Customer Reviews

Body Double

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

...with my parents.

I'll never forget seeing this movie in the theaters with my parents. We happen to see the quite young daughter of a really good couple friend of my parents, right before we went into the theater to watch this. My parents had no idea how bad this one was. My mother, just out of the blue, invited the young lady to join us. Brian DePalma has always been one of my favorite directors, and I only had a slight hint of how bad/good this would be. Well, I don't need to tell you the rest of the story, if you've seen this movie. My parents apologized profusely to her parents, later after we watched it. AND I WAS LOVING IT!!!

I bought this on laser disc right when it came out, and recently, about 1 year ago, bought the DVD. I really like the movie, one of my favorite Brian DePalma flicks. I'll tell you some of my favorite parts.

1) The music playing, when Scully, the Craig Wasson character, gets excused from his movie scene, and is driving home to spend some unexpected quality time with his live in girlfriend. That is probably the greatest sound track music I've ever heard, by Pino Donaggio.

2) The edit cuts, between the viewing of the murder, through the eyeglass, that Scully is looking through, and the real life view, in the living room of the murder victim. I still remember the sound effects and cries of pain by the actress.

3) The twirling effect of the cameras, when Scully and the female are kissing no the beach (no, it didn't make me dizzy, like other reviewers.)

4) The "B" Acting of Melanie Griffith. You' d think she really was a porn star, the way she's acting.

5) The police detective that interviews Scully. That guy was so creepy. Reminds me of the actor Fred Gwynne. Very entertaining.

Rent or buy this movie, and you shall not be disappointed.

Little known fact about this movie: Brian DePalma interviewed a real porn star (can't think of her name off hand, but she was extremely popular at the time this movie was being made) and rejected her based on her poor acting skills. Too bad they don't include her trial tapes in the DVD extras That would be bangin'!!! There is a book I own, called Double DePalma, which gives in great details the behind the scenes of this movie. I just checked, and it is also available for as little as $2.11. I highly recommend that item too.

Dubyac99 aka MC White said: Ch-ch-ch-check it out!!! EDIT: I'm the 69th reviewer of this version? Coincidence? I think not!

EDIT: 10/27/2006
Well, I have finally received my copy of this DVD from Columbia House, and let me tell you, it was really great! I would have liked some commentaries from Brian De Palma, but I notice he does not like to do commentaries, for the most part.

Still, this movie is one of my all time favorites by him.

Totally Excellent!!!

In the early 1980s, Brian De Palma made two movies about obsessed voyeurs with Blow Out and then Body Double. With its perceived misogynistic views of women exacerbated by the violence depicted towards them and the ample use of nudity, the film became a lightning rod for controversy when it was initially released. This new Special Edition is a double-dip for this title with brand new extras and new interviews conducted with cast and crew made specifically for this release.

Throughout his career, De Palma has been dogged with the criticism that he blatantly rips off the films of Alfred Hitchcock. And to be fair, there are several overt references in Body Double. Like Jimmy Stewart's character in Vertigo, Jake has a debilitating fear that affects him at the worst possible moments. He also ends up remaking a woman into an idealized version of one he was obsessed with previously, much as Stewart does with Kim Novak's character in Vertigo. And like Stewart's character in Rear Window, Jake witnesses a crime being committed from afar and is powerless to stop it.

Body Double shows the ugly, moral tawdriness of the bottom rungs of the Los Angeles acting scene. When we first meet Jake he's in danger of being fired from Z-grade horror film. De Palma has crafted a beautifully structured thriller with a mystery that we piece together along with Jake.

"The Seduction" examines the origins of the film. De Palma got the idea for it while working on Dressed to Kill and originally set it in New York City but he spent a lot of time in L.A. while making Scarface.

In "The Setup" De Palma explains that the premise of Body Double is a postmodern spin on Hitchcock, specifically Vertigo. He also talks about the notion of voyeurism and how he called attention to it repeatedly.

"The Mystery." The porn music video was inspired by De Palma watching countless hours of MTV. A colleague recommended using the song "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood who, as it turned out, were big fans of the director.

