Don't Look Now
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Movie Reviews of Don't Look Now
Movie Review: Take a Look at "Don't Look Now"...
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time I ever heard of Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" was in an audio interview with British singer, Kate Bush. She said she pratically begged actor, Donald Sutherland to be in one of her music videos, after viewing this film.This aroused my curiousity and the first chance I got, I saw it.Well, now I understand what Miss Bush was talking about, because "Don't Look Now" is simply a brilliant puzzle of a film.This psychological (or should I say psychic) thriller involves a married couple (actors Donald Sutherland & Julie Christie)who experience the tragic death of their young daughter.While trying to get over their grief, they go on a business trip to Venice, where Sutherland is helping to restore an old Catholic church.It is during this trip, that the couple get involved in a horrifying psychic adventure.Director Nicolas Roeg has constructed a fascinating, enigmatic film, which will leave you on the edge of your seat.The city of Venice that he presents is downright eerie in atmosphere with a sense of forboding for the main characters.Actors, Sutherland & Christie both give amazing performances of a loving couple, who are trying to sort through their grief.This is simply great acting.In one of my favorite scenes of the movie, Roeg shows the couple making love, while he cross cuts shots of them getting ready for dinner.I think this is one of the most artful, sensual & erotic protrayles of two people making love ever shown in a mainstream film.The sexual act is protrayed as simply another moment of tenderness in the life of a caring, married couple.This is great film which is loaded with atmosphere, suspense and finally horror.The 'Twilight Zone'-like ending literally made me jump out of my chair.This is one of those movies (like "The Sixth Sense") where multiple viewings are required to pick up all the clues that are presented.It is a film that stays with you long after it is over.For an evening of suspenseful entertainment watch "Don't Look Now".Movie Review: Beautiful Blend Of Supernatural Horror And Italian Gialli
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a big fan of Italian gialli (violent murder mysteries usually involving serial killers dressed in black). Italy was a great importer of gialli during the mid-sixties to mid-seventies. Watching "Don't Look Now" reminded me of Aldo Lado's "Who Saw Her Die?" Both films have gorgeous Venetian scenery, especially of the canals and bridges that cross them. Both involve serial killers throwing corpses into these canals.
"Don't Look Now" is rife with supernatural elements. An architect (Donald Sutherland of "The Puppet Master" and "Virus") senses his daughter's drowning in his pond; unfortunately, he is too late to save her. While restoring a church in Venice, he learns a serial killer is throwing his victims into the canal. He catches brief glimpses of someone, perhaps a child, wearing a red raincoat - the one his daughter was wearing when she drowned. Soon he is involved in a mysterious accident. A blind psychic warns him that his daughter wants him and his beautiful wife (Julie Christie of "Demon Seed") to leave Venice. What is the connection between the serial killer and his dead daughter?
"Don't Look Now" is based on a story by Daphne Du Maurier who also wrote the supernatural best seller "Rebecca," which also involved a bizarre haunting. Gloomy, gothic scenery and a eerie piano score by Pino Donaggio ("Crawlspace") gives the viewer a sense of impending doom. The love scene between the married couple was a touching distraction. Overall, "Don't Look Now" is highly recommended for those who enjoy good supernatural horror fare of the seventies such as "Audrey Rose," "The Exorcist," "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud," "The Omen," and "The Other."
Unfortunately, the DVD is void of any "making of" features. It does, however, have a widescreen presentation, English subtitles, and a theatrical trailer.
Movie Review: DON'T LOOK NOW: TWO-DISC SPECIAL EDITION
Summary: 5 Stars
DON'T LOOK NOW if still a very brilliant film today. The imagery, shocks, twists and suspense all mix perfectly well together. The acting is very fine and realistic. The music is beautiful and at times loud and scary.
