tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post5692156522211841157..comments2024-03-26T05:01:57.793-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: STILL OF THE NIGHT 1982Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-34486355616704014332024-01-10T15:40:23.921-08:002024-01-10T15:40:23.921-08:00Yikes! Just what exactly is that super-creepy stat...Yikes! Just what exactly is that super-creepy statue has always remained an enigma. The way it's lit and framed in so many shots (as a shadowy figure over Scheider's shoulder) adds significantly to the eerie feel of those scenes in the auction house workroom.<br />During the sequence where Scheider's character sneaks down to Streep's office, that statue could always be counted on to draw a gasp from the audience.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-19339468898931091872024-01-08T19:23:59.218-08:002024-01-08T19:23:59.218-08:00I just what to know about the statue in the crate ...I just what to know about the statue in the crate at the auction house. Seen during the tour. Wax like figure of a working man holding a drill in his extended left arm. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09782349806799567286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-76746064177748514712022-01-04T19:38:20.824-08:002022-01-04T19:38:20.824-08:00Right?Right?Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-7267884332880017992022-01-04T09:42:13.689-08:002022-01-04T09:42:13.689-08:00The fact that Streep regards this as worse that &q...The fact that Streep regards this as worse that "Falling in Love" is a head-scratcher.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16993530408505706539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-31409883636580083322020-08-31T17:09:34.971-07:002020-08-31T17:09:34.971-07:00I don't know that I knew (or forgot) he WAS in...I don't know that I knew (or forgot) he WAS in THE DEER HUNTER! A film I too liked and thought fondly of, but haven't seen in decades. I certainly don't hear of it spoken of often.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-66850965235177854852020-08-31T04:59:30.830-07:002020-08-31T04:59:30.830-07:00Especially loved him in The Deer Hunter, with his ...Especially loved him in The Deer Hunter, with his unflappably canned pronouncements as the wedding master of ceremonies. Then you find out he's a local guy who works at the grocery store, not a professional mc. The Deer Hunter is a strange movie for me. I love every single performance, totally involved in all of the characters, but still not that crazy about the film.Kipnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-38777359353166007042017-09-25T03:11:10.805-07:002017-09-25T03:11:10.805-07:00Hey Michael,
Glad you were inspired to check this ...Hey Michael,<br />Glad you were inspired to check this film out. The recentness of your experience calling to light many interesting things. You describe very well the nagging sense of something feeling "off" about the film. Nothing so serious as to make it unwatchable, but enough to undercut the effectiveness of what Benton was going for. <br />In a way you wished he committed more clearly to ONE style. Be a slasher (and bump up the violence and scares) or be a Hitchcock romantic thriller and work on the romantic chemistry and fix the film's lack of payoff for what it sets up (the ending, the cigarettes, the details of he dream).<br />You really hone in on many of the things that don't successfully pay off for you, and you have a clear sense of what worked, and what left you wishing for a more satisfying total experience.<br />I think you're onto something in noting how the music composed for the film hints at a romanticism that isn't fully actualized. And yet, enough of it DOES work to make it a film worth seeing (at least once for some). It definitely has a maturity to it that I sometimes miss in movies, and I agree that in appearance, it doesn't feel as mired in the 80s as some movies of the era. <br />Love your question "Where did the ocean come from?" <br />There really are not previous shots revealing the cliff-side location of that house. It's "believable" in context with the locale and where Scheider is shown to be driving, but that's it.<br />Sure get a kick from hearing from such an observant film enthusiast, Michael. It's a gift to be able to delineate precisely where the language of film fails to use the right vocabulary to reach you. you're good at that. Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-46567902540133406322017-09-24T23:12:28.955-07:002017-09-24T23:12:28.955-07:00Ken,
