Body Double, 1984

Body Double is on par with my all time favorite De Palma film, Blow Out. I've yet to see those other De Palma films, The Fury, Obsession, Sisters, Home Movies, and Dressed to Kill (There are others, but I think these are the only ones worth mentioning).

My loss, I know, but I refuse to watch them until they are on DVD. Sisters is, I am just lazy by nature.

Written by De Palma and Robert Avrech, this movie favors many different Hitchcock films (like the body of De Palma's work), specifically Vertigo. But it's far more than a homage. It's an incredibly smart film with great characters, great acting and great twists. I think Hitchcock would be proud.

Craig Wasson, who plays Jake Scully, is perfect in his roll as a down and out actor with claustrophobia. His acting is almost completely flawless in this roll. His careers streches across 25 years, from television to screen, but this film is his best work, by far.

Melanie Griffith (whew!) plays Holly Body, a porn star who gets involved, unknowingly, in a plot to frame Scully as a witness to murder. She is really quite beautiful in this film and acts accordingly. The roll was originally to be played by porn actress Annette Haven, but De Palma opted to cast a mainstream actress instead and proposed the roll to Jamie Lee Curtis, who turned it down (she didn't want to be typecast as a hooker).

Melanie got the job and did a great (mopping brow) job with it.

Sam, played by Gregg Henry, is also perfect. I won't give away too much of this film and Sam's part in it, but suffice it to say, Gregg Henry played the character(s) to a tee! He's another actor who's been in and out of television and film for 25 years, his most recent notable role in Payback with Mel Gibson, which he did quite well, too.

One thing I've respected and loved about all of De Palma's films is the camera work involved. It's inventive, unique and captivating, to say the least.

Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does an incredible job, and has had an incredible career to boot! From the beginning in The Fury (a De Palma film) to The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, St. Elmo's Fire, The Untouchables (another De Palma), Casualties of War (again), War of the Roses, Raising Cain (again, again), Carlito's Way (you see a patern here?), The Shadow, Mission: Impossible (ok, ok), Father's Day, Snake Eyes (jesus!), Mystery Men and finally (you won't believe this) Mission to Mars. De Palma sticks with the favorite, and for good reason. This man is a genius behind the camera, and it's obvious why De Palma trusts him.

I appreciate De Palma's views, ideas and stories. He's also a great producer on his own films, Carrie, Body Double, Bonfire of the Vanities and Snake Eyes. He's been doing all the right things for many years... but I will bring up one thing the man did incorrectly.

Star Wars was originally screened to many of the Hollywood elite, way before it came out. Coppola, De Palma, Spielberg, among many many others. De Palma panned the film and told Lucas to quit while he was ahead.

I suppose that's what hindsight is for.

Buy.com is selling Body Double for under $11.00 on DVD. If I were you, I would scoop this deal up, for certain. It's worth every penny, and then some.

J.P.

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