Deathtrap (1982)

A WICKEDLY FUNNY WHO'LL-DO-IT.

"What's the point of owning a mace, if you don't use it?" - playwright Sidney Bruhl (Michael Caine) in DEATHTRAP

...You'll stop laughing only long enough to gasp in surprise. The stars are terrific. The atmosphere is thick. The sets are marvelous. The score is wonderful and story is to die for!

The only thing missing is a special edition (that is anamorphic widescreen) with a running commentary from surviving director and stars - Lumet, Caine and Cannon.

DEATHTRAP, a wickedly, stylish, sneaky, cat-and-mouse movie, is a terrific companion piece for anyone who loved the "original version" of SLEUTH.

See it... applaud it... adore it! It is everything you heard and much more. March 13, 2008

Quite excellent

Ira Levin's comical mystery "who'll do it" is a joy from start to finish. Michael Caine is excellent as the mystery playwright who'd kill for a hit play. Christopher Reeve matches him all the way as the former student who's just written such a play. Dyan Cannon is amusing as Caine's overly hysterical wife.

While the plot has more twists and turns than you'd like to count, it's all energetically made and well acted and just when you think you've figured it out...guess again.

I'd like to recommend to future buyers to also purchase the wonderful play by Ira Levin. In fact, the only complaint I have with the film is that it didn't use the hilarious ending from the play.

Deathtrap may not be as good as Sleuth but you'll have a heck of a time with it nonetheless. December 3, 2007

So much talent!

It is uncanny how much talent went into this brilliant play converted to movie, from writer, director and actors! There was a twinge of heartbreak seeing Christopher Reeve, but I was thankful for the memory of him on film. The story has so many twists and turns, as well as humor, that it easily comes to life and blossoms into more than just entertainment. When an older, washed-up playwright meets a young writer looking for help to springboard his first play into glory, he doesn't realize that Sidney (played by Michael Caine) loves his play so much that the young man may not leave the cabin alive! Is a literary work worth dying for?

Chrissy K. McVay - Author October 18, 2007

It was better the second time.

The movie based on Ira Levin's play is quite thrilling with two great actors, Caine and Reeves. The only real problem is the structure of the play itself. After a murder is committed in what would be the first act, there is more exposition at the beginning of Act 2, which after all the excitement of Act 1, makes the play and the movie seem boring. Actually a lot is being done in that time, and when viewing it the second time, I realized its importance and wasn't bored. It's a fun film with lots of twists. August 13, 2007

Caine and Reeves - a dead cert

How does one go about describing the impact of Michael Caine and Christopher Reeves in this all time great light hearted thriller. I have seen this movie before but somehow the twists and turns of the plot caught me as much by surprise as the first time I viewed it. The acting kept me enthralled up to the last twist of the knife (so to say). I had actually forgotten how the movie ended so was really taken by surprise by the twist. Dyan Cannon as the naive wife who falls victim to treachery is a pleasure to watch. I was a little taken aback by the fact that the two male leads played the role of lovers and was amased that I had not noticed this before. Of course this was just another one of the twists and turns that the added to the highly complecated plot.
Of course a bonus was to see the wonderful Chritopher Reeves in his youthful form displaying the talent which we know he possessed.
This movie is well worth having in you collection as it is really a classic muder mystery plot.

July 12, 2007

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