the curtain movie

Unfortunately, they are submerged between clearly sign posted plot devices and oh so obvious build ups. "[Alana] couldn't really accept the fact that all these corpses were somehow dragged together [by the killer] and put on a stage somewhere," recalls MacLaverty.[16]. Curtains is a 1983 Canadian slasher film directed by Richard Ciupka, written by Robert Guza Jr., and starring John Vernon, Samantha Eggar, Linda Thorson, and Lynne Griffin. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Is it true that Hitchcock wanted to use a different ending? [8], Principal photography for Curtains began November 10, 1980, on location in Muskoka, Ontario, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on a budget of $3.7 million. This request mortified Hitch and his wife. Centered on theater and filmmaking,[2] its plot focuses on a group of actresses auditioning for a role in a movie at a prestigious director's mansion, where they are targeted by a masked killer. [10] Eventually, numerous crew members had to be rehired to shoot footage to complete the film. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets The film eventually was released on DVD on October 5, 2010, by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment as part of the Midnight Horror Collection: Bloody Slashers DVD collection, which also includes Secrets of the Clown, Hoboken Hollow, and Room 33, three direct-to-video B-movies from the 2000s. Raising the curtain — Skagit County movie theaters to reopen ... Movie theaters will have fewer films to screen because studios have pushed release dates into next year, he said. This scene was cut out of the film, and he is, instead, killed off-screen in a hot tub. garykmcd. Conceived by producer Peter R. Simpson after his box office hit Prom Night (1980), the film was intended to be an "adult" slasher aimed at older audiences in contrast to the standard genre films of the time, which featured predominately teenaged characters. Samantha Sherwood, a beautiful actress and muse for director Jonathan Stryker, has herself committed to an asylum as a preparation for the titular role of a mentally unstable woman in a film called Audra. Curtains was first released on VHS by Vestron Video in 1984. But there was never a problem and she was very good with everything. The killer manages to wound her, but Christie is able to momentarily incapacitate the killer, escaping into the woods. I feel that if this movie was remade with 2 people who were more suited to the roles, then this become a masterpiece. The scene on the icy pond is a slasher classic. Outwitting the dumb script in Curtains may be the only challenge in this waste. In fact, Michael is there to obtain information from a renowned East German scientist. [6] Originally, Celine Lomez was cast in the role of Brooke Parsons, but she was replaced by Linda Thorson after producer Simpson fired her. Take social distancing. [11] The final chase scene in the prop house was filmed by Simpson over a year after the initial production, as was the ending murder scene between Samantha Eggar and Lynne Griffin. Hitchcock's 50th movie, Torn Curtain, is considered by many experts to be a major disappointment, but I didn't see it that way. "[28] John Kenneth Muir also praised the film, writing that "the murder scenes are staged with ingenuity," and noting that the film's "form nicely echoes its content."[29]. The film was made by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company when it and many other early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based in Fort Lee, New Jersey at the beginning of the 20th century. The Iron Curtain is a 1948 American thriller film starring Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney, directed by William Wellman. Due to ill treatment by her scoundrel husband, an heiress (Lois Moran) returns to San Francisco from India with her lover (Warner Baxter). Torn Curtain (1966) - English Bibles Arrived in Copenhagen, Sarah (Julie Andrews), assistant and fianceè to American nuclear physicist Armstrong (Paul Newman) is shadowed by uninvited East-German professor Manfred (Gunter Stack), confusing the bookseller (Arthur Gould-Porter), and director Alfred Hitchcock’s plot thickening, in Torn Curtain, 1966. [9] As a result, two sets of credits grace the ending of Curtains, divided between "Act I" and "Act II", denoting the two different, protracted production periods. Curtains is a 1983 Canadian slasher film directed by Richard Ciupka, written by Robert Guza Jr., and starring John Vernon, Samantha Eggar, Linda Thorson, and Lynne Griffin. On July 29, 2014, Curtains was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Synapse Films, featuring a new 2K transfer from the original prints, as well as a 5.1 surround sound audio remastering. With Aidan Gillen, Adrian Lester, Peter O'Toole, Iain Rogerson. This January, put your resolutions on hold and dive into some great streaming picks. This scene was intended to show the character's vulnerability when she is rejected again, this time by Stryker. Though a critical and box-office failure, the film became a staple of late night television. [5], John Vernon was cast in the role of Jonathan Stryker, a part that had originally been considered for Klaus Kinski. "[18] The Hollywood Reporter, however, gave the film a positive review, calling it "the classiest, most chilling thriller to come