Customer Reviews

Star Chamber [VHS]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As anyone who has ever read Plato's REPUBLIC will tell you, the concept of justice is not nearly so straightforward as we would like to believe. In a perfect world, all the bad guys would go straight to the slammer and all the good guys would be set free and exonerated. We live, of course, in what is far from a perfect world.

There are two extremes to the equation. On the one hand, a police state where you're guilty until proven innocent and deprived of rights that could prove that you are, in fact, guiltless.

On the other hand is a legal system that is so complex that there are thousands of loopholes every step of the way by which clever lawyers may get their client(s) off on a technicality - regardless of how absurd the technicality is.

The present movie asks an intersting question: what if a group of judges got together to do something about the latter situation and correct in-justice? What if, being the incarnation of the "law," they dispensed justice in a manner that was more beneficial to society (or so they hoped)?

This premise leads them into the Star Chamber where they review cases at their leisure. Of course, the obvious question arises: what if they mis-fire? To complicate matters, what if the people they want to whack are guilty of other egregious crimes, but innocent of the crime they've been accused?

Herein lies the premise of THE STAR CHAMBER. It's too bad I waited until just recently to see this movie as I'm a fan of Michael Douglas and Hal Holbrook. But, it was certainly worth the wait. I'll see YOU in court!

Michael Douglas portrays an idealistic L.A. County superior court judge who finds himself in a cabal of judges known as THE STAR CHAMBER, in this 1983 film of the same name directed and co-written by Peter Hyams (OUTLAND; CAPRICORN ONE; 2010). His character is frustrated about letting criminals go scot-free on charges ranging from kidnapping to murder because of technicalities; even though the evidence would clearly put these thugs on ice, improper procedures by the police force Douglas to obey the letter of the law and dismiss them.

But he gets a look into this Star Chamber cabal from his mentor (Hal Holbrook, good as ever), where he and seven other judges, plus Douglas now, pass judgment on and later find and execute the criminals. In essence, this Star Chamber consists of judges so fed up with the System that they resort to vigilantism. Douglas, however, doesn't see this particular cabal as the answer, and he has to struggle with this dichotomy.

In a twisted sort of way, this seems like the 1973 Dirty Harry film MAGNUM FORCE as reimagined by John Grisham (though this was years before Grisham was ever widely known). But I think the film, though imperfect in places, makes it clear that a private cabal of judges deciding on the violent punishment of criminals who slip through on technicalities is no better (and realistically far worse) than a flawed prosecution in a real court of law. We may think the justice system is slanted so heavily in favor of the criminals, but that's only because that one day, through some weird twists of fate, we too may find ourselves in the position of the criminals.

Douglas and Holbrook are well-matched here, and Hyams' direction, aided by his co-screenwriter Roderick Taylor, brings out some good points in a somewhat flawed but otherwise well-done courtroom drama that is in need of a revival.

Its been almost 20 years since this movie came out and it has all but been forgotten about. It is one of my all time favorites in that it stretches your thinking from the very opening. As the doctor who's little boy was murdered says to Michael Douglas's character; the judge, "you don't escape so easily", the ideas expressed in the movie cause us all to put ourselves in the shoes of the characters and wonder what would we do? Besides the above, the movie was very entertaining as well. The backround music definately built up the intrigue and Hal Holbrook played his part to a T. As Holbrook said, this project is "a class act". Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

Michael Douglas and Hal Holbrook star in 1983's "The Star Chamber", an excellent drama which has Douglas portraying Superior Court Judge "Steven R. Hardin", who, time and time again, is forced to return criminals to the streets due to legal technicalities. Eventually, he can take it no more -- and resorts to joining an exclusive nine-member organization composed of fellow judges -- The "court of last resort" (as Holbrook puts it during the film).

Hardin's internal struggle in dealing with his newly-acquired (and ultra-secretive) "power" is dealt with nicely in the film, with Michael Douglas giving an outstanding performance in this reviewer's opinion.

In fact, everyone in this cast is letter-perfect in their parts here. From Douglas (who was 38 years old when he made this movie) .... to Holbrook .... to Sharon Gless (who plays Michael's wife) .... to Yaphet Kotto (who gives a very good and restrained performance as a police detective).