Finally, there is "The Controversy" which examines the critical savaging Body Double received when it came out, claiming that it portrayed women negatively and that it was too violent.

I have a love/hate relationship with Brian De Palma. His name is a brand, and a couple of his films are among my favorite--"Carrie" and "The Untouchables", for example. But he certainly has just as many misses--"Bonfire of the Vanities", anyone?

He has done a number of films with direct links to Hitchcock--"Sisters", "Dressed to Kill", and this "Body Double". These films all borrow heavily from Hitch in terms of imagery and plot. It has alternately been called, during his career, paying homage or being a rip-off. There are critics in both camps. My sentiment is that if you're going to borrow elements from another director, you could do a lot worse than THE MASTER.

That being said--"Body Double" is a loopy combination of "Vertigo" and "Rear Window". It's an entertaining, if not particularly, artistic film.

A young Melanie Griffith stole the show, for me, as porn star Holly Body. And what could be better than using Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Relax" to score the porno film within the film that she stars in? Not much, in my opinion.

So put your brain on hold, and you'll likely enjoy this lurid little film. Ultimately, it's just a pulpy B-movie--and as long as you don't expect ART--you do get entertainment. KGHarris, 9/06.

Brian DePalma knows a good film when he sees one. He has made several excellent films (The Untouchables) and some films that are cultural landmarks (Carrie, Scarface). His work borrows heavily from other masterworks. Body Double has plot points and several specific shots that trace their roots directly to two of Alfred Hitchcock's best: Rear Window and Vertigo. Body Double mixes these scenes with a leading man who exists in a world far removed from the world of Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly.

Craig Wasson stars as Jake Scully, an insecure actor who has the lead in a D-List Vampire movie and a serious phobia of enclosed places, which is established in the opening as poor Jake is paralyzed in his on-set coffin. Like Jimmy Stewart in "Rear Window", Wasson is placed into a position where he views his neighbors through the windows of his apartment. Like Stewart in "Vertigo" he is also positioned to become emotionally attached to a woman who is not who he thinks she is, set up as a witness to a false crime that is meant to disguise a murder. Where Stewart's vertigo paralyzes his character with a fear of heights at key moments in that story, Wasson's claustrophobia does the same here. Body Double shares with Vertigo extended sequences where our hero trails the woman he is becoming entangled with in lengthy scenes with almost no dialogue, as well as a swirling 360 degree camera shot when the hero kisses the woman of mystery.

But De Palma falls somewhat short of the master. Let's just say Wasson is not Jimmy Stewart, Melanie Griffith is not Grace Kelly, etc. While most stories require some degree of suspension of disbelief, DePalma puts in a few unbelievable story elements - some add a cheating "gotcha" and some seem to add no purpose other than to linger in a lurid setting.

Here are a few questions if you choose to see this film:
1. One character spends a significant length of time in disguise. Consider how long it would take to put on that disguise. Then consider the shot of the character without the disguise and the next time you see that character IN disguise. Without an accomplice this character apparently applies a makeup job in a minute that would have taken Rick Baker hours.
2. One of the key plot points involves the hiring of Melanie Griffith's character, one of the top porno actresses, "Holly Body". Holly tells Jake at one point that she gets $2,000 a day. Holly is hired to perform an arousing dance for a private audience for two nights. Why not just hire some stripper? Why hire "the top porno actress in the business"?

Plot holes and sub-par acting keep me from giving a full recommendation, but if you're a film director and you're going to steal from someone, you could do a lot worse than Hitchcock and "Vertigo" and "Rear Window". On the other hand - if you have NOT seen Vertigo or Rear Window, you'd be an idiot to even consider watching this movie first instead.