along in quite a while… rich in surprises of a gripping, sensuous nature. The Tortilla Curtain. The film was based on the memoirs of Igor Gouzenko. [24] It features a retrospective "Making of" documentary and vintage documentary footage, an audio commentary, and the film's original theatrical trailer. She notices a small hand protruding out of the snow and uncovers a doll. While Tara and Laurian are practicing, Brooke discovers Christie's severed head in a toilet bowl. Once the information is obtained, he and Sarah now have to make their way back to the West. The next day, the other five women auditioning for the part of Audra arrive at Stryker's mansion: comedian Patti O'Connor, veteran actress Brooke Parsons, ballet dancer Laurian Summers, musician Tara DeMillo, and professional ice skater Christie Burns. Bizarre seems too mild a description when discussing this movie, which is actually stitched together from two production periods spread out over three years, with the original director, Richard Ciupka, taking his name off the effort when producer Peter R. Simpson elected to jazz up the rough cut with customary slicing and dicing. Throughout the early 2000s, a DVD release for the film never manifested, leading fans to start an online petition for a DVD release.[30][31]. "[26] Paul Chambers of the film website Movie Chambers gave the film a mixed review, praising Eggar and Vernon's performances as well as the oft-remembered ice-skating sequence, while also noting the film as "[so] directionless and improbable, that no payoff is worth it. Title: Ciupka envisioned the film as more of an arthouse thriller, whereas Simpson wanted a more commercial slasher film, of the type in vogue at the time. movies, before making this film, so his best work was behind him... Torn Curtain isn't a bad movie, it is just a bit dated even for it's time, his next movie,Topaz, isn't much better either You could watch both films back to back and not know, they were directed by Hitchcock... plus, this is the first film sans Bernard Herrmann... so it lacks a (1966). A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people. Once arrived however, Michael informs her that he may be staying for awhile and she should return home. After Harry's body is found in the woods, several locals must determine not only how and why he was killed but what to do with the body. Patti seems disappointed and angered by Samantha's confession, before revealing she had murdered the other women to win the role of Audra. Both Paul Newman and Julie Andrews give fine performances and I loved Ludwig Donath, who was excellent. A French Intelligence Agent becomes embroiled in the Cold War politics first with uncovering the events leading up to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and then back to France to break up an international Russian spy ring. Was any of "Torn Curtain" actually filmed behind the Iron Curtain. Bassist / vocalist Will Rahmer has said in interviews that Curtains is one of his favorite films. They fall from the second floor, with Stryker's body crashing through a window downstairs. [11] The film was released in Italy as The Mask of Terror and as Death Count to Seven in Norway. Mitch Albom: Hey, Gov. [17] With a production spanning nearly three years, Curtains was released theatrically in the United States on March 4, 1983, and in Canada in 1984. Exploiting Brooke's vulnerability, Stryker seduces the frightened actress. [10], An alternate ending of the film was shot in Toronto. [14] In this scene, Lynne Griffin's character Patti O'Connor delivers a monologue on a theater stage surrounded by her dead victims. The London police have a suspect, but he is the wrong man. I think that this movie suffers from the fact that the 2 main stars were really mismatched for Hitch. An ailing Poirot returns to Styles with Hastings nearly three decades after solving their first mystery there in order to prevent a serial killer from claiming more victims. The Action Scene: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Torn Curtain” and the Point of No Return. Brendan Fraser became a movie star thanks to the huge success of The Mummy in 1999, and in addition to returning for two sequels, he also fronted hits like Journey To The Center Of The Earth.His career entered something of a fallow period following the latter 2008 blockbuster, but he's made a comeback … Gorehounds will be disappointed as there is no blood in this one. It was based on the 1928 novel of the same name. The film developed a cult following around the 2000s, with fans petitioning for an official DVD release. Tara has sex with Matthew in a jacuzzi as Stryker seduces Christie. As she rests against a tree, the killer appears from behind and viciously decapitates her. [Full Review in Spanish] The caretaker is named Matthew. [6] British actress Samantha Eggar was cast as Samantha Sherwood; Eggar stated she thought the characters in the film were "vaguely drawn", the end result "awful", and she took the role chiefly for the work and salary. Torn Curtain Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com noted the film's haphazard construction, but praised its visuals, writing: Curtains isn't a single film, it's a handful of subplots and ideas competing for screentime under the guise of a traditional '80s-style slasher endeavor. No official premiere for the film was done, though star Lynne Griffin