The Stunt Man

This is the ultimate no holds barred screw with your head motion picture but it does it so well that you'll never be tempted to quit. Your point of view or feelings towards any one of the characters may change at any given point &, just when you think you have it all figured out, something else comes along to sweep you away. Suffice to say that this is a movie within a movie & you'll probably be kept guessing until the end (but it will certainly be worth the wait). Great crackling fun.

Jokey, meta almost-spoof of movie making has a magnificent performance from O'Toole at its centre, but that's part of the problem - as the focus of the film is on Railsback's dull and dreary fugitive (and a narratively ambiguous/frustrating melding of fantasy and reality), we spend too much time wanting to return to the cockeyed Eli; how much better this film could have been seen through the messianic director's eyes! Points to Rush for creating a unique and intriguing vision.

It does the self referential thing well and O'Toole is fucking magnificent. There's also something about the way it's styled, with the editing and music that just exudes fun.

Totally kinetic and crazy, every scene crackles with tons of energy. I don't completely buy Steve Railsback in some scenes, but it's really a minor issue when so much madness is going on around him.

This so meta.

A great, ultimately good-natured mindfuck of a movie, all about life, love, identity, courage, fear and the creative process. I call this Peter O'Toole's second greatest screen role, after Lawrence.

A theoretical one-trick pony, and simply not funny or well-acted enough to function as entertainment.

Consistently blurs the line between reality, an inside look in the movie business, & the reality that movies create in the most exhilarating and entertaining way possible. Peter O'Toole is his usual fantastic self as a megalomaniac. Easy to enjoy, but not so much as to be taken for granted.

A total mess that is somewhat saved by Peter O'Toole; I didn't really believe Railsback's character at all, or his love interest, or that he was supposed to be in danger of being arrested.

This is the kind of movie they're talking about when they say they don't make 'em like they used to. Based on the way things are right now, we will not see another The Stunt Man anytime soon, which is a shame, because this is a brilliant mash-up of genres and ideas and meta stylings that has Peter O'Toole doing excellent work in an explosive role as a crazy movie director.

Ostensibly an offbeat comedy, Rush's magnum opus nonetheless actively resists neat categorisation, but it's easy to see why it hasn't been quite as fondly remembered as other New Hollywood films. It's debatable whether it truly transcends its clever conceit, largely because the human connections aren't always convincing thanks to Railsback's charmless performance. On the plus side, O'Toole is delightfully devilish as the megalomaniacal director, and the set pieces are wonderfully kinetic.

When I read the synopsis and saw it had O'Toole, I thought the guy had lost his gourd, but this movie was just damned fun. All of the stunts in it are awesomely entertaining, and the acting and writing likewise.

Pretty good. Peter O'Toole is obviously incredible, and I'm not sure if Steve Railsback played his part as an idiot psychopath on purpose, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. The editing is pretty bad, though, and it's a shame. The screenplay is excellent, and I think the only reason this isn't seen as a classic is because of its technical shortcomings. That said, still highly recommended.

Never heard of this one either and a good drama with some humor. O'Toole delivers another great performance. Original movie with a lot of behind-the-scenes stunt work.

A unique and extremely enjoyable movie, and one of the best movies ever made about filmmaking.

Quite surprising when a film I haven't even heard of ends up being this good. The story is original and entertaining, and the acting is good from the principals. I don't know how Steve Railsback isn't in more films either, because I thought he did a great job.

Brilliant. One of the most original films ever made

A compelling experiment in perspective. Each new scene alters your opinion of what has come before.

Very surreal movie at times, quite unlike any other movie I've seen. The writing and acting, particularly from O'Toole, are very strong.

"People want to believe in things and policemen are just people. Or some I'm told."

Pretty good comedy.

The subject is illusion and reality and the blurred borderline between those states, and the lesson is conducted at an easy introductory level, geared perhaps for the audience of _Hooper_: Illusion and Reality Made Simple.

Very spotty, but O'Toole pulls it all together with an amazing performance.

Not as subtle or as nimble as it wants to be, but still quite good.

A bizarre movie, not in a good way. It is whimsical enough that it constantly grabbed my attention, but then it never really follows through with interesting substance. That the acting is all appallingly hammy, including the venerable Peter O'Toole's, probably signifies a failed stab at comedy. It's anyone's guess whether there is supposed to be genuine humor here; I for one just feel a bit cheated. The obstinate, completely unfitting tune plaguing the soundtrack must also be disparaged.

It's a very erratic film, and while that seems to have been an intentional choice, it doesn't work out as well as it could. Peter O'Toole's performance alone provides a good enough reason to keep watching though.

Peter O'toole and Barbara Hershey are good. Steve Railsback is not.

What a fucking trip! Railsback may be the weirdest choice for leading man in a movie like this and I love it!

Sure, it's got it's flaws in logic and whatnot, but it's so utterly unique and entertaining.

What a crazy ride. Crane shots, surrealism, Railsback going to 11, and stunt scenes that seem absolutely dangerous. Those stunt scenes that are half movie magic and half insanity are what make the film into something really special.