The constant gut tightening tension in this movie and of course the dental scenes makes this thriller a rare occasional revisit even knowing the final outcome. I can recall only one other time in the theater of unending tension watching a movie and that was the first time seeing the original "Alien" in a movie house filled with an audience undergoing the same fear of what's going to happen next.
@CaminoAir Жыл бұрын
William Goldman attended a screening of Marathon Man. Most of the audience knew in advance about the dental torture scene. They got up when this was about to start and went out to the lobby for drinks, then came back afterwards. Goldman said that dentists reported a slump in business for several months after the movie's release. When even a movie tough guy like Marc Lawrence has to look away during the scene.......
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Cheers, Keith. Thanks for commenting. T.
@ricardomoriya1213 Жыл бұрын
I remember watching Marathon Man as a kid way (way) back in the late 70's. The Nazi-Dentist torture scene stuck with me for a long time - I was 7 or 8 back then. And you're right again, Night Moves (1975) is another fucking great movie.
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Grateful thanks for your comment, Ricardo. Appreciated. T.
@fredkeeler12346 ай бұрын
Dustin Hoffman character screaming in pain is so real It goes right through you. The 70's were Hollywood's 2nd Golden Age.
@tonybush5556 ай бұрын
And sadly its last, Fred. Thank you for commenting. Appreciated. T.
@Profvanhelsing1972 Жыл бұрын
I saw this film fairly recently. I agree with you about the supporting cast. William Devane is a great character actor. He did a cult classic called Rolling Thunder. I’m not sure if you have covered it yet, but it’s very much up your alley. The soundtrack in this film is phenomenal. It’s a weird mix of eerie, relaxing, and empowering. Marathon Man stayed with me and the ending is perfect. The villain chose wealth and power as his greatest good, even over his own life! The author wrote a sequel or two. The brother survives, I think. But I suspect this book and film adaptation was lightning in a bottle!
@CaminoAir Жыл бұрын
Goldman's sequel novel 'Brothers' is so far removed from the original that (I guess) someone could read it and it wouldn't damage their experience of re-watching the film. But it is 'soft' SF and it is not a direct sequel in any real sense. It was Goldman's last novel and I felt he was deliberately writing as far from reality as possible, both because of his personal life and his own recognition that he was in his twilight as a novelist.
@graemewilson7975 Жыл бұрын
He truly great unappreciated actor. He great in yanks as well and another Schlesinger movie
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Rolling Thunder, co written by Paul Schrader, is on my list.
@LarryGonzalez00 Жыл бұрын
I've got nothing to add on this one, it's simply a stone freaking classic. Love your take as always.
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
You put it wonderfully succinctly and accurately, Larry. Thanks for commenting. T.
@babgar7295 Жыл бұрын
Recently bought Straight Time with Dustin Hoffman and Drowning Pool with Paul Newman and Melanie Griffiths, I think made just after Night moves, 3 v good films, you get older and appreciate these proper movies more, nothing like them today.
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Couldn't agree more, babgar. T.
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Plus, I need to add that Straight Time is an amazing film and is probably Hoffman's most convincingly aggressive performance as a hardcore criminal - he was far more versatile than he was given credit for. And when I first saw The Drowning Pool I was underwhelmed and sort of underestimated it. I've watched it several times since over the years and I would now rate it as one of the best private-eye crime thrillers of the seventies. Either the film matured or I did - don't know which is the most likely. It's now a favourite of mine.
@yanncarduner4516 Жыл бұрын
Thank you vey much Tony Bush ,this is a classic!Michael Small's soundtrack is mindblowing so is the one he composed for The Driver.Stellar cast !
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for commenting, yann.
@yanncarduner4516 Жыл бұрын
@@tonybush555 you're welcome your reviews are excellent and funny .I love your dedication to movies.I guess I'm a film buff
@AbrasiousProductions Жыл бұрын
now this sounds like a film I'll unequivocally love! you've sold me Tony!
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
It is one of the best, Streed. If you check it out, let me know what you think. T
@AbrasiousProductions Жыл бұрын
@@tonybush555 you know what Tony, just for you I'm gonna check it out today and by sometime today or tomorrow I'll give you my thoughts on it, then I'll promptly finish this review, your taste has been proven time and time again to be more refined than a bundle of diamonds beneath a waterfall. :)
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
@@AbrasiousProductions Thanks, Streed, look forward to your response.
