Fatal Attraction - Special Collector's Edition

Rating:
Summary: You play fair with me, I'll play fair with you.
Review: For 1987, this was a decent little thriller that definitely showcased the amazing talent of Glenn Close. If you were hesitant to see this film, I would suggest it to you for the sheer enjoyment of seeing Close out of her element and being as sultry as ever. Douglas plays the classic, not to creative, father/husband/lover that must battle a barrage of threats coming from a woman that deserves every bit of respect from him. The script is jagged, at times nearly laughable, but still an enjoyable two hours of some amazingly tense scenes handled well by Adrian Lyne, who continues to "wow" us with his beautiful vision and racy talent behind the camera with film favorites like Unfaithful and Jacob's Ladder (two completely different films that highlight his true talent). I also think that the premise to this story is something to tote about as well. It is one of those rare occurrences when you could see the honesty of the story. It is an everyday occurrence, husbands cheating on their wives, and the reality that one could just "snap" after a night of sheer pleasure connects with such a mass viewing audience. Fatal Attraction is one of those films that creates the tension from the reality of the crime or passion, which is scarier than any horror film out there.

The greatest pull for this film has to be Glenn Close. I have seen several of her films and I must admit that this one sent shivers up my spine. She was superb as the strong-willed woman who knew what she wanted, went for it, then sought her revenge when the man wasn't able to reciprocate the feelings back to her. She really gave some depth to this film, transforming what could have been this simple psychotic character into one with many layers and depth. There are times that you somewhat feel sorry for her character because of the way that Douglas' character has treated her. While some will say that she forced him into it, Douglas knew what he was doing from the beginning, and should have been ready for any of the consequences. I will also say that I think Close's portrayal of Alex is a very feminist one. She could have easily decided to portray her as this weak and disturbed woman, but instead I really saw her as this independent woman who wasn't going to be walked away from after a weekend of love. Her heart was not going to be cut out and handed to her just because she was just as aggressive as most men. I was very impressed with Close in this film. All the while I thought Douglas was not coming out of his box. He brought nothing spectacular to his role and in fact I found myself laughing whenever he was to portray being flustered. It just didn't fit him. The same goes for Archer who played a cookie-cutter wife with no emotion. I feel that she was probably the worst character of the film. Apparently the writers gave her no information on her character and the only direction that Lyne gave her was to "act pretty". What a waste of talent. Finally, what was up with the boy-ish looking daughter they had? To me, that was one of the more frightening elements of this film.

Outside of the characters, Lyne does a fantastic job of building suspense and tension between Douglas and Close. He consistent and powerful use of the phone to add that extra "violin shrill" was a blast. I jumped a little bit each time the phone rang in the film, which showed the power that Lyne had with this household devise. He also structured the story well, giving us just the right amount of space and time with each of our players. He didn't focus heavy on just Douglas, but jumped us back and forth with Close as well allowing us to see different perspectives and development. My only struggle with the structure of the film was the "why" for Douglas. Was it pure spontaneity to sleep with Close, or was there some tensions or troubles at home? I would have liked to understand a bit clearer as to why Douglas decided to destroy his seemingly perfect family.

Overall, I was impressed with this film. While I do not think that it was exceptionally good, I do credit it for keeping my attention during the two hours that it ran. I literally could not keep my eyes off Close. She was amazing in this film, and if you see it for no other reason than her performance, you will not be disappointed. It was a classic "every man" story that included that Lyne atmosphere of tension and erotica. The script could have used some tweaking, but the intensity was there. I couldn't answer my phone for a week after I watched this. Fatal Attraction was not a bad little thriller for the feminist in all of us.

Grade: *** out of *****

Rating:
Summary: "I'm Not Just Going To Be IGNORED, Dan!"
Review: "Fatal Attraction" was a huge hit in the late summer and fall of 1987, earning $320-million at the box office following its premiere on September 18, 1987. And after first seeing the film on home video some years ago, I can understand why it was so popular.

In my opinion, this movie succeeds on many different levels -- it's the quintessential "stalker" flick, it's a terrific thriller, and even succeeds to a degree as a pretty good love story too (between star Michael Douglas and wife Anne Archer, who are both excellent in their roles here).

Glenn Close plays "Alex Forrest", and she makes the part her OWN after sinking her teeth into it. After seeing the film, it's hard to imagine anyone else being as good in the role. But, I suppose this is also true of many (or most) other movie roles as well.

