Customer Reviews

Looker [VHS]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

this is in response to ophomike's great featured review, wherein he felt there was an unanswered question. namely, why were they killing all the models if they just wanted to use computer doubles to get perfect performances?

i haven't seen the film recently, but i think - if i recall correctly - the reason was explained by coburn at one point. besides the issue of perfect performances, building computer models also meant that they didn't have to deal with the flakiness and mood swings of real actresses and - most importantly - they could use their image forever without ever having to pay them. they would pay the models to submit to the series of full body scans, do some filming in private, and then the models would die. since no one knew of their process, they would keep using the model's image indefinitely wthout ever paying anyone any royalties because everyone would assume all of the "filmed" content had been done prior to the model's death.

one of my favorite parts was susan dey in the scanning sarcophagus with all the grid lines projected onto her as she was rotated. it was in this creepy, dark, deserted lab - but her agency had arranged it, so she didn't ask any questions. haha. oh, and also the scene where a model feels she's being stalked in her own apartment, even though she doesn't see anyone (too many diet pills?) and she then proceeds to work herself up into a fever pitch until she manages to tangle herself up in the drapes and fall over and out the window... now, i can accept the fact that she was at some point zapped with the black-out gun and then lost bodily control, but please - her little model body did not weigh enough to rip those draperie hooks off the rod. haha.

i love this movie and forgive me if my memory has clouded about the details. as a kid, this film left a lasting impression on me and i'm sure it played a part in my fascination (my whole age group's fascination, perhaps) with sinister technology and corporate conspiracy.

I used to watch this film on cable ALL THE TIME growing up in the 80's. What I've found over the years is how close we are coming to the realities presented in this film. This film is becoming more and more ironic and brillant each year. It HAS to come out on DVD...PLEASE!

This is a rather unique film, though the commercials in the movie are rather cheesy, but funny which adds to the essence of the film. The music, acting and dialog are your typical 80's style. I guess that's why I love movies from the 1980's. I highly recommend this film who has a Sci-Fi interest. Albert Finney and Susan Dey do a great job.

I recently saw this movie for the first time, and I'll have to say that it was better than I expected! Although I think there are some plot holes and a little lack of explanation, the movie is still very entertaining, thought-provoking, and it holds up pretty well against today's movies of the same type. Great directing by Chrichton and good acting by Albert Finney. I especially liked how Finney's character tried to act intelligent and rational in every tense situation he got into, unlike a lot of heroes in modern films. I also really liked the concept of the weapon that they used which caused people to blank out without knowing it! Some really cool scenes using that, plus, an very entertaining (and slightly humorous) ending sequence! Chrichton scores again! For anyone who hasn't seen this movie yet, pay no attention to Leanard Maltin's review, I disagree with it completely! Just because this movie is old, don't pass it up.

Camp dialogue, big hair and glowing, hypnotic eyes...what more could you ask for in a film? When this was first shown on television they added a few scenes...and I only vaguely remember what they were, but involved someone walking on the roof and an extended dinner party. Hopefully whenever they get around to releasing the movie, it will be either an extended version or at least include the deleted scenes.

I remember this movie as a favorite of mine back in the early days of HBO. They played it continuously and I spent long summers in front of the TV watching it. Cheesy and very 80's, but that's what I love about it.

"Looker" is a very stylish film and was always one of my favorite Michael Crighton efforts (even better than "Westworld") and I would have rated it a solid 4 stars if it weren't for this *terrible* transfer job they did on it.

The problem is not with clarity, color or sound -- it's with the film gate. They must have used the absolute worst machine in the world, because the image constantly moves even during static scenes.

If you watch this on a small (26" or smaller) set it may not bother you, but anything larger will drive you crazy, I can assure you. Which is a terrible shame, because this little sleeper of a film (it went almost unnoticed when released) is worth seeing.

It contains one of Crighton's favorite themes -- tech misused or gone out of control -- and has the great Albert Finney giving a rare performance as an adventure hero.

My advice -- definitely don't buy this film. Rent it from Netflix and give it a watch, particularly if you don't have a nice big screen TV. Perhaps if and when this is released on high def they'll do a much better job (and then it would indeed be worth a buy).

"Looker" attempts to analyze crass corporate marketing, the objectification of women by advertisers, and the potential misuse of digital animation. It will interest viewers to see how this movie's technologies, envisioned back at the dawn of the IBM PC, have become near-reality.

The smart story line and talented cast help compensate for often cheesy dialogue and superficially defined characters.

James Coburn and Albert Finney make the most of their own stock characters -- an evil CEO and old-fashioned plastic surgeon. However, "Looker" reduces most of its female characters to disposable bimbos -- scantily clad in one scene, then stalked with high technology, then killed in a freak "accident."