@daveid624428 күн бұрын
You do t see movies like this anymore every part was a draw me in and waiting for next line so well done I often wish it would pop up on utube it's so good you won't stop till it ends a realistic movie that draws you in like a magnot😊
@tonybush55528 күн бұрын
Thanks cor commenting, daveid6244. Appreciated. T.
@chrisvandijk9152 Жыл бұрын
I've read the novelization by Goldman himself. That book ends differently- with Szell being shot down while being preached at- thus closer to being a Jewish revenge fantasy. It's really good. It also had a bit more of Roy's character. Showing how jaded he is with his work.
@graemewilson7975 Жыл бұрын
He's also known Scylla in book and his relationship with janeaway is much less ambiguous
@barbaras266922 күн бұрын
John Schlesinger, early in his career, was an assistant director on episodes of Danger Man. It featured an agent in thrilling circumstances staring Patrick McGoohan. So it's not surprising he was able to handle this film. Another successful assistant director from Danger Man was Peter Yates. He did a thriller The House on Carrol Street. His most well known film may be Bullit because of the terrific car chase.
@tonybush55522 күн бұрын
Thanks for commenting, barbaras2669. Appreciated. T.
@graemewilson7975 Жыл бұрын
What a beautiful review of certainly one of Hoffman's/Schlesingers greatest hollywood days -although I think Schlesinger took perverse pleasure in biting the hand that fed him making the wonderfully oddball Honky-tonk freeway again with Devane. MMis such a superbly enigeered movie and it's influence is still present (the back story and some of dialogue straight out of MM IN Indiana Jones 5). As you mentioned a cast all excellent with schieder taking a early dive -which shocked me the first time I saw it. And Hoffman's Utterly believable central performance coupled with Olivier giving a burn the screen believable Nazi ideology, rather than moustache twirling kraut. It's a phenomenal movie that still has power , in part to it rarety on TV and THAT scene but other scenes are as horrific -szells ease with killing anyone he deems a threat. Truly unique and Unforgettable. As to Jewish revenge cinema this isn't anymore than the boys from Brazil or raid on enterbee . Which during the seventys early early eighties labeled as such . Brilliant review
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Many thanks for commenting and your continued interest and support, Graeme. T.
@tomsenior7405 Жыл бұрын
A welcome review of an undoubted classic. Thank you. Fair Play to you for pointing out the ludicrous claims made by Critics in an attempt to undermine the film. My only suggestion would have been for Gold and not worthless Rocks. Still, I wasn't the writer.
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
And thank you, Tom, for commenting. Appreciated. T.
@jnrazic Жыл бұрын
Now this is a classic! Admittedly Hoffmans age never was a problem when watching this back in the 90’s when I first saw it, but watching it recently he does seem a touch too old to playing the character, but it’s a minor quibble. I’ve always been a fan of William Devane, and was overjoyed last year when his Vietnam veteran revenge film Rolling Thunder was finally released on Blu Ray in the UK, Schlesinger would direct the not as good but still effective occult thriller The Believers about 10 years after with Martin Sheen, that’s worth checking out. Thanks for another great review Tony!
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
You're more than welcome, jnrazic. Thanks for commenting. T.
@graemewilson7975 Жыл бұрын
After watching your review made me want rewatch MM. Its a almost perfect thriller none of the actors give bad performances, the score although minimal is striking. Schlesinger always a certain director given the right material and actors really could deliver. Some scene subvert others-scheiders "It isn't safe" to Olivier's "is it safe?" Devanes good guy and bad guy simultaneously. Far superior to 99% of the trash that classed as thrilling these days. Great review
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Thanks as always, Graeme, for your continued interest and support. Appreciated. T.
@davidgoulden5956 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for another fascinating review, Tony. Lots of evocative stills, as always. MM is such a beautifully-shot movie. And William Devane has a distinctive dark charisma, doesn't he? BEST, D.
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for commenting, David. Appreciated. T.
