The Fury (1978) Poster

(1978)

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5/10
DePalmas followup to "Carrie"
preppy-317 September 2005
Story involves two teenagers--Gillian (Amy Irving) and Robin (Andrew Stevens). They both have the power to make people bleed and see past events. Robin is kidnapped by a secret government agency and Gillian is going to the Paragon Institute to learn more about her "power". There's a LOT more going on but it's too confusing to get into.

When I saw this on video back in the 1980s I loved it. Seeing it now I hate it. The story is very confusing with way too many characters and plot holes galore. The dialogue is terrible (I kept playing back scenes on the DVD because I couldn't believe what I had just heard) and this moves VERY slowly (it runs two solid hours).

The acting doesn't help. Irving is too weepy and whiny (but she IS great in the final scene). Stevens has never been a good actor. Douglas walks through his role and John Cassavates (playing the bad guy) gives a one-note performance. The only good acting comes from Carrie Snodgrass, Charles Durning, Carol Eve Rossen and (especially) Fiona Lewis.

It has some good things--the direction from Brian DePalma is excellent (especially Irving's slow motion run from the Institute) and there's a good score by John Williams. Also it does have a few incredibly bloody deaths. These were considered extreme back in 1978 but they aren't anymore (and look incredibly fake). There's also a great final scene and I got a good laugh over the incredibly dated video games Snodgrass and Irving play at one point. Also Daryl Hannah's first film.

So it DOES have some good things but the slow pace, confusing story and lousy dialogue sinks it. I can only give it a 5.
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7/10
It's enjoyable enough, even with its faults.
lost-in-limbo22 May 2005
Peter Sandza (Kirk Douglas) a government agent is betrayed by a fellow friend/agent Ben Childress (John Cassavetes), who kidnapped his son for his psychokinetic powers. Where we learn that a secret US agency is holding him and that he's being used in dangerous mind experiments. So Peter gets help from a girl with similar abilities to locate his son's whereabouts.

I wasn't expecting too much from it after borrowing it off a friend that recommended it to me. After seeing it, it's probably De Palma's most underrated film in my books. It might not have dated that well and the premise of the film might be considered ludicrous now, but it doesn't stop it from being an exciting adventure.

This is a flashy and mostly fast-paced thriller by director Brian De Palma. It does have a couple of slow moments and maybe it was a tad too long, but it's well compensated by superbly tense situations and blistering action sequences, especially in the first opening hour involving Douglas's character when his son is kidnapped and when his hiding out from government agents. There are also some scenes that are not recommended for the squeamish. As some scenes are filled with a lot of blood and more blood. It's rather graphic violence. Not to forgot the whooping and hearting-pounding conclusion. The make-up and special effects throughout the film are truly stunning.

The plot basis is on psychokinetic powers and at times it's rather absurd and incoherent. With some incredibly cheesy moments within the dialogue. Though, the direction is what covers the story's inconsistencies, with great and simply memorable set-ups and some well-shot scenes. The music score is fairly effective in building up the tension and thrills, but also it has an impact in the quieter moments.

There are great performances from the experienced Kirk Douglas (who's incredibly fit for his age and has some physical roles) and Cassavetes, who really boost and add some class to the film. There is such a great chemistry between them and Cassavetes is simply riveting as a conniving agent. Amy Irving was good in her role as Gillian Bellaver, the girl who is having trouble coming to grips with her strong psychokinetic powers. Though, the same can't be said about the rest. As Andrew Steven's as Robin Sandza is incredibly hammy and Carrie Snodgress as Hester is fairly irritating.

