What do you guys think of Death Wish?
08-16-04, 10:39 AM
#1
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What do you guys think of Death Wish?
On a lark, I bought this movie last week and BOY, WHAT A 70s ARTIFACT!
You can tell, right now to the deliberately slow pacing, this is a gritty 70s drama. I think it's lost some punch. He kills what, 6 guys? The rape scene seems almost surreal and comic. As a matter of fact, almost all the scenes where a crime is being committed seem forced and fake.
At the same time, I find the center idelogy of the movie intriguing. I can only help but feel that if a better director were in charge this could be a great movie.
08-16-04, 12:45 PM
#4
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Very solid movie. It is somewhat of a groundbreaking movie in some circles. Liberal-minded man takes the law into his own hands to avenge the death of a loved one. Spawned countless knock-off's to this day.
08-16-04, 01:00 PM
#5
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Originally posted by marty888
I like the movie, dated as it may be.
Did you notice - this was the first credited screen appearance of Jeff Goldblum ("Freak #1")?
I like the movie, dated as it may be.
Did you notice - this was the first credited screen appearance of Jeff Goldblum ("Freak #1")?
My favorite scenes are when he throws up the first time he kills and the end scene at the airport.
08-17-04, 07:38 AM
#8
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DW was a great idea for a movie, but poorly executed.
DW2 is one step above a snuff film and is one of the very few movies that actually offended me. Laurence Fishburne makes an appearance.
DW3 is okay if you accept it as a futuristic, apocalyptic tale. It did warm my heart to see all the punks; black white, Hispanic, etc.; work together.
DW4 is a nice action flick, if you can accept the fact that the near-70 year old Bronson is on the same level as a professional assassin.
DW5 is just bad. Vengeance, fashion-industry style!
The recurring theme of the five movies is that it's bad luck to have any relationship with Paul Kersey.
DW2 is one step above a snuff film and is one of the very few movies that actually offended me. Laurence Fishburne makes an appearance.
DW3 is okay if you accept it as a futuristic, apocalyptic tale. It did warm my heart to see all the punks; black white, Hispanic, etc.; work together.
DW4 is a nice action flick, if you can accept the fact that the near-70 year old Bronson is on the same level as a professional assassin.
DW5 is just bad. Vengeance, fashion-industry style!
The recurring theme of the five movies is that it's bad luck to have any relationship with Paul Kersey.
08-18-04, 09:40 AM
#14
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I thought it was pretty poor when I saw it when it was released in 1974. Like Charlie Goose said, great idea, poorly executed.
08-24-04, 02:20 PM
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Death Wish 3 is much better. How can you beat a scene where Charles Bronson blows away two gang members trying to steal his car? Plus the half hour turkey shoot at the end was excellent. Death Wish 1 is probably the second best of the whole Death Wish series. Death Wish 5 was too contrived, and I couldn't ever really get into #2 & 4. Perhaps I just liked the New York setting better on 1 & 3.
09-11-20, 08:18 AM
#17
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Re: What do you guys think of Death Wish?
Though I've seen the remake and thought it was okay, the original has been a shameful cinematic blind spot of mine for decades now. I saw that it was on Amazon Prime, so I watched it last night and really enjoyed it. The movie hit many of my sweet spots: revenge flick, snapshot of '70s urban decay, gaudy period fashions, classic Hollywood tough guys, and name/recognizable actors in early bit parts. (Jeff Goldblum! Christopher Guest! Paul Dooley! Grampa Munster! Okay, that last one isn't really an "early" role.)
Being the completist that I am, now I'm obligated to watch II through V. It's going to be a wild ride. (And a friend of mine who's a hardcore Charles Bronson fan recommended Mr. Majestyk, so I'll throw that on the pile, too.)
Being the completist that I am, now I'm obligated to watch II through V. It's going to be a wild ride. (And a friend of mine who's a hardcore Charles Bronson fan recommended Mr. Majestyk, so I'll throw that on the pile, too.)
09-13-20, 11:58 AM
#18
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09-14-20, 04:45 PM
#19
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: What do you guys think of Death Wish?
I think the first "Death Wish" is a good movie, although a product of its time. It's funny to think that it was a controversial movie given how tame it seems these days.
The sequels are a schlocky bunch but with some entertaining value. I like this montage of all the people Bronson blows away in Part 3:
An unusual footnote of Death Wish 2 & 3 is that Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin wrote most of the music for both movies. This only happened because director Michael Winner was a neighbor of Page and them living so close to each other lead to this unexpected pairing.
The sequels are a schlocky bunch but with some entertaining value. I like this montage of all the people Bronson blows away in Part 3:
An unusual footnote of Death Wish 2 & 3 is that Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin wrote most of the music for both movies. This only happened because director Michael Winner was a neighbor of Page and them living so close to each other lead to this unexpected pairing.
09-15-20, 11:58 AM
#21
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: What do you guys think of Death Wish?
Holey moley that was awesome, I had forgot how fast he reduced the population of the city this film takes place in. The third one is just bonkers and I loved that they included the guy who gets the spike to his head kill. It was not a kill but the scene where a gang banger steps onto a piece of wood with nails sticking up always makes me wince just thinking about it. 3 is the film where he has a gun designed to take down elephants shipped to him as he gears up to rid the city of gang bangers, so nuts but a film I may no longer need to revisit thanks to the montage posted by dhmac.
09-15-20, 12:48 PM
#22
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: What do you guys think of Death Wish?
That was better than Death Wish 3!
Oh wait . . .
Oh wait . . .
09-17-20, 11:25 PM
#23
Re: What do you guys think of Death Wish?
I think the first "Death Wish" is a good movie, although a product of its time. It's funny to think that it was a controversial movie given how tame it seems these days.
The sequels are a schlocky bunch but with some entertaining value. I like this montage of all the people Bronson blows away in Part 3:
An unusual footnote of Death Wish 2 & 3 is that Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin wrote most of the music for both movies. This only happened because director Michael Winner was a neighbor of Page and them living so close to each other lead to this unexpected pairing.
The sequels are a schlocky bunch but with some entertaining value. I like this montage of all the people Bronson blows away in Part 3:
An unusual footnote of Death Wish 2 & 3 is that Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin wrote most of the music for both movies. This only happened because director Michael Winner was a neighbor of Page and them living so close to each other lead to this unexpected pairing.
