Reel Review #47: “When I need dough, I get mean.” A great French thriller from 1953, directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. Follow along as a group of men take on the suicide mission of driving trucks loaded with nitroglycerin 300 miles over treacherous mountain roads. “When someone else is driving I’m scared.”
Download from the AOL servers: Reel Reviews - The Wages Of Fear (18:09 min 12.6MB)
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Fun podcast. When you started describing the plot, it reminded me of Sorcerer starring Roy Scheider. I concluded Sorcerer must have been a remake of The Wages of Fear. A quick look at the imdb confirmed it.
Mike,
Yes, the Sorcerer was a remake that William Friedkin made made after the success of The French Connection and The Excorcist. I have never seen the film but interesting I have always heard that it was not terribly good. However, after I did the Reel Review for Wages of Fear I have received a number of emails from people who enjoyed it. I’ll have to see if I can find a copy so I check it out.
Michael,
Based on your recommendation I decided to rent The Wages of Fear. It sounds great. I did feel like you give away a bit much when describing the plot and I skimmed over some of your podcast to avoid knowing more than the basic setup.
Incidently, I’m also a Geoghegan, and you have the same name as my brother, which is what initially attracted me to your sight. I love all kinds of movies but lately I’ve been exploring martial arts/kung fu films. I don’t think this genre gets a fair shake. Many people are just familiar with some the cheesey old Shaw Brothers movies, but there are a lot of really interesting films with first rate acting and directing out there. Kungfucinema.com is a great resource for exploring this genre. You might want to check it out some time. One problem is some of the older classics can be a bit difficult to find. Even with Netflix I’ve had to buy quite a few from on-line stores and even Chinatown. Some good ones that you can find on Netflix are: Dragon Inn, Swordsman, Last Hero In China, The Prodigal Son, South Shaolin Master…if you’re interested.
Anyway, thanks again for the recommendation.
Take care,
Bill Geoghegan
Bill,
Thanks for your comments. I try not to give away too much in the reviews, but I think it is fair to say I gave away a bit more in this review as I was so enthusiatic regarding the film. I must admit, since you have the same name as my father, I was first reading this comment wondering why my dad didn’t just call me with his thoughts. I am pleased to know there are more film fans with the last name Geoghegan.
Thanks, Michael
Michael,
Actually, I’m a Jr. So our fathers have the same name, plus you have the same name as my brother! How strange. Your not living a double life are you? It seems like there’s a movie somewhere along these lines…
Bill
Definitely check out “Sorcerer”, it is better than this film in every way. I watched “Wages” because “Sorcerer” is one of my favorites and I was really disappointed. To me, there is no comparison.
I’ll need to check Sorcerer out. Thanks.
I actually really liked Sorcerer as well. Not sure how good a film, but the mood that is set and kept through the film is great. Now I need to check out Wages.
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