Another great review. And some good comments...Ken,<br /><br />Another great review. And some good comments, too. This is an odd movie. I think you're right, something was cut from this film, but whether it was early on during filming or altered after it was finished is hard to say. I think the fact the movie was originally called Stab hints that is was intended to be more of a thriller, and perhaps gorier, than it turned out be. Also, it feels like there are setups that don't pay off and pay-offs that weren't set up. For the former, as has been mentioned, the life-like statue is a startling image that goes nowhere, as is the suggestive dream image of the girl. (Honestly, I'm glad that one didn't go anywhere.) I also thought the fact that Meryl Streep and Josef Sommer both smoked Gauloises was going to be a clue of some sort. The distinctive blue packets were photographed in a way that drew attention to them, but then nothing. As for a pay off that wasn't set up, at least as much as it could have been, the ending. I don't want to get too spoilery so I'll leave it there. And where did the ocean come from? I don't recall seeing it until the final scene. Did I miss it earlier in the film?<br /><br />I wonder if Benton stripped out some noir-ish elements and reconfigured the movie to be more of a romance, only to find out too late there was no chemistry between the stars. As you mentioned, the main musical theme is lovely, but it isn't very Hitchcockian or suspenseful. When was it chosen or composed, I wonder? (I wish I had a live-in pianist to play soundtrack themes for me.) Still, for all its disjointedness, this is a movie worth seeing. I liked that it was about and for grown-ups, a very rare thing these days and not too common back then. I also liked the way the movie's design avoided an overtly early 1980s look, giving it a timeless feel. The performances were uniformly excellent, and are the main reason to check this movie out. Thanks for writing about it and inspiring me to watch it.<br /><br />MichaelMichaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-52446854228744265372017-09-04T01:31:53.649-07:002017-09-04T01:31:53.649-07:00Far from it. This blog is just a ranking of my top...Far from it. This blog is just a ranking of my top favorite films, too. I just stay within the '40s - 2000s zone!<br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-2221145431004060982017-09-03T20:46:38.750-07:002017-09-03T20:46:38.750-07:00No, my comments were on IMDB. You might be disapp...No, my comments were on IMDB. You might be disappointed by my "blog," as it's really just a collection of lists ranking all of my top films for every year from the present back to the 1920s. markrussyounghttps://markrussyoung.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-75523832540703970702017-09-03T19:12:22.937-07:002017-09-03T19:12:22.937-07:00Hi Mark
You cite two very good examples of where S...Hi Mark<br />You cite two very good examples of where STILL OF THE NIGHT could have built upon the foundation it had already set. The film isn't lacking in a certain tension and mood, and indeed, the shot of that macabre statue in the auction house and the details of the dream sequence (the fact the blood drips rather purposefully from the teddy bear to inside the girl's leg) fail to pay the hoped-for dividends. <br />In the "slasher film" besotted '80s, when bizarre twists were both common and expected; I think Benton's reserve was actually the antithesis of Hitchcock in some ways. It fits the sophisticated style, but cuts back on the weirdness at the root of much of Hitchcock.<br /><br />If nothing else, Hitchcock used his films to explore all of his quirks and compulsions. Specifically in the ways you mention, I think STILL OF THE NIGHT could have benefited from Benton mining the darker sides of these characters a bit more.<br />Are your comments from three years ago your blog? I guess I'll take a look. Thanks, Mark!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-46792297784646249592017-09-03T14:08:29.928-07:002017-09-03T14:08:29.928-07:00This is what I wrote when I first saw Still of the...This is what I wrote when I first saw Still of the Night three years ago:<br />"Benton did not do much with two of the most unnerving things in the movie: the lifelike statue of the man in the museum office (I kept expecting some sort of pay-off - such as discovering the cop's body there or something) and the dream image of the blood on the little girl's leg (I thought that a child rape scenario was being indicated by that.) <br /><br />I like the film, but I thought it was TOO textbook of a thriller. I was expecting a bit more cleverness and better dialogue."<br /><br />Definitely a good Hitchcockian atmosphere. Your post has inspired me to give this film another try. <br /><br />Mark<br />Markhttps://markrussyoung.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-57443459562722390562017-09-03T07:12:49.331-07:002017-09-03T07:12:49.331-07:00I agree. Basinger's "Wrong girl, pal!&quo...I agree. Basinger's "Wrong girl, pal!" scene is one of my all-time-favorite movie moments. I haven't seen it in years, but I saw it when it was released and several times when it made the cable TV run. A very enjoyable film, and loved the casting of Basinger and Uma Thurman as sisters.