@stanleyneu Жыл бұрын
I remember seeing this film on HBO in the 70's, I had to read the book. The movie is great Lawrence Olivier scared the crap out of me. Roy Schieder was great as the brother. William Devane played a great creepy villian. The other two thugs were scary too. The plot and action was great it is still wonderful to watch.
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Thank you, Stanley, Appreciated. T.
@Clive697 Жыл бұрын
Yeah, he's creepy as hell. Love the scene where Hoffman 'hires' the local black dudes so he can be sneaked out of the building. Devine points his gun at Hoffman and a load of pistols spring up in response from the gang. 'Blow it out your a*se, MF!'
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
@@Clive697 That's a great scene, and one of the rare flashes of humour in the film. Might be the only one now I think of it. Many thanks. T.
@AngryWelshGuy Жыл бұрын
I had my wisdom teeth out at that dentist last week, cost an arm and a leg
@spaceodds1985Ай бұрын
Probably my favourite thriller of all time. Hoffman is brilliant, Scheider gives Bourne a run for his money but it is Olivier who steals the show. Pure charming malevolence, who has a sickening care to his craft, not to mention the utter greed he has for the diamonds that almost manifests almost to hunger is sensational, add to that his conversation with Janeaway where the latter says with pure cynicism “I believe in my country” And Szell replies “So did we all” A masterclass in acting IMO.
@thewickerman4083 Жыл бұрын
I'm in total agreement with you Tony. Marathon Man is one of the very best thrillers I have ever seen. Superb performances by all involved and a sense of spine tingling dread running through the entire film. Modern thrillers just don't compare. As always a great review Tony.
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Always good to see a comment from you, The Wickerman. Many thanks. T.
@ronaldneal387 Жыл бұрын
Another great review never saw this movie thanks
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Hope you get around to watching it some time, Ronald. Thanks for commenting. T.
@chrisleonard2287Ай бұрын
American movies of the 70’s … the golden age
@tonybush555Ай бұрын
Yes, indeed. T.
@jamielynn858120 күн бұрын
This one is in my top 10. Great review, new sub here sir.
@tonybush55520 күн бұрын
Thank you, Jamie. T.
@peytonhibdon7659 Жыл бұрын
I need to revisit this film because it's been to long. Hollyweird has apparently run out of new ideas will likely butcher this one before long. The Exorcist has already been handed to David Gordon Green after butchering (see how I did that) Halloween 3 times.
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Too true, Peyton. Many thanks. T.
@oldmoviesinbwwithsubtitles350111 ай бұрын
Love you're fecking review!
@tonybush55511 ай бұрын
Love your fecking comment!
@pamboskourtoulos5239 Жыл бұрын
Marathon Man should be released every ten years or so, to show film makers how its done. There is nothing wrong with this thriller...PERIOD, the critics of the day would write anything to fill their columns, they did not have a clue then, and they are still the same. When you come out of the cinema, or switch off your DVD player after watching a film, and you say, " What a f*****g great film. " Let's go to the chippy. That's all you need. Take care Tony.
@grahamblack19614 ай бұрын
Nothing wrong with it? Apart from the fact the plot is laughable and makes zero sense
@MaoRuiqi2 ай бұрын
well done
@tonybush5552 ай бұрын
Thank you for commenting, Richard. Appreciated. T.
@JD.7810 ай бұрын
When i first watched this as a kid the torture scene put me off Dentists for years. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie though, still do. Great choice to review. Cheers.
@tonybush55510 ай бұрын
Cheers to you too, JD1978. Thanks for your comments. T.
@johndobson559019 күн бұрын
Great Vid yet again! The book is brilliant also. Scylla the rock.
@tonybush55519 күн бұрын
Cheers, John. Thank you for commenting. T.
@danielgrimes83126 ай бұрын
Very Good Movie indeed...stars Somewhat promising, very erie and i like that...and to its credit , its necessary for a mystery plot at the time the plot twist, you get the same grade of revelation as the protagonists which makes more tense and paranoid...
@tonybush5556 ай бұрын
Thanks for commenting, Daniel. Appreciated. T.
@danielgrimes83126 ай бұрын
@tonybush555 Anytime...I recommend you a good 70's Thriller called " Midnight Express " 1978
@Android30084 ай бұрын
Love this film
@tonybush5554 ай бұрын
A fine sentiment, Android3008. T.
