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Wait Until Dark

Wait Until Dark

List Price: $19.98
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Audrey Never Lost Her Stuff
Review: I learned about this movie when my mom was telling me about the scary movies of her day, and she went on about how it was one of the scariest movies she ever saw, and when she and her kid sister left the theatre, her sister was crying great crocodile tears, claiming she'd never let herself see another movie again.

While my aunt will never live that down, my mom is still haunted by this movie, and I can tell why. I saw it on AMC in August at midnight, and that was a mistake. This movie scared me beyond my expectations. Audrey Hepburn was fantastic as Susie Hendrix, the recently blinded woman persued by Alan Arkin, a narcotics dealer who will stop at nothing to get to a stash that is in Susie's apartment.

Many claim this movie isn't scary, but coming from a generation that grew up on Scream, Halloween, Nightmare on Elmstreet and other cheap movie's that use gore and 'don't-turn-that-bend' suprises for scares, it doesn't mean much.

'Wait Until Dark' is so much more than the typical slasher flick, it is a psychological thriller that takes the viewer on a roller coaster ride to hell and doesn't stop turning and tossing until the last frame of film fades to black. On second viewing, if you feel the *sparkle* is fading, just position yourself in Susie's shoes, and you're in for a whole new experience.

Praise 'Wait Until Dark' - and trust me, if you wait until dark to watch this, you'll be rewarded greatly with a heart-stopping finale!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: A drug dealer enlists two conmen to help him retrieve a drug-filled doll from a blind woman.

Audrey Hepburn is very credible as the lovely Susie Hendrix, a feminine and insightful lady who has recently lost her eyesight in an accident. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. plays her rigid but compassionate husband; one of his emotional reactions is my only problem with the movie, and even that can be overlooked. Julie Herrod is the bratty but fairly well drawn Gloria, and Richard Crenna and Jack Weston play the two conmen. Jack Weston's character is the simpler of the two, and Richard Crenna is the dishonest but convincingly charming. The intelligent Harry Roat (or however you spell it) is played by Alan Arkin. Roat is just creepy. He gives bad vibes.

'Wait Until Dark' is one of my favorite films. The mood, supported by music, excellent acting, and an interesting plot, remains tense throughout the movie.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Wait until the remake
Review: Wait Until Dark is another old movie that has sadly lost something as the years go by. I think the whole style of film making has changed, and as such my generation has grown up with a different idea of what can be done within the realm of celluloid. This movie is really all build up. Not to take anything away from the script or the brilliantly put together plot, but it reads like a play adapted for cinema. The scenes are slow and stay in one location and the movie keeps building to one large climax at the end. I feel a modern movie would mix it up more, with several denouements and a few more settings.
However my main beef with this movie is the overall absurdity, or perhaps naivete of the plot. 3 bad guys want to get a heroin filled-doll off a blind chick. So they concoct this overly elaborate scenario whereby they trick poor Audrey into thinking her husband killed some broad he had an affair with and this doll could be the only evidence tying him to the crime.
I sat there for an hour thinking - is this plausible, or wouldn't thugs like these really have just held her down and beaten her until she told them?
So this story creeps on for an hour, brilliant acting, good pacing, but in the end (POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD) what happens?
The baddest bad guy holds her down and beats it out of her!!! Great. Couldn't you just have done that in the first place.
The other weird thing is the relationship between Hepburn and her husband - it think it's supposed to be strong and encouraging, yet through my eyes it appears abusive and derogatory - even when he first sees her after her ordeal he doesn't run to her, he make her (blind, terrified, beaten up, shaking) come to him!!! Craziness.
Audrey deserves better than him and this movie. File for divorce, spousal abuse, and get your name taken off the credits while you're at it honey.

P.S. The baddest bad guy was last spotted playing a psychiatrist in "Gross Point Blank"... He's going up in the world.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Gripping Psychological Thriller
Review: "Wait Until Dark" is a suspense film in the finest traditions of Alfred Hitchcock. The direction by Terence Young ("Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love") masterfully blends a stellar cast with mood, music, and atmosphere to create a compelling psychological thriller. The story involves a blind woman (Audrey Hepburn), who has unknowingly come into the possession of a child's doll filled with heroin. Three con men (Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, and Jack Weston) create an elaborate scheme to locate the doll in her apartment without arousing her suspicions.