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-90117470609259653212017-09-03T05:35:27.206-07:002017-09-03T05:35:27.206-07:00For Hitchcock homage and guilty pleasure, I don...For Hitchcock homage and guilty pleasure, I don't think one can beat the jam-packed Final Analysis, with Kim Basinger as the iciest of blondes. It's got one of my favorite courtroom scenes, too, where it's made plain that everybody there has seen each other many, many times over and are fantastically bored with the proceedings.Allen Knutsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15616422252030334511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-2153194356343322122017-09-01T13:12:37.656-07:002017-09-01T13:12:37.656-07:00Hi Chris
It's true, sometimes I re-visit a fil...Hi Chris<br />It's true, sometimes I re-visit a film I didn't care for when it was first released, and then the changes in who I am and what the film represents (removed from the influences of time and place that may have played a part) can change. <br />I just recall having such strong bad reactions to "Dressed to Kill" and "Blow Out" at their release that I never watched them again.<br />I then made of the mistake of watching that De Palma documentary in which he talks about his work and that blocked all consideration I'd given him short shrift. Given how much I like CARRIE and OBSESSION, PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE and SISTERS, it's odd his later work has left me so cold.<br /><br />That interview with Streep before starting STAB sounds interesting. While writing this I came across two brief interviews given way after the fact (like 2000) and she just goes on to say how she feels she let herself down by taking a role she didn't believe in, allowing her love for Benton to cloud her judgement. She says she was swayed by being able to film in NYC and be with her kid, Scheider's role being larger and so she didn't have to work every day; but that basically the structure of noir and the function of women in the genre left her with little to work with and she was disappointed she hadn't ever latched onto the character.<br />It reminds me of when i see some horrid film, and then see the actor on TV praising it to the skies as their favorite because of the personal acting challenge it presented, and how proud they were of their work. i think actors can be myopic, and it sounds like Streep is unable to appreciate STILL OF THE NIGHT beyond reliving her professional disappointment (also she hinted how the collaboration process with Benton wasn't as flexible as she'd hoped). Those many changes and rewrites, I guess.<br /><br />That's a nice appreciation you write for Josef Sommer. He is really kind of flawless in his role. I so didn't appreciate it before, but the revulsion towards him I felt as a youngster is really in his performance and intentional. He's so good. <br /><br />Mia Farrow's SEE NO EVIL was one of those movies (like THE NIGHT DIGGER) I so wanted to see when I was a kid- freshman in high school when it came out- butnever got around to it until the cable/VCR years. I've seen it many times and like it a lot, but have a couple of issues. You remind me that I'd like to write about it someday (or maybe i'll have to check your blog, is it a favorite?)<br /><br />I'm really gratified, Chris, that you enjoy this blog, and I thank you for those really nice compliments that started off your comments. I always enjoyed reading about movies online, but every blog I ever encountered had youngsters writing about movies made long before they were born - getting the social context wrong, misunderstanding how attitudes and tastes were different, viewing them through a modern prism; I just wanted to write about movies in the way I've always liked reading about them- in a personal, subjective, critical way that also takes into account film history and social context. <br />With you, Poseidon, Rick, and a few others, I've found a little community of movie blogs that do just that. <br />Good hearing from you, Chris!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-90592407726896178132017-09-01T07:06:43.934-07:002017-09-01T07:06:43.934-07:00You really do have a wonderful blog, and you'v...You really do have a wonderful blog, and you've covered some remarkable movies - Wait Until Dark; Suddenly, Last Summer; The Conversation; The Late Show; The Night Digger; The Heiress; Klute; The Last of Sheila; Petulia; Seance on a Wet Afternoon. Just when I think it can't get any better, you go ahead and do The Innocents, which I think is one of the great underrated movies of all time. I love your blog!<br /><br />Given your taste and the perspectives you have on the films you've written about, I do wish you revisit Dressed to Kill at some point. I really feel there's a lot in that film that is right up your alley. Just a thought!