The Boston Strangler | | Cast : | Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda | | Director : | Richard Fleischer | | Studio : | Fox Home Entertainme | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | October 16, 1968 | | DVD Released Date : | September 07, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | January 25, 2005 | | Summary | An exquisitely stylish and poetic masterpiece... | Content
 | I finally got my hands on a copy of this film and was more than delighted with what I viewed. This is not "just another genre piece." This is a gem that any film afficionado would enjoy and appreciate. It has more style than fashion week in the Big Apple. It is deliciously abundant with flavor of a past era in suspense thrillers as well as intellectual art house works of the 60's. Visually stimulating thru brilliant use of color, composition, and perspective. Aurally savvy thru subtle sound direction. Everything from the set designs right down to the wardrobes was incredibly well thought out and executed. I have had an ongoing love affair with the horror genre for about 25 years and this is my new favorite. Not so, for the same reason Texas Chainsaw Massacre has held that title for the past decade, but for the artistic nature of this work of art in the celluloid realm alone. It's not at all "over the top", nor is it lacking in any way. I have difficulty forming any complaints at all about this beautifully constructed piece of work. |
| Rating | | | Date | October 02, 2004 | | Summary | Great Crime Drama; One of Curtis's Best Performances | Content
| This is a very good crime thriller. Fonda and Curtis are both great and they give equal time to the Law and the Killer. Some funky effects and "mature" moments for a movie made at it's time make it interesting as well with some of its loosening of the film moral code. Filmed on location it gives a great historical look at Boston at the time and coming from Boston makes it even more interesting to watch. (the police station is now an upscale hotel!) Historically, it also provides a nice picture of criminology at the time of the murders - look at what we can do now in these investiagtions! ESpecially given that many now think that DeSalvo may not have been the strangler at all. Well worth a viewing! |
| Rating | | | Date | September 16, 2004 | | Summary | This movie does not choke | Content
| Made only a few years after the actual murders, director Fleischer used split-screens with multiple panels to good effect, although the technique originally was resisted.
Tony Curtis, known mainly for light romantic comedies or sword-and-sandal movies, was an unusual (and originally ridiculed) choice as the lead character Albert DeSalvo, outwardly a mild family man, but very troubled on the inside. Apparently DeSalvo blocked out the killings, and was not even aware he was the killer - until he finally cracks in the last scene. Although Curtis doesn't appear till halfway through, he carries the movie from there on out. His performance got much critical acclaim, though ignored at oscar time.
Other big names include Henry Fonda and George Kennedy, and other notable minor roles such as Murray Hamilton, Jeff Corey, Sally Kellerman (debut) and James Brolin.
Widescreen picture and sound are good. I imagine the person with a sync problem needed to do what I do on occasion - rewind a second or two, then play forward. That seems to clear up un-sync any time it happens to me. I'm sure it is the player, not the movie.
DVD features include a short "Movie Tone" news reel with some missing sound, a good 20 minute "AMC Backstory" with interviews by cast and crew, and a handful of trailers for various movies.
Rated "R" for one use of the "F" word and some quick shots of bare breasts. This movie was made when synonyms for "a gay man" were routinely used, and they are used here - but Amazon has chosen to censor them, thus --->(...)
A good one.
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| Rating | | | Date | September 15, 2004 | | Summary | Out of SYNC | Content
| This is a great movie, but not a great DVD - it is out of sync! Looks to be a few frames, but it is impossible to watch. Returning my copy today. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 31, 2004 | | Summary | Saw a review copy.....some nice features on this DVD | Content
| Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda star in the critically acclaimed movie based on the true events of a serial killer that killed 13 women from 1962 to 1964. This movie takes a documentary style approach in following the investigators as they piece together the clues behind a seemingly random series of murders. Fonda stars as police detective John S. Bottomly and Curtis co-stars as Albert DeSalvo, the man who eventually confessed to the crimes. Of particular interest on this DVD is the inclusion of the 21-minute Backstory documentary on the movie that originally appeared on the AMC cable channel, interviewed on camera are Tony Curtis (who gushes with his appreciation of the movie), the director Richard Fleischer and producer Richard Zanuck. Also featured is a three-minute Fox Movietone newsreel of the actual events that appears to be missing part of its audio track. Rounbding out the special features is a selection of eight trailers including a theatrical trailer and teaser for the main feature that are both in wodescreen with excellent picture and only a slightly distorted (from age) audio track. This is an excellent movie and DVD - recommended. |
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