@braunhausmedia11 күн бұрын
I saw the movie when it came out, but as a huge fan of the book (which I consider one of the greatest thrillers ever written), I was a little disappointed. Well written, acted and directed, but just not as great as the book. My appreciation of the film has grown after re-watching it multiple times over the years. As for the Snickers bar, it was only ever called the Marathon bar in the UK. It has always been Snickers everywhere else.
@tonybush55511 күн бұрын
Which would explain why there was no film-product tie in when Marathon Man came out. There's so much they could have done, especially considering the relationship between confectionery and tooth decay. And an ad featuring Olivier and Hoffman with a dentistry angle to it would have been a blast. I wonder why my career in advertising never took off? T.
@daveid624428 күн бұрын
A brilliant movie
@graemewilson7975 Жыл бұрын
Forgotten to say Schlesingers very funny almost chamber piece An Englishman Abroad about guy Burgess and coral Browne's meeting in Moscow on BBC iPlayer at moment. It an excellent little movie (0nly 60minutes)
@ninfilms Жыл бұрын
Marathon Man is a brilliant film
@tonybush555 Жыл бұрын
Agreed, John. T.
@stevemcnary7963Ай бұрын
Critics are the worst. Critics blasted John Carpenter's The Thing, The Shining & Vertigo among others & now they're considered classics same as Marathon Man. Olivier should've won Best Supporting Actor for Marathon Man.
@tonybush555Ай бұрын
Professional Film Critic seems a funny old job. Doesn't seem to require any specific qualifications or experience. Way open to temptation and corruption by external influences. Hard to take seriously when you think about it. Thank you for commenting, Steve. Appreciated. T.
@jamespohl-md2eq26 күн бұрын
The Thing. Classic. Lol
@SorenBOlsen6 ай бұрын
I what scene is the Biomota SB5?
@anrun4 ай бұрын
In fairness to that critic, giving the Nazi villain the Christian name Christian was a just a bit heavy handed. I always found it a touch amusing that the hired killer sent to off Doc was a middle-aged, paunchy Chinese man. Couldn't Szell have fashioned more of a disguise than just shaving his head? All in all, a film I like but don't love.
@tonybush5554 ай бұрын
Thanks for commenting, anrun. Appreciated. T.
@RideAcrossTheRiverАй бұрын
How do you figure Janeway was after Szell's diamonds? There's no indication of that in the film.
@tonybush555Ай бұрын
Good point. Reasoned assumption, most likely, based on what else could he possibly want? Why else would her kill Szell's two goons rather than Babe?Then why decide to try and stop Babe with a bullet if not concerned about him killing Szell and either taking the diamonds for himself or turning them over? I don't believe his main concern at this point was Babe killing Szell - as an asset the Nazi was finished and he was a liability. I'm the first to agree that certain elements in Marathon Man don't make sense, but the same could be said of a lot of great films, The Big Sleep, for example. I'm open to other theories and suggestions regarding Janeway's motives in the film. His earlier cynical and flippant claim "I love my country" was intentionally hollow, I think, so patriotism doesn't ring true to me. Thanks for commenting, appreciated, T.
@RideAcrossTheRiverАй бұрын
@@tonybush555 Janeway protected Szell to gain info about other Nazis.
@tonybush555Ай бұрын
@@RideAcrossTheRiver That ship had sailed. Szell had broken cover, was too much of a liability, too visible, causing chaos, hence Janeway's shooting of his two henchmen. Szell was a spent force. And Janeway had a mecenary mindset.
@grahamblack19614 ай бұрын
This film is as dumb as a sack of hammers, there's nothing about that makes the slightest bit sense.
