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1. The Amityville Horror
$9.00 list($9.95)
2. Five Easy Pieces
list($14.99)
3. Stacking
$19.99 list($14.95)
4. No Way to Treat a Lady
list($39.98)
5. Daring Game
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6. The Grissom Gang
list($14.95)
7. No Way to Treat a Lady

1. The Amityville Horror
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
list price: $7.95
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Asin: 6303917283
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 7125
Average Customer Review: 3.53 out of 5 stars
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Amazon.com

Based on a bestselling, allegedly nonfiction book about haunted goings-on in a Long Island house (The Amityville Horror Conspiracy), this rather cheesy horror movie is more silly than unsettling. James Brolin and Margot Kidder star as newlyweds who move into the empty home and are gradually affected by the legacy of a murder committed on the premises. Rod Steiger is a priest who can tell what's up and gets dispatched in a rather ugly way. Director Stuart Rosenberg can't lift the action above a certain level of tawdriness, and the audience ends up watching the horror from a distance instead of feeling involved. In the wake of The Exorcist, this 1979 spooker seemed like a no-brainer knockoff--and still does. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (127)

3-0 out of 5 stars The Amityville Horror
This is an above-average film about haunted houses, and makes it a little creepy and fun to watch because of the so-called true story behind the book and this film. Margot Kidder and James Brolin are pretty good as the young couple who purchase a large house, to bring their children to as well. When strange things occur, the family begins a suspenseful escape from the house, which apparently has a life of its own.
The special effects are sometimes imaginitive and scary (such as the blood and ooze ejecting from the walls), but they can also be silly and embarrassing (the red eyes watching from the window). The music score is really absorbing and eerie, adding more atmosphere. It's no wonder the score was nominated for an Oscar. Overall, like I said, it's an above-average film with some good suspense, but something just feels missing. I don't know what, but it's apparent in its absence.

4-0 out of 5 stars An fine ghost supernatural thriller.
The Beautiful, three-storied colonial in Amityville from the State of New York City. It`s seems to be the perfect dream house of George Lutz (James Brolin) and His Wife Kathleen (Margot Kidder) and thier children. Once they move to the house, troubles starts flying and Kathleen finds out a dark secert about the house. Series full of Inexplicable events are happening non-stop. When the local Priest (Rob Steiger) tries to bless the house but the house won`t let him. Cold Winds and Eerie Sounds rages thoughtout the house from the very beginning from it`s meancing eyes glowing from thier barn house, and the very walls of the house with a strange ooze. Now the Lutzes has to face the dangerous reality of the Situation of terror and Destruction, but the house would let the Lutzes leave?

Directed by Stuart Rosenberg, the film does have, it`s shares of Creepy Moments and including a share of Campy Moments in this supposedly based on a true story and Based on a Book by Jay Anson. This Film was an High Box Office Hit in 1979. DVD`s has an good non-anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer (also in Pan & Scan) with an fine Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Sound. The Film High-Light is the Creepy Score by Lalo Schifrin, which most of the score was unused for the 1973 Horror Classic:The Exorcist, which he Receive an Oscar Nomination. Grade:B+.

2-0 out of 5 stars "GET OUT!"
It gets two stars for that scene alone! YIKES! I don't know, maybe it was because I read the book first that made me dislike this film so much. The book by the way is down right creepy - highly recommendable! If you haven't seen the movie yet, rent it first and then go from there. It's fairly disappointing but worth checking out.