And the actors that the filmmakers got to play the killers and assorted crooks in this movie will give you the willies by just glancing at them. The two main bad guys in the film are played by Don Calfa and Joe Regalbuto, and both are wholly convincing as all get out, especially Calfa as "Lawrence Monk". This guy's "look" just screams "shady character". He'll give you the creeps right from the get-go. Great casting, IMO.

I also very much like the way members of the police are portrayed in "The Star Chamber". They seem like "real" cops to me in this picture; not phony in any manner -- another first-rate job of casting and characterization.

For baseball fans, there are even a few brief "cameos" made by some major-league baseball players (circa 1982 or very early 1983) when the filmmakers took their cameras to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to film a scene. The two judges (Douglas and Holbrook) take their wives to a ball game between the hometown Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. During the course of this scene, several different Dodgers' and Braves' players appear on screen -- such as veteran Atlanta knuckleballer Phil Niekro (who was pitching against Los Angeles that night), first baseman Chris Chambliss and catcher Bruce Benedict of the Braves, and then-L.A. stars Dusty Baker and Steve Sax.

About the only humor in the movie comes during this Dodger Stadium scene, with several funny lines of dialogue being spoken, such as Holbrook's character repeatedly referring to various Dodger players as "class acts" ("Baker's a class act"; "That Sax is a class act"; "Come on Guerrero! A class act, that guy").

Holbrook gets in another witticism when he looks around at the crowd in bewilderment and utters: "Why does everybody here bring radios? As if they won't believe what they see until Vin Scully tells them HE saw it too." (LOL.)

Sharon Gless gets in a good line too (after discovering that Dusty Baker is making $800,000 a year, which is, of course, a mere pittance when compared to today's ridiculous sports salaries) -- "Eight hundred thousand DOLLARS? That's four times more than the President of the United States makes."

To which Holbrook's character chimes in with -- "Baker's a better hitter." :-)

This "20th Century Fox" DVD sports a very good Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) version of "The Star Chamber"; plus there's a Full Frame/Pan-and-Scan (1.33:1) edition of the movie on the other side of this dual-sided disc.

The Widescreen version is (naturally, IMO) by far the best way to watch this motion picture -- or any other movie that was originally filmed in a Widescreen format.

A good example of the drastic difference between the far-inferior Pan-and-Scan (1.33:1) format and the intended Widescreen (2.35:1) version of this movie comes in DVD Chapter #13. There's a scene which has Hal Holbrook's character (at his home) getting up to get a drink, while Michael Douglas stands on the far right side of the frame. This nicely-photographed scene, via the proper aspect ratio of 2.35:1 Widescreen, shows Holbrook on the far left side of the screen, while Douglas remains in the shot on the far right.

But if you watch the horrid Pan-&-Scan version of this disc, you'll see only Mr. Holbrook during the above-mentioned portion of the film; while Michael Douglas is completely cut out of the shot (due, of course, to the zooming in and "re-formatting" that is required to blow up a 2.35:1 image to fill up a 1.33:1 TV frame.

There are several well-composed shots in "The Star Chamber" that benefit nicely from the w-i-d-e 2.35:1 composition. Lighting and shadows are also used quite effectively here, with "shafts" of light accentuating the visuals in several parts of the movie. The film is in Color, and the colors are well-rendered and natural-looking on this DVD.


Let's take a look at some more information regarding this DVD-Video product................

>> AUDIO -- Three separate Dolby Digital soundtracks are provided -- English 5.1 Surround; Spanish 2.0 Stereo; and French 2.0 Stereo.

>> SUBTITLES -- In English and in Spanish.

>> MENUS -- Static, non-animated variety of Menus. ... Sub-Menus for "Languages", "Scene Selections", and "Special Features". ... No music utilized.

>> CHAPTER STOPS -- 28 total chapter breaks included.

>> BONUS MATERIAL -- The only supplements are two Trailers. One is a full-length Original Theatrical Trailer for "The Star Chamber"; the other is a shorter "Teaser Trailer" for the film.

>> PAPER ENCLOSURE? -- Yes. There is a two-sided, one-page color insert (with Chapter Index). The front side of this insert, btw, features a different photo than that of the cover art on the DVD's Keep Case. Nice job on the DVD photos, IMO.

>> THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE FOR THE FILM -- August 5, 1983.

>> DVD RELEASE DATE -- February 1, 2005.

>> MPAA FILM RATING -- "R" (For Language and Violent Content).

