MovieChat Forums > The Grissom Gang (1971) Discussion > A Great Film

A Great Film

posted 17 years ago by MarleyMilk
7 replies | jump to latest

I love this film.

I first saw it when I was very young. I stayed up one night after my mother had gone to work and caught it at about 20 minutes in. I was completely taken aback by the acting and plot. Such suspense.

I have loved Scott Wilson ever since, he is a much under-appreciated actor for sure. Kim Darby was also great. You won't see an actress of that size in many films today, she'd be considered fat. But she does a great job of playing the spoilt daughter who's been kidnapped.

Irene Dailey who played Ma was also great. The 70's seemed to have such great character actors. In many films, even those playing secondary or supporting roles were so good.

Anyway, I strongly recommend this film.

[–] piet-vandenbrande 17 years ago

the acting is superb, the film is really breathtaking and suspense.
I agree totally but is it a great film?

[–] activista 10 years ago

I wouldn't say it's a great film---too over-the-top and extremely violent (even for an early '70's film, which is saying a hell of a lot) for my taste---but it is a pretty good, off-the-wall period gangster flick with some truly whacked-the-hell-out characters. I got it on DVD a while back. Caught it a couple of times years back on late-night TV,and was impressed enough by it to try and tape it off TV one time--it didn't work because I was trying something new with the VCR that didn't work.

[–] clore_2 10 years ago

It's the kind of film where there are points where I admire the period look of it all, and then Robert Lansing shows up with his 70s layered haircut. The mind blower is that Peter Max on acid room which Slim intends to be their love nest.

http://brightlightsfilm.com/45/45_images/grissom1pop.jpg

The muted color didn't freak me out as at least it wasn't all ice blue or amber tinted as are today's films. But a few times it appeared that some frames had escaped the process and it just struck me as sloppy.

Joey Faye as a bad guy was strange but enjoyable casting against type.

I enjoyed it more that the original No Orchids For Miss Blandish, but it's not among the director's best.

It ain't easy being green, or anything else, other than to be me

[–] Woodyanders 15 years ago

I just saw this film and was quite impressed by it. Wilson and Darby were indeed first-rate in the leads, with excellent support from Irene Dailey, Tony Musante, Ralph Waite, Robert Lansing, Connie Stevens, Wesley Addy, and Don Keefer. The hard, gritty tone, strangely touching, albeit off-kilter central love story, and admirable refusal to either santize or romanticize the grotesque family of fierce and frightening outlaws all further added to the considerable potency of this tough and powerful little winner.

"We're all part Shatner/And part James Dean/Part Warren Oates/And Steven McQueen"

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Kerhonen 13 years ago

Love it.

Anyone seen the 135-minute version? It seems that was the initial running time, according to NY Times and other sources.

[–] shipscat-716-650621 13 years ago

I agree this is a great film and surprised that not many others have posted about it. I think I'm like most viewers who watched as a child and only occasionally does it get on the telly, one of these days I'll have to buy it.
So much better than a lot of the dross/populist that gets put on Film 4 i.e stuff that most people have on DVD or seen thousands of times, hmm sounds like the X-men or Alien v Predator or suchlike, I don't mind that but honestly it seems to be on every two months.

But, yer, The Grissom Gang is awesome!

“You’re not the tooth faerie are you?”
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