<br /><br />Agreed that Still of the Night is a flawed yet fascinating movie. I love that John Kander theme, and also love Josef Summer. For a character actor who has had so many pedestrian roles in countless movies, I feel like Still of the Night was the one really juicy character he was given - and he gave a phenomenal, creepy performance.<br /><br />I see your comments above about possible reasons Meryl was unhappy with the final product, and I concur. I don't know if you read an interview she gave to NY Magazine around the time of The French Lieutenant's Woman - she said Still of the Night had started shooting and she was excited about it as she was reuniting with Benton and he had allowed her to contribute to the script and the writing of her character. I think something must have happened during filming, and her contributions were either undone or minimized. I can't see any other explanation as to why she would be talking about co-writing her character, and then years later complain how remote, unsatisfying, and cryptic the character she played was. Unless some pretty major changes took place that she wasn't happy with. I guess we'll never know the full story, but it's interesting to think about!<br /><br />I wonder, have you ever seen See No Evil with Mia Farrow? I'm curious what you would think about it.Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-23550681709548951652017-09-01T04:15:11.184-07:002017-09-01T04:15:11.184-07:00Hi Rick
Yes, it's funny to think back on Stree...Hi Rick<br />Yes, it's funny to think back on Streep when she was just beginning to get a foothold in the business. I guess I was particularly taken with this because my favorite actress was appearing in one of my favorite genres. <br />Given the talent involved, I had hopes of "Still of the Night" being on par with "Klute" -- a grown-up and sophisticated thriller with brains.<br />Had I clung to that hope I think I never would have enjoyed the film, for it is no "Klute," but I was nicely surprised to find I enjoyed it as much as I did. That being said, I don't think you need to rush to see this any time soon. It's pleasures are largely subjective and very connected to time, place, and that theme music. <br />Thanks, Rick! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-17540187863201147152017-09-01T04:04:02.609-07:002017-09-01T04:04:02.609-07:00The dirty little secret about movies is that the v...The dirty little secret about movies is that the vast majority are imperfect, but - much like with people - we don't love movies for being perfect, we love for for how they make us feel.<br />Streep just mesmerizes in this movie, and for my taste she's just not in it enough. Since she's gone on record at not particularly liking the genre, I guess there's no hope of seeing her turn up in another suspense thriller any time soon. Too bad.<br />And thanks for naming the cigarettes!<br />Perhaps the brand is well known enough to recognize by the distinctive pack (the color so similar too the green box in the dream), but all this time I never knew what brand it was. LOTS of smoking in this movie. I miss it in films as a character tick. Very cinematic, all that dramatic stubbing out of butts, and long, tapering fingers poised before a nervous puff. One of my most enduring memories from "The Birds" is simply the footage of Tippi Hedren holding that cigarette while she's on the phone to Mitch.<br />Glad you gave up the smoking. maybe you can get someone to design a SmartPhone case that looks like the pack. Thank you for commenting and visiting the blog! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-11150523356739605092017-09-01T03:01:11.519-07:002017-09-01T03:01:11.519-07:00Hi Chris
I've always felt "Still of the N...Hi Chris<br />I've always felt "Still of the Night" took place in the world of Woody Allen as well, though Allen could take a lesson from Benton on how effortless it is to cast people of color as extras so that it actually feels like it takes place in NYC.<br />Given how much control Robert Benton had over the production, I wonder how he felt it came out and how close to whatever vision he was going for did he think he hit. <br />Streep's disconnect with her role and hinted at lack of real-life chemistry with Scheider colors her objectivity a bit, as she comes across better than she perhaps knows (much like Tuesday Weld's dissatisfaction with her performance in "Pretty Poison" reflects primarily her unhappy working relationship with the director rather than the truth of her sly performance).<br /><br />Yes, and I have to stick to my guns on De Palma, he's very much a derivative director to me. Albeit a talented one. I think I was one of the few unimpressed with "Dressed to Kill" and actually preferred THIS film. But something about its small scale and simple plot appeals to me.<br /><br />But for a film that doesn't actually work for a great many people, it does have many intriguing elements. Chief of them being the monologue you mention.<br />Interesting to hear of the unsuccessful preview and possible reshoots/tinkering. Confirming somewhat how something just feels...off.<br />Thanks for reading this post and commenting, Chris! Always appreciate your taking the time and effort.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-38531896998211252742017-08-31T19:16:21.427-07:002017-08-31T19:16:21.427-07:00Hi Ken,