The film is about a young girl who drowns in a pond, leaving her parents mournful and wishing to get over the girl's death. They visit Venice where the father works on repairing a church. The two meet two perculiar women, one who is blind and claims to have psychic powers. She says that the father two has the gift, although he denies it. The woman also says she can see the dead girl, which the father doesn't believe. However, the father repeatedly sees a mysterious figure in the streets of Venice, wearing the red raincoat the daughter wore when she died. All leads to a fantastic surprise ending.
Now we've done with a brief review, I want to give some ideas of what I think should be on a future two-disc special edition of this haunting film. Details are below:
DISC ONE: DON'T LOOK NOW
*1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen
*New digital transfer
*Dolby Digital 5.1
*Audio commentary by Nicolas Roeg
*Original theatrical trailer
DISC TWO: BONUS FEATURES
*'Seeing is Believing: Making Don't Look Now' documentary
*'Under the Little Red Mac: The Ending of Don't Look Now' documentary
*'The Streets of Venice: The Sets of Don't Look Now' featurette
*'Don't Look Now: Looking Back' featurette
*'The Baxters' Story' featurette
I really do wish this could come true. The current DVD has bad sound quality and only a featurette and trailer for extras. DON'T LOOK NOW is an ingenious, memorable film, and knowing Warner Brothers, a good special edition DVD could be made for this.
A review by Dale White.
Movie Review: At last, Roeg's masterpiece. (All we need now is 'Eureka'.)
Summary: 5 Stars
"Don't Look Now" is famous as one of the first films in British cinema where the love scene may have not been entirely simulated. The extras on the UK edition of this DVD includes a half-hour documentary in which Nick Roeg and some of the production team are interviewed about this classic movie. They talk at length about that scene -- apparently they hired a hotel room for an afternoon without telling anyone else what they were doing, and the whole thing was filmed in 90 minutes by Roeg and his handheld, the cameraman and sound recordist. You get the distinct impression that they still feel sworn to secrecy over what really happened on that day. Sadly neither Christie nor Sutherland are interviewed. (Please note: this documentary does not appear on the US release of the DVD, according to a note I have received from William Ing.)But "Don't Look Now" is also famous as one of the great psychological thriller films. There's very little blood and gore, but a lot of horror, with two loving parents trying to confront their grief in gloomy, wintry Venice. Roeg eliminated red from most of the scenes -- down to insisting that none of the actors wore red clothes -- so that when the red mackintosh appears, it has a startling impact. This is a mystery film about coincidences -- only at the very end do all the loose ends start to tie up.
Without saying whether Daphne Du Maurier liked the film overall, Roeg says in the documentary that she entirely recognised the depiction of the leading couple. This is a movie you really ought to see, but you'll never feel entirely safe in nocturnal Venice again.
It has to be said that the sound quality of the movie is muffled.
Movie Review: A GREAT film...an average DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
I can still recall when I was 12 years old and I saw only the ending of "Don't Look Now". What an impact that had. I thought to myself "What on earth happened in this film for it to end this way?" I have since seen it countless times and it still amazes me that I can see something different in it each time. It is a complex, puzzeling, chilling horror film and it one is one of Nicolas Roeg's greatest achievements as a director.I had an old VHS copy of it and apparently Paramount used the nastiest print they could find for release. I suffered with this beast for years and when I heard that it was finally coming to DVD, I was very excited at the possibility of seeing the film the way it was meant to be seen. If you love this film as much as I do then GRAB THIS DVD!!!!!
When I first saw this DVD I must admit I was a bit thrown. I had seen the film for so long on tape that when watching it on DVD it's like seeing a different film. Apparently Roeg shot it in 1:33:1 and simply matted it to 1:85:1 for release. This means that information is lost at the top and bottom of the screen but I assure you this is not a promblem. The composition of the shots are much better in 1:85:1. The colors are VERY strong and the picture is sharp and clear(although there is grain visible in some shots). My only complaint is the audio. It's in mono and it is very weak and sounds tinny at times. A full stereo mix would have been great.
And one more thing. This is the EXTENDED VERSION of the film and that means a steamier love scene between Sutherland and Christie. Some extra features would have been nice but I'm happy just to have it on DVD at last.