Customer Reviews

The Osterman Weekend

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Although it starts off a bit shakey, "The Osterman Weekend" regains its balance and becomes a suspenseful thriller worth watching. While it isn't Peckinpah's best film, it has many of the best qualities that made "The Wild Bunch", "Straw Dogs" and other thrillers interesting and an example of vital cinema.

Rutger Hauer plays John Tanner a TV reporter devoted to uncovering the truth about our government's covert operations, illegal dealings, etc. When a CIA operative Lawrence Fassett(John Hurt)comes to him with the story of a career there's a catch--it involves Tanner's friends. Fassett reveals that Tanner's three best friends Osterman (Craig T. Nelson), Tremayne (Dennis Hopper) and Cardone (Chris Sarandon)are all three Soviet spies. Fassett proposes that Tanner can break an incredible story if he'll cooperate in trying to turn one or all of the spies over a weekend at Tanner's house. Tension builds as the three spies suspect that Tanner knows that they're agents for the Soviets and they're undecided what, exactly, to do about it.

On disc one we get the original theatrical version. It looks quite good and but this high definition transfer highlights the high amount of grain in the original film itself. That's due to the choice of film stock, lighting, etc. That doesn't mar the transfer just keep in mind it won't look quite as smooth as a more contemporary film. The print looks quite good with minimal digital and analog blemishes. The soundtrack in 5.1 sounds a bit hollow to me and lacks the presence it should but that's not a surprise given that it was transferred (If I'm not mistaken) from a stereo soundtrack master.

This Anchor Bay Special Edition includes both the original theatrical release as well as transfer of the video of the only known surviving copy of Peckinpah's original workprint. The workprint differs from the final version. The film was taken away from Peckinpah and many of the important subplots in the film were tossed aside and the more ambigious ending was also replaced a different cut making the film more conclusive. A warning about the workprint--it's precisely that an unfinished version of the film that hasn't been color corrected and is missing key elements of the film. It's also a direct copy of an old 3/4 inch transfer of the film and is in full screen. If you can get past that, it's fascinating to compare the two versions. While the final version is clearer and punchier, Peckinpah's version has some differences that make it compelling as well.

We also get a fascinating documentary called "Alpha to Omega" that discusses the making of the movie and the changes made to Peckinpah's movie as well as the general reaction to the film. There's also a still gallery and a nice commentary by Peckinpah historians Paul Sedor, Garner Simmons, David Weddle and Nick Redman. It couldn't possibly have topped Peckinpah's own commentary were he still alive but it's the best that we have. The commentary has a number of fascinating bits of trivia as well as observations about the film, performances and story that are very interesting.

While it isn't a perfect film, "The Osterman Weekend" is a fine thriller and well worth viewing particularly if you're a Peckinpah fan. The sharp performances, interesting script from Alan Sharp (who wrote the minor classic "Night Moves" for director Arthur Penn)and nice transfer make this well worth picking up.

Although at times confusing (unless one is really looking hard), THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND is a pretty good final film for one of the cinema's most controversial directors, Sam Peckinpah. It is his statement on the Cold War, courtesy of Robert Ludlum's 1972 novel, and has many of those well-staged action sequences that make later imitators like Quentin Tarantino and John Woo look like rank amateurs.

Rutger Hauer stars as a controversial L.A. talk show host with a penchant for tearing down government officials for their hackneyed explanations of U.S. policy towards the Soviets. He is anticipating the arrival of three old college friends (Craig T. Nelson, Chris Sarandon, Dennis Hopper) and Sarandon's and Hopper's wives (Cassie Yates, Helen Shaver) for an annual get-together.

But then, a CIA operative (John Hurt) throws a monkey wrench into things when he presents evidence that seems to indicate that Hauer's friends are working for the heathen Soviets in an attempt to sabotage America's germ warfare program. Hauer thus allows Hurt to set up surveillance equipment around the house to monitor their friends' doings. Then things get very hairy, complicated, and, not surprisingly, somewhat violent.