I wouldn't class it as one of De Palma's best, but still it's far away from his worst. Overall, it's a fascinating set-up that has its fair share of flaws, but that doesn't disrupt entertainment factor.
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6/10
The Fury... worth watching
view_and_review18 January 2007
"The Fury" was a decent movie. It started off rather fast paced and I was somewhat clueless as to what was going on, but as the movie went on I got into it. Peter Sandza (Kirk Douglas) was going through great lengths to find his kidnapped son, all the while his son, Robin (Andrew Stevens) was under the watchful eye of a government official interested in Robin's psychic abilities. A collision course is set between Robin and another young lady with psychic abilities as well. The movie has a bit of suspense and a bit of spookiness to it as well. The ending was a total surprise and very um... bloody. I liked the movie, I thought the story was unique enough and the suspense and action wasn't half bad.
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One of De Palma's most underrated movies!
Infofreak22 December 2002
'The Fury' is a very interesting mixture of science fiction, horror, action, and espionage thriller. One of Brian De Palma's most underrated movies, it isn't without some flaws, but overall I enjoyed it much more than some of his most recent disappointing efforts like 'Snake Eyes' and 'Mission To Mars'. They might be much better known than 'The Fury' but they are not better movies. The plot is a bit convoluted at times, and maybe a little TOO ambitious, but there are several classic sequences that make this a must see for any De Palma fan. The whole thing comes across like a cross between 'Carrie' (De Palma's previous movie), and Cronenberg's 'Scanners', a movie it predated by three years, interestingly enough. Amy Irving, who also appeared in 'Carrie', is beautiful and believable as Gillian, a troubled teen attempting to understand and control her frightening paranormal powers. Veteran Kirk Douglas ('Spartacus', 'Saturn 3') and cult director/actor John Cassavetes ('Rosemary's Baby', 'The Killers') are both solid as friends-turned-enemies who once worked for the same nameless Government agency. Douglas' psychic son Robin (Andrew Stevens) is kidnapped by Cassavetes and his cronies and experimented on until he reaches the brink of madness. Douglas desperately searches for him by any means necessary, a quest which inevitably means he encounters the traumatized Gillian, who has an increasing psychic link with Robin. Irving and Douglas are both excellent in this movie, Cassavetes plays a fantastic villain, and the supporting cast includes Carrie Snodgress ('Diary Of A Mad Housewife'), Charles Durning ('O Brother, Where Art Thou?'), Fiona Lewis ('Drum'), and cameos from Daryl Hannah ('Bladerunner'), De Palma semi-regular William Finley ('The Phantom Of The Paradise') and a noticeably younger and thinner Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue'). While I couldn't argue that 'The Fury' is De Palma's best work it has aged very well indeed and is recommended viewing. This is one movie that deserves to be re-evaluated!
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7/10
Violent , exciting and bloody film , including sensationalistic scenes , but pretty well directed by Brian De Palma
ma-cortes23 February 2014
Suspense, thrills and grisly killings by imitative director Brian De Palma . This scary triller is plenty of mystery , intrigue , suspenseful and creepy scenes . It is a potentially brilliant and ingenious chiller that concerns about a government agent , Peter Sandza , (Kirk Douglas , he was aged around sixty-one years of age , Kirk was cast as the lead because director had felt that his previous picture had suffered at the box-office without a name draw-card) determined to come to his son's (first major cinema movie role of actor Andrew Stevens) rescue , when a sinister official (John Cassavetes) kidnaps him to harbor his extremely powerful psychic abilities . As he is forced to take on a super-powerful government agency called MORG (it stands for the Multiphasic Operations Research Group) which has kidnapped his son with psychokinetic skills . The intrepid father is helped by a good friend called Hester (Carrie Snodgress) . And then things really get worse . Meanwhile , a young girl (Amy Irving who married Spielberg , she attended a biofeedback clinic to learn about different levels of consciousness, as she had a better sense to play) who personally experiencing psychic changes is taken in a strange Institute of supernatural forces . Peter uses desperate attempts to save hid gifted son from being used or destryed . At the end takes place the ultimate revenge story .

This stylish chiller contains long-drawn-out tension , flash violent scenes and shock effects with the accent on gas-provoking , but on most occasion without finesse . Adding special characteristics techniques as ominous camera movements and wide screen . This flick was made and released about two years after its source novel of the same name by John Farris was first published in 1976 ; Farris also wrote the screenplay for the film . It is is a contemporary thrilling tale that utilizes the average man against the unknown approach that made Hitchcock 's suspense films so effective . All this said , the mechanics of suspense are worked quite well and may frighten the easily scared quite badly , but De Palma has made a habit of dwelling on their more sordid shoots . Director 'Brian de Palma''s second movie featuring Telekinesis, his first had been Carrie (1976) , as actress Amy Irving appears in both films . In fact , this picture has often been described as a cross between The Omen (1976) and a peculiar follow-up to Carrie (1976) . Very good cast plenty of familiar faces such as John Cassavetes , Charles Durning , Rutanya Alda , Fiona Lewis , Carrie Snodgres and William Finley who played for De Palma , Phantom of paradise . Being the first film for both Daryl Hannah, Laura Innes and look fast James Belushi as an extra , as you can see him in a pair of dark trunks a few steps behind Irving . The film displays a great and haunting musical score by John Williams , previous his fruitful collaboration to Steven Spielberg ; he composed in the style of a Bernard Herrmann score from an Alfred Hitchcock movie . Furthermore , appropriate and colorful cinematography by excellent cameraman Richard H Kline .