But Glenn wasn't the first choice for the part of Alex. In fact, I've heard she was fourth. The filmmakers originally had Debra Winger in mind for this part. And while I'm sure Debra would have been good in the role too, I'm glad that Glenn Close ultimately won out and got the part. Glenn, btw, turned 40 years of age during "Fatal's" filming. While the object of Glenn's "fatal attraction", Michael Douglas, was 42 when he made this motion picture.

Both Glenn and Michael seem ideally suited for their roles here. Both are utterly and totally believable throughout the film. Glenn is so good here that we're never quite sure, through the bulk of the movie, whether she's REALLY crazy or not. She walks that fine line nicely.

Another very good piece of casting in the film was that of Douglas' and Archer's young daughter, Ellen. This part was played by Ellen Hamilton Latzen (who turned 7 during production). Ellen is absolutely adorable in this movie. A perfect choice. Every time I see her, I want to wrap her up and take her home.

"Fatal Attraction" provides the viewer with many memorable moments, one of which I consider to be one of the most realistic-looking physical altercations ever filmed for a movie -- that being the scene where Michael Douglas angrily confronts his female nemesis in Alex's apartment. You can almost FEEL Douglas' rage and fury come through the screen as he struggles with his antagonist in this superlative scene. It's the kind of scene that leaves the viewer, as well as the actors on screen, physically and emotionally exhausted after it's over. A remarkable scene indeed.

"Fatal Attraction" comes to DVD via this well-done single-disc "Special Collector's Edition" from Paramount Studios, with lots of goodies inside. There's a wealth of behind-the-scenes featurettes and rehearsal footage included here, plus other extras. Let's take a gander at the supplements:

>> Three separate Making-Of documentary features -- "Forever Fatal" (28 minutes); "Social Attraction" (10 minutes); and "Visual Attraction" (19.5 minutes).

>> "Rehearsal Footage" -- Featuring multiple scenes being rehearsed by stars Michael Douglas and Glenn Close. Some really good stuff here. Running time = 7 minutes.

>> Alternate (Original) Ending -- This originally-conceived ending of the film is included here as a 9-minute bonus supplement. Very good scene too. It's not quite as exciting as the ending that wound up in the final cut of the movie; but a well-done scene nevertheless. And a welcome bonus on this Special Edition DVD.

>> Feature-Length Audio Commentary Track with Director Adrian Lyne.

>> Theatrical Trailer.

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A very nice package of extra material indeed. This disc also has a foreign-language soundtrack (in French), plus three English audio tracks (including the Director's Commentary).

More Stats/Data About "Fatal Attraction: Special Collector's Edition" ............................

>> Video -- Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1). .... The picture quality looks very good here, IMHO. The video does look a tad "soft", but I'm guessing this was the desired look of the film by Director Lyne. Overall, an excellent video transfer to DVD.

>> Audio (English) -- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround.

>> Audio (French) -- Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo.

>> Subtitles -- English only.

>> Paper Enclosure(s)? -- Yes; 1-sheet Chapter Listing (17 scenes).

>> Film's Run Time -- 1 hr., 59 min.

>> MPAA Rating -- R.

>> Color or B&W? -- Color.

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"Fatal Attraction" was nominated for 6 Academy Awards, including "Best Picture" (but "The Last Emperor" took the prize). Glenn Close was also nominated, but was defeated for "Best Actress" honors by Cher (who won for "Moonstruck").

Interestingly, Michael Douglas DID win the "Best Actor" Oscar that year, but it wasn't for "Fatal". He copped the statue for another of his fine 1987 performances, "Wall Street".

If you want to curl up with a good thriller, then placing this disc of "Fatal Attraction" into the DVD player would not be out of order in the least. It'll "grab ya" right from the start.

Rating:
Summary: Fatal Attraction (1987)
Review: How far would one determined, crazy woman go to have the man she wants? She would go as far as to cooking his daughter's rabbit. She would go as far as kidnapping his daughter and treating her to the carnival, while his wife is desperately trying to find her daughter. FATAL ATTRACTION is the top thriller of 1987 and it has helped every married man on earth keep his snake locked in the cage.