Despite having the usual difficulties with his producers, who were (like many others) penny-pinching, Peckinpah managed to make the most out of his final cinematic effort. The incredible shootout between Hauer, Nelson, and the CIA assassins in Hauer's back forty is Peckinpah at his prime (one would never suspect that in reality he was slowly dying when he made the film). Burt Lancaster turns in a hideously frightening role as the right-wing director of the CIA whose anticommunist paranoia (not too much unlike Sterling Hayden's in DOCTOR STRANGELOVE) sets the film's events in motion.

Finished off by a fine Lalo Schifrin score, THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND is a solid and efficient espionage thriller, worthy for at least one curious look.

Sam Peckinpah ("The Getaway") delivers his usual blend of action and paranoia in this 1983 sleeper, which stars the underrated Rutger Hauer as a investigative TV reporter out of the Mike Wallace mold, and John Hurt as the CIA operative. Burt Lancaster as the national security chief reprises his role as an overzealous cold warrior type (like he played in "Seven Days in May"). The plot takes off when Lancaster, the frequent target of Hauer's hit pieces for his civil liberties violations, turns Hauer over to Hurt, who reveals that Hauer's business partners (Craig Nelson, cast against his "Coach" type as a ruthless businessman, and the ever-edgy Dennis Hopper) are traitorous subversives selling government secrets to the communists.

Soon the plot takes several twists and turns and everyone is mice trapped in a maze with the cat having just been dropped in. "The Osterman Weekend" starts off as a traditional espionage thriller as a red herring just to fool you, but becomes a paranoid psychological manhunt which will leave you wondering who is the good guy and who is the bad guy (which I won't give away here).

The acting is top notch, especially Hauer; It is such a shame seeing an actor with such a fine sense of timing and the ability to impart dialogue with intelligence, wit and subtle power, being trapped in made-for-cable and miniseries supporting roles. "The Osterman Weekend" shows off the full power of his dramatic acumen , and is up there with his performances in "Fatherland," "The Hitcher" and "Inside the Third Reich." Lancaster and Hurt are chilling as the tough-guy spook and the manipulative psychological warfare agent, respectively. I still say that *no one* can deliver an impassioned speech better than Lancaster, and he's in top form here.

So, treat yourself to a great psychological thriller that's almost as great as "The Manchurian Candidate," with the devastating action and shoot-em-up pyrotechnics you expect from Sam Peckinpah. "The Osterman Weekend" is his worthy validictory entry.

A great swansong to a dying man plagued by his personal demons.
This is not classic Peckinpah admitedly, however this is great viewing. The action scenes for 1983 are up there with any (good) John Woo movies of later years. Rutger Hauer, John Hurt and Craig T Nelson are very watchable. This is defientely worth a second look.
The very rough cut on the 2nd DVD gives this film a more ambigious feel.
Like the train wreck of A man Apart, it shows that test screening clearly does not work!

Ok so it's his last film: It's good, those of you who don't like it--have been watching too many Die Hard type flics: The action in here is Top notch, and the use of the crossbow is unique in modern cinema: Good acting, good story, Good Movie! A 2 disc set is most welcome! Watch for it on late nights! Cheers T:

After the disasterous CONVOY Sam Peckinpah was given by Panzer and Davis (producers of HIGHLANDER) another chance in the big leagues. After CONVOY his only work was second unit direction of his mentor Don Siegel's JINXED. After OSTERMAN his only work would be on Julian Lennon videos. A sad climax to a career that had so much promise and, in the end, was sabotaged by Peckinpah himself. OSTERMAN is a cautionary tale of surveillance. In the Anchor Bay documentary people claim this was the first. Not actually true. Forerunners can easily be seen in Sidney Lumet's THE ANDERSON TAPES and Francis Ford Coppala's THE CONVERSATION. Nonetheless, this is an effective thriller. Good work by Hauer and company, Lalo Schfrin's understated score and the editing of Edward Ohman(?). In the end, as happened to him before, the film was taken away from Sam because of stubborness and a hatred of the powers that be. His career would have had more great movies and his life longer ... but then he wouldn't have been Sam Peckinpah. Extras include a very illumating doc called ALPHA OMEGA about the making of the film and interviews with the participants and his first preview cut. It is rough and easy to see by the opeming sex sequence why everyone was horrified. Still, this is a better fitting end to his career than if it had ended five years earlier with CONVOY. For Peckinpah there is what is there to see on celluliod and a thought of, if this man had more control of himself and his life, what might have been. Still, no one was better at slow-motion carnage than Sam. It's not RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY or THE WILD BUNCH. It probably belongs on the same level as THE GETAWAY or THE KILLER ELITE. Still, this man's failures are one helluva lot more interesting some other men's success's.