The picture was brilliantly directed by Brian De Palma , adding special characteristics techniques and special camera movements . The movie was realized during his period when Brian made outwardly odes to Hitchcock , such as ¨Obsession¨ , ¨Sisters¨, ¨Dresssed to Kill¨ and ¨Blow out¨ . Rating : Above average , as it gets some riveting basic ideas and fascinating images. Essential and indispensable watching for Brian De Palma buffs and Kirk Douglas fans .
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6/10
A psychic mind is a terrible thing to waste.
michaelRokeefe26 January 2002
Brian De Palma directs John Farris' novel like a wizard at a witches convention. Thrills, intrigue and paranormal with vivid violence. Kirk Douglas goes in search for his kidnapped son(Andrew Stevens), who has been snatched by the head of an institute for psychic research. The ruthless boss(John Cassavetes)and his administrative assistant(Charles Durning)are also cultivating the psychic powers of a young girl(Amy Irving). Both young people with their extraordinary mind power can be sold to the highest bidding terrorist organization.

My favorite two scenes happen to be two of the most violent scenes in the movie. The first is where the alluring Fiona Lewis playing Dr. Charles is elevated into the air by Stevens and is set to spinning until she bleeds to death. The second scene that gets to me is in the final moments when Cassavetes gets his just desert.

Douglas is showing his age in this role as the business tycoon, who himself was left for dead. He still proves to pack a punch and hold his own as the lead. Carrie Snodgrass is ho-hum in her role as Douglas' lover and friend of Irving. Her character's demise is also quite violent. Miss Irving is perfection in her young and charming way. Look for Gordon Jump(of WKRP fame)in a small role and yes that is Dennis Franz(of NYPD Blue) early on as the young cop with the brand new car.

Sometimes a little bit slow, but this is your part in earning the big bangs for your bucks. John Williams provides a very haunting score that keeps this thriller thrilling.
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6/10
Grand Guignol shocker with explosive climax!
Libretio19 March 2005
THE FURY

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Sound format: Mono

An ex-government agent (Kirk Douglas) enlists the help of a gifted psychic (Amy Irving) in the search for his equally gifted son (Andrew Stevens), who has been kidnapped by a sinister cartel for nefarious purposes.

Dismissed at the time of its release as a mishmash of themes and genres, Brian De Palma's dazzling thriller encompasses Middle Eastern terrorism, government conspiracies, psychic horror, and a series of Grand Guignol set-pieces, orchestrated with pulp grandeur by a director flexing his creative muscles. Highlighted by John Williams' magnificent score (a genuinely eerie composition, one of the best of his career), the film builds slowly and surely to an explosive climax which closes proceedings on a note of absolute screaming hysteria (celebrated and vilified in equal measure by fans and critics alike!). The supporting cast includes John Cassavetes, Charles Durning and Carrie Snodgress, all of whom add gravitas to the material. Look fast for Daryl Hannah in an early pre-stardom role.
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3/10
Not so furious...
JasparLamarCrabb7 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Political warfare amongst various agencies trying to get hold of psychic kids is a good idea. Unfortunately it's undone by director Brian De Palma's inability to present a cohesive story. This film is a mess. Spy Kirk Douglas tries to protect son Andrew Stevens from creepy John Cassavetes. Meanwhile Carrie Snodgrass (Douglas's girlfriend) comes into contact with ANOTHER psychic kid (Amy Irving). The story lines collide slightly but nothing is ever really clear. It's an ambitious undertaking that doesn't gel. On the plus side, there is a great set piece involving the destruction of a carnival ride and both Stevens & Irving are quite good. There's a pretty exciting John Williams score and the Chicago setting is well utilized by De Palma & cinematographer Richard Kline. Not based on a Stephen King novel although it does feel like that.
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8/10
Messing With His Mind As Well As His Libido
bkoganbing19 May 2008
Does anyone remember the famous Star Trek episode, one of the earliest ones where an encounter with an anomaly in space leaves Enterprise crewman, Gary Lockwood with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men? If you'll remember he was abandoned on deserted asteroid. The Fury deals with a young man on the way to being another Gary Lockwood.