Dan Gallagher (played by Michael Douglass) is a successful lawyer. He has a beautiful wife, Beth Gallagher (played by Anne Archer), and they have a charming six-year-old daughter, Ellen. On one particular Friday night, Dan and Beth are off to a book party with their friends, Jimmy and Hildy. There, Dan meets the beautiful Alex Forrest (played by Glenn Close), a senior editor working in Dan's company. After Beth and Ellen head off to Beth's parents for the weekend, Dan heads off to work for a meeting. Alex shows up at the meeting, where she and Dan have a harmless dinner. But Alex's flirtations and sexual innuendos are more than noticable. She and Dan spend the whole weekend together. But as Dan tries to leave that Sunday night, Alex becomes unstable to the point of slashing her wrists. Dan takes care of her and goes on his way, with a guilty conscience. For the next few weeks, Alex begins tormenting Dan, calling him day and night. She has gotten to the point of calling his appartment. Beth answers the phone, but everytime she does, Alex hangs up. Alex tells Dan that she is pregnant and she refuses to have an abortion. Dan continues to tell her that he made a mistake in sleeping with her and that he is now finished. But Alex is not about to just let Dan walk out on her. After learning that Dan has changed his number, Alex shows up at his appartment. Nothing of their affair is revealed just yet.

Dan and the family move out to the country into a bigger place. Hoping that this will stop Alex's petty torments, Dan begins to feel a sign of relief. That is until after he and the family return from Beth's parents. Dan has bought Ellen a white rabbit, but Beth finds the poor innocent rabbit cooking in a pot. Dan reveals to Beth that this Alex's doing, leading him into telling Beth that he had an affair with her. She throws him out right then and there, but not before he calls Alex, telling her that Beth now knows. Beth gets on the phone and simply states that, "...If you ever come near my family again, I swear I will kill you. Do you understand?..." You would think Alex would have left it alone after having being threatened, but Alex does not want to let go just yet. She picks Ellen up from school and treats her to the carnival for some fun, leaving Beth in a serious state of panic. Desperately trying to find her daughter, Beth gets into a serious car accident. She may have been bruised and may have received a broken arm, but Beth is just fine. After seeing Beth in the hospital, Dan waits outside Alex's apartment building. Usually, you would have to ring the apartment's buzzer to be let in, but Dan has something up his sleeve. Some friends leave the building, where Dan finally enters. He reaches Alex's apartment and rings the bell. As she answers the door, Dan busts in and pratically kills Alex by strangling her. Knowing that he'll be charged for first degree murder, he lets go of Alex. Alex comes charging at Dan with huge butcher knife, but he stops her and puts the knife on the counter. The lieutenant doesn't help much. Dan tells him that he'll be picking up Beth from the hospital and the two will be at home for the weekend with Ellen. Beth has realized that Dan made a stupid mistake, so she has decided to forgive him.

Beth is in the bathroom, getting ready to take a bath, as Dan waits in the kitchen, making a cup of tea for Beth. But Beth turns around and finds Alex at the bathroom door. She begins attacking Beth, but Dan, hearing Beth's screams, runs upstairs and into the bathroom for one final match. He grabs Alex by the throat and throws her into the tub full of water, drowning her. She stops suddenly, seemingly drowned, but she jumps out of the tub, ready to stab Dan with the same knife she used before. You would think she is going to stab him, but Beth shoots Alex in the stomach with a gun that was kept in Dan's drawer.

A movie that has had everyone around the world arguing of right and wrong. But a film that is one to enjoy, no matter how many times you have seen it. If you have not yet seen this movie, then buy it and watch it. If you are a married guy, who is sleeping around, then you better buy yourself a copy because this could happen to you.

Rating:
Summary: Lynne paid a solid tribute to Hitchcock !
Review: Adryan Lynne is a british director deeply interested for the emotional trouble couple and the absence of harmony in the relation , no matter your condition be . Think in 9 and 1/2 weeks, or Unfaithful (his most recent issue) . More than the 90% of his films are related with the disturbing causes and effects around the couple , and obviously this work turns around the effects than a simple weekend affair can bring a virtuosi and solvent moral patter family when he decides to enjoy the clear opportunity given for that accidental but happy life casuality.
The consequences derivated of this choice will be the sparkling point of a human chase of unpredictable consequences .
Lyne obviously was inspired for that ancient film of the early seventies Play Misty for me (directed by Clint Easwood) , but reforced with a major number of problems all the way . The central nucleus in both films is the fevered obsession generated for the female loneliness but told with a major sense of scope in this case and in the other hand the nuightamres of a single man with his fiancee in the case of Play Misty are nothing compared with the complex web of implications in the private life of Douglas as executive and married with man . The toimes change and the problems too .
The Hitchcock touch made the difference in this particular case , and Lynne got with this work one of the most fulminating and hair raising works in the last three decades .
Glenn Close made the best role of his career with this performance and Anne Archer and Douglas were extraordinary with this hyperreal script .
Mesmerizing film all the way .

