MovieChat Forums > Mute Witness (1995) Discussion > Alec Guiness

Alec Guiness

posted 16 years ago by wally65
7 replies | jump to latest

man i can't believe he was invloved with this B rated movie....

how far he fell it seems...

www.cruzan.info

[–] AndyRyan 16 years ago

Guinness had just four lines in this film, and he shot as a favour to a fan. He was making a car journey to an airport, and allowed the film-maker to spend 10 minutes filming him saying the lines, on the condition that his name wasn't connected to the film in any publicity.

It's nonsense to say his appearance in this film is evidence of any kind of 'fall'. He'd virtually retired by this stage anyway.

[–] supafly707 16 years ago

Even if he had WANTED to do this movie in the first place, this one performance in an entire lifetime is enough to judge someone's fall from grace? Alec Guinness was and remains one of the most respected actors in the world.

[–] taw199 16 years ago

Just been reading Alec Guiness' memoirs, 'My name Escapes Me': "Tuesday 21st February 1995 - Today I have picked up a rather good notice in an American film trade paper for a performance I have never given in a film I have never heard of. It says I am 'almost unrecognizable' in the film. I like the 'almost'".

The trade paper was Variety. You can find the quote in the 'Mute Witness' review on the Variety website. Given that the cameo was shot some 9 or so years before the rest of the film, it makes me want to see the film again to see how it splices in. Seems a bit cheeky.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] spacemouse 13 years ago

You are all crackers...lol. Hollywood and cgi has rotted your sense of film.

Firstly, Alec wasn't really in the film - he was edited in from a little shoot he did as a favour.
Secondly (and most importantly) Mute Witness is one of the greatest horror films of the 20th Centuary. Barry Norman recognised this and cites it as one of his faourite films of all time.

The film is an absolutel classic.
Those camera angles as she is running down the corridoors are amazing.

I give Mute Witness 10/10
I give Alec Guinness 10/10

[–] spookyrat1 8 years ago

I think it's an amazing story all round. Alec Guinness volunteering to do a cameo for free in an independent thriller and films his role 9 years before the movie is actually released. It ends up being his final cinematic appearance. Has to be some sort of record.🐭

[–] MarioTee 7 years ago

Mute Witness is NOT a horror movie - nor it's perfect movie. Its a thriller/crime/action, a good one - yes, but just that. It's almost definition of thriller, except maybe last part where it became action/crime/comedy (in exact order). There is not enough here to call it anywhere near horror, sorry. And I think its not matter of my (or your) opinion, it just seems unnatural to call this horror. Little bit gore and blood, some suspence (again this is more thriller thing than horror), some murders (mostly made quite comical - and most of them more in )... NOT A HORROR, not even close.

Except from great chase scene, there is no single moment I felt any kind of fear. Murders are well known from begining and they are not scary or much of danegrous at all, main antagonist is not really portraited very well and he has very limited screen time, and it all looks bit amateurish.

Just to elaborate it bit more, there are some movies that have same discussions, but I could understand it for them. Silence of the Lambs, Saw, The Invitation, The Gift... where line is quite blurry. But here... no.