Young Andrew Stevens has those abilities already, they just need to be focused and developed. Stevens is being raised by his widowed father Kirk Douglas who's a government agent. A raid while they're on vacation in the Mediterranean by some Arab terrorist types allows a ruthless bureaucrat played by John Cassavetes to separate father from son. Stevens believes Dad has died, but Kirk doesn't swallow that so easy.

Kirk's on the hunt for his son and the quest takes him to Chicago where people like Stevens with paranormal abilities are being studied and tested so the USA can have them as a weapon. Carrie Snodgrass and Charles Durning are working there as well. And so is Fiona Lewis who's been given personal charge of Stevens and develops the kid's libido as well as his telekinesis.

Brian DePalma directed this film and it's a good one with outstanding performances by all the cast. Look for a good performance from Amy Irving as another young person with such abilities who literally makes Cassavetes fall apart at the end. And there's a memorable bit from a younger and thinner Dennis Franz before the gain of weight and loss of hair that we all know as Detective Andrew Sipowicz. Franz plays a Chicago police officer who's something of a doofus.

Fans of Brian DePalma in particular and horror films in general will very much like The Fury.
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7/10
Telekinesis
jotix10031 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Brian DePalma's follow up to his popular "Carrie", was in many aspects a continuation of the mood he had already established in his former work. Thus, "The Fury" suffered because it was not an inspired choice for a man who knew better, but for whatever circumstances decided to go ahead with this project. The film is based on a novel by John Farris, which we never read, so there is no point of reference. Mr. Farris also wrote the screen treatment.

This ambitious film travels from the Middle East to Chicago in a tale of intrigue and super natural forces that is incomprehensible, at times. The idea of having a gifted young man working for the bad guys and capitalizing on all that can be extracted from his prodigious mind, is a disturbing idea. That there could be another brilliant mind, a young woman, presents a challenge for the evil people that are trying to use them for evil purposes.

The director was not as lucky with "The Fury" as with some of his best known, and more accomplished films. Amy Irving plays the young Gillian, who is terrified once she understands why she is so much wanted. In a way, she is an extension of Carrie, the heroine of the previous film. Kirk Douglas has some good moments. Carrie Snodgress was one of the best things in the movie. Charles Durning, Carol Rossen, and Fiona Lewis, do outstanding work. On the other hand, the great actor/director John Cassavetes seems to sleep walk through his role as the man behind the conspiracy. Darryl Hannah is seen briefly in the scene at Gillian's school.

The film has an effective musical score from John Williams. Although the director didn't succeed in making this a better movie, he still shows an affinity for the genre and cannot be dismissed for trying to create a good entertainment.
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3/10
Over-the-Top cheesefest!
Maciste_Brother7 November 2002
THE FURY is so bad that it's amazing. After the success of the overrated CARRIE, Brian de Palma was given a chance to direct another ESP thriller, with Amy Irving (also from Carrie) and the result is bad. I have never seen a movie so devoid of a story or sensible characters or logic. It's simply a mishmash of camera angles, bad acting and overblown music. There are so many unintentionally hilarious scenes in THE FURY that it's pointless to name all of them because it would take as long as the movie itself in order to do so. But here are my favorite scenes (spoilers ahead):

  • The scenes at the school with that bitchy Margot Kidder look-alike.


  • When Gillian (Amy Irving) "witnesses" the experiments Robin is going through and Gillian is freaking out as she's watching the bad guys replaying the film footage of the kidnapping of Robin (Andrew Stevens), which occurred at the beginning of the movie. The kidnapping wasn't scary or remotely troubling. It's just a standard shoot-em up scene and yet when Gillian watches the kidnapping, she is shown to be shocked and horrified beyond belief. I wasn't even close to being scared or troubled by the scene as Gillian was, which makes her character look totally silly.


  • When Gillian has a vivid ESP moment and she grabs the hand of a woman and blood starts pouring out of the woman's fingernails. Cutex overload?


  • When Gillian leaves the building and everything happens in slow motion, which results with the death of Hester (Carrie Snodgress), in a car accident. Cue Kirk Douglas screaming and crying and fighting, all in slow motion. Very funny.


  • When Robin attacks the Arab men on the amusement park ride. Hilarious moment.


  • When Robin attacks his father (Douglas) and both of them end-up on the edge of a rooftop, where Robin falls to his death. The really funny thing about this moment is that Robin was levitating when his father found him. So why didn't Robin prevent himself from hitting the ground by levitating his body? That scene doesn't make any sense whatsoever. And it's incredibly funny.


