Memorable, crazy movie

Admirable film.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Awful says it all. I switched to another channel when the police came and did not take Mary S. with them to the police station and did not try to verify her story.And if she had called 911, they would have been able to trace the call.The movie is ridiculous. Another failed attempt by Hollywood to present a credible storyline.If you think about most movie plots and break them down, they just do not make sense. Pure entertainment and fantasy. I like to be challenged mentally when I watch a movie and more often than not the challenge is to figure out why plot is ridiculous. But many people simply go to movies because they have nothing better or more interesting to do and let the movie makers do their thinking for them. It surely is still a good excuse to sit and eat a big container of popcorn and a Diet Coke with your significant other and friends even if the movie is awful.When you think about moviegoers as educated consumers, you can see why most of what comes out of studios today is garbage. On the other hand, there are enough rare exceptions to keep our interest. This is one of the throw-aways.However, Mary does do a nice job of acting. Her mistake is not throwing the script back at the filmmaker and asking for a rewrite. On the other hand, she probably had fun making the movie and got a big paycheck. But it surely was a waster of talent and money.Also, another reviewer mentioned that the Director took over from a neophyte who got fired. It does seem like a half-hearted attempt by the Director to clean up a pretty awful mess. Of course, he got paid for it, so the only ones who suffered are the investors and the viewers. I had the good sense to switch channels. Fortunately, I did not pay to see this trash in a theater.

DEAD OF WINTER is a fine 1980s thriller with a solid, small cast. The plot centers on a naive actress, played well by Mary Steenburgen, who accepts a job on a rather hush-hush production. She is told that she is to replace a troubled actress who walked off set, however, she never quite makes the set. Instead, she is taken to an isolated mansion where eccentric millionaire Jan Rubes claims to be the film's producer. Mary does everything Rubes and his assistant, Roddy McDowell, ask of her because she views this as her big break.But things aren't what they seem in the mansion. With a blizzard raging outside, Steenburegn is essentially trapped indoors with two men she hardly knows who may or may not be working on a movie. Mary makes a few shocking discoveries while she wastes time in the mansion, locating photographs of a dead woman that Rubes claims to be the actress she is to replace. Mary and the deceased actress bare a striking resemblance and as time rolls along, she feels that their machinations are devious and that her life is in danger.STORY: $$$ (The story doesn't really offer anything new. There are a few moments when you'll ask why Mary's character does the things that she does, but all in all the script isn't too bad. The screenplay builds enough terror and offers jolts in the right places. Also, from the beginning of the film, we know Mary Steenburgen's character is desperate so her going along with the game seems justifiable).ACTING: $$$$ (Mary Steenburgen essentially plays three roles in this film: the main character, the murdered actress and the murdered actress' sister. She does a fine job in all three roles and effectively turns off the naive aspiring actress role when she has to play the calculating sister of the dead thespian. Roddy McDowell is a treat as always in his role as Jan Rubes' sidekick and Rubes, confound to a wheelchair, is exceptional is his role of eccentric man of means. When he chases Mary up the stairs, walking for the first time in years, he'll give you the willies).NUDITY: None

Actress Mary Steenburgen, desperate for work, accepts a job "acting" for a couple of old coots living in an isolated manor; turns out they need her to complete an outlandish blackmail plot (which of course will leave their hired victim expendable). A good cast and a fine director end up wading through a murky story that is, by turns, manipulative and downright foolish. Though not particularly violent, the film--a box-office failure in 1987--is pushy and ugly, exhibiting no sympathy for either Steenburgen nor the audience (both are trapped). Loosely based on the legendary short film "My Name Is Julia Ross", which did the whole thing much better in half the time and on half the budget. * from ****

Even for 1987, "Dead Of Winter" still comes across as surprisingly old-fashioned. In fact, it reminded me a lot of those early 1970s made-for-TV movie thrillers. Those who enjoy such movies will find this seeming tribute nicely nostalgic. However, unlike those made-for-TV movies of that era, DOW does not run a lean 75 minutes or so. It runs 100 minutes, and in this case less definitely would have been more - the movie clearly could have been tightened somewhat. However, there are hints that the rough unedited cut possibly had the answers to some glaring holes in the plot (like: Why does our heroine go outside at one point to hike for a long distance WITHOUT PUTTING ON A COAT?) There are also a few other instances where she could have saved herself from her predicament had she just used some common sense.By the way, if anyone knows why this movie was rated "R", I'd appreciate hearing the explanation. Everything in the movie - even the blood and language - is pretty tastefully presented, and doesn't seem to deserve even a PG-13 rating.