FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: The Player [DVD] [1992]

The Player [DVD] [1992]
enlarge	Director: Robert Altman Actors: Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher Studio: Pathe Distribution Category: DVD List Price: ~~£12.99~~ Buy Used: £6.10 as of 23/11/2009 10:16 GMT details You Save: £6.89 (53%) New (7) Used (13) Collectible (1) from £6.10 Seller: zoverstocks Rating: 4 reviews Sales Rank: 32998 Format: PAL Language: English (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 119 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5060002830321 ASIN: B00005A0ZG Theatrical Release Date: April 10, 1992 Release Date: April 30, 2001 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review Robert Altman's a biting satire on the Hollywood industry, IThe Player/I, has always been acknowledged by insiders as too close to the truth for comfort. Opening with a self-referential nine-minute tracking shot around the studio lot where producer Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) works, the story's intrigue begins with the first of several postcard death threats from a writer he's angered. After accidentally killing the wrong man, Mill moves from one star-studded lunch table to another. All the while he's hounded by the real writer and an obsession with "Ice Queen" artist June Gudmundsdotter (Greta Scacchi) who'd been the deceased's girlfriend. Altman's tradition of improvised dialogue makes each of the dozens of cameos a fascinating treat for movie fans. Blink and you'll miss Angelica Houston, John Cusack, Rod Steiger, or Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts who appear in the hilarious movie-within-a-movie finale. There's an endless list of terrific support from the likes of dry-witted Fred Ward, fly-swatting Lyle Lovett, or tampon-twirling Whoopi Goldberg. Aside from the star-spotting and a script that crackles with sharp dialogue, this also warrants acknowledgement for being the movie to set off an explosion of independent film in the Nineties.p BOn the DVD/B: there's a commentary track (which leaves the film's soundtrack playing a little too loud) from director Altman who talks at length about the poor state of today's industry, and writer Michael Tolkin who contributes about ten minutes of veiled displeasure about the treatment of a writer's work. There are five grainy deleted scenes featuring lost cameos from Tim Curry, Jeff Daniels, and Patrick Swayze. Then in a 16-minute featurette a lot of the deleted footage is repeated around an interview with Altman. A trailer rounds out the package. --IPaul Tonks/I