  • After Robin dies from the fall, his father, hanging on the rooftop, kills himself in anger by letting himself fall to the ground. This scene is straight out of AIRPLANE.


  • When Gillian blows up the bad guy (Cassavetes). I was literally rolling on the floor, like the dismembered head in the movie. Shake and Bake?


The acting by everyone is atrocious. Amy Irving cries throughout the movie. Kirk Douglas is embarrassing. Most of the actors don't even seem to know what they're doing. The music is bombastic. It's obvious that De Palma was given loads of money to come up with a new CARRIE-like flick and the result is rushed and nonsensical. THE FURY reminds me of a Philly cheese sandwich: it's not good for your health but it sure taste good with all that 1970s cheese in it.
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10/10
Explosive thriller is perhaps De Palma's most underrated work!
Nightman8515 January 2006
After the success of Carrie (1976), Brian De Palma followed up with another outstanding film about youths with incredible telepathic powers.

Government agent's telepathic son is kidnapped and along with a similarly-gifted teenage girl he seeks to save him.

Based upon the novel by John Farris, The Fury is a film that could have easily became a mundane action film if not for the splendid direction of De Palma and an outstanding cast. De Palma once again shows his excellent directorial style and his technique for grand suspense. The Fury has some great action sequences, a tremendous climax, and one outrageous conclusion! Makeup FX artist Rick Baker lends his talents to create some good blood-letting, especially for that knock-out closing image. John Williams also deserves special mention for his wonderfully powerful music score.

Star Kirk Douglas is great as the government agent searching for his son. John Cassavetes is good as the films cold villain. Amy Irving and Andrew Stevens are both sympathetic as youths attempting to live with their amazing mental powers. Supporting cast Snodgress, Durning, and Lewis are also good.

All around The Fury is a pretty under appreciated thriller that firmly ranks among the best of De Palma's films.

*** 1/2 out of ****
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7/10
Uneven but underrated DePalma film
ReganH144 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The Fury has often been cast in the shadow of DePalma's previous movie Carrie released two years prior which also dealt with characters with psychic powers. Whilst Carrie was more of a horror film with elements of science fiction, The Fury appears to be a mixture of everything. Ranging from Sci-fi to thriller to horror and even comedy. This strange mixture proves to be both entertaining but also the major weakness of The Fury.

The movie was adapted from the novel by John Farris and the major problem appears that the movie is trying to cram a story that would work better as a mini series. There are so many different genres, elements and characters thrown in that even at two hours the film doesn't feel fully complete. There are some scenes (such as the part where Kirk Douglas's character raids a couple's apartment) that feel unnecessary and seems to take away from the major plot elements. Doesn't help that for the majority of the film the narrative is juggling both Kirk Douglas being chased around by a mysterious organization and Amy Irving's character realizing that she has psychic powers with the only thing connecting these two plot lines is Kirk Douglas's kidnapped son who Irving's character has a psychic connection with.

Despite its narrative shortcomings the movie is still highly entertaining and is one of DePalma's best looking movies. Its clear that he had a much large budget to work with and he is clearly going to town with it.

The performances are also well done with Kirk Douglas and Amy Irving doing well with there respective characters whilst John Cassevetes is great as the sinister bad guy who has abducted Kirk Douglas's son and is also interested in Irving's psychic abilities. Charles Dunning, Carrie Snodgress and Fiona Lewis contribute strong supporting roles. The only downside being Andrew Stevens who plays the abducted son who feels quite wooden and is overall not as sympathetic as he should be.

John Williams contributes a fine score for this film which seems to take some elements from Star Wars but is easily one of his most underrated scores.

Overall The Fury is quite uneven in terms of its story suffering from cramming a very in depth novel into a two hour popcorn movie but is not less still and entertaining movie with some impressive visuals a mostly solid cast and memorable soundtrack. And the ending is very explosive.
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5/10
Gray Matter
sol121811 July 2004
****SPOILERS**** Brian de Palma has made a career of imitating the works of directors like the late Alfred Hitchcock and the present Italian director Dario Argento. In his movies Brian sometimes hits and his films are quite good with his own unique type of stylish surrealism that enhances the Hitchcock and Argento-type like scenes. Sometimes Brian misses and his movies turn out to be both mind-bending and confusing messes. "The Fury" is one of Brian de Palma's misses.

