Fatal Attraction (1987)

Close Minded

This is another one of Michael Douglas' thriller chillers. They are all pretty much the same by now, but when this was released it created quite a buzz. One night of cheating with Glenn Close was more than he bargained for. Wifey was away, but comes back and poor Mike thinks that life will go on as usual. Not if Glenn has her say. And, she more than does in this flick.
She is like a spider, weaving a web to catch poor Mike. She tries every trick in the book, calling on the phone, attempting suicide, saying she is pregnant, blowing up his car, and driving Mike to the edge of insanity where she lives.
When she takes his daughter on a whim, boils her rabbit, the struggle becomes real personal and gets out of total control. Needless to say, the ending will prove that demented Glenn, once a spider, is harder to kill than a cockroach.
Glenn Close's performance makes the movie watchable. Other than that, the other actors are just wooden puppets. June 16, 2008

One Night Stand = Forever...

Wow! I sure remember this one! I saw it at the theatre in '87 and knew it would be a sensation. Why? Because it strikes right at the heart of human frailty, error, and regret. How many people sat and judged Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) for his sin / stupidity, while being guilty of similar things themselves? I sure did! I smugly told my friends that "If I had Ann Archer at home, I'd never leave the house!" Well, I was young, dumb, and unmarried. And what about Alex Forest (Glenn Close)? Is she just the sinister seductress turned total nutjob, or a victim of Gallagher's arrogant exploitation and dismissal? Hmmm. I like FATAL ATTRACTION because it's more than a mere clever thriller. It forces the viewer to ask questions that are uncomfortable. It's no wonder that this film became a full-blown phenomenon. Adrian Lyne (Jacob's Ladder) tapped into our psyches by invading our private lives. I still squirm during Gallagher's confession to his wife! Highly recommended... March 1, 2008

Another classic film denied a Best Picture Oscar

And why???? I would like to begin with what won that year, and that was "The Last Emperor". While the Emperor isn't a bad film this was 10 times better. It's almost perfect, but I do notice that there were some loose threads in this film such as: Why was Alex Forrest's father's death such a traumatic event for her? and then what about Alex's mother? She's not mentioned at all which leads me to wonder about Alex's behavior throughout the whole story. There seems to be 3 faces of Alex which has her as a seductress, aggressive Madame Butterfly the next, and finally the one where she's fully competent. I bring up Madame Butterfly as this seems to be a loose adaption of the opera only Alex doesn't kill herself if anything she's the one who seems to want to kill....kill,kill,kill anyone who stands in her way. This was a transistion for actress Glenn Close who played more wholesome women in her previous films here she's the full on bad girl. She was also denied the oscar for best actress here, and that's another crime. Mind you I'm sure the Academy was probably stuck between a rock in a hard place choosing over this, and The Last Emperor" because I'm sure they felt some pressure about being diverse, and picking a morally good picture to be the best that year. This does show the morals of what can happen when a spouse cheats, so what's the problem? I don't know if there will be a 25th anniversary of this on dvd, but if it is I hope they will have the entire tape of "Play Me: Alex" on there. Well anyway on a scale of 1 to 10 as far as intensity goes this rates a 12. February 10, 2008

Still powerful in 2008

I remember when this first came out in '87. I was intrigued by the reviews and have always been a Douglas fan. A few of us went to the theater to see it once it was released. Needless to say, the place was packed and this film was an unexpected blockbuster and movie houses all over the country were raking in the sales from this film. Even as a male, I never felt uncomfortable and as tense as I did when watching this movie for the first time, especially when the audience was mostly female.

We all know the story. A high-powered Manhattan Attorney (Dan)lives the perfect life. A cushy job in the city and cozy home and idyllic family that begins in the city and winds up in the Conn.'burbs. A chance encounter with blonde bombshell Alex leads to a steamy roller coaster ride that takes the viewer on a wild journey throghout the film.

Even though Douglas also had another great film that year, "Wall Street", I thought his performance in this movie was much more powerful and riveting.

This film was made for more than just "entertainment", but it also came out during the height of the AIDS crisis and the peak of the indulgent, live for today '80s. It sent a message that if you cheat, there are dire consequences.

If you haven't seen this movie, definitely make time to do so. This film has a re-run ability that few movies do. It's still just as powerful and engaing in 2008 as it was in '87. I may have seen this about 30= times now.

Sure, it may have been made in the late '80s and the styles and other things in the film may seem "outdated". The technology and gadgets that we enjoy today did not exist back then, but the message and events are timeless. This movie still chills me today as much as it did back in '87 when I saw it for the first time. February 1, 2008

Worth owning

I had already owned this film on tape but wanted a more lasting format so I purchased this dvd. It had all anyone requires in a film and more. Kudos still to Glenn Close. October 13, 2007

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