3-0 out of 5 stars The House Knows What Scares You
It's your typical fixer-upper: slight problems with the plumbing, doors and windows with a mind of their own and a bit of an insect problem. It's also got a bit of a grisly history (the house's former residents were killed in their sleep by one of their own), but the Lutzes (played by Brolin and Kidder) are undeterred and soon find out exactly why the house was sold for a song. This here is your typical haunted house movie (not as good as some, but better than others) and while it comes with the prerequisite scares assosciated with a haunted house story, it also generates enough energy to make the film somewhat unsettling. It should be noted that the film is based on the supposed "true story" of the Lutzes and their terrifying 28 days of residency. Whether or not you believe their stories of hauntings at the Dutch Colonial house, it is documented fact that the home was the sight of a real-life horrible tragedy in the mid-70's. Ronald DeFeo, murdered his entire family there and, when apprehended, claimed that "voices in the house" told him to do it. Herein lies the main unsettling nature of the film. It's not so much about the Lutzes or the bizarre happenings, but about the house itself. In fact, the film does an unnerving job of making the house the central character (what with it's half-crescent windows, it does seem as though the house is staring at you). The movie is filled with several not-so-very special effects, but also has enough tension in certain scenes to make it worth watching. Brolin and Kidder do an adequate job as the unsuspecting couple targeted for the house's wrath while Steiger wildly overacts in his role of Fr. Delaney, the priest who knows who the house's real owner is. Again, while the stories of the hauntings have been widely proclaimed a hoax, it is unnerving enough to imagine a new family moving into a place filled with such bad memories. This edition is sorely lacking in special features (surprising considering the incredible success of the film upon it's intial release and subsequent re-releases), but does feature an appropriately creepy menu design (which may seem silly to say, but owners of the DVD know what I'm talking about). All in all, it's worth a look whether you believe the stories or not and it does feature an incredibly well-done score courtesey of Lalo Schifrin (yes, the same composer responsible for the Mission: Impossible theme). Although "Poltergeist" would redefine the haunted house genre later in time by adding state-of-the-art (for the time) special effects, "The Amityville Horror" works mostly for it's sense of foreboding and the sincere sense of dread that the house elicits not only from it's characters, but it's viewers as well. I've seen the film several times and, while dated, it still works on some visceral level. Due, I would suppose, in large part to the house's actual history (documented here in the macabre prologue to the film). Technically adequate in the sense of direction, production and acting, it's no secret that the house is the star from the many shots of it presented in the movie (usually through an eerie red filter). My advice is to watch it with an open mind and to bear in said mind that, at least, the opening ten minutes of the film is entirely, incredibly and tragically true...

2-0 out of 5 stars Amityville Horrible (sort of)
The movie Burnt Offerings is commonly compared (unfavorably) to Amitiville Horror. After seeing both, I prefer the former.

Amitiville Horror is popular mainly by reputation, and suffers from stock characters that make no significant contribution to the movie (the nosy detective, the renegade priest and his skeptical protoge, etc), not to mention cheesy effects (I know, it's the 70's but special effects don't make up for a good story). I keep thinking these extra characters are going to show up later at critical times in the movie and play some part in helping the family, but they don't. The priest and his protoge do show up in the movie again, but they have no further contact with the main characters and theirs is a minor side story that does not further the plot (unlike say, The Exorcist).

The movie Burnt offerings is scary because it is . . . creepy. It has only a few characters but all have an important part to play, and the movie doesn't rely on demons or flies. There is an undertone of something wrong that gives you the chills without other things to distract you. That is why I prefer it to Amityville Horror. ... Read more


2. Five Easy Pieces
Director: Bob Rafelson
list price: $9.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 6302757096
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 5309
Average Customer Review: 4.43 out of 5 stars
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Amazon.com essential video