I've never seen this, but remember se...Hi Ken, <br />I've never seen this, but remember seeing photos and clips when it was released. Meryl Streep was fairly new on the scene at the time. Styled as a sleek modern Hitchcock blonde, Meryl reminded me of Tippi Hedren, but with talent!http://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/https://www.blogger.com/profile/14243899548141583461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-6025114110220638792017-08-31T14:20:06.467-07:002017-08-31T14:20:06.467-07:00So happy to see some love for this movie. This hap...So happy to see some love for this movie. This happens a lot - there's so much to love or enjoy about a movie but you have to overlook some major weaknesses. It might even be a rehash or lousy copy, but it still has something. I love Streep in this mode. The performance is a bit camp, something she's since mostly avoided, but she looks great. <br /><br />Also, I share your nostalgia for mature leading men who didn't act like overgrown boys. <br /><br />Trivia: this film made me fully commit to Gauloises cigarettes. When I watched Streep use those short, fragrant cigs as an extension of her personality, I was hooked on nicotine for life. (Since quit, but you can still look at the menu even though you're dieting.) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-75230814744977267742017-08-31T12:11:44.300-07:002017-08-31T12:11:44.300-07:00I've been meaning to comment on one of your fi...I've been meaning to comment on one of your film reviews for ages, and now I just couldn't resist as you covered one of my guilty pleasures here!<br /><br /> I've always been intrigued by Still of the Night. I love, love, love The Late Show and I confess I've always been a little puzzled by what Benton was trying to do here. The look, tone, and pace of the film (as well as the NY locations) makes it feel to me like a Woody Allen film in his Bergman phase (like Interiors and Another Woman). A very odd choice of tone for a thriller or mystery.<br /><br />You mention De Palma several times - I'm not sure I agree that he's made his "whole career" in imitation of Hitchcock, but I guess that comment would be more or less fair for the era Still of the Night was made. The only difference being that something like "Dressed to Kill" is way more dynamic, unique, and memorable than this film. I have to say some of the Hitchcock borrowings in Still are a tad clumsy - the Freudian dream out of Spellbound, the auction scene from North by Northwest. It's such a low-wattage thriller - that's what makes it interesting (and very unique for an American suspense film) and it's also what must have been a turn-off to audiences and many contemporary critics.<br /><br />I think the film did have a tumultuous production. I've read that it was completed by late 1981 and was previewed very unsuccessfully in November/December 1981 while it was still titled "Stab". Considering the film was finally released a full year later in November 1982, and considering DP Nestor Almendros made many mentions of reshoots for this film in his memoirs, I think it's fair to guess that a good deal of trimming, re-editing, and re-shooting took place. I'm not quite sure why Meryl has always been very cool to this film - she gave an interview in the early 90s (decades before that Andy Cohen appearance) where she talked about how disappointed she was in the film and how out of place she felt playing what she called a "film noir" character. I think she's quite good in the film - and her long, late-in-the film monologue in front of the night sky is pretty memorable.Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-44695242834502348852017-08-31T01:22:15.473-07:002017-08-31T01:22:15.473-07:00Hi Ivar
Glad to hear you like this movie, too. I t...Hi Ivar<br />Glad to hear you like this movie, too. I think back in the ’80, when Streep was groomed as the queen of heavy drama, a genre film like “Still of the Night” struck many as being too slim a property for an actor of her talents.<br />Things weren’t helped by (from what I’ve read since) the fact that Streep took the role chiefly to work with Benton again (it’s said that he wrote the part with her in mind), that she neither understood nor believed in the character she played, and that she isn’t a fan of noir.<br />I think her frustration with taking on a role she felt she couldn’t get a handle on is the main reason she (unfairly, as I see it) lists it as the one bad film she has made. For me, Streep’s bad film honors should go to RICKI & THE FLASH, SHE-DEVIL, and FALLING IN LOVE.