Play Misty for Me (1971)

Clint Eastwood (making his very assured directorial debut) is a poetry-spouting stud-muffin DJ stalked by a maniacally amorous fan after a misguided one-night stand in this enjoyably schlocky, undeniably effective film about good intentions gone murderously wacky. Although many of the very '70s trappings presented here may ultimately be too dated to be taken seriously (including a very self-indulgent jazz number and a hilariously gooey seduction number between Eastwood and Donna Mills), the core premise of infatuation taken out of bounds remains uncomfortably plausible--and was influential enough to be appropriated by one of the biggest hits of the '80s. (Here's a hint--it starred Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and a very unfortunate bunny rabbit). A well-staged and occasionally very frightening thriller worth watching for Jessica Walter's peerlessly unhinged performance alone. Frequent Eastwood collaborator Don Siegel (director of Dirty Harry, Coogan's Bluff, and The Beguiled, to name but a few) has a nice cameo as Murphy, the mustachioed, chess-playing bartender. --Andrew Wright Amazon.com essential video

Clint Plays The Victim...

Yep, Clint Eastwood, DIRTY HARRY himself, is the victim in this movie! As strange as that may sound, it works! His radio DJ character, Dave Garver is still a macho sort of a guy, but he definitely has his hands full w/ Evelyn Draper (Jessica Walter). Evelyn isn't the type of gal who can be tossed aside after a one-night-stand. She is an ultra-needy, schizoid psychotic w/ a penchant for big, sharp knives! Dave tries to be nice. He attempts to give her the slip, resulting in Evelyn's total mental melt-down! PLAY MISTY FOR ME is a superb thriller w/ a terrific cast, including Donna Mills as Dave's girlfriend Tobie, and John Larch as an unfortunate police detective. Highly recommended to anyone who thinks their last relationship ended badly... October 1, 2008

jessica walter rocks the house!

the main reason why this film ranks so high in my book is jessica walter.

her performance set the mark that would be hit by glenn close, rebecca de mornay, lynn whitfield and many other actresses. but it would never be surpassed. her portrait of evelyn is a chilling, unflinching trip in to a very sick mind. she also manages to infuse her work with this dark, at times knavish, humor that makes her performance so watchable time after time. in fact, i am watching her about to get killed now on the sleuth channel.

there are many aspects of this film that are hip, such as the maid played by clarice taylor. she's so funny! and the roommate madeleine has a black boyfriend that is a jazz afficionado. the soundtrack is a huge highlight.

but donna mills is so pallid as the love interest. and the tone it takes towards gay people is pretty shocking but sadly, not out of date. that friend on 'sex and the city' for example? does darren star really think he's doing gay men a favor by having that character in that show?

but eastwood, considering it's his debut as a director, does a pretty good job with the script and working with surtees to lens some gorgeous shots of the carmel area and the california coastline.

and, he gave irene hervey a great little cameo to boot! so it's all good. May 6, 2008

scary!

This one will keep you on the edge of your seat-a great movie, despite its age. Ms. Walters should have been
nominated for an Oscar for her right-on-the-money performance! April 29, 2008

Play Misty For Me

Great story, but, what every happened to the opening sequence? I'm dating myself, but, when I saw the movie in the theater when it was originally released, there was a longer opening. As Eastwood is driving down the road, he follows a girl on a bike and picks her up. If you notice in the dvd version, after he leaves work and is driving down the PCH, and then through town, you may notice a skip in time and landscape. That is where the girl on the bike sequence should be. I would like to find and buy the complete movie. I expect the bike and girl thing may not be PC enough for some critics and it was cut from the DVD. April 14, 2008

Jessica Walter Delivers An Oscar-Winning Performance As The Stalker From Hell

"Play Misty For Me" was Clint Eastwood's directorial debut, and what a debut! This is a tense, powerful drama that is both suspenseful and horrifying. Clint Eastwood is a playboy disc jockey who is seduced by the fan from Hell, played by Jessica Walter. Walter should have received an Oscar for her portrayal as a psychotic who can't get over the fact that Eastwood never has and never will love her. The gorgeous Donna Mills (Surprise, she's not a bleached blonde in this movie!) plays Eastwood's naïve girlfriend who is convinced by Eastwood to revive a relationship with him. Big mistake!

Filmed in beautiful Carmel, California (Eastwood's home town), "Play Misty For Me" is an emotional roller coaster ride. It has many scenes between Eastwood and Walter that range from publicly embarrassing and humiliating to horrifying and tragic. Wait until Walter begins wielding a large kitchen knife and commences to slice and dice everyone in Eastwood's life. The ending was gruesome; it gave me a jolt. It definitely caught me by surprise as it did the victim.

"Fatal Attraction" has scenes that mimic "Play Misty For Me." It is not nearly as well done as the Eastwood hit. Glenn Close's character is not nearly as nasty as Jessica Walter's.

"Play Misty For Me." is highly recommended for fans of horror and suspense and for fans of American icon, Clint Eastwood. A higher body count would've been nicer, however, this movie relies more on suspense rather than gratuitous gore and violence. Some of the scenes at the jazz festival dragged too long. Overall, "Play Misty for me was a great find and it reminds me why I still like movies from the early seventies.
April 5, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...