recalled going to see the film on its opening night at a theater on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. She follows him there and is shocked when he announces that he's defecting to the East after the U.S. government cancelled his research project. Certificate: M/PG [11][15] According to Michael MacLaverty, film editor for "Curtains, the alternate theater ending was ultimately discarded because Alana Simpson, then wife of producer Peter Simpson, felt it was "too improbable." Curtains is a early slasher movie that uses the template that has now become the boring norm. She also admits to having killed Stryker and Brooke. The scene in which Professor Armstrong murders Gromek is classic Hitchcock, and the blackboard scene between Newman and Donath is great, too. Behind the Curtain is a look into the murky world of dark money—massive amounts of it aligned to push a far-left agenda that would make even mainstream liberals shiver. Once arrived however, Michael informs her that he may be staying for awhile and she should return home. Samantha, the uninvited guest, appears at the house during dinner. Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. A rivalry develops between a showbiz veteran and an upstart newcomer. Whitmer: Let the curtain rise on movie theaters Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press 8/23/2020 Federal judge blocks Texas … In fact, Michael is there to obtain information from a renowned East German scientist. With David Suchet, Helen Baxendale, Hugh Fraser, Anne Reid. A serial murderer is strangling women with a necktie. Furious at being double-crossed, she escapes the asylum to seek revenge. Later on, while Laurian is dancing in her room upstairs, the killer sneaks in and stabs her to death. Newman refused, wanting a beer instead and he wanted to drink it from the can! After she wakes up from her dream, a killer in a hag mask stabs her to death and takes her doll. Use the HTML below. [10] The scene was shot two years after the initial production on a college campus, but never made it into the final cut. "[17] Film critic Leonard Maltin also gave the film a negative review, calling it a "Badly conceived and executed horror opus. Later that day, a drunk Matthew rides away on a snowmobile, in search of Christie. Behind the Curtain reveals the sordid web of limousine liberals and subversive billionaires in a chilling tale of power, greed, envy, and the politics of personal destruction. American death metal band Mortician used a sample from Curtains as an introduction for the song "Audra" from their 2003 album Darkest Day of Horror. In 1953, an innocent man named Christopher Emmanuel "Manny" Balestrero is arrested after being mistaken for an armed robber. [13], Director Ciupka left the film after disagreements with producer Simpson over stylistics and tone. Some time later, Patti is revealed to have been committed to a mental hospital, where she performs a monologue from "Audra" for the patients, who pay her no mind. Samantha tells Patti about Stryker's treachery for having abandoned her. And since the act of watching a movie is generally a sit-still-for-2-hours activity, there’s far less chance of interaction, even casual, than at a restaurant, bar or casino. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Behind That Curtain is a 1929 American Pre-Code mystery film directed by Irving Cummings, starring Warner Baxter and featuring Boris Karloff. [6] The film suffered a troubled production, ultimately leading to the film being shelved for a year, during which were rewrites, reshoots, and one major recasting were done. She frantically informs Stryker of what she has seen, but when they go back to the bathroom, the toilet is empty. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Which Is the Most Suspenseful Film of Alfred Hitchcock? Professor Michael Armstrong (Paul Newman) is heading to Copenhagen, Denmark to attend a physics conference accompanied by his assistant and fiancée Sarah Sherman (Dame Julie Andrews). Tara subsequently discovers the bodies of Brooke and Stryker, as well as Matthew, who had been murdered off-screen. It is not one of Hitch's top 10, but it is still a very good movie. "[21], Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times summarized the film as a "mediocre and grotesque Grand Guignol horror movie," criticizing its depiction of violence against women. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. One of the candidates, fledgling actress Amanda Teuther, has a weird dream. This is unfair, but it is true. [11], Actors Michael Wincott and Anne Ditchburn also originally had more dialogue, but most of their lines were cut from the final version of the film. “Curtains” is above average for a slasher film, though it ultimately doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. Needless to say those 2 had their differences. Movie theaters have an easy solution: Don’t sell seats to different parties closer than 6 feet apart. She then proceeds to stab Samantha to death. All in all Curtains is a good movie, certainly rewatchable, but our characters and storyline needed to be padded out a bit more. She had very little prior training in the field and even had fellow actress Anne Ditchburn help with her choreography. It's a mess, but an entertaining one thanks to Ciupka's visual ambition and ensemble work from the oddball cast, who deliver the proper level of hysteria to assist what little suspense remains. She follows him and realizes he's actually heading to East Germany, behind the Iron Curtain. [11] Writer Robert Guza Jr. returned to the project for rewrites under Simpson's supervision. Done. