The Stunt Man (1980)
- Directed by
- Richard Rush
- Genre
- comedy film, action film, comedy drama, comedy thriller
- Country
- United States
- Runtime
- 2h 09m
- Rated
- R
- Rating
- 6.6 of 10 from 169 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
A fugitive on the run hides by working as a stunt double on a movie set. The director of the World War I film seems willing to risk anything for his art. The line between what is real and what is staged becomes impossible for the young man to trust.
confusingparanoidsatiricalmind-bendingsuspensefuldarkly comicchaoticplayful
What happens
The Stunt Man is a 1980 American satirical psychological black comedy film starring Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback and Barbara Hershey, and directed by Richard Rush. The film was adapted by Lawrence B. Marcus and Rush from the 1970 novel by Paul Brodeur. It tells the story of a young fugitive who hides as a stunt double on the set of a World War I movie whose charismatic director will do seemingly anything for the sake of his art. The line between illusion and reality is blurred as scenes from the inner movie cut seamlessly to "real life" and vice versa. There are examples of "movie magic", where a scene of wartime carnage is revealed as just stunt men and props, and where a shot of a crying woman becomes, with scenery, props and soundtrack, a portrait of a grieving widow at a Nazi rally. The protagonist begins to doubt everything he sees and hears, and at the end is faced with real danger when a stunt seems to go wrong. It was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Peter O'Toole), Best Director (Richard Rush), and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. However, due to its limited release, it never earned much attention from audiences at large. As O'Toole remarked in a DVD audio commentary, "The film wasn't released. It escaped." The film has since developed a cult following. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
More like this
Stunts Unlimited (1980)
The Live Wire (1935)
Running Scared (1980)
On the Level (1930)
Fugitive Family (1980)
Ruckus (1980)
The Sinister Saga of Making "The Stunt Man" (2001)
Death Hunt (1980)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.