This subtle, existential character study of an emotionally distant outcast (Nicholson) forced to confront his past failures remains an intimate cornerstone of American '70s cinema. Written and directed with remarkable restraint by Bob Rafelson, the film is the result of a short-lived partnership between the filmmaker and Nicholson--the first was the zany formalist exercise, Head, while the equally impressive King of Marvin Gardens followed Five Easy Pieces. Quiet and full of long, controlled takes, this film draws its strength from the acutely detailed, nonjudgmental observations of its complex protagonist, Robert Dupea--an extremely crass and frustrated oil worker, and failed child pianist hiding from his past in Texas. Dupea spends his life drinking beer and sleeping with (and cheating on) his annoying but adoring Tammy Wynette-wannabe girlfriend, but when he learns that his father is dying in Washington State, he leaves. After the film transforms into a spirited road movie, and arrives at the eccentric upper-class Dupea family mansion, it becomes apparent that leaving is what Dupea does best--from his problems, fears, and those who love him. Nicholson gives a difficult yet masterful performance in an unlikable role, one that's full of ambiguity and requires violent shifts in acting style. Several sequences--such as his stopping traffic to play piano, or his famous verbal duels with a cranky waitress over a chicken-salad sandwich--are Nicholson landmarks. Yet, it's the quieter moments, when Dupea tries miserably to communicate and reconcile with his dying father, where the actor shows his real talent--and by extension, shows us the wounded little boy that lurks in the shell of the man Dupea has become. --Dave McCoy ... Read more

Reviews (37)

5-0 out of 5 stars Brilliant mood piece
How can you not love a movie whose soundtrack successfully intermingles Tammy Wynette songs with classical music pieces??

I like to think of this film as more of a "mood piece" than a "character study". It succeeds tremendously as both; but if I had to describe to someone what is meant by a "mood piece" I would direct them right to this film. It epitomizes the early-70s American wasteland look and feel common in some great "New Hollywood" films of its time (Jack Nicholson was in several such movies, like the classics "The Last Detail" and "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"). The scene outside the bowling alley especially captures this beautiful grit.

You all probably know the story, so I won't bother with the obligatory references to the diner scene, the hitchhikers, or the truly heartbreaking scene where Robert Eroica Dupea clumsily spills his guts to his sick father. I will admit it took several viewings to truly appreciate this film. But now I rank it as one of my favorites. It's rare to find a film that can take you to a time and place you weren't at and introduce you to people you've never known, yet feel it as if you had.

This one is not to be missed. Give it a few tries if you have to.

5-0 out of 5 stars Five Easy Stars
After his strong supporting turn in Easy Rider brought fame to Jack Nicholson, he got his first starring opportunity in Five Easy Pieces. Teaming up with his old pal Bob Rafelson (from Monkees fame), they created an interesting character study. Mr. Nicholson is Robert Dupea, a hellion who is oilrig worker in Texas. He is basically shiftless and has no direction in life. What we soon discover is that Dupea is a piano playing prodigy who grew up on the Puget Sound in Washington. His girlfriend, played by Karen Black, wants to be a country & western singer and is constantly singing along to "Stand By Your Man". She drives him nuts, but after his best friend is arrested, he heads back home to Washington with her in tow. He ends up falling for another woman who also plays piano and is staying at his father's house. The title of the film is derived from five easy piano pieces that Dupea and the woman dissect. Mr. Nicholson does an incredible job of peeling back the layers of Dupea and his scene ordering a chicken salad sandwich is highly memorable. Ms. Black is perfectly annoying in her role and she does a tremendous job. Mr. Rafelson & Mr. Nicholson have teamed several times since this movie, but never were they any better together.

4-0 out of 5 stars NOT Texas!
Why does everyone say Nicholson's character is working in the "Texas" oil fields? It's the California oilfields (Bakersfield, Shafter California).
Good character study, excellent acting. and the chicken salad scene is classic Nicholson.

5-0 out of 5 stars A Great Film
In a story of two worlds and what happens when they collide, Jack Nicholson gives a performance that should have won an Academy Award. As Bobby Dupea, Nicholson abandons his privilaged life for that of an aimless drifter- something he will eventually apologize for. He goes from being a talented musician to working as an oil rigger but a family illness will bring him back to his affluent roots and it is here that he must decide the course the rest of his life will take. And while all the perfomances are excellent, it is Nicholson that keeps us spellbound. In a long career, he has played many facinating characters but in my humble opinion, it is as the wasted talent Bobby Dupea that Nicholson shines the brightest.