>> FEATURE RUNNING TIME -- 1 hour, 48 minutes.

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This 1983 "sleeper" has awakened on an excellently-presented DVD edition from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment!

If you currently own the Pan-&-Scan-only VHS version of "The Star Chamber", then toss it out immediately and upgrade to this superior DVD version.

"The Star Chamber" is one of my personal favorites. I don't know why. The movie stars Michael Douglas, an actor I don't really care for most of the time. Nonetheless, I have always enjoyed watching this film. I'll actually stop whatever I am doing and sit down to watch the picture if I notice it's on television. Why? Maybe the reason has something to do with director Peter Hyams. He has lensed a bunch of films that I end up watching despite their inherent flaws. This guy is responsible for such films as "2010," "Outland," and "The Presidio". I like all three of these pictures. I also enjoyed "A Sound of Thunder," "Capricorn One," and "Timecop". As for "End of Days," well, not so much. Lest you think Hyams sticks solely to thrillers and actioners, he also directed the John Ritter comedy "Stay Tuned" back in the early 1990s as well as a coming of age flick called "Our Time" back in 1974. He's versatile, I'll give him that. Anyway, "The Star Chamber" obviously received a studio green light in an effort to cash in on the public's concerns over a spiraling crime rate back in the early 1980s.

Douglas plays Superior Court Judge Steven Hardin, a good guy that takes his job very seriously. He wants to do the right thing and put the bad guys away for a long time, but the legal system hinders his efforts at every turn. It seems that every lawyer coming into his courtroom figures out some technicality--some niggling point hidden in the law books--that forces Hardin to release the obviously guilty criminal in question. For example, Hardin has to dismiss a case against a thug when the police improperly removed evidence dumped into a garbage truck. It had something to do with the refuse in the trashcan not being mixed with the other garbage. Whatever the case, the technicality is such a fine point that Hardin really starts to question what he's doing on the bench. His wife Emily (Sharon Gless) tries to make him feel better about his job, but her tender mercies increasingly fall on deeply troubled ears. Even Hardin's fellow judge and best friend, Benjamin Caulfield (Hal Holbrook), can't offer much assistance. He's in the same boat as his young friend, although he does make a few cryptic comments that hint at a possible solution. Hardin's not ready to make the leap, according to Caulfield, but the time comes soon enough.

The straw that breaks the camel's back arrives in the form of Arthur Cooms (Joe Regalbuto) and Lawrence Monk (Don Calfa). Two sleazebags wrapped up in the narcotics industry, Cooms and Monk find their way into Hardin's courtroom after the cops pulled the two over and found evidence eventually linked to a string of grisly child murders currently plaguing the city. Sadly, the police officers in question conducted an improper search. Once again, Hardin must release the criminals. A dramatic incident in the courtroom immediately after the dismissal shakes our man to the core of his being. At this point, Caulfield swoops in and tells his friend about a group of judges who meet regularly to discuss the worst of the worst cases, the cases involving hardcore criminals freed on legal technicalities. They review the cases, they make judgments, and they pass sentences. And they have a vacancy. He asks Steven Hardin to sit on this Star Chamber. But will Hardin oblige? And what happens if one of the cases presented to this jury of judges should happen to involve an innocent person? Will this court still insist on carrying out the sentence? If so, how can one man stop an even greater miscarriage of justice?

"The Star Chamber" works so well because the actors involved give great performances and deliver solid dialogue. I also enjoyed the conclusion even though it rates quite high on the unbelievability chart. Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain haircut and how they filmed the explosion at the end are unintentionally hilarious. Numerous viewings of this film have, however, revealed several huge plot holes that I ought to mention. I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on television, but I'm fairly certain one judge wouldn't face this many cases involving legal technicalities. I once read that they're pretty rare, so that's a problem to work through right there. I also can't believe that a Star Chamber consisting of so many highly educated judges wouldn't have some mechanism in place to monitor new members. It's obvious to anyone with half a brain that Hardin harbors serious reservations about his work on this underground court. Don't you think the judges would have someone watching his house just in case, you know, he decided to go to the police and tell them everything that's going on? And what's up with the cover art on the DVD case? Douglas toting a gun gives the viewer the impression that he's a cop.