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? The story of Soviet cypher-clerk Igor Gouzenko who was posted to the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa,Canada in 1943 and defected in 1945 to reveal the extent … It is about an American scientist who appears … Drama, Certificate: Passed Meanwhile, Tara and Patti ponder Brooke's reason for claiming that Christie is dead, suspecting foul play. She follows him and realizes he's actually heading to East Germany, behind the Iron Curtain. "[19] Joe Baltake of the Philadelphia Daily News noted that Vernon "projects a genuine aura of menace" and that Eggar is "saddled here with a character that looks like a practical joke by her agent," summing up the film: "The movie itself is never a mystery, never frightening, but is, instead, unrelievedly solemn, given to long, mournful pauses. Directed by Patrick Harkins. A print of the film still exists. She follows him there and is shocked when he announces that he's defecting to the East after the U.S. government cancelled his research project. Producer Peter Simpson had wanted to make another successful slasher film after the release of Simcom's Prom Night, which had been a major box-office success. The New York Times gave Curtains a middling review, saying: "This derivative Canadian thriller plays like a distaff version of Samuel Fuller's cult classic Shock Corridor fused rather crudely to a standard mad-slasher plot. A phony psychic/con artist and her taxi driver/private investigator boyfriend encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir in California. Some scenes finish with a closed curtain which is a neat idea and the final quarter of an hour are very good. Nevertheless, when filming for that scene commenced, Donaldson tripped on the uneven ice and injured herself, resulting in a stand-in double being used for her long shots. "[27] Film historian Jim Harper also gave the film a mildly positive review, summarizing: "There are some real touches of class and originality in Curtains, but the poor editing and erratic feel stops the film from being a slasher classic. A struggling actress tries to help a friend prove his innocence when he's accused of murdering the husband of a high society entertainer. The next morning, Christie goes to a nearby pond for ice skating. Shooting began in late 1980 and was the beginning of a troubled production marked by multiple rewrites and reshoots that spanned nearly three years. The … [8] Wincott's death was originally filmed with him being killed on a snowmobile and then crashing into the library, scaring Sandee Currie's character. 20 of 26 people found this review helpful. ", "Collecting Life: An Interview with Samantha Eggar", "Curtains Unveiled: An Interview with Peter Simpson", "I, Audra: An Interview with Linda Thorson", "Losing Her Head: An Interview with Lesleh Donaldson", "Six for Her Scythe: An Interview with Lynne Griffin", "Revisiting Curtains: An Interview with Michael MacLaverty", "Blu-ray & DVD Release Details for 1983's Curtains", "It's 'Curtains' for careers: 2 pros are in a horror film", "Exclusive news/art: Canadian cult slasher "CURTAINS" on Blu-ray & DVD", "Dustin Putman's Review: Curtains (1983)", "FANS PETITION FOR DVD RELEASE OF "CURTAINS" AND "PROM NIGHT, "Echo Bridge Entertainment Releases 'The Midnight Horror Collection: Bloody Slashers, "Interview with Will Rahmer, Mortician's Vocalist & Bassist - February 2004", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Curtains_(1983_film)&oldid=996205309, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 25 December 2020, at 03:44. Was this review helpful to you? A priest, who comes under suspicion for murder, cannot clear his name without breaking the seal of the confessional. It does have a lot going for it: spirited acting by a solid cast, a strong sense of atmosphere and suspense, and some great scenes. Directed by Hettie Macdonald. After having sex, Brooke and Stryker are both shot dead by a figure in a robe. She attempts to flee the property, but discovers the cars inoperable and covered in snow. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Even so, it's a thoughtful and interesting movie. After the film was completed in 1982, director Ciupka detached his name from the final cut, and the film's director is credited as "Jonathan Stryker", the name of John Vernon's character. When she leaves her car to move it, it grabs her hand as someone gets into her car and runs over her. Alfred Hitchcock's espionage thriller Torn Curtain (1966) is a riveting spy caper that sees double agent Michael Armstrong (Paul Newman) having to escape from East Berlin during The Cold War era alongside his devoted fiancee Sarah (Julie Andrews). Then, an unseen figure enters the tool shed, grabs a sickle, and sharpens it. According to actress Linda Thorson, at one point, the tension between the two became so intense, it caused many of the actors to feel uncertain whether the production would even move forward at all. Patti is given an impromptu audition with Stryker and nearly explodes with anger when he mocks her ability to act, not even giving her a chance to start. [22] Stephen Hunter, writing for The Baltimore Sun, noted that "the most affecting thing about Curtains is its melancholy subtext of failed career and unrealized aspirations," but concluded: "Only the presence of several slick professional actors—Samantha Eggar and John Vernon—and some glossy production values separate this pointless, thoroughly meretricious film from the cruder, rawer teenage hacker melodramas that it so resembles."