@johntaylorson77697 ай бұрын
Directed beautifully, scored wonderfully, really gets that grotty isolated New York of the 1970s across and mostly really well cast... ...but personally I hate the movie. The problem is I read the book first and Hoffman basically ruined the film for me. Not just due to him being cast as Babe (too old and annoyingly hysterical), but for all the changes Hoffman himself made to the plot. This was at the peak of his stardom and apparently he wasn't pleased with certain actions his character takes- he still wanted to emerge the likeable good guy at the end of the film as he thought anything else would damage his star power. It basically misses a huge part of the what made the book great. In the book, Babe is put through the ringer and psychologically destroyed by the end: the banality of evil, the long shadow of antisemitism and anticommunism and hatred and violence he studied so hard from a safe distance consumes him and he becomes a killer as merciless as those he once studied. He gets confidence and steel, but at the expense of a lot of his humanity. Don't get me wrong, it's still a pulpy thriller book at the end of the day, but it did have some meat to it and was an interesting take of violence begats violence. Hoffman didn't like this too much, so requested that the baddies all kill themselves in nonsensical and increasingly slapstick ways and Babe jogs away a hero. Didn't wash for me and I was thoroughly disappointed, especially as the rest of the cast and production was so good. One of those few films I think would actually benefit from a more faithful remake.
@tonybush5557 ай бұрын
Whilst I don't share your perspective on the film, John, I can certainly understand it from the way you express it. If I hadn't seen the film in isolation, having not read the novel beforehand, I might feel somewhat the same way. To some extent I try not to compare novels and films as they're two different media experienced in different ways but the reading of a novel beforehand and absorption of it's themes does automatically induce certain expectations. It's always been a source of annoyance and regret to me that Richard Matheson's I Am Legend has never been faithfully represented on screen. He wrote a script for Hammer based closely on his novel that the censors of the time literally stopped in its tracks and it never got made. Back then, screenplays could be submitted to the BBFC to get a heads up on how they might react to a finished product. It was made abundantly clear that if Hammer stuck to the screenplay a certificate of any sort would be refused. The separation of a movie and the literary version isn't always as easy as I sometimes like to think, so I do get and understand your viewpoint. Thanks for posting an interesting and honest comment. Appreciated. T.
@johntaylorson77697 ай бұрын
@@tonybush555My opinion of Marathon man book-vs-film is really born of frustration in that that rest of the film is SO good- Schneider and Olivier are top of their game and the forever underused and underappreciated Devane is absolutely stellar. I understand why it's lauded so much. If it was an out-and-out bad film I wouldn't be so personally annoyed with it Hoffman's ego-driven meddling. And yeah, I agree with I Am Legend: like Marathon Man one of the first 'grown up' stories I read when I was just a young nipper and like you I've been frustrated ever since that there's never been an adaptation that 'gets it' and does justice to the book's ending (see also: Thomas Harris's Red Dragon, which has a gutwrenching ending both adaptations chickened out on). Interesting to hear about Matheson writing an adaptation for Hammer. Would have loved to have seen that.
@tonybush5557 ай бұрын
@@johntaylorson7769Like I said, I do get and understand where you're coming from with this, John. Sometimes it's not easy separating the two media when expectations and ideas of potential are frustrated. Works the other way sometimes. I much prefer Kubrick's take on The Shining to that of the Stephen King novel and always found it difficult to swallow King's chagrin over the film. After all he sold it, took the money, just like any other author does - after which, all bets are off. Talking of King, he was greatly influenced by I Am Legend. Before which, most horror fantasy media was set in the long ago time in countries and locations far away. Matheson brought the horror closer to home in terms of place and time, planted it in suburbia and modern cities, even though it was set in what was then the future - the 1970s. He shifted the perspective and opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Always felt John Carpenter would be an ideal choice to make a similarly themed film or TV version, focusing on the gradual role reversal and blurring of the lines between hero and monster that resonates quite chillingly. Something he explored in The Thing. Sorry, I'm rambling now. Many thanks. T.
@johntaylorson77697 ай бұрын
@@tonybush555 Ha, no worries mate, I've been known to ramble myself (if that's not evident already). I really should look up more works by Matheson: again, I read Duel as a nipper and loved that- and as with your experience with The Shining, I felt the film was more affecting than that source material (but then it's still my favourite work by Senor Spielbergo and you can't quite recreate the predatory growl of a homicidal Peterbilt in the pages of a book). Anyway, I definitely need to read more Matheson- you've given me a kick up the arse to track some down...
@AbrasiousProductions Жыл бұрын
I'll tell ya this Tony, I was born too damn late.. everything in my generation is deteriorating faster than Biden's fragile mind