2-0 out of 5 stars A film about people
This film got a fair amount of buzz in its time but I had never seen it. Having been interested by some of Nicholson's work (Head, Witches of Eastwick, Chinatown) I thought, in a weak moment, that it might be good to own a copy of this.

It is a film about people I wouldn't want to know relating deeply with other people I wouldn't want to know and has few other qualities which stand out after a first viewing. I give it two stars rather than one because it was, I suppose, professionally done. ... Read more


3. Stacking
Director: Martin Rosen
list price: $14.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 6300983773
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 45987
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4. No Way to Treat a Lady
Director: Jack Smight
list price: $14.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 6300216004
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 30694
Average Customer Review: 4.27 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (11)

5-0 out of 5 stars Black Comedy with Dynamic Performances
Rod Steiger followed his Oscar-winning turn in "The Heat of the Night" with this great, little dark gem. Steiger is over-the-top as a serial killer with a penchant for multiple guises. Giving him able support in the acting category are George Segal and the always-lovely Lee Remick. Eileen Heckert is wonderful as the ultimate "Jewish mother," a role that she has almost single-handedly perfected on the stage and in film.

4-0 out of 5 stars A lady killer and new love.
No Way To Treat a Lady is fun film to watch. Rod Stieger plays an actor who also happens to be a serial killer.(Which is very funny to me since I live in Los Angeles where almost everyone is an "actor".) His character has some sort of Edipus complex that drives him to off middle aged women. He creates a character for each of his victims. He is believable as them all, which is very scary and makes you never want to trust anyone who comes to your door again. George Segal is great as Dectective Mo Brummel. The killer enjoys calling Mo and reveling in his latest crime. Mo is dealing with a nagging mother, falling in love (with the very beautiful Lee Remick) and a city struck with fear of the lady killer as well as the ego of an self centered homicidal actor. Mo makes us laugh dealing with all of it.There is a lot of comic elements to this thriller, plus the bonus of a fun love story too.

3-0 out of 5 stars No Way to Treat a Leading Lady
A very perceptive bio-writer in one of the British film reference books (I forget which) noted that Lee Remick was basically quite badly used by Hollywood and that after such early career successes as ANATOMY OF A MURDER and DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, she somehow wound up being relegated to "girlfriend" roles in mid-60s comedies (e.g. this one and other fluffier fare like THE WHEELER DEALERS) or was cast as the "wife" (THE DETECTIVE--well, OK, it's a wife role with a twist--she's a nymphomaniac--BUT it was basically a secondary role nonetheless).

It was no wonder that by the 70s, she basically became a TV actress. At least that medium offered her meatier and,yes, starring roles. For years, she seemed locked in a rivalry with Liz Montgomery for the title of Queen of the TV Movies. And by that point, that probably wasn't such a bad niche to find yourself in.

But in 1967, you could say that Remick was floundering a bit. NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY is one of those 60s films that tries very hard to be sophisticated but never quite pulls it off. The laughs are pretty paltry in this would-be black comedy. The Jewish mother jokes are there, the slightly naughty gay jokes are there, the Catholic jokes are there. They seem pretty dated and, well, almost quaint now.

But Rod Steiger DOES get a chance to chew the scenery with the best of them. He's the real reason to watch this movie, and his role as the homicidal ham-of-a-thousand-faces is one that rightly revels in. Steiger pulls more accents in this one flick than Meryl has managed in her entire career. It's over-the-top fun and makes you wish that Hollywood has treated him a little better too.

The film could have been better with just a little more edge. Sharper writing and directing would have made a huge difference. As a period piece, NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY is well worth watching. As a vehicle for Steiger, it pretty much works. But this is a movie that seems to think having a character named "Moe" Brummel is the height of sophistication. It's not.

