Special Effects [Blu-ray]

Director: Larry Cohen Larry Cohen

Overview

Unlike other films by this title, the subject matter of Larry Cohen's murder mystery is a dastardly film director whose last movie plummeted at the box office in spite of flashy special effects. He wants to climb back up from this failure, so when he murders an aspiring actress in a Soho apartment, in a twist of his already twisted mind, he throws himself into a scheme to film a re-creation of the murder. As the movie plot, which is the director's plot, becomes more and more convoluted, he gets the detective assigned to the case to take part in his scheme and even gets the dead actress' husband to act out her murder in front of the camera. Laced with black humor and unexpected turns in the action, this director keeps the movie going, thanks to real director Larry Cohen who actually keeps the movie going.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/18/2016
UPC:	0887090128711
Original Release:	1984
Rating:	R
Source:	Olive
Region Code:	A
Language:	English
Time:	1:46:00
Sales rank:	13,052

Special Features

Includes Audio Commentary with Special Effects Writer, Director, and Producer Larry Cohen and Filmmaker Steve Mitchell

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Eric Bogosian	Cristopher Neville
Zoe Tamarlis	Actor
Brad Rijn	Keefe Waterman
Kevin O'Connor	Det. Lt. Phillip
Bill Oland	Detective Vickers
Richard Greene	Leon Grushkin
Zoe Tamerlis	Andrea/Elaine
Michael Minard	Composer

Technical Credits

Larry Cohen

Larry Cohen	Director,Screenwriter
Paul Kurta	Producer
Carter DeHaven III	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Special Effects is an example of writer/director Larry Cohen at his most conceptually audacious. His script for this film touches on Hollywood egotism, the cruelty of showbiz, snuff films, the corrupting allure that moviemaking holds for neophytes and even works in a few allusions to Hitchcock (a key plot device is lifted from Vertigo). He grounds his unusual script with a low-key directorial approach that achieves some fine setpieces: the showiest moments are the murder that kicks off the plot and the loft-set finale but the most effective might be a silent, desolate moment where a dead body is abandoned in an isolated, snow-covered Coney Island parking lot. More importantly, Cohen anchors the film with gutsy performances by actors from New York's experimental arts scene: Brad Rijn brings a convincing sense of raw emotion to the naïve and confused husband and Zoe Tamerlis is an effective chameleon in her dual role as the victim and her fictional counterpart (essentially, creating dual images of naivete from two different backgrounds). However, the glue that holds Special Effects together is Eric Bogosian's furiously intense portrayal of the egomaniacal director who drives the story's events: he hits the right blend of charm and menace necessary to convince the viewer he is capable of pulling off such a bizarre murder-and-coverup scenario. The end result is a worthy sleeper for cult film fans who like their thrillers infused with offbeat themes and satire.

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