<br /><br />I think fans of the genre appreciate Streep’s performance more than she does. It certainly sounds that way from your comments. Much of what you recount as your favorite parts of the film are my own. I love the auction house setting, the whole “murder on the Upper East Side” feel of it; but particularly her monologue which I’m glad you called attention to. <br />I think it is brilliantly played, and very memorable. I forget if it was a critic or someone I know telling me about it, but they took particular issue with how she says the line "And then I came into my inheritance..." – and the thought of it makes me laugh. Not that I agree with them, but because it amuses me sometimes when someone can absolutely loathe something I absolutely love.<br />"Still of the Night" is well-constructed, and many do find the twists surprising (my partner cites this as the film that gave him one of his biggest movie leaps out of his seat). <br />I don’t think this movie is a blemish on Streep’s filmography at all, for I really do think the film’s flaws (none of which spoil it, merely prevent it from living up to its potential) lie in its screenplay. I've yet to come across any sources confirming my suspicions that there was a lot of rewriting and possibly a different ending.<br /><br />As for the Kristy MacNichol film “Dream Lover” I know it’s one of those Burn to Order DVDs and may be out of print, but I see them on Ebay and Amazon all the time. Still, you didn’t do too badly with the 1993 “Dream Lover” which I saw when it came out and remember enjoying (the femme fatale was very good, wasn’t she?). <br />So that was a bit of an unexpected bonus for you. <br />Thanks for reading and commenting, Ivar. Terrific observations. And good luck with tracking down DREAM LOVER!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-68118243047819610632017-08-30T07:31:34.775-07:002017-08-30T07:31:34.775-07:00Ken, I am SOOOO happy you did a post about this mo...Ken, I am SOOOO happy you did a post about this movie ! I do love it too. And actually I found it because I was intrigued by the very comment Meryl Streep made about this movie, and which you posted. How can she think this is a bad movie ?? It's a very effective thriller with indeed lots of references to Hitchcock and a surprising (for me at least) ending. <br />I never would have thought of Meryl Streep as the icy hitchcockian blonde, but apparently she can pull of every type of role with talent. Her 5 minutes of monologue about her past where she's alone on the screen is worth the entire movie on its own, the rest could have been bad, this moment would have saved it all. I do even wonder if it was entirely in the script at first or if she gave it more depth, but anyhow it was the actual "point d'orgue" of the movie for me. I loved the atmosphere conveyed by the set, the milieu in which the characters evolve (the auctions) and all those menacing glances the potential killers exchange. The movie really doesn't throw shame on Meryl Streep's filmography. I do however feel there was a certain lack of chemistry between her and Roy Scheider, as if the way they played their characters didn't connect with each other but as you wrote, maybe it's the results of the cuts made ?<br /><br />On a different matter : I tried to find "Dream Lover" but it seems the movie is actually quite hard to find. Mistaking it with a 1993 movie with James Spader I ended up watching an entirely different (yet very much enjoyable) noir movie, with a femme fatale, an asylum and deceit all over it. (I do think you would very much like it). So still trying :) <br /><br />Anyway, great post once again. I do want to watch it again now ! :) Ivarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04431348090870414552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-24365335983273285432017-08-30T01:42:16.403-07:002017-08-30T01:42:16.403-07:00Hi Poseidon
I too had this on muddy VHS, so I was ...Hi Poseidon<br />I too had this on muddy VHS, so I was thrilled when it finally got the DVD treatment. I think you might be on to something in noting that this film might have fared better riding the wave of romantic thrillers that became popular just a few years later.<br />"Still of the Night" has flaws, but with the studios needing to give such a push to "Sophie's Choice" (rightly so) it's inevitable that this movie would get lost in the crush of her big-budget literary adaptations. <br />As for Claude Chabrol's "The Butcher," I highly recommend it.<br />I always get a kick out of actors with careers like Jessica Tandy's. She works consistently in stage and film for decades, and then when most are thinking of retirement, they have some of the biggest successes of their careers. But like you, I've ALWAYS thought she was old even back when I first saw her in "the Birds." I see old photos from her early career and she is so striking and delicate-looking. Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.com