Brian de Palma's attempt to strike gold for the second time with a "Carrie" like film about telekinesis in his movie "The Fury". Instead "The Fury" bit off far too much then it can chew and in the end it ended up chocking itself to death.

"The Fury" has two, not one like in "Carrie", young persons with telekinesis powers in two different places. When they finally got together at the end of the film all hell broke loose with people flying out of windows and spinning like tops on the ceiling until all their limbs flung off their body. This was very good visual effects for the time being but the very bad plot development in getting a hold of what the movie was trying to say.

Peter Sandza, Kirk Douglas, spends the entire movie looking for his son Robin, Andrew Stevens, after he was kidnapped in Israel by Peter's friend Ben Childress, John Cassavetes, and co-worker in some secret US government agency where they both worked for twenty years. Ben staging a fake terrorist attack in order to kidnap Robin and at the same time kill Peter. Peter survived and wounded Ben with a blast from a assault rifle, that he took off a dead attacker on the beach, that cost Ben his left arm. The reason for kidnapping Robin is that he possesses a strange and powerful telekinesis talent that the agency that Ben still works for wanted to use against the enemies of the USA.

After a number of wild goose chases in Chicago and with the help of Gillian Bellaver, Amy Irving, who has the same telekinesis powers that Robin has both Peter & Amy track down Robin to some safe-house outside the city. he place is run by the agency that Ben works for. Robin sensing that Gillian, his psychic twin, is nearby and goes wild and insane feeling that he'll be killed by Ben & Co. and then be replaced by her in their telekinesis experiments.

Robin ends up killing his handler and lover Susan, Flona lewis, by spinning her to death. Ropin also has a number of the staff who tried to restrain him lifted up off the floor and thrown out the window to their deaths. With his poor and confused father, Peter, flung out the window together with him only to have Peter grab Robin's arm and hold on to a ledge. Robin then fights his father off and falls to his death. With a despondent Peter, after seeing this, throws himself to his death landing besides Robin.

Later Ben alone with Gillian trying to smooth talk her into going along with him in his plan to use her Telekinesis powers for the US. This line of total BS on Bens part has Gillian go completely insane and use those powers on him and blast him to bits, like he was cooked inside a microwave oven. Gillian end up telling a startled Ben to go to the place where the sun don't shine yet where it hot all the time.

The movie "The Fury" just never took off and seemed to go nowhere with Kirk Douglas as Peter running around Chicago like a lunatic from place to place at one point with nothing on but his underwear. Peter was such bad news to almost everyone who tried to helped him that they ended up being killed.

John Cassavetes was darkly effected as the evil one armed man who was responsible for all the bad things that happened in the movie. In the end he got just what he so rightfully deserved. Both Amy Irving & Andrew Stevens were unstable as well as psychic in their roles as the twin whiz-kids of parapsychology causing involuntary movements in both people and objects.

What really made "The Fury" so bad is that you could not build up any sympathy for no one in the film. From the evil Ben to the desperate Peter to the helplessly unstable and confused Gillian & Robin.. just no one!
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7/10
Iconic Actors !
ryanrall28 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Kindve reminds of the X-Men sortve a Forerunner in my opinion.Pretty Good Movie, well made, good script, great suspenseful soundtrack. Only thing that didn't work, at the end was one of the main characters was levitating in mid-air by his own power and the next minute hanging off the roof by a thread onto his Fathers arm & then plunges to his death ? Why didn't he just use his power and fly away or something like that ?
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6/10
For your eyes only.
brefane17 May 2008
Fortunately, De Palma's hyperbolic, visually compelling, science fiction occult espionage thriller moves so fast that the ludicrous dialog, indifferent performances, and Swiss cheese plot don't spoil the fun. The Fury starts from an interesting premise, but De Palma is clearly more interested in the spectacular set pieces than logic or characterization. The potentially most interesting character Robin is off screen for too long and instead we get low comedy relief with Mother Knuckles and the off duty cops in the Caddilac. Also, Gillian's mother and the students at the Paragon Institute seem to disappear. And where Sissy Spacek was touching as Carrie, Amy Irving and Andrew Stevens as psychic teens who unleash the fury are whiny and callow, and you don't really care about their fates. Though Douglas, Snodgress, Cassavetes and De Palma regular William Finley ( Raymond Dunwoodie) are always interesting, the rest of the cast is pretty bad. And a scene between Irving and Douglas on a bus is embarrassingly bad. Still, The Fury with its telepathic visions, its pulse pounding score by John Willams and Richard H. Kline's elegant deep focus cinematography is superior to junk like The Eyes of Laura Mars. De Palma pulls out all the stops and creates some spectacularly over-the-top scenes. Faults and all, The Fury is more entertaining, and less pretentious and derivative than most of De Palma's more recent efforts to say nothing of Dressed to Kill, Body Double, Obsession, Wise Guys, Carlito's Way, Raising Cain, and The Bonfire of the Vanities.
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7/10
Classy thriller; Kirk Douglas seemed ageless
vincentlynch-moonoi13 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I was never a particular fan of Kirk Douglas, but I would sometimes enjoy his films; just took them one by one. This one, which I remember seeing when I was 19, always stood out in my mind as being impressive. Now, over 30 years later, I still find it a riveting film.