[23]. A tale of innocent American tourists in Morocco whose son's kidnapping sets off a twisting plot of international intrigue. This resulted in various additional scenes being shot, many of which never made it into the final picture. Written by Written by Brian Moore, the film is set in the Cold War. [6], Lynne Griffin, who had previously appeared in the slasher film Black Christmas (1974), was cast in the role of Patti, the stand-up comic, and at the time had been working in local theater productions in Toronto. Reeves as Ted in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure was never taken seriously in movies like Speed, Point Break, etc. A Malibu couple and a group of Mexican illegal aliens are brought together by a car accident. The Curtain Pole is a 1909 American comedy film directed by D. W. Griffith. 'Torn Curtain' was the first in a line of troublesome Hollywood productions for Hitch, marred by studio interference and a desire to keep up with trends. The book-length interview Hitchcock/Truffaut (one of the greatest texts about how filmmakers make films that you will ever read), was first published in 1966, at which point Alfred Hitchcock's newest film was Torn Curtain, from that summer.He didn't have very much to say about it to François Truffaut, skimming over a few sequences, point out one that did what he wanted it to, and … The masked killer with the sickle appears and attacks Christie. While driving to the audition, she spots a large doll in the middle of the road. [12], In preparation for the film's ice-skating sequence, actress Lesleh Donaldson was sent for skating practice by the film's producers. "[20] Rick Brough of the Park City Newspaper ranked the film two stars out of five, adding: "Don't bother using logic to figure out whodunit. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Torn Curtain is a 1966 American political thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. [11] At the time Ciupka abandoned the project, only 45 minutes of the film had been shot, which resulted in Simpson having to take over the shoot. The movie cheats shamelessly. Professor Michael Armstrong (Paul Newman) is heading to Copenhagen, Denmark to attend a physics conference accompanied by his assistant and fiancée Sarah Sherman (Dame Julie Andrews). Thriller. Boom. The film premiered in the United States in March 1983, and was released theatrically in Canada the following year to extremely negative reviews. Yet, there are some genuinely good scenes and frightening moments. It had its first DVD and Blu-ray release by Synapse Films in 2014. Panicked, Tara takes shelter in Stryker's expansive prop shed, where she discovers Laurian's body among the hanging mannequins and is pursued by the killer. 'The Iron Curtain' becomes, in a short time - the film doesn't arrive in an hour and a half - in a vibrant story of survival, in which the personal prevails above the general. [3][4] Wanting to avoid the "failure of teenybopper horror films such as Terror Train", Simpson signed onto the Curtains project because the film was "aimed for an adult audience." A young man accused of sabotage goes on the lam to prove his innocence. [33] Clips from the film were used in the music video for Oneohtrix Point Never's "Lost But Never Alone. The fascinating backstory on Curtains is evident throughout the presentation, leaving the picture half-realized, shooing away substance to plow ahead with violence. The film's protracted production ended in Ciupka detaching his name from the project. View production, box office, & company info. Principal photography was done on location in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada by Charles G. Clarke. With Paul Newman, Julie Andrews, Lila Kedrova, Hansjörg Felmy. The same for Andrews who was coming off Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. It was the first Charlie Chan film to be made at Fox Studios. Loyal movie buffs are helping the area’s independent movie theaters -- another industry financially reeling amid the coronavirus pandemic -- keep the curtains up. As for Andrews, she was suffering from "Keanu Reeves" syndrome. Is Brendan Fraser's reincarnation drama Behind The Curtain Of Night ever being released? by Becket Adams | November 19, 2020 11:00 PM Print this article. Although it was largely ignored by the press, it has gained a cult following over the years,[24] and garnered a series of positive reviews when it was released for the first time on Blu-ray in July 2014. Mark marries Marnie although she is a habitual thief and has serious psychological problems, and tries to help her confront and resolve them. There is a story that Hitchcock along with his wife insisted that Newman drink wine with them. Once inside, she finds out that Stryker has left her there alone and lets a group of young girls audition for the role of Audra, instead. A short time later, Samantha and Patti drink champagne in the kitchen, discussing Audra's insanity.