LastingAware The greatest movie ever!

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

zkonedog To be completely honest, I do not know if a movie with themes as sinister and overt as "Cape Fear" could be made in Hollywood today. Yet, amazingly, it was released in 1962, only adding to the creepiness factor of the overall movie experience (I cannot imagine the reaction of theater- goers to this in the early 60s!).For a basic plot summary, "Cape Fear" tells the story of Max Cady (Robert Mitchum), a just- released prisoner who blames lawyer Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) for his time in the slammer. Thus, Cady decides to hound Sam, wife Peggy (Polly Bergen), and daughter Nancy (Lori Martin), threatening them with a sinister type of violence that only a man with his criminal past can threaten. Cady is careful to work inside the law however, so not even the town police chief (Martin Balsam) or a private investigator (Telly Savalas) can stop him.Without any beating around the bush, this movie is a classic because of Robert Mitchum as Cady. From the first time you see him on screen, you know that he is a slime-ball among the worst of all-time cinema villains. Just the way he swaggers around combined with his accent makes you instantly aware that this is a man to be feared.Of course, that character only truly works against Mr. straight-laced himself, Peck. Though you can read my review for the '91 "Cape Fear" to discover all that was wrong (or average) about that film, the main thing is that they went away from Peck's family representing, well, the innocence of family. In order for Cady to truly strike fear into us, he has to be attacking something we hold dear...that being the notion of family. Sam's family is the epitome of that innocence (shaggy dog, teenage daughter, white picket fence, etc.).The themes in this movie are quite brutal, dealing with violence, rape, pedophilia, and the limitations of the law. Yet, the film is not overtly violent. It is much more of a psychological-type humor, not anything too graphic. That's not saying, however, that you won't be utterly terrified at certain points...because you will.Overall, "Cape Fear" is one of my favorite psychological thrillers of all-time! It has incredible acting, deep suspense, and themes that hold up as well today as they did in 1962. If you have watched the '91 version, you've only gotten the "gist" of things. Watch this for the REAL terror.

FlashCallahan Lawyer Sam Bowden's life becomes torturous when Max Cady re-enters his life, after going to jail for 8 years when Bowden testified that Cady attacked a young woman. Now that Cady has been released, he begins to terrorise Bowden and his family, particularly targeting Bowden's daughter, Nancy. Initially, Cady uses his newfound knowledge of the law, to annoy the Bowdens, but then poisons the family dog.......It's a difficult one this. I was at an age where an '18' certificate movie was like a treasure chest full of forbidden fruits, and when Scorcese's remake was released, I was 14 years old, and just getting into my lifelong love of the cinema.Plus, it was 1992, and trying to source the original wasn't as easy as it is today thanks to streaming, DVD, and other media, so this film went begging for a while.So watching this, without comparing the two is extremely difficult, because core scenes are almost identical, but this film has a lot more depth, and Peck and Mitchum are more desperate, more emotionally charged than De Niro and Nolte, and after seeing this, the remake feels more like an exploitation piece, enabling Scorcese to experiment with cameras and filters.The camera-work here is wonderful, and adds more to the mise en scene, particularly the scene where Cady goes to attack Bowdens daughter,the camera is used in a way to emphasise Cadys intimidating figure, almost making him giant like, whereas she is made to look almost mouse like.Regarding the ending, its a much, much satisfying ending than the remake, and the boat scene is far more tense, as Sam is not on the boat when Cady infiltrates it.So again, it's proof that a classic film cannot be remade as a better piece, no matter who is involved. Having said that, I still like the original, if only for its experimental camera work, and exploitation element.

Wuchak The original 1962 version of "Cape Fear" is the same basic story as Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake with slight changes: Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) gets out of prison after over 8 years and proceeds to harass Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) and his family (Polly Bergen and Lori Martin) because Bowden was instrumental in Cady's conviction. Telly Savalas (with hair) appears as the private detective that Bowden hires.While I prefer the 1991 version because it's more modern and compelling, not to mention in color, this version is worthwhile if you like the stars and can handle the style of old black & white movies. Peck is stalwart as the protagonist, as always.Mitchum plays Max Cady subtler than De Niro and he's just not as fascinating. De Niro's Cady steals the show and could've even been the protagonist if Scorsese had the gonads to take the movie in a completely different direction whereas Mitchum's Cady is mainly just annoying, until the last act, that is. As written and performed, De Niro's Cady has more dimension and mystique. In the first act he's almost the hero and you find yourself sorta rooting for him, at least until he turns decidedly diabolic. This isn't to say that Mitchum's Cady isn't effective; he's just outshined by De Niro's version.Barrie Chase plays a "party girl" that Cady (Mitchum) picks up at a bar. She's obviously infected by the "bad boy syndrome" in light of her statement to Cady (paraphrased): "I like you… (because) you're an animal – coarse, lustful and barbaric." Isn't that just so true to life? One highlight of the film is petite Lori Martin as Bowden's adorable daughter, Nancy. She was 14 during filming and wholly precious. Her last film was the trashy 1968 biker flick "The Angry Breed" wherein she was 20. After that, she only did a few more TV gigs before bowing out of acting altogether.Whereas the 1991 film is drama/thriller that morphs into almost slasher horror, this version is decidedly a drama with thriller elements. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as – like me – you like dramas and are prepped for such a picture. Unfortunately, the film seems padded as many scenes are unnecessarily long and could've been cut in half, not to mention the black & white photography limits its appeal.The film runs 105 minutes and was shot in Savannah, Georgia, and Ladd's Marina (near Stockton), CA.GRADE: B

MattyGibbs I have seen the 1991 remake of this on a number of occasions and so was interested to see how it fared against the original. Whilst not as violent or glossy as the remake this is a superior film due mainly to the acting ability of the cast. Robert Mitchum was a superb actor and genuinely chilling in this as the psychopathic Max Cady who wages war on the man who sent him down. Gregory Peck is a bit wooden but Polly Bergen is good as the mom and I preferred the more vulnerable Lori Martin to Juliette Lewis's 1991 version of the daughter. It's even got Terry Savalas in it for good measure. It is pretty much the same plot as the remake so you will know what's coming but this still manages to be an entertaining and tense ride from start to finish.