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Post by sdrew13163 on Feb 11, 2021 7:52:12 GMT
Just watched this and really enjoyed it.
It’s a super short, but very fun little movie. The production is entirely convincing and although I wasn’t completely sold on the fellow playing Zaroff, it was a great experience all-around for someone like me who has always loved the source material.
The last twenty-or-so minutes are breathless and save some of the slower segments in the middle with the fantastic climax. I certainly recommend checking it out if you can (it’s on Prime in the US).
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Post by wmcclain on Feb 11, 2021 12:55:28 GMT
The Most Dangerous Game (1932), directed by Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack. A big game hunter (young Joel McCrea), shipwrecked on a fortress island, finds himself the hunted when a mad Russian aristocrat explains his own sporting innovations. This was made by the same crew as for King Kong (1933) and uses the same jungle sets. They fit it in when Fay Wray had down time from the other picture, the same way she was able to work on Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933). She was a horror-thriller specialist during this period and has 11 film credits for 1933 alone. Her clothes are always getting ripped up or off. The plot has been used many times since. This version was supposed to be more ambitious but after losing half the budget they chopped out everything inessential, resulting in a quick 63 minute cut. Which is all to the good; you don't need to drag this out. They did have more footage of Count Zaroff's trophy cellar, but the exhibits were too much for preview audiences who were leaving the theater, so that was also cut. The other pre-Code excess was not skin this time, but rather blunt sexual menace. Zaroff announces he becomes romantic after killing a man and will turn his attention to Eve after dispatching Bob. So our hero must not only save his own life, but keep Eve safe from rape and probably gruesome murder. Eighteen months later and that plot would not have been allowed. Once the hunt starts it is awfully exciting, and the King Kong (1933) locations are easy to spot. Does Leslie Banks' accent seems a bit much? They had two Russian-speaking language coaches on hand. Max Steiner score. Available on DVD from Criterion. The film is in the public doman and this version is just fair. It has a good commentary track giving both production details and an insightful analysis of the psychological deviance on display. Flicker Alley has it on Blu-ray but I haven't seen that. 
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Post by politicidal on Feb 11, 2021 15:33:47 GMT
It's pretty good. I'm not a big fan of the original story, but this made it more interesting.
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Post by phantomparticle on Feb 11, 2021 20:54:42 GMT
Excellent thriller
Good to see Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong together before the release of King Kong. Leslie Banks exhibits sociable and engaging restraint in the company of his guests, even though his eyes are going "helter skelter" at the prospect of adding Joel McCrea to his trophy room and Fay to his bedroom.
Some of the films inspired by this movie include: Run for the Sun (Richard Widmark, 1956), The Naked Prey (Cornel Wilde, 1954), Run of the Arrow (Rod Steiger, 1957) and Apocalypto (2006)
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Post by movielover on Feb 11, 2021 21:05:22 GMT
Nice movie. I loved the short story back in high school.
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Post by drystyx on Feb 11, 2021 21:28:36 GMT
Agree with the phantom and others. It's the supporting characters that make a film great most of the time. As the fourth character, Robert Armstrong delivers, and one gets a sense that he really is a brother figure to Fay Wray.
Well acted. All four do sensational jobs in their roles. I'm glad that the film added on the Wray and Armstrong characters.
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