LOOKER
(1981)
Looker (1981)
Actors: Albert Finney, James Coburn, Susan Dey, Leigh Taylor-Young,
Dorian Harewood
Director: Michael Crichton
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Features:
- Available Subtitles:
English
- Available Audio
Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 1.0)
- Introduction and
commentary by Michael Crichton
- First-time widescreen
video release
- Theatrical trailer
Movie:
  
Disc:
 In
this early 1980s flick written and directed by Michael Crichton (author of
Jurassic Park, Congo
and Sphere) the patients of a well-known
Beverley Hills plastic surgeon played by Albert Finney are being killed off
one by one.
Soon the Finney character is embroiled in a plot involving a huge
multinational corporation prophetically named Digital Matrix (!) and its
plan to control the minds of unsuspecting television watchers by using
computer-generated actresses in ads instead of real-life ones.
Despite its many flaws
Looker actually makes for interesting viewing in that some of its
science fiction became science fact, in particular the notion of
digitally-produced actors seems quite visionary for a flick made more than a
quarter of a century ago. What else might Crichton have gotten right? Not
the wacky light guns that causes temporary disorientation and results in
time loss for its targets one hopes. They seem quite useless as weapons (you
can't shoot anyone in the back for instance) even though they make for truly
(intentionally) funny fight scenes in the movie.
THE DISC: This is
apparently the first home video presentation of the film in its original
16x9 2.4:1 aspect ration instead of a cropped pan ?n? scan. There is a short
introduction by Michael Crichton as well as an audio commentary by the
write/director. Crichton however comes across as too somnambulant and the
talk is on the dull side. Not Crichton's fault though, but the situation
would have been alleviated if he had perhaps been joined by someone else
-
perhaps one or two of the actors involved in the movie
-
in his talk.
WORTH IT? Looker has dated badly, not just in its fashions and its
hairstyles, but also in the annoying sub-Giorgio Moroder synth score
employed and the film's sluggish pacing. (Even director Crichton admits in
his audio commentary that he would have paced the film differently had he
made it today.)
RECOMMENDATION: Still, the flick throws up one or two interesting
ideas and concepts that would interest science fiction fans and make it
worth their while.
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