightly longer or shorter). This really isn't too surprising, though, as when the film was made back in 1911, outright plagiarism was common and pretty much condoned and many times the same production company would remake their films only a year or so later! Often, the same film would be made by two or three or even more production companies--sometimes even with the same movie title! So it's very easy to understand the confusion.

Now as for the film itself, it's a very good early full-length movie. Believe it or not, 17 minutes make this a very long film for 1911--as most films were less than five minutes long!! Because of its "great length", the film has a good plot and is quite entertaining. Compared to other films of the age, it is a standout picture in practically every way.


A movie like this could only get away with a 7-out-of-10 rating today, considering its popularity at the time and its historical significance as a D.W.Griffith experience.

This short details a young girl who is operating a train stop when some bandits, or miscreants, or something, begin to threaten her. As she tries to hold them at bay, a train operator comes to the rescue.

Even by today's standards, the cutting of the film makes it relatively intense. Griffith claimed he invented a lot of techniques that he didn't, but perhaps the one thing it cannot be argued he invented is a director's style (auteurship). Early films didn't even have credits attached, and yet audiences recognized a Griffith film anyways.

The same holds today. This is a Griffith film, by and large. Whether it's worth the search to find and watch depends on your interest of the era, Griffith, or maybe silent films as a whole. Otherwise this film is nothing more than a research tool for film classes and cinephiles.

--PolarisDiB


I was blown away by the style of Blade, directed by Stephen Norrington. I was also blown away by League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but for the completely opposite reason. Something happened to the director between these two movies, as Blade had an incredible sense of style, and LXG was a complete mess of a movie. In between these two movies, Stephen Norrington wrote and directed "The Last Minute."

The less you know, the better, but the basics are:

** Start Minor Spoilers **

Billy Byrne is the next big thing. What he does (writer, artist, pop singer) doesn't matter. We join up with him as he's about to break into the big time. When that doesn't happen, we see him completely fall apart, but it takes time. He doesn't become a drug addicted homeless thief over night, and Mr. Norrington properly plays up the romanticism of that lifestyle. When he first wakes up in the catacombs, the room is bathed in a warm light, it's clean and Hawaiian style music is playing. We only see what we want to see.

The movie skips ahead a year, and we see the reality of the situation. He's a drug addict living in filth. Begging and stealing to live. The lighting is dark, and cold. The people look sick and depressed. Billy realizes he's wasting his life and tries to get out. Will he?

** End Minor Spoilers **

This movie moves slowly sometimes, and I wish there were sub titles, since I had some trouble with the accents in some scenes, but it's also got scenes that look like poetry. Mr. Norrington has quite an eye. I highly recommend seeing this IF you can pay attention. I also recommend seeing it a second time. You'll be AMAZED at the things you missed the first time.


to compare this to any guy ritchie film is foolish and plain out bad reviewing. many would simply class it in the same school because it is british, it features "hip" newcomers, and the direction is very flashy and effects rich.....well except for the british part this describes most every film coming out now. the last minute is as far from guy ritchie as one can get. try connecting the dots to david lynch while passing through alex de la iglesia territory and you'll be on the right track. from the insane tap dancing crooner psycho sledge hammer wielding gangster to british literary classics over to the monsters people keep hidden from the world....or should we say gifts? this is a film of many varied and twisting turns which serves up its fair share of bite and bile. one forever feels that around the next corner will be the demon awaiting to devour the souls of the main characters, but lemarchand's box is not quite so literal as it is in a film like hellraiser. the demons that give pleasure and devour your being are much more real and familiar in this world. it is true that the plot balances on the old carpe diem type thing, but unlike every hollywood dungheap to tread this ground in the last 20 years, this film manages to do it with some grace, some originality, and with a large dash of realism amongst the severe surrealism. overall, a very impressive film with intelligence, originalty and style. a fabulous cast tops it off supremely and left me riveted for the entire length of the film and a strong desire to show it to everyone i know.


This is probably one of my favorite English import movies in the new millennium. Gritty, dark, poetic, and funny-- with a cast of very talented actors by and large unknown to the American audience (one possible exception may be Jason Isaacs, who played Percy). While there are elements in this movie that do remind me of other Brit classics such as: Snatch, Loch Stock, and perhaps, 24 Hours in London, it does stand on its own as a feature worthy of viewing.

Billy Byrne, played by Max Beesely, is a starving artist who has a lot of hype behind his latest art project, the nature of which I'll omit here. When critics and the public turn on him, Billy falls on hard times. Dumped by his girlfriend, he is left to his own devices when he meets a homeless girl who introduces him to some seedy, urban denizens. Drawn into a life of drug abuse and general mayhem, Billy takes another crack at the big time with his next great idea. But his the pitch men will have none of it. Forced back into the streets, Billy and his young companion struggle to survive their addictions. When the opportunity comes to escape their dismal lives, it is Billy who answers the call and abandons his friend. We end the movie with an implied flight to Greenland which neatly ties in with the opening scene of the movie.

A very smart, existential film with wonderfully-colored characters.


