Product Details

• Actors: Michael O'Keefe, Karen Allen, Peter Fonda, Brian Dennehy, James Woods
• Directors: Ted Kotcheff
• Format: Full Screen, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Embassy Video
• Run Time: 113 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000J15V72
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,318 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

An impressionable young man finds himself literally enslaved by a modern-day religious cult. In an effort to bring him back to reality, the boy's parents hire a deprogrammer to kidnap him and return him to his family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Talk about a reality check., August 26, 2008

By 

MJM "[e-mail]" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Split Image (VHS Tape)

Although made in 1981 or so, this film still packs an emotional punch. Very creepy and sure to hit home. The film centers around a very nice upper middle class family whose oldest son, Danny, a college athlete, falls prey to a "cult". Now, I guess they're supposed to be "Jesus freaks", but truthfully, that cult was anything but "christian".
The thing that sticks out most with this film, I believe, is that it makes you feel like something like this can happen to any American family, in any town, city, or whatever. Danny, played superbly by Michael O'Keefe (Caddyshack), is an ordinary teenage college student with all the same emotions and feelings as anyone else. Not from a divorced household, no drugs, no abuse...just a plain young man, loved dearly and supported strongly by his parents. Although later in the film, one gets the feeling that, like most families, it's all not perfect. Then why would he give up his college education and promising athletic future to follow a guru and live on a commune? I believe that is what the directer and writers are trying to challenge us with. This young man was not dumb in anyway, or confused about his future...ah, but he did meet a girl who turned him on to "Homeland", the youth-oriented cult. So maybe this is what the directer is trying to explain to us. I get the feeling that this film was researched or taken from actual experience, because it's very convincing.
I myself, during my college years, was approached by a "cult" if you will...but, after a few meetings and get-togethers with them, I politely
declined, never to see them again. So, one wonders if these "cults" are targeting younger adults/children like most do? But then, why? Younger people certainly don't usually have a lot of money to give. And these are the questions that this film ponders and challenges us with.
Even when this film ends, and the credits roll, you get the feeling that it's not quite over.
Anyhow, this film is certainly worthy to stand up to the big Hollywood epics being shown now-a-days, that have no intellectual value, just junk food for the brain. I believe that this movie was way ahead of its time, and think that it should be shown along side any anti-drug film in health class. "Split Image" really is a wake up call.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a great film!, August 7, 2010

By 

Dr. Kurtis Strange "Kurtis Strange" (San Diego) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Split Image (VHS Tape)

Loved it when it came out. Well written and Woods and the rest of the cast are excellent! Still holds up today and should be reissued on DVD!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More a plea than a review, April 16, 2010

By 

kevnm "kevnm" (Costa Mesa, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Split Image (VHS Tape)

Here's one I'd love to see on DVD. With a little promotion this interesting film (and strong cast)could really find an audience. I'll be first in line.