Despite the flaws I pointed out, and several that I didn't, I like "The Star Chamber". What I didn't care for as much is the DVD. Sure, we get a widescreen version of the film on one side of the disc and the fullscreen cut on the other, but that's about all we see. The picture quality isn't that good--colors are muted and the movie has a soft look that's slightly annoying. The audio isn't much better. When the explosion takes place, I thought I heard distant thunder outside. It was the movie! Ouch. As for extras, forget about it. We get nothing. I'm not always a fan of commentary tracks (not all commentary tracks are created equal), but I wanted one for this movie since I've seen it dozens of times over the years. I definitely wanted to hear what Hyams had to say about that explosion and the cheesy way they filmed it. Darn! Oh well. I'm giving it four stars. Enjoy.

I used this movie as part of a project for a class on the original Star Chamber in England. This movie really brings to light what a modern day star chamber might do. The movie centers around an idealistic young judge (Micheal Douglas) who is frustrated with a system that allows defendants off on technicalities. He becomes aware of a group of judges who feel the same way led by Hal Holbrook. They pass their own sentences and carry out their own punishments. The story then centers on the struggle Douglas has between his desire to punish those who deserve it and the desire to maintain a legality to the system. The scene where Douglas first learns of the Star Chamber is one that I think I'll always remember, just for it's honesty. I remember thinking that sometimes I felt the same way that the judges of this Star Chamber felt, you might too.

This 1983 film was one of the first to use vigilante justice with JUDGES as the catalysts. It offers a tragic look at how our judicial system is held captive by its own mechanizations. Michael Douglas plays a judge who is forced to obey the law in cases where technical mishaps or improper protocol allows known criminals to go free. Douglas discovers that his mentor (Hal Holbrook) sits on a panel of nine judges who serve their own method of justice to these kind of criminals. He is asked to join them when one of their members commits suicide. Whether or not this kind of vigilante justice is ethical or whether it merely reduces the judges to the level of their victims forms the core of the movie. Douglas and Holbrook are excellent, but Sharon Gless is wasted in her role as Douglas' wife. Yaphet Kotto is his usual sturdy self in his role as the detective who ultimately helps Douglas bring the judicial bad guys down. The ending is a little overblown, but all in all, STAR CHAMBER is an interesting movie.

This is a real "in your face" drama that has been all but forgotten about. Hopefully the rumors of the remake are true.
A couple of key things without rehashing the plot....great dialogue, especially from Hal Holbrook and the other judges. When they were looking to fill a vacancy in their ranks and a name is brought up, they disdainfully tore up the potential nominee...."he's a lightweight....I'm sure he's nice to his cocker-spanial, but that's just not good enough". Great stuff. And when Holbrook finally explains it all to Michael Douglas..."you are depressingly familiar". I love that line.

Yes, there are some weak plot points in spots, but overall this movie presents complex issues without clear answers. You have to ask yourself...what would you do? The Doctor who's little boy was killed says it all....."You don't escape so easily". That's what makes this so rivoting....no black and white.

Go buy it....its time to get your fingernails dirty.

i really like this better than any of michael douglas' performances. he desreved an award for this rather than WALL STREET. i found it more suspenseful than FATAL ATTRACTION. i highly recommend this on DVD in the near future. i have a growing DVD library but i don't feel it's complete without this movie among them. i just have to say to anyone out there who is reading this and in the amazon.com business that i really do hope and pray that THE STAR CHAMBER comes on DVD soon. even if it wasn't one of michael douglas' most talked about and popular flicks, it's a masterpiece in my book. please get this video relesed on DVD soon, real soon.

I used this movie as part of a project for a class on the original Star Chamber in England. That court involved secret trials among the elite and decided punishments on people. The Star Chamber received its name from the actual chamber. The ceiling was painted like a night sky. This movie really brings to light what a modern day star chamber might do. The movie centers around an idealistic young judge (Micheal Douglas) who is frustrated with a system that allows defendants off on technicalities. He becomes aware of a group of judges who feel the same way led by Hal Holbrook. They pass their own sentences and carry out their own punishments. The story then centers on the struggle Douglas has between his desire to punish those who deserve it and the desire to maintain a legality to the system. The scene where Douglas first learns of the Star Chamber is one that I think I'll always remember, just for it's honesty. I remember thinking that sometimes I felt the same way that the judges of this Star Chamber felt, you might too.