I love watching Jason Isaacs. He is an INCREDIBLY talented actor. I don't know if it's a British thing but it seems that British actors just have an incredible knack for playing villains and making them extremely sexy and appealing. That said, The Last Minute is one of the most bizarre movies I have EVER seen. I tried watching it SOLELY because of Jason Isaacs.

Now, I'm not sure if this counts as a spoiler or not, but in case it is I've marked it....

When Jason Isaacs went into a burst of song I went into a fit of hysterical laughter. It was so unexpected, but I must admit (if it's really his voice) he does have a nice singing voice, and he can definitely dance! Outside of him, there really is no saving grace to this movie. Perhaps it's because I'm American, I really don't know, but I found this movie hard to follow (much like Clockwork Orange, another movie I never understood) and I really could have done without the drug scenes and violent fight scenes.

As stated previously, Jason Isaacs was this movie's ONLY saving grace, and unfortunately even with him in it, I cannot really recommend this movie.

However, if you are a Jason Isaacs fan and you just HAVE to watch every movie he's ever made (like me), then go ahead and watch it. But make sure it's either a rental or you have it on TIVO so that you can just fast forward to his scenes......


It's late, it's extremely humid, every breath is like a drink of city soaked in smog water. I pop the DVD into my player and was transported to a late feast of clever visual effects, smart script lines, and a wicked soundtrack. So wicked that I immediately started to hunt the internet for it.

I was impressed by the very fine acting of Max Beesley, very convincing character transformations throughout the film. Not since discovering Christian Bale did I feel like wanting to see more films from someone.

Even though this movie centered around London's Underground, I felt like this could've been any city...reminding me of it's inhabitants running about half-asleep, forgetting (ignorance is bliss) about existence and valuing life.

The movie made me feel guilty for feeling guilty about wanting to indulge and live a little in life.

I recommend this movie anyone who likes movies that give you that feeling of "there's a message here for me".


outside of seeing this as auto-biographical for Norrington I can see it deals with his traumatic experiences with Blade. Then it got worse. On LXG. OK, Last Minute is not The Divine Comedy and it's flawed, but wow, what a trip !!! and sure it's personal, though i got turned off a bit by the whole techno approach.. One of the best scenes in a film I've seen in the last years is Jason Issacs doing his "I got you under my skin". It's an update of Malcolm Mc Doewll doing his "Singin' in the Rain" in Clockwork Orange. Or it's not. Then later Norrington pushes further repeating it with "when a man loves a woman". Anyway, as Gene Kelly was shocked, Frank must be spinning in his grave. Or he might get the sick fun. And I am not sure Dickens would have liked the Oliver Twist bit... As for this being put in the same category with Trainspotting, Clockwork Orange and Fight Club, I can't see why people are bother, try to describe a film using normal words. Coke, acid, Ecstasy gone bad or just anger and frustration puked out ?

all fueled out and hyper-pumped out, ah, and poetry finally... ///// as for latest rumors that Norrington quit making movies, hey Steve, don't get mad, get even ! ah, and one more thing-just don't get confused about Udo Kier's performance, it's a great cameo but just a cameo, same with Stephen Dorff.


"The Last Minute" is an abysmal film. I have seen some rather hideous films in my life, but frankly this one qualifies as one of the all time worst, particularly in light of the immense talent of writer & director Stephen Norrington, an otherwise fine cast, and some incredibly gifted technical people such as the editor and the cinematographer. Mind you, the production values are top-notch as are the performances by a terrific cast. Nevertheless, this pretentious as well as cynical commentary on fame and its fleeting quality for some unfortunate folks ranks at the bottom of the barrel. I sat through this ambitious film in its entirety because some very dear, close friends of mine loaned me the DVD and I made a commitment to them to watch it. Furthermore, I have enjoyed Norrington's other films: "Blade," "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," and "Death Machine." "Blade" was a masterpiece, and I truly loved "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." Even "Death Machine" surpassed this depressing drivel. I can understand why this film did not receive a general mainstream release in the United States. Generally, I love all things British, but this dreadful film proved to be an exception to the rule. I don't even want to recount the plot or its place in the context of film history as I usually do in my other IMDb reviews. Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! I look forward to future Norrington films, and I envy anybody who can find anything remotely redeeming about this balderdash.


As a ex-Brit who is of a similar age and born in the same place as Norrington, but I am wondering what went wrong with him. I had never heard of this film until I saw it advertised on STARZ movie channel. I thought "oh good, fellow Brit, sounds like a good movie". Oh dear was I wrong....Parts I liked (no spoilers)...the camera work, Max Beesley's character, comic touches....Parts I didn't like....Tom Bell's character (totally unbelievable) as to was Jason Issacs, the end, the middle and about 90% of the story. Some of the scenes with Jason Issacs (Percy) actually were so gross and unbelievable that two of the people I was watching this with asked me to turn it off. I did not and watched the whole lot. I wished I had not bothered at all.

Norrington is a genius, no doubt. But "The Last Minute" is for true UK fans only, Americans beware.