At the time of filming, Douglas was 62. While I know he didn't do all his own stunts, what he did do was quite remarkable at that age. And, Douglas has all the intensity here that we grew used to in his career. He rarely let us down, and certainly didn't here.

John Cassavetes as the bad guy who is trying to harness the psychic powers of the young man and young woman is sufficiently evil here...you'll love what happens to his character at the close of the film. Carrie Snodgress is a sort-of girlfriend of Douglas', and although I'm not a particular fan, she does nicely here. Charles Durning, always one of my favorite supporting actors, does very nicely as the head of the institute that is studying the psychic powers of the young people; and he treads a fine line here as a professional with a sense of morals who has, unfortunately, gotten into bed with Cassavetes; he does it nicely! Amy Irving is terrific as the psychic young lady. Fiona Lewis is the "friend" and later victim of the whole plot, and one of the professionals studying the psychic phenomenon. Andrew Stevens is excellent as the young male with psychic powers; it reminded me to look up where he disappeared to...and that's behind the cameras in recent years.

I must give Brian DePalma (director) credit here. He used the story and its drama to heighten suspense, not over-relying on special effects. However, the special effects are done very well here...used as needed, but not overwhelming. Some people have compared a couple of scenes to scenes in "Carrie", but since DePalma directed that film, also, I guess we can't criticize him for a few similarities.

This film is just as good in 2013 as it was in 1978. Yes, a few things look dated (like typing), but the story is great and handled well by DePalma and the actors. Highly recommended.
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5/10
Not much of a De Parture for De Palma.
BA_Harrison9 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Directed by Brian DePalma, The Fury stars Kirk Douglas as desperate father Peter Sandza, who enlists the help of teenage psychic Gillian (Amy Irving) to find his son Robin (Andrew Stevens), who has been abducted by Ben Childress (John Cassavetes), the head of a shadowy government organisation.

The Fury isn't really much of a De Parture for De Palma, who had scored a hit only two years earlier with Carrie, another film about a psychic teenage girl. This sense of deja vu might not be such an issue if The Fury was on a par with his previous film, but it isn't: the pacing is too slow, the script rather dull, the acting uneven (at times, Douglas seems to be playing his role for laughs), and the direction over-egged, De Palma laying on his Hitchcockian style to such a ridiculous degree that supposedly dramatic scenes frequently prove unintentionally hilarious.

Giggle-worthy moments include Gillian's escape from a psychic institute that is rendered laughable by an over-use of slow motion, a car chase through fog (where not being able to see both vehicles at the same time seriously reduces the thrills), a pair of unfortunate Arabs on a malfunctioning fairground ride flying through a restaurant window, and Kirk Douglas' anticlimactic death scene (after all his efforts, he simply rolls off a roof).

4.5 out of 10, rounded up to 5 for the reminder of just how far games consoles have advanced since the late '70s, the extraordinarily large spectacles worn by schoolgirl Cheryl (Hilary Thompson), and the film's closing full-body explosion special effect that is shown from every conceivable angle.
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8/10
Far better than I expected.
planktonrules14 May 2021
When I read the summary of "The Fury", it sure didn't sound like something I'd love. However, I am glad I decided to watch it anyway, as it's well made but more importantly, quite entertaining.

When the story begins, what appears to be a terrorist attack occurs. However, it's actually a ruse...and a chance for a secret government agency to kidnap Robin (Andrew Stevens) and kill his father, Peter (Kirk Douglas). But Peter is a survivor and manages to escape...though his son is taken. Peter knows what really happened...that $^%@ Childress (John Cassavetes) wants to have Robin for his experiments on psychic powers....and Robin has very unusual and powerful skills.

