"I'm gonna make you squeal like a pig. Weeeeeeee!" - Mountain Man
I finally saw the controversial-for-it's-time 1972 motion picture 'Deliverance', and I have to tell you I still have that banjo tune stuck in my head. It's the the kind of hillbilly sounding one, Ronny Cox's character, Drew, plays with the mentally-challenged looking kid in the beginning of the film, which sets the unsettling mood 'Deliverance' possesses throughout it's entire runtime. I found 'Deliverance' to be a great film that will go down (if it hasn't already) as a classic. It wasn't as action-packed as I expected, but more dramatic which is probably why it won three Academy Award Nominations including 'Best Motion Picture of the Year'. 'Deliverance' is a great, intense and memorable film, that doesn't move very fast but it really doesn't have to.
The story follows four friends from the city of Atlanta: Ed (Jon Voight - Midnight Cowboy), Lewis (Burt Reynolds - Smokey and the Bandit), Drew (Ronny Cox - Beverly Hills Cop), and the fat little piggy, Bobby (Ned Beatty - Network). To get away for the weekend, Lewis takes the three on a canoe trip in the creepy backwoods of Georgia to a lush and beautiful river that will be destroyed in a week's time to make room for a huge lake. They are having a fun and exciting getaway in the woods, when suddenly everything goes to sh*t. The four come across crazed in-bred butt-raping violent mostly-toothless locals that threaten the band of friends' lives. The movie then shifts from fun and happy to the intense and thrilling adrenaline rush that is 'Deliverance'.
Jon Voight is spectacular as the lead character, Ed. Ed is a unsure of himself kind of guy, who when put into the frightening situation they are put in, has to pull it together. Voight provides such depth and passion to his otherwise kind of bleak character, it should have gotten him an Academy Award nomination for Best Lead Actor. Burt Reynolds is marvelous in one of his finest performances, as the tough, brave and outgoing Lewis, who is the natural leader of the friends. Ned Beatty is perfectly cast as the token fat little guy, and Ronny Cox is actually quite good in his role as the guitar strumming nice guy, Drew. The actors who played the crazy rednecks succeeded in creeping the hell out of me, also. John Boorman provides incredible direction to an incredible script, and I also loved the wondrous scenery that 'Deliverance' had.
All in all, 'Deliverance' is a good cult film. If you don't find it too disturbing (that 'squeal like a piggy' scene really got under my skin), I think you'll appreciate the crafty film-making that 'Deliverance' is. In conclusion, 'Deliverance' has top-of-the-line directing, writing and acting, and it is important because it serves as a warning to those who view the film not to go camping in places you don't feel 100% comfortable in. I think the film spoke volumes to me because I've always been spooked of in-bred/redneck people. Grade: B+
my ratings guide - A+ (absolutley flawless); A (a masterpiece, near-perfect); A- (excellent); B+ (great); B (very good); B- (good); C+ (a mixed bag); C (average); C- (disappointing); D+ (bad); D (very bad); D- (absolutley horrendous); F (not one redeeming quality in this hunk of Hollywood feces).
I finally saw the controversial-for-it's-time 1972 motion picture 'Deliverance', and I have to tell you I still have that banjo tune stuck in my head. It's the the kind of hillbilly sounding one, Ronny Cox's character, Drew, plays with the mentally-challenged looking kid in the beginning of the film, which sets the unsettling mood 'Deliverance' possesses throughout it's entire runtime. I found 'Deliverance' to be a great film that will go down (if it hasn't already) as a classic. It wasn't as action-packed as I expected, but more dramatic which is probably why it won three Academy Award Nominations including 'Best Motion Picture of the Year'. 'Deliverance' is a great, intense and memorable film, that doesn't move very fast but it really doesn't have to.
The story follows four friends from the city of Atlanta: Ed (Jon Voight - Midnight Cowboy), Lewis (Burt Reynolds - Smokey and the Bandit), Drew (Ronny Cox - Beverly Hills Cop), and the fat little piggy, Bobby (Ned Beatty - Network). To get away for the weekend, Lewis takes the three on a canoe trip in the creepy backwoods of Georgia to a lush and beautiful river that will be destroyed in a week's time to make room for a huge lake. They are having a fun and exciting getaway in the woods, when suddenly everything goes to sh*t. The four come across crazed in-bred butt-raping violent mostly-toothless locals that threaten the band of friends' lives. The movie then shifts from fun and happy to the intense and thrilling adrenaline rush that is 'Deliverance'.
Jon Voight is spectacular as the lead character, Ed. Ed is a unsure of himself kind of guy, who when put into the frightening situation they are put in, has to pull it together. Voight provides such depth and passion to his otherwise kind of bleak character, it should have gotten him an Academy Award nomination for Best Lead Actor. Burt Reynolds is marvelous in one of his finest performances, as the tough, brave and outgoing Lewis, who is the natural leader of the friends. Ned Beatty is perfectly cast as the token fat little guy, and Ronny Cox is actually quite good in his role as the guitar strumming nice guy, Drew. The actors who played the crazy rednecks succeeded in creeping the hell out of me, also. John Boorman provides incredible direction to an incredible script, and I also loved the wondrous scenery that 'Deliverance' had.
All in all, 'Deliverance' is a good cult film. If you don't find it too disturbing (that 'squeal like a piggy' scene really got under my skin), I think you'll appreciate the crafty film-making that 'Deliverance' is. In conclusion, 'Deliverance' has top-of-the-line directing, writing and acting, and it is important because it serves as a warning to those who view the film not to go camping in places you don't feel 100% comfortable in. I think the film spoke volumes to me because I've always been spooked of in-bred/redneck people. Grade: B+
my ratings guide - A+ (absolutley flawless); A (a masterpiece, near-perfect); A- (excellent); B+ (great); B (very good); B- (good); C+ (a mixed bag); C (average); C- (disappointing); D+ (bad); D (very bad); D- (absolutley horrendous); F (not one redeeming quality in this hunk of Hollywood feces).
Top Box Office
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- 5.$3.0M
- 6.$2.8M
- 7.$2.3M
- 8.$2.2M
- 9.$2.2M
- 10.$1.2M