Susan Dey and Leigh Taylor-Young are the exceptions to this treatment of women. In her role as a TV ad model chased by a murderous conglomerate, Dey projects some of the quiet emotional depth that won her fans in L.A. Law a few years later. Taylor-Young brings a cool, commanding and intelligent presence to her role as a co-conspirator with Coburn.

Director Michael Crichton's sarcastic vision of TV advertising -- and side effects of the movie's namesake "Looker" device -- give a fresh, edgy, sometimes humorous spin to scenes that could have been predictable low-budget cliches -- auto chases, burglaries, and fight scenes.

Make no mistake, the dialogue in this movie is a bit schmaltzy, the TV ads are laughably bad, and a key question is unresolved: While it's clear that sexy models are being digitized and animated to achieve perfect on-screen performance in typically expensive TV commercials, we never learn why Coburn and Taylor-Young are murdering the models.

Nevertheless, the movie smartly analyzes the values underlying television ad production and the potential for forgery of what we see and hear on TV shows of any kind.

"Looker" lacks the star power and cutting-edge topic of other Crichton movies. But if you like intelligent sci-fi themes with sexy women and moderate violence, and if you can smirk your way through the dialogue, you may appreciate the subtler points of "Looker."

Michael Crichton's workman-like thriller "Looker" made over twenty years ago looked into the digital age of today.
SPOILERS BELOW:

It seems someone is killing the clients of plastic surgeon Dr. Larry Roberts after they have been signed by a specific agency for advertising. Roberts becomes curious and unravels a conspirarcy that will guarantee perfect models forever that never have tandrums, never have to be paid and never grow old. Unfortunately Cindy (Susan Dey) a model that Larry has become involved with seems to be next on the hit list. Featuring a strong supporting cast including James Coburn, "Looker" retains its sleek model curves and nearly flawless surface 20+ years on. The story does have some holes in it but if you're willing to over look some of the flaws of the film you'll enjoy it.

A flawed suspense thriller "Looker" was clearly ahead of the curve when it came to the use of digital images to replicate human beings. This was one of Finney's first role after being away from films for four years (the other two were equally odd choices--
"Wolfen" and "Loophole"). Crichton does a good job with his own material here even setting up the sequences with the "black out" gun so that it's clear to viewers something weird is going on. "Looker" succeeds as long as you are willing to suspend your disbelief and although it's not his best film ("Westworld", "Coma" and "The Great Train Robbery" would be his best), the strong performances and fascinating ideas for the film (which was, like a lot of Crichton's work way ahead of its time)will make this an enjoyable and entertaining flick.

"END OF SPOILERS:

Warner has created quite a "Looker". The film receives a very nice, clean transfer to DVD. Crichton provides an interesting introduction to the film and a feature length commentary where he focuses on changes, issues and solutions that occurred during the shooting of the film. His commentary primarily focuses on the technical challenges of shooting the film including how he had to re-think the section related to the "black out" gun.

Evidently there was footage shown when the film premiered on television that doesn't appear on the DVD. Warner wasn't aware of the footage and as a result didn't include it as part of this package.

Fans of "Looker" will enjoy this special edition. Although it doesn't have all the bells and whistles fans of the film might hope for, Warner has done a nice job of making sure the film looks and sounds good. We also get a great commentary from director/writer Crichton that provides a lot of background information on the production of the film. Highly recommended for fans of the film. Crichton doesn't really discuss some of the flaws of his screenplay focusing more on what works well in the film.

It appears I share a not-quite-guilty nostalgia for this creepy/campy/scarily prescient sci-fi/horror flick with most of the reviewers here. Like me, their psyches were indelibly impressed by Susan Dey's collarbone after repeated viewings on HBO as 13-year olds. This was one of my absolute all-time favorite early-80's cable movies. It's about a hot-shot L.A. plastic surgeon (Albert Finney!?) who finds himself beset with models carrying lists of millimeter-precise changes they want in their faces/bodies so they can be Perfect. After two of these models are murdered post-op, he becomes a suspect, and starts to investigate the origin of the computer-mandated quest for Perfection -- a corporation with the rather sinister-sounding name of DIGITAL MATRIX. This movie is VERY 80's in music (great shimmery horror-synth combined with femmy power-pop) and art direction (lots of pastels) so it's fine to go a little MST-3K with it. At the same time, there are some really great scenes (Susan Dey re-shooting the suntan lotion commercial over and over to please The Computer is one that haunts me) and the general concept is not absurd AT ALL... "Hi! I'm Cindy! I'm the Perfect Female Type, 18 to 25. I'M HERE TO SELL FOR YOU!" I'll admit, things do get a little silly in the end, but it's still fun. And, oh yeah, there's a subplot about a political candidate getting the same kind of subliminally appealing surgery/compu-jiggery in order to appeal to more voters. Whoa, now THAT'S scary!!