Controversial movies like this always result in a lot of contradictory feedbacks. After reading all other viewers' comments, I just want to add a few things. 1. If you label this movie as a "porn" or "soft porn", you may never have watched a "real" porn flick, or you must have missed one topnotch line in the "porn film shooting" scene of this movie, a line that defined so well the difference between erotic and pornographic cinema (a crew member asked the director, "so where's the come shot? I thought we were doing "Body Talk", not "Last Tango".) 2. It's quite unfair to blame Brian de Palma for "borrowing" Hitchcock's ideas from "Vertigo" or "Rear Window". Because if that's true, Hitchcock would have been pleased to see his ideas beautifully revived and enhanced in this very entertaining thriller. Over the years, I personally don't find all Hitchcock films as enjoyable as they used to be, while some of Brian de Palma tend to become classics themselves. There's something to make me think of Hitchcock though: Twenty-one years after Tippi Hedren gave a pretty nice performance in "The Birds" (1963), her daughter Melanie Griffith really delivered a much better one in "Body Double" (1984).

The DVD actually contains a cropped fullscreen version of the film, not the original widescreen version.

[...] Body Double is currently only available in a fullscreen version.

My 4-star rating is for the film, not the DVD.

As cinemaphiles know, Brian De Palma has a predilection for paying homage to Hitchcock in his films, and here tries to bring Hitchcock's affinity for sexual dysfunction, shocking plot twists and character "sudden death" that make the masters films extremely watchable until this day. But De Palma has a taste for the "low-life" that Hitchcock could not truly explore back, and really exercises the id here with this wild allegory on Hollywood, psycho-babble and the world of porno. Body Double is one of the seminal (no pun intended) 80's erotic thrillers (right up there with Fatal Attraction, Sea of Love and De Palma's Dressed to Kill, and a fun, trashy view.

The plot revolves around a failing actor (who could use some serious couch time, if you know what I mean), who becomes obsessed with a sexy neighbor whose `jones' for late-night dancing in the all together and abhorrence for window blinds makes house-sitting worth the lousy pay. And as we've seen in dozens erotic thrillers, someone dies, and our hero must get the bad guy and save the girl. Nice twists along the way keep this one very intriguing (though some "haters" will surely say they figured this one out long before the credits roll). What makes this film unique and a great view are:

A spectacularly hot, 28 year old Melanie Griffith, who about steals the movie and registers a "'10' on the peter meter" whenever she's on-screen.

The beautiful mystery brunette (Deborah Shelton) with unbelievable bedroom eyes.
Tons of sexy skin, stripping and erotic situations that'll get your blood going.
Great inside-the-movie-biz references, including a plunge into LA's adult film world.
Fine performances by the actors, with a story that reels you in and sound direction by De Palma.
An appearance by 80s group Frankie Goes to Hollywood, performing "Relax" (that song never gets old to me, at least).

Sure, there are elements of real, American "cheese"; leaps in logic (the plot tenuously hinges on a couple "fortunate" things happening at just the right time) and an overall "over-the-top" feel will turn some viewers off and have them scrambling for the remote. But Body Double is truly one of those late night cable classics that many have duplicated, but few have surpassed. It has just enough art and just enough brains to keep your attention - and did I mention Melanie Griffith?

This movie I consider to be akin to 'Vertigo' by Alfred Hitchcock. The pace is a little on the slow side with a lot of non-verbal action pulling the story along. It also mimics 'Rear Window' in that the main character witnesses a murder. In this case though, he was set up to be the witness. DePalma seems to have taken these themes and added some very strong satire.
He slams the porn industry in some very funny ways. You will have to watch and giggle along with some of these unforgetable scenes.
What I liked mostly about this movie was that it kept you guessing until the end. I don't want to give away too much here, but a clever use of 'Hollywood Hijinks' and the line 'Don't believe everything you see' fit with the story very well.
'Postcards from the edge' was the only strong movie that showed just how deceptive hollywood can be. In this film, DePalma shows how deadly and confusing it can be.
As in 'Dressed to Kill', DePalma relies on non-verbal acting to carry the story, and quite successfully too. The scene begins when Craig Wasson leaves the house he is sitting to follow who he thinks he's been watching though a telescope. The scene is carried through a mall and then to a beach. I believe it's about 20 minutes. Played out well with body language and facial expressions, this scene couldn't work any other way.
Like 'Vertigo', this movie seems to be drawn out somewhat. Maybe too much detail, not sure. I found myself becoming a little impatient at times for the story to continue.Not many movies attempt this slower approach, or do it in a way that makes it work.
All in all, definitely a must see. Keep in mind, the action is a bit slow at times.
Melanie Griffith appears here and does a great job in her role, as do the other actors. Filming, camera angels and use of props all work well. The plot is complex. This is a must see for suspense/murder mystery fans.