Like Hitchcock, director Young reveals the identity and intent of the con men right from the beginning of the movie. He lets the audience in on their secret. It is left to the blind and isolated victim to decipher their intent and her own personal danger over the course of the film. Hepburn is engaging in the role of a woman who is at once vulnerable yet possesses unfolding inner strength. She knows she is alone and ultimately responsibility for her own fate. The suspense grows as her suspicions are slowly aroused until all is revealed to her in one terrifying moment of confrontation with the cunning and evil Arkin. The stark confines of the apartment and the dramatic musical score by Henry Mancini accentuate the dark and foreboding atmosphere. This is a film you will not soon forget...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Terror in the dark
Review: As a blind woman terrorized by a trio of drug thugs, Audrey Hepburn is still a vision of unequaled class and beauty. But her raw acting talent is showcased here, and the ingenuity of her character, despite her blindness, in outwitting her victimizers makes for a taunt, psychological thriller that even now, more than 35 years after its release in 1967, is a timeless nail-biter. All the action centers in the basement apartment Hepburn's character of Suzy shares with her husband, photographer Efrem Zimbalist Jr. With him gone on a shooting assignment, enter alleged good guy Richard Crenna who actually turns out to be a baddie but does redeem himself when he finally figures out he's been out-classed and out-witted by a blind lady. But it is the talented Alan Arkin's turn as the ringleader who elevates evil to an art form. And it is sheerly delightful to watch him get his in the nail-biting finale, and we're left giving Suzy the high-five. The reason for the bad guys going after the supposedly helpless blind lady? She's got a doll that she doesn't know has a stach of heroine sewed into it. Drugs, even then! Tragically, they're one of the reasons this film is timeless. But it's the genius of Hepburn's character that is the must-see here.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: HOT!
Review: I think Audrey is absolutely beautiful and there is nothing more beautiful that the thought of her and Shirley having passionate lesbian sex.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT
Review: Few actresses have lit up the screen in the same fashion as the late Audrey Hepburn. In this 1967 thriller (her last Oscar nomination), she plays a blind woman who finds herself terrorized by a trio of men looking for a heroin-stuffed doll.
Relying on pure psychological suspense as opposed to gore and violence, WAIT UNTIL DARK is still a powerful movie. Miss Hepburn is perfect for the role---she seems so frail, and yet there is an inner strength that comes to her aid in the final moments of the film. She lost the Oscar that year to another Hepburn (Katherine in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"), and it just goes to show how Oscar at times relies more on sentimentality than the actual power of a performance.
Richard Crenna eschewed his good guy roles by playing Mike Talman, one of the cons who does appreciate Suzie's intelligence. Jack Weston, a great comic actor, also goes for more visceral drama, and his performance as the buffoon is right on target. And what about Mr. Alan Arkin? His cold, insensitive evil is just right!!! Little Julie Herrod as Gloria also does a credible job.
Terence Young's direction is tight and Henry Mancini's impeccable music also heightens the suspense.
WAIT UNTIL DARK is a classic thriller, and one of Miss Hepburn's finest moments.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Engrossing classic thriller---one of the best ever filmed
Review: I love classic thrillers, and this is definitely one of my favorites. Audrey Hepburn convincingly portrays a blind woman who, unbeknownst to her, has a heroin-filled doll in her apartment. Two recently parolled con-men and one coolly sinister killer will stop at nothing to find that doll.

Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, and Jack Weston all perform wonderfully in their roles. Especially Arkin; his Harry Roat character is one of the best villains in cinema history. The only qualm I had with characterization was Hepburn's husband, played by Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. His character seemed too callous, and his reaction at the end of the film was terribly written, acted, and directed. But he plays a minor role in the film, so it doesn't affect the overall quality of the picture.

Although nearly every scene takes place in Hepburn's apartment, that does not diminish the film's suspense or terror. In fact, this increases the effectiveness of the climax. To reveal any more details about this film would be criminal, though. Stay "in the dark" about the details of this film until you see it, then watch it in the dark. Like other reviewers have said, it's WELL worth it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Spine-Tingling Thriller
Review: I was extremely impressed with this movie. As I am a blind individual myself, I truly appreciated that this was not one of those ridiculous movies which dealt specifically with how blind people function in the world, but instead presented a realistic portrait of a woman fighting to survive.
Audrey Hepburn realistically portrays Susie Hendrix, a woman who has recently lost her sight due to a car accident. She still struggles to adjust to her new lifestyle with the help of her husband Sam. My only complaint of the movie is Sam's often harsh treatment of his wife. I realize that it necessary, but considering that this was a recent loss of eyesight, he possibly could have been more patient.
The main premise of this film concerns a villainous drug dealer, Harry Rote (portrayed by Alan Arkin.)
Alan Arkin is superb in his role. He is the most effective villain I have ever seen portrayed. Rote enlists the help of two recently released conmen to retrieve a heroin-filled doll from Susie's home, where it accidentially was taken by Sam. The ensuing struggle is between Susie and the three men, who attempt to deceive her in to handing over the doll. The climax of this film is extremely suspenseful and scary. Another quick note: Julie Herrod, who portrays Gloria, a young girl who assists Susie is extremely good.
This film is truly worth your time, not only because it is suspenseful, but because it tells of the importance of overcoming obstacles in order to help yourself and others around you.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: love can do wonders
Review: Beautiful inspiring movie. It shows how strong love can be. Sam loves Susy so much.
Pure love is not weak. It makes a person stronger. Sam supports Susy, encourages her and helps her in learning all the essential things of life.
Love is patience.Sam is calm. He never looses his temper while helping Susy and patience pays.
Love is to respect.Sam never insults or hurt Susy because she is blind.He treats her like a normal person and Susy complements Sam
completely.
Sam and Susy are made for each other.Totally,the movie shows wahat a true love should be.
It is very difficult to survive in this world with bad people trying to ruin our lives. Life for Sucy was not easy being blind and trying to adjust to the new blind world. Bad guys come looking for a doll stuffed with drugs when Sam was away at work.She fights back so hard.She uses her inner sense. The way she remembers the foot steps,switching off all the lights and smelling gasolene and scaring the villain by lighting the matchbox is thrilling.
Story ends with a happy note and lots of inspiration.


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