Rating:
Summary: The original bunny boiler
Review: This film has been known to have a big effect on guys and girls. The guys instantly put a padlock on their pants. The girls begin to wonder if that's what they're like.

Lets face it, all guys are gonna start drooling at the slightest hint of cleavage, like the reviewer before me who said he walked into a door. I'm talking from experience, when the guy you're walking with starts pointing it out on the street that people are looking, then you begin to wish you'd worn a different top. (And for Glenn Close it's called a padded bra darling) But this is what happens if you go further than just drooling.

I've often wondered what all the fuss about this movie was. I knew it had Glenn Close and the not-so-lovely Michael Douglas in it, and I knew about the infamous bunny boiling scene, which coined the term, and was used most recently in the UK's Big Brother 5, to describe a contestant - unfortunately my namesake! But I'd never really watched it before last night. It didn't really appeal to me.

The movie centres around a happy 80s family, all loved up, and with a little boy called Ellen. I know it's a strange name for a boy isn't it? (Oh for God sake, who puts that haircut on a little girl?! Any wonder why I thought she was a little boy?!) Michael Douglas plays Dan, the hubby with the wandering eyes - who we get to see in his Y-fronts (of all things, get some boxers) in the very first scene. I thought that was enough to put me off the film until we had Ellen copying what her mum was saying, which had me in fits, and then Dan's friend says that Glenn Close (Alex) was mentally undressing him, but she had a little trouble with the buttons. Then I thought this movie might be worth watching.

Of course there's an attraction between Alex & Dan, despite the fact he has a massive gold band on his wedding finger - it's not there for show darling! And of course, his wife suddenly decides to go away, and Alex and Dan get it on in just about everywhere (including a very slow elevator, I wish they were all as slow as that) and probably in every position imaginable. Lets face it, if Dan's character was rubbish in bed, she wouldn't chase after him like that, is it? Unfortunately, we get see Michael's bare backside this time, and Glenn's very, very white chest. And I thought I had trouble getting mine to tan!

I didn't find either of them particularly attractive in this, although my mum would say different about Michael. She was getting thrills of his butt, and I was reaching for the sick bucket. Glenn could look quite pretty, when she had the little fringe, but mum described her as being the "ugliest looking unmentionable". I'd use that to describe Michael! I've seen loads better.

The movie was quite slow in places, and quite shocking - like Dan offering to pay for Alex's abortion. What a slap in the face. But was she ever really pregnant? Cos either there was a big time lapse, or she can see into the future, cos you can't tell that quickly you're pregnant!

This movie will definitely scare the bejeezus out of you, and have you wondering whether to phone your boyfriend/husband or not! Glenn is truly scary, and during the climax (not that kinda climax, she probably faked it with him) I was gripping my mum's hand in terror! Michael actually did well as the harassed man, so hopefully all guys will learn their lesson from this guy.

The extras on the DVD are pretty terrific. These are: commentary by director Adrian Lyne (who later did Indecent Proposal); "Forever Fatal": Remembering "Fatal Attraction" - new, exclusive cast and crew interviews; "Social Attraction": a look at the cultural phenomenon of "Fatal Attraction"; "Visual Attraction": behind-the-scenes production featurette; rehearsal footage; and an alternate ending with introduction by director Adrian Lyne. It's obvious why the alternate ending was scrapped in favour of the one you'll watch in the film, as it was a big anti-climax, and if I'd watched that, instead of the other ending, I would have felt really let down.

I finally understand what all the fuss is about this film, and it's pretty damn good. Just don't be put off by Glenn's chest or Michael's butt. Not a pretty sight.

Rating:
Summary: GLENN CLOSE PORTRAYED ONE OF THE SCARIEST VILLAINS.
Review: "Fatal Attraction" moves from an infidelity anecdote to a psychological thriller in a blink from an eye thanks to Glenn Close's magnificent performance. You can really hate the character of Alex Forrester, however the only victims are Dan Gallagher's wife Beth, and their little daughter Ellen.

One of the biggest successes of "Fatal Attraction" is the fact that the movie doesn't justifies Dan's infidelity, the plot doesn't make him neither an innocent victim nor a martyr. "Fatal Attraction" shows that all our actions will have a consequence, and Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) is as guilty as Alex.

"Fatal Attraction" is one of the most popular films of the 1980s decade, and brought fame to the careers of Michael Douglas, and Glenn Close thanks to her excellent performance.