4-0 out of 5 stars Seriously overlooked
Nowadays, when it seems that a successful film has to be either a big holiday or summer special-effects blockbuster, or a cheap independent circuit success, it makes one long for the days when good films with good stories were made for modest budgets and provided a decent piece of entertainment without overloading the senses. This dying breed of the movies is still around, however, and although often under appreciated, should be sought out. One case in point is No Way to Treat a Lady, a black comedy that combines a crime drama with the often humorous relationships men have with their mothers.

In spite of the film being a thriller, we know from the beginning who the bad guy is. It's Rod Steiger, who gets to really stretch and ham it up as a theater manager/serial killer who murders each of his victims in some outlandish disguise to win their trust. George Segal is the cop who must crack the case and, at the same time, fend off his wonderfully annoying mother, Eileen Heckart (whose running gag line, "Who ever heard of a Jewish cop?" gets repeated over and over again throughout). Steiger's character is one of those vain killers who checks the newspaper for reports of his exploits and who takes to calling Segal when the facts are reported wrong or when he wants to taunt the authorities. Segal is rather bland, although it's not really his fault since the role doesn't give him much to do other than to react to the other characters, particularly his mother, Steiger, and Lee Remick, as his love interest and would-be victim of the murderer. Steiger goes way, way over the top, but it works because the film has set him up to be not only flamboyant, but overreactive to mother issues of his own. His various disguises get odder and odder as the film moves along, and when it shifts from comedy into resolution of the crime mode, his character becomes that much more menacing, not because he's funny but because we learn, as Segal puts the pieces together, that he is honestly and truly deranged.

Remick serves as the breath of fresh air, only because her character is the only one who isn't dealing with some sort of emotional crisis. The scene where she meets and charms Heckart is an overlooked comedic gem.

4-0 out of 5 stars Steiger Is Amazing; Remick Is Stunning!
In addition to the beautiful Lee Remick (who has never been more appealing than in this film), I can give you five very good reasons to watch/buy this motion picture: and all of them end in "Steiger"!

Rod Steiger must have simply loved making this film! He is picture-perfect as the multi-faced serial killer on the loose in New York City.

If you like Mr. Steiger, this is the movie for you. ... Read more


5. Daring Game
Director: László Benedek
list price: $39.98
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 6303122159
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 66356
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6. The Grissom Gang
Director: Robert Aldrich
list price: $9.99
our price: $9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 6305971897
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 59003
Average Customer Review: 4 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (3)

4-0 out of 5 stars INTENSE DRAMA INTENDED AS BLACK COMEDY?
The psychotic kiler. The young heiress. The kidnapping that becomes a love story.

This violent, over-the-top Robert ("DIRTY DOZEN") Aldrich directed thriller is a remake of the 1948 British film "NO ORCHIDS FOR MISS BLANDISH" which was in turn adapted from the once banned-as-pornographic novel of the same name.

It's the 1920s. Kim Darby is the beautiful young heiress Barbara Blandish who is kidnaped by the brutal Grissom gang. Their plan is simple and savage: keep the ransom and kill the hostage. Unfortunately (for the gang) dimwit Slim Grissom (Scott Wilson) falls in love with Barbara. And the even more unfortunate Barbara is forced into a relationship -- as the poster says -- of "violence and desire."

Finally, when the police close in and the gang comes apart, the question becomes: Who will survive the final frenzy of love and bullets?

Tony Musante, Ralph Waite, Robert Lansing and Connie Stevens co-star in this still shocking, extremely vicious gangster thriller. The tense screenplay is by Leon Griffiths and the edgy, very 70s score is by Gerald Fried.

Those who knew director Aldrich, who was also responsible for "KISS ME DEADLY" and "THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE," say this film was intended as a black comedy and was a reflection of his bizarre, almost sadistic, sense of humor. He said, "if it makes you laugh or cringe or both is more about who you are..." ...

