Play Misty for Me

Rating:
Summary: Into The Mist
Review: Play Misty For Me is Clint Eastwood's directorial debut and it is an entertaining thriller about obsession that is a precursor for films like Fatal Attraction. Mr. Eastwood plays against type as a DJ Dave Garver, who works at a jazz station in Carmel, CA (The town where Mr. Eastwood would become the real life mayor ). Mr. Eastwood is usually the strong, silent type who seeks revenge or is an enforcer. In this film, he is a sensitive ladies man, who reads poetry on the air and plays jazz music. He is also the victim. He has what he thinks is a one-night affair with Evelyn Draper played by Jessica Walter. Evelyn claims that there's no strings attached, but that turns out to be the farthest thing from the truth. She stalks Garver, showing up unannounced at his home, at a bar he frequents and in one instance tries to kill herself in his bathroom. In the meantime, Garver is trying to get back together with his former girlfriend Tobie played by a young Donna Mills. Evelyn trashes Garver's house and almost kills his housekeeper, Birdie (Clarice Taylor) and is taken away by the police and put into an asylum. Garver thinks it's over, but Evelyn gets out of the asylum and there is one last chilling scene involving scissors and a knife. Mr. Eastwood uses the natural beauty of the Monterey Peninsula to great effect in the film, with wide shots of the rolling surf and picturesque sunsets. There is one odd montage in the middle of the film which is like a music video set to Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", in which Tobie & Garver roam through the landscape and end up in a secluded pond. The use of the two year old song in the film actually propelled it to number one on the charts and made a star out of the relatively unknown Ms. Flack. There is also a scene from the Monterey Jazz Festival with actual performances by Johnny Otis and Cannonball Adderley. The actors all give credible performances. Even though Mr. Eastwood is playing the sensitive type, he still exudes his famous cool. Ms. Mills is luminous and she is just fragile enough to be a victim. Ms. Walter is perfect as Evelyn. She plays the part of a psychotic, unhinged, scornful woman just enough over the top to be scarily believable, but not too over the top to become cartoonish. The film is a strong debut for Mr. Eastwood as a director and despite some dated material, the film holds up as an effective thriller.

Rating:
Summary: Fatal Attraction before Fatal Attraction
Review: Play Misty for Me is Clint Eastwood's first movie as a director/actor and he does a fine job with it. Released in 1971, this movie is Fatal Attraction before fatal attraction.

Eastwood plays a local popular disk jockey in a relatively small town who is a bit of playboy as well. His girlfriend, whom he loves, left him because he can't keep it in his pants long enough. One night Eastwood runs into an attractive woman in a bar played by Jessica Walter and of course he winds up in bed with her. The problem for Eastwood is the woman becomes more and more crazily obsessed with him and can't get rid of her. She shows up at not only is house unexpectedly, but other places as well. Things really start to boil over when his girlfriend comes back to town and he wants get back with her. The crazy fatal attraction just gets even crazier and scarier at this point.

Overall, this is a well done, entertaining, and at times, suspenseful movie. Eastwood did a fine job in debut as a director.




Rating:
Summary: Change of character does Eastwood good
Review: Play Misty For Me is worth seeing if only because Clint Eastwood doesn't just glint and fire for once. He actually has to act(and direct), and is surprisingly good at both! As a popular California disk jockey, Clint engages in what seems like a harmless one night stand with fan Jessica Walter. However Donna Mills, as Clint's ex-girlfriend, pops up and their rekindling ignites Walter's rage. Although vital to the plot, Mills's and Eastwood's screentime together is a drag on the suspense. As the odd woman out, Walter lacks the deviate, cunning nature that a villian is supposed to posess. Perhaps it's her puppy dog eyes and aw shucks! nature that made me feel sorry for her instead of root against her. And the ending of Play Misty For Me is abrupt and disappointing. All in all though, Clint's directorial debut isn't bad. Moreover, his willingness to temporarily toss his cowboy hat and holster the .44 Magnum shows that there's brains behind that brawn.

