Looking to add this movie to my collection, wondering what the thoughts are...the plot info makes it seem a little interesting...

The movies that I like most are:

Usual Suspects
Fargo
Bottle Rocket
Wild Bunch

is there any movie that this is similar to?

Thanks!

Great movie, but the DVD isn't too great. I would say it is a little slower moving than the films you mentioned.

It's a good movie. It's basically a character study of a man who's basically a self-centered, egotistical, almost solipsistic, but basically passive intellectual, who is finally forced into defending his home. As Mr. Beavis pointed out earlier, it takes its time establishing the protagonist character, so it takes about an hour to get moving. It was very controversial for its violence back when it was released, and while I think the effect has faded over the years, I still find it one of the more disturbing movies in my collection.

In terms of style, it's certainly well made (though not the equal of Peckinpah's Wild Bunch or Ride the High Country). The movie takes a very bleak, primitave, almost anti-evolutionary view of human nature. The main problem I have with the film is that the story feels "rigged" to make a philosophical argument rather than seeming to unfold naturally.

I can't say much more without giving away plot elements.

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What you derive from a film depends very much on what you bring to it. It allows you to focus emotionally on things you already know. It brings things to a point.

--Andrew Sarris

It's also a good example of how difficult it is for a stranger to be "accepted" in a small rural town.
Bare DVD, but excellent film.

I viewed this film while in college, and highly recommend it even though I don't own the DVD. If anything rent it, and upon viewing it ask yourself, "What would I do in that situation?". Dustin Hoffman... who would've thought?

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"We are number #1. All others are #2 and lower."

The geek with the hot wife gets pushed to far. Never mess with a man's home. just don't watch the movie with your girlfriend. Well, maybe you should. Excellent film.

It's out on DVD by AnchorBay,it an eary Dustin Hoffman's flick directed by Sam Peckinpah.It says on the cover "Still Banned in UK".I never saw this movie can anyone shed any lights of this movie.Is it worth buying? and why is it banned in the UK?

Straw Dogs when it was release was shocking, over the years it's lost a little of it's edge(In truth it's rather tame by todays standards). The banning is true, but the UK still has Clockwork Orange banned as well. The story is simple, a meek man and his wife terrorized by a gang, and he finaly breaks and turns violent himself. Believe it or not that's as complicated as the story becomes. The violence is mean spirited, and has a animal feel to it. I found this film pointless, and Peckinpah doesn't bother with any character development. All of the characters suffer from 70's steriotypes(men have to prove themselves, women want to be taken against their will ect), which is standard of Peckinpah. Even as mindless as this film is, it does hold a certain morbid curiosity. Staw Dogs is dark, disturbing, and worth a veiwing. The dvd transfer is actually well done for a film this old. Colors come through well, and there is very little grain. There are a few rough spots in the transfer, but it's the best this film has ever looked. The audio track just isn't very good, I noticed a hiss sound all through the film. The disk doesn't have a single extra, not even a trailer. Out of 5 stars:
Film-***
Transfer-***1/2
Audio-*1/2
Extras-0

[Edited by pagemaster7 on 05-01-01 at 03:43 PM]

Guess I passed this one then, thank for the info.

Great movie, nice transfer. Not even a Theatrical trailer, but can be had cheaply.

Highly Recommended

I agree with Applejack, this is a great film. Dustin Hoffman is great. A tale of what lengths a man will go to in order to protect his family, even if he starts out as a wimp.

all the stores here finally dropped the price to $10 ( it used to be stickered as high as $24) so i picked it up. very surprised by the video quality. even though its a non-anamorphic, it's a GREAT non-anamorph. especially when you consider how old this is now. glad i finally bought it.

I'll correct everyone on this one - Straw Dogs isn't banned in the UK - it has been refused a video certificate, but it isn't totally banned - you can see a cut version in the cinemas. I heard Straw Dogs is banned in Ireland as well. The US Anchor Bay DVD is good - shame there aren't any extras - good film.

And Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange also isn't banned. The director wished for it to be banned a few years after the cinema release. Since the director passed away, an uncut cinema and video version is available.

This film impacted me for months when I first saw it many years ago on HBO. I had to own it on DVD! I am quite pleased with the VIDEO transfer, but as others have stated, the AUDIO falls short...

If you like the film you should purchase it. Overall, I was very happy - considering how old it is!

The thing I had forgotten about this flick was the incredible performance by Susan George. Hoffman's act grated on me a little(wimpy-ass american). Definitely worth 9 or 10 bucks for a place in your collection.

Thanks! This was very useful.

And Blade, thank you for the reminder. I didn't think of doing a search, it just lsipped my mind for some reason.

I don't own the DVD either, but highly recommend the film. Great performance from Dustin Hoffman and fantastic direction from Peckinpah. It's a good character study of a liberal-minded man falling to last resorts as he takes violence into his own hands.

Good film.

Just to expand on the BBFC certificate situation in the UK.

As Paul490 says it was never banned at all. I saw it in the cinema when it first came out.

****PLOT SPOILERS****

However, the BBFC take a stricter view for videos/dvds and refused a certificate with the rape scene as presented. The distributors did not want to make a cut which would have removed the impression that Susan George's character came to like being raped (the rapist is her ex-boyfriend) - so it has not been issued on dvd/video.

****END SPOILERS****

Likewise Clockwork Orange (I saw this on release too) was never banned and is available on video/dvd. Kubrick just decided not to allow distribution after the initial furore over its claimed effect in encouraging football hooliganism (which was a real problem at the time). It is available on video/dvd in the UK.