4-0 out of 5 stars GANG BANG ( BANG )
Another superb DVD has just been released by Anchor Bay : Robert Aldrich's THE GRISSOM GANG, adapted from James Hadley Chase's "No Orchids for Miss Blandish". Excellent movie but only the choice between the standard and the widescreen version and a scene access as bonus features. Extra meager. Sound and images more than OK for me.

Robert Aldrich is more known as a successful director of action movies like THE DIRTY DOZEN than as a sensitive observer of psychological dramas but with THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE, released in 1968 and THE GRISSOM GANG, Big Bob showed that a golden heart was beating under his elephant skin.

Don't get me wrong ! THE GRISSOM GANG is also a gangster movies loaded with machine guns duels and vicious killings but what's more interesting is the description of the relationship between Slim, the psychotic killer, and Barbara Blandish, the spoiled heiress. This unusual couple has to face a collection of secondary characters one will not forget so easily. For instance, Ma Grissom, played by Irene Dailey, a criminal genius and an overprotective mother, or Eddie - Tony Musante - Hagan, the archetype of the gangster of the 30's, so seductive but ready to kill anything that moves, even women, if necessary.

In the good guys section of the movie, there is someone who, in spite of his millions, could have been part of the Grissom gang : Wesley Addy, Barbara's father and often present in Aldrich's films, his attitude is one of the most disturbing seen in a movie.

All in all, an excellent addition to your library.

A DVD zone Bonnie and Clyde.

4-0 out of 5 stars Grisly gangster saga with blazing machine guns....
Adapted from the 1939 novel "No Orchids for Miss Blandish", Robert Aldrich's 1971 gangster flick is violent and punishing in it's nature. Set in the poor and barren Mid-Western region of the US during the Depression, the film immerses the viewer in a world of poverty, greed & lust.

Kim Darby plays snotty society girl Barbara Blandish, the product of her boorish and society climbing parents who is kidnapped by a group of petty thugs....however they in turn are ambushed by a more professional crew of hoodlums. Irene Dailey plays Ma Grissom, the cold blooded leader of the small time gang....Scot Wilson is the simple-minded and lovestruck thug, Slim Grissom....Connie Stevens portrays the air headed blonde gangster moll, Anna....and Tony Musante is the oily and vicious, Eddie Hagan.

Whilst definitely not a gangster classic, "The Grissom Gang" is an over looked addition to the genre that's not without it's redeeming qualities. Aldrich had a flair for directing hard edged films that explored the more violent side, and the underbelly of human nature....and this film does all that !! ... Read more


7. No Way to Treat a Lady
Director: Jack Smight
list price: $14.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B00008G3JE
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 80572
Average Customer Review: 4.27 out of 5 stars
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

Reviews (11)

5-0 out of 5 stars Black Comedy with Dynamic Performances
Rod Steiger followed his Oscar-winning turn in "The Heat of the Night" with this great, little dark gem. Steiger is over-the-top as a serial killer with a penchant for multiple guises. Giving him able support in the acting category are George Segal and the always-lovely Lee Remick. Eileen Heckert is wonderful as the ultimate "Jewish mother," a role that she has almost single-handedly perfected on the stage and in film.

4-0 out of 5 stars A lady killer and new love.
No Way To Treat a Lady is fun film to watch. Rod Stieger plays an actor who also happens to be a serial killer.(Which is very funny to me since I live in Los Angeles where almost everyone is an "actor".) His character has some sort of Edipus complex that drives him to off middle aged women. He creates a character for each of his victims. He is believable as them all, which is very scary and makes you never want to trust anyone who comes to your door again. George Segal is great as Dectective Mo Brummel. The killer enjoys calling Mo and reveling in his latest crime. Mo is dealing with a nagging mother, falling in love (with the very beautiful Lee Remick) and a city struck with fear of the lady killer as well as the ego of an self centered homicidal actor. Mo makes us laugh dealing with all of it.There is a lot of comic elements to this thriller, plus the bonus of a fun love story too.