Customer Reviews: Will the bad guy finally win? February 24, 2004 9 out of 11 found this review helpful 'The Player' is a rare film that has very little violence but is quite excellent, eliminating the need for any such action. The story is intriguing and very entertaining but it is the performance by Tim Robbins that makes the film come to life. Director Robert Altman has made some good choices concerning script, cinematography and suspense which add up to make an extremely interesting piece of cinema. All of the actors are on top form with some entertaining cameos from several well known performers (e.g. Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts).pThe fundamental story behind this thriller is that of a studio director who receives threatening letters. One thing leads to another and the plot progresses into a fascinating tale of murder. I don't want to give any more of the storyline away but it develops very well. Tim Robbins is, however, what makes this film brilliant. His perfect performance as the cold studio director is incredibly convincing and his facial expressions are stunning. Add to this the fine story and wonderful script and you have a marvellous 5 star film.pThis is a must buy DVD if you are a fan of thrillers and even those who aren't should seriously consider the purchase. I would definitely recommend this DVD to anyone. Entertainment is murder February 3, 2007 E. A Solinas (MD USA) 2 out of 2 found this review helpful Everybody in Hollywood takes the cheap-and-dirty approach to success -- even to successful murder. br / br /That's the theme to Robert Altman's bitter, tart, and hilarious black comedy "The Player," based on Michael Tolkin's novel. The caustic observations and barbed wit bring Hollywood's nastiness to light, and Altman's minimalist direction only underscores the brilliant script and acting. br / br /Exec Griffin (Tim Robbins) is nervous enough about his increasingly imperilled job. But then postcards with death threats start arriving -- apparently from a writer he lied to months ago. After some research, he thinks he's found the guy -- David Kahane (Vincent D'Onofrio), a POed writer whose script he mercilessly rejected. After a disastrous meeting with David, Griffin kills him in an alley. br / br /But that's not the end -- the threatening messages keep coming, and Griffin becomes more desperate as he becomes a suspect in Kahane's murder. He also becomes fascinated by David's chilly artist girlfriend (Greta Scacchi), and tries to bury his fear in an awkward love affair. But as the investigation heats up, Griffin is threatened with the ultimate cancellation. br / br /If "The Player" has a meaning, it's that everyone who wants power in Hollywood has to sell their souls -- legally, personally, or just by selling out so your movie has a pat happy ending. Like planets being sucked into a black hole, they all get pulled in by the lure of affluence -- they don't even notice their souls vanishing! br / br /It's also wickedly funny to watch. Altman peppers the movie with celebrity cameos (John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, Bruce Willis, to name a few). The dialogue is simply brilliant -- at one point, Robbins muses, "I was just thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the artistic process. If we could just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we've got something here." Talk about a reality TV prediction. br / br /Altman's style is minimalist here, with lots of tense moments, sexy interludes -- right up to the ironic twist finale, which makes you wonder for a moment just how much of "The Player" is really fiction. And during dramatic scenes (the murder, the cobra, the phone calls), Altman stretches the tension as taut as a wire, and leaves it to slowly slacken over the scenes that follow. The only scene that doesn't work is the police interrogation with Whoopi Goldberg. Really, it's cringeworthy. br / br /Tim Robbins is simply brilliant as the cold-blooded Griffin, especially since he looks so boyish and bewildered -- you don't know whether to cheer for or against him. Scacchi is quite good as the even chillier painter who falls for him, and the other characters are pure satire -- the movie creators don't watch movies, and if they did, they'd only want to remake it with a happy ending. br / br /"The Player" is one of those brilliant movies that skewer Hollywood, and make you glad that it exists... just so long as it occasionally gives us a piece of satire like this one, instead of a mindless blockbuster. Hilarious and needling. Insider's satire on Hollywood moguls September 27, 2008 Kona (Emerald City) Tim Robbins stars as Griffin Mill, a hot-shot movie studio executive who has the power to make or break people and careers. Griffin is the man who hears story pitches and approves them to be made or passes on them. One of the writers he turned down starts stalking him and then threatens to kill him, turning Griffin's life upside-down. One night he meets the writer in a dark parking lot and things get way out of hand. Griffin then has to stay one step ahead of a police detective (Whoppi Goldberg) while romancing the writer's girlfriend. br / br /This dramady movie-within-a-movie exposes the cold and shallow side of the movie business with a scathing, nudge-nudge-wink-wink story and such obvious delight you can almost hear director Robert Altman giggling. Altman loves overlapping-dialogue and the film has an intimate, eaves-dropping feel to it. To make it even more in-crowd and hip, there are sixty-five celebrity cameos - everyone from Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis to Harry Belafonte and Cher. Some of the stars play themselves and others have bit parts. You really have to see the movie more than once to catch them all; clearly, a good time was had by everyone. Tim Robbins carries the film with his cocky confidence, and Greta Scacchi is cool and mysterious as his love interest. br / br /The clever ending will make you smile and want to see it all again. The VHS version has some nice extras - a revealing interview with Altman and deleted scenes. Highly recommended, especially if you'd like to know what really goes on behind-the-scenes in Tinsel Town. Great Black Comedy Essay on Hollywood July 18, 2007 FirstPersonshow.net (Cambridge, England) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful This film is very enjoyable. There's so much there, you gotta watch it several times to enjoy all the lovingly subtle stuff in the background. br / br /There's a thriller in there with the story of a stalker--life and death. br / br /But the best bit is the in-joke about Hollywood, movie-making and those that straddle the business which is supposed to be artistic, but has been taken over by accountants and money-grubbing executives. br / br /Enjoy the cameos, the clever bits, the story the message. I sure did.

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