Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

LeonLouisRicci Multi-Layered, Complex, Frantic and Gonzo Filmmaking from Director Richard Rush. This is a Bizarre Belt in the Face to Unsuspecting Movie Watchers and is one of those Cult Movies that is Lost Somewhere Out There Waiting to be Discovered, Rediscovered, Loved, Hated and Awed at from Numerous Perspectives and Strong Opinions Either Way, will No Doubt be Debated as Long as there are Movies, Critics, and Fans of the Art Form.It is so Different and Requires One to Pay Attention and Think and has so much to Say that it can be an Exhausting Experience as much as an Entertainment. It Never Pretends to be or Ever was a Mainstream Movie, it is just too Strange. The Studio Saw this and was Apprehensive at Best and Determined at Least to let it set on the Shelf for Two Years after it was made.Their Bottom Line Instincts were Correct because No One went to See it, but it did Attain Attention from Critics, Film-Buffs, and Eggheads and Managed (no small feat) to Acquire Three Oscar Nominations, Director, Screenplay, and Peter O'Toole for Best Actor.The Other Lead Performance was not as Endearing as Steve Railsback is Unconvincing, Over the Top, and more Irritating than Not in a Difficult Role that is one of the Films Strong Shortcomings. There aren't Many. With Barbara Hershey Pretty Good, but Nothing Special and a Hit and Miss Supporting Cast.But it is the Movie Making in a Movie about Movie Making and the Symbolic, Rich Script, and Stunning Stunts that Propel this to its Lofty Heights where the Devil Comes From.

preppy-3 A convict named Cameron (Steve Railsback) is being chases by the police. He inadvertently stumbles upon a stunt being done for a movie--and the stuntman dies. The crazy director Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole) makes believe that the stuntman didn't die and passes off Cameron as him. Cameron goes along with it and becomes the official stuntman for the movie. What follows is a frustrating and decidedly unfunny black comedy.I caught this back in 1980 and couldn't make heads or tails out of it. Critics were raving about it nonstop but I thought it was pointless and quite dull. I (sort of) get it now. It's a VERY surreal black comedy about a bunch of people making a movie about WW1 and being ruled over by a mad director who will do ANYTHING to get it done. Some people may find jokes about people being killed or wounded hysterically funny but I didn't. Also the movie is constantly playing with the viewers mind--fantasy and reality keep intermixing in the film. You think you're seeing something real...but it turns out to be fake. This happens nonstop throughout the film! It's kind of fun at first but then it just gets annoying. Acting doesn't help. Railsback (who can be good) is dreadful here. He has just one look and uses it throughout the entire picture! I didn't have a clue on how to take his character. His big speech towards the end is more funny than shocking. Hershey (another one who can be good) is ALSO terrible! Was she taking acting tips from Railsback? She's all over the place here. The script is lousy. Nobody talks like a real person here. I was always aware I was listening to a script--NOT dialogue.There are only two bright lights here: the action sequences are fast, furious and lots of fun. And O'Toole takes his meaty role and runs with it. He was justly nominated for an Academy Award for this. He's WAY over the top but it fits the surreal material like a glove. He's just incredible but he's the only thing worth seeing here. Everything else is just horrible. The total adoration of this picture is beyond me. I give it a 2 and that's just for O'Toole's brilliant performance.

ozjeppe Lights, camera, FRANTIC! I saw this for the first time in a theater in 1981, so it was certainly time for a re-visit: A fugitive (and Vietnam vet, á la the 1980's formula character trait picks) from the law, stumbles upon a movie shoot and inadvertently kills its stunt man. The ruthlessly manic director agrees to shield him from the police - ONLY if he agrees to step in as the stunt man's replacement to finish the film! For any movie buff, this set-up is enough to make you drool and rub your hands together in delight.An absolute one-of-a-kind mix of sarcastic satire, dizzying action plus one of the best movie-within-a-movie gimmicks ever: An overblown WW1 war/romance epic! Top production of course, energetically unpredictable story twists and a lively soundtrack that is SO unforgettable, that I could hum its two main themes in my head even before I put the disc in... almost 30 years later! Also formidably cast, with an indelible performance of a lifetime from O'Toole. The downside though, when there is so much brain in a film like this, is the lack of heart (and subtlety) among the cold-blooded and hard-skinned cynicism, as I really don't feel much for its characters - memorable as they may be - afterward. 7 out of 10 from Ozjeppe

Jeremy Benjamin This film works tremendously on all levels. It is a highly intelligent story about what is or is not real, while at the same time it is a fast-moving and spectacular stuntfest, with much clever and funny dialogue. Steve Railsback plays Cameron, who pretends to be a deceased stuntman who was a stand-in for an actor playing a First World War pilot. So one man (Railsback) is playing another (Cameron) playing another (deceased stuntman) playing another (actor in WW1 film) playing another (WW1 pilot): no wonder that in the world of the film set Cameron has trouble working out what is or not real! I have seen this film probably ten times, and every time I see something I missed before. It is absolutely enthralling, and though it has always had good reviews, it somehow always gets missed when lists of all-time great films are compiled. It is one of those movies which has many fans, and I always recommend it as a must-see, but most people just don't seem to 'get' this film, so it has not got as much recognition as it deserves.