3-0 out of 5 stars No Way to Treat a Leading Lady
A very perceptive bio-writer in one of the British film reference books (I forget which) noted that Lee Remick was basically quite badly used by Hollywood and that after such early career successes as ANATOMY OF A MURDER and DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, she somehow wound up being relegated to "girlfriend" roles in mid-60s comedies (e.g. this one and other fluffier fare like THE WHEELER DEALERS) or was cast as the "wife" (THE DETECTIVE--well, OK, it's a wife role with a twist--she's a nymphomaniac--BUT it was basically a secondary role nonetheless).

It was no wonder that by the 70s, she basically became a TV actress. At least that medium offered her meatier and,yes, starring roles. For years, she seemed locked in a rivalry with Liz Montgomery for the title of Queen of the TV Movies. And by that point, that probably wasn't such a bad niche to find yourself in.

But in 1967, you could say that Remick was floundering a bit. NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY is one of those 60s films that tries very hard to be sophisticated but never quite pulls it off. The laughs are pretty paltry in this would-be black comedy. The Jewish mother jokes are there, the slightly naughty gay jokes are there, the Catholic jokes are there. They seem pretty dated and, well, almost quaint now.

But Rod Steiger DOES get a chance to chew the scenery with the best of them. He's the real reason to watch this movie, and his role as the homicidal ham-of-a-thousand-faces is one that rightly revels in. Steiger pulls more accents in this one flick than Meryl has managed in her entire career. It's over-the-top fun and makes you wish that Hollywood has treated him a little better too.

The film could have been better with just a little more edge. Sharper writing and directing would have made a huge difference. As a period piece, NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY is well worth watching. As a vehicle for Steiger, it pretty much works. But this is a movie that seems to think having a character named "Moe" Brummel is the height of sophistication. It's not.

4-0 out of 5 stars Seriously overlooked
Nowadays, when it seems that a successful film has to be either a big holiday or summer special-effects blockbuster, or a cheap independent circuit success, it makes one long for the days when good films with good stories were made for modest budgets and provided a decent piece of entertainment without overloading the senses. This dying breed of the movies is still around, however, and although often under appreciated, should be sought out. One case in point is No Way to Treat a Lady, a black comedy that combines a crime drama with the often humorous relationships men have with their mothers.

In spite of the film being a thriller, we know from the beginning who the bad guy is. It's Rod Steiger, who gets to really stretch and ham it up as a theater manager/serial killer who murders each of his victims in some outlandish disguise to win their trust. George Segal is the cop who must crack the case and, at the same time, fend off his wonderfully annoying mother, Eileen Heckart (whose running gag line, "Who ever heard of a Jewish cop?" gets repeated over and over again throughout). Steiger's character is one of those vain killers who checks the newspaper for reports of his exploits and who takes to calling Segal when the facts are reported wrong or when he wants to taunt the authorities. Segal is rather bland, although it's not really his fault since the role doesn't give him much to do other than to react to the other characters, particularly his mother, Steiger, and Lee Remick, as his love interest and would-be victim of the murderer. Steiger goes way, way over the top, but it works because the film has set him up to be not only flamboyant, but overreactive to mother issues of his own. His various disguises get odder and odder as the film moves along, and when it shifts from comedy into resolution of the crime mode, his character becomes that much more menacing, not because he's funny but because we learn, as Segal puts the pieces together, that he is honestly and truly deranged.

Remick serves as the breath of fresh air, only because her character is the only one who isn't dealing with some sort of emotional crisis. The scene where she meets and charms Heckart is an overlooked comedic gem.

4-0 out of 5 stars Steiger Is Amazing; Remick Is Stunning!
In addition to the beautiful Lee Remick (who has never been more appealing than in this film), I can give you five very good reasons to watch/buy this motion picture: and all of them end in "Steiger"!

Rod Steiger must have simply loved making this film! He is picture-perfect as the multi-faced serial killer on the loose in New York City.

If you like Mr. Steiger, this is the movie for you. ... Read more


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