...with my parents.

I'll never forget seeing this movie in the theaters with my parents. We happen to see the quite young daughter of a really good couple friend of my parents, right before we went into the theater to watch this. My parents had no idea how bad this one was. My mother, just out of the blue, invited the young lady to join us. Brian DePalma has always been one of my favorite directors, and I only had a slight hint of how bad/good this would be. Well, I don't need to tell you the rest of the story, if you've seen this movie. My parents apologized profusely to her parents, later after we watched it. AND I WAS LOVING IT!!!

I bought this on laser disc right when it came out, and recently, about 1 year ago, bought the DVD. I really like the movie, one of my favorite Brian DePalma flicks. I'll tell you some of my favorite parts.

1) The music playing, when Scully, the Craig Wasson character, gets excused from his movie scene, and is driving home to spend some unexpected quality time with his live in girlfriend. That is probably the greatest sound track music I've ever heard, by Pino Donaggio.

2) The edit cuts, between the viewing of the murder, through the eyeglass, that Scully is looking through, and the real life view, in the living room of the murder victim. I still remember the sound effects and cries of pain by the actress.

3) The twirling effect of the cameras, when Scully and the female are kissing no the beach (no, it didn't make me dizzy, like other reviewers.)

4) The "B" Acting of Melanie Griffith. You' d think she really was a porn star, the way she's acting.

5) The police detective that interviews Scully. That guy was so creepy. Reminds me of the actor Fred Gwynne. Very entertaining.

Rent or buy this movie, and you shall not be disappointed.

Little known fact about this movie: Brian DePalma interviewed a real porn star (can't think of her name off hand, but she was extremely popular at the time this movie was being made) and rejected her based on her poor acting skills. Too bad they don't include her trial tapes in the DVD extras That would be bangin'!!! There is a book I own, called Double DePalma, which gives in great details the behind the scenes of this movie. I just checked, and it is also available for as little as $2.11. I highly recommend that item too.

Dubyac99 aka MC White said: Ch-ch-ch-check it out!!! EDIT: I'm the 69th reviewer of this version? Coincidence? I think not!

True confession: I'm not an all in Brian De Palma film aficionado..Mr. De Palma has tossed too many stink bombs into theatres, ala "Bonfire of the Vanities" for an unqualified endorsement!..However, I do salute De Palma's grandiose gothic style of film-making -- the subliminal David Lynch inspired creep humor -- the Hitchcock influenced technicals: see "Vertigo", "North by Northwest", and "Rear Window", for references.."Body Double" released in 1984, is a deliciously wicked, voyeuristic potboiler, bordering on soft-porn, yet exceptionally well cast..The plot is both a tease, and simultaneously sentimental..I've seen the film countless times and applaud the film, despite multiple viewings..The film's soundtrack is central to its quixotic guilty pleasures, especially one hit wonder, Frankie Goes To Hollywood's, "Relax", the high-camp moment in the film, as Jake Scully, (Craig Wason), the film's red herring, adorned in argyle sweater, horn rimmed glasses, and penny loafers loiters in a 70's butch bar, purveying the androgynous action through his inner peephole, like a bi-curious preppy on a school outing, sampling for the first time the dark side of leather and feather basement bar culture, and becoming self-consciously aroused..I won't give the plot away, but see the film..It remains Brian De Palma's most original work..And, a far superior film to the "Untouchables"..No doubt, De Palma reigns supreme in the blue-tinted genre!..Melanie Griffin acts and looks terrific as Holly Body, the unsuspecting, well toned, dirty dancer, that sets Jake up for the drill-kill..And launches the film's parallel stalker plots.