Rating:
Summary: Great Directorial Debut For Eastwood
Review: Play Misty For Me,starring Clint Eastwood,(also the first film he directed)is an excellent movie,and quite suspenseful at times.Eastwood plays a radio disc jockey named Dave Garver,who has a one night stand with the wrong woman,Evelyn Draper.(Jessica Walter)She turns psychotic when he doesn't want to take their relationship any further,and proceeds to make his life very miserable.I won't say any more about the plot.Eastwood is very good as Dave,as is Jessica Walter as Evelyn,and Donna Mills as Tobie,the woman Dave really wants to have a relationship with.The rest of the cast is good,too.The California locations were great and the music soundtrack was excellent.Overall,an excellent movie.

Rating:
Summary: Good debut directorial!
Review: Play Misty meant the forst movie of this talented folm maker. This one is a tense psychological thriller which opened the inspiration sixteen years later to Fatal atraction, Jessica Walter (Nominated as best dramatic actress in 1971 for the Golden Globe), gives a surprisingly role as never before , as the outrageous lover who literally remains obsessed with Dave Garver (Clint)a nigttime disc jockey who loves the jazz and receives all kind of calls by phone.
His affair is obviously unexpected , but it will lead to several bitter headaches and disturbing situation.
Well thriller , and stills keeps its expressive force.

Rating:
Summary: clint on top form
Review: Superb directorial debut from Clint Eastwood.This is a tremendous thriller with a riveting performance from Jessica Walter as the slightly unhinged Evelyn Draper.Clint slowly winds up the tension throughout, building towards the shattering climax.The disc also contains a fascinating and pretty comprehensive look at the making of the film.

Rating:
Summary: A Clint classic finally on DVD!
Review: This is a dynamite film - period. Predecessor to thrillers such as "Fatal Attraction," this is one of Eastwood's best films (as far as I'm concerned). But what makes the DVD version so good (besides the image quality) is that it has lots of extras, such as interviews with Eastwood, Donna Mills and Jessica Walter about how the film was made, what went on behind the scenes, etc. This is also one of the best Clint Eastwood DVDs out there, because it has so much interesting bonus material included. Ditch the VHS and get the DVD!

Rating:
Summary: One of Clint's best!
Review: This is a great thriller! I totally love this movie. Clint Eastwood at his best! This is about a late night radio DJ who has a secret admirer. When he finally meets her, hoping for a one night stand, he finds an obsessive monster.

Rating:
Summary: THIS IS A REAL CHILLER....
Review: This is the original stalker movie, the template for others later on. Clint Eastwood made an incredible directorial debut with this movie, and everyone in it is superb. Jessica Walter is marvelous as the obsessed one-night stand girl who gets dumped in favor of the long-time relationship between Eastwood and Donna Mills and goes off the deep end in a big way. JW is breathtaking, and one can understand why Eastwood was attracted to her...BIG mistake! There are many shocking moments throughout the movie, and you literally never know from one moment to the next, when something horrifying will happen...it keeps you in suspense all the way. The San Franciso woman, Madge Brenner, who offers Eastwood a job, comes up to meet with him; their meeting takes place in a local restaurant and is one of the more stunning moments...Madge Brenner, the woman meeting with Eastwood, is perfect as the older woman (check out the hairdo; coiffed so hard it would take a hurricane of Category Five on the Saffir-Simpson scale to move one single hair! We're talking MAJOR hair spray...) trying to be "hip" and "groovy"; and actually says (this gives me goosebumps, it is so embarassing) "Yes, Mr. Garver, Let's talk show...I picture something LOOSEY GOOSEY, Monterey Pop, Unstructured type of thing..." All the drama is set against one of the world's most beautiful locations, Carmel, California, and it is magnificent. Another highlight is the Monterey Jazz festival, and the rendition of "Willie and the Hand Jive" the music moves many audience members to literally dance in the aisles; you wish you were there! The machinations and obsessions of Jessica Walter culminate in a heart-stopping climax, and this really is superb; even many years later, it still has incredible power to grab you and involve you in the story...

Rating:
Summary: psycho-thriller
Review: This movie is a fascinating look at the classic "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" formula. It's set against the beautiful backdrop of Carmel, Eastwood's home town, and is, in my opinion, one of the most frightening films in its genre. Fans of Fatal Attraction should take a look at this movie. It's a much more believable, and much scarier, portrayal of a one-night-stand gone wrong.