If it looks like I'm on a mini-Crusade to get certain films reissued on DVD, I am. This is one of the most intriguing action films around with Peckinpah's signature style. A little hard to follow, but so was Mission Impossible!

If you are mainly going to purchase this movie to see Sam Pekinpah's original cut you will most likely be disappointed. The film quality of the original cut is about equal with a bootleg VHS tape (it's also full-screen). Extremely disappointing and painful to sit through.

In this '80s thriller adapted from a novel by Robert Ludlum (of Bourne series fame), John Hurt plays a CIA operative whose wife is murdered on the orders of a manipulative high ranking CIA official with designs on the Presidency (Burt Lancaster). Himself not adverse to a spot of manipulation, Hurt enlists the help of patriotic gung-ho investigative journalist John Tanner (Rutger Hauer) to help him unmask one or more Russain spies from three likely candidates who just happen to be Tanner's best buddies from college: Craig T. Nelson, Chris Sarandon and Dennis Hopper. Tanner's house is re-wired with hi-tech surveillance gear prior to the friends' annual weekend get-together. But Hurt's intentions are not quite what they seem... This was Sam Pekinpah's last movie, and his name and the A-list cast lend the material a quality it doesn't quite deserve. The plot isn't quite as clever as it thinks it is, or needs to be. Still, the performances are good. Hurt and Hauer are perfect foils for each other, and much of the entertainment comes from Hurt's Machiavellian turn. The film remains interesting today for its exploration of the notions of surveillance, voyeurism, the insidious nature of TV news (especially editing). Peckinpah serves up his usual precision-perfect set-pieces and generally has a lot of fun with firearms and exposed breasts.

This one works only about half way. So 2.5 stars really. But I round it up to a 3.
There are signs of Pechinpah's filmaking throughout, but the story gets in the way, and that counts for a lot.
As to why these guys are friends, why they meet continually, why some of them are dealing with the KGB, why Burt Lancaster's character sets John Hurt up, why John Hurt follows through with the plan when he knows the truth, etc., etc., remain unanswered. This is the part of the story that doesn't work.
The acting is alright. Rutger Hauer is fine. Steely and equipped with essential hair. Pre-"Coach" Craig T. Nelson stands out, but not only for his stellar moustache and command of martial arts, but for his substantive presence as the eponymous friend. The other friends Dennis Hopper and Chris Sarandon must have had creative conflicts, or more established characters in the novel, because their parts end too neatly, Hopper never gets to shift beyond third, and Sarandon (one could claim here he IS Mark Ruffalo's father) is all venom and vitriol. John Hurt is too good an actor to be bad, and represents an English FBI agent (whose wife's brutal murder opens the movie) bent on torture well. His penchant for being cast as a talking-head-on-a-screen, like he did recently in V for Vendetta also works here. Perhaps it is his ability for seething unabashed cruelty. Burt Lancaster is fine as well, neither here nor there as the shadowy figure of power.
The film does have well paced and suspenseful action sequences, standard Peckinpah slow-motion violence, and an ultimately oppressive use of technology as communicator and omniscient weapon of mass destruction.
Not bad, a decent rental, certainly a dated technological piece, with illuminative hair and style for an actioner....