Some time passes and Peter is out to find his son and get revenge on Childress. At the same time, another psychically gifted young lady, Gillian (Amy Irving), has been identified and Childress is interested in adding her to his collection of psychic weapons! How do Gillian and Peter's paths converge and what is going to happen to this sick and twisted program run by Childress?

I read that John Cassavetes hated the film. Well, it's nothing like the films he directed....as his films tended to be very artsy and slow. Well, I like some art films but also am not a film snob and sometimes just want a mindless film for pure entertainment value...and that bill is met with "The Fury". It's well written AND cheesy....but I mean this positively. Sure, it's all silly...but the film is constructed so well, acted and directed so well that it works and manages to keep you on the edge of your seat. I usually hate films about ESP and psychic stuff...but this one won me over and is well worth seeing...and is among director De Palma's better films.

By the way, if you do watch it, you'll LOVE the portion early in the movie where Douglas' character takes a family hostage. Mother Nuckles is a most unusual and VERY funny character....see it and see what I mean.
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6/10
When Genres Collide
By-TorX-114 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The Fury is a very interesting (but not entirely successful) film that mixes elements of Carrie with the spy film and clandestine government drama, but the differing genres do not always meld seamlessly. The idea of ruthless government agencies seeking to harness individuals with telekinetic powers is a compelling one, but the chase aspects serve to detour the drama. Hence, while the story of Kirk Douglas' character of Peter and his search for his kidnapped son, Robin, is good (as is Peter's contact with Gillian, who also possesses powers to help him in his quest), the plot wavers. For example, an early scene sees Peter evading agent Childress (marvellously played by John Cassavetes - who is the highlight of the film), but the segment lasts for ages and a protracted attempt to don a disguise totally fails to fool watching agents and leads to street/car chases, which kind of just wastes time and takes the attention away from the more compelling supernatural aspects of the narrative. Of the central plot, it is not clear why Robin ultimately becomes monstrous (even to Peter) and Robin and Gillian's powers are never that clear or consistent (Robin seems to be on a par with Magneto at one point!). Still, the acting is very good, the idea interesting (as is the John Williams score) and the film ends on both downbeat and explosive moments. Oh, and it is certainly bloody!
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1/10
I'm Furious With The Fury 0*
edwagreen2 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Totally abysmal film. Brian DaPalma has given us far better work that actually made sense. This is utterly ridiculous, and I'm being polite.

You would think that a middle east shooting at the film's beginning had something to do with the Arab-Israeli conflict. You would think that there is going to be a terrorist plot. There is terror all right, but the picture quickly descends into a telekinetic nonsense, with 2 teenagers, Andrew Stevens and Amy Irving needed due to their psychic powers. We never are told the organization that wants them and what they have intended for them to do.

Instead, we are subjected to wild chase scenes, and the kids using their psychic powers to cause all sorts of mayhem. When the bleeding starts, you know you're in for it. The bodies begin to pile up dramatically as just about everyone meets a horrible death. Horrible best describes this film.
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8/10
A violent thriller in Hitchcock's style!!
ary18 July 1999
The boss of an institute for psychic researches of the American government discovers that his own son and a girl are being sought by terrorists who want to use their mind's powers.Narrative conducted in an agile and suffocating way by the veteran De Palma, responsible for equally violent and full of action classic such as "The Untouchables". In this thriller marked by a great dramatic charge, the excellent supporting cast's work ( beginning with Carrie Snodgress,who has the most shocking, unpleasant and courageous scene , and with Charles Durning, who shows talent in a serious part, different from the characters that made his fame:he became well-known for doing partner's roles in some Burt Reynolds' movies, but here he offers a discreet, silent interpretation) sustains the interest for this confused but well developed and touching story. As already demonstrated in his previous works, the violence in De Palma's films is never gratuitous, however it is always true and raw.
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6/10
Geriatric action hero to an almost rescue 70s style
stevelomas-6940111 July 2020
He was 62 when he made this 'nice' version of Scanners! The clothes and haircuts carry more scares than the story in this very 70s film. Call it an entertaining watch.
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5/10
Rather silly supernatural horror/thriller from Brian De Palma
tomgillespie200222 July 2011
Peter Sandza (Kirk Douglas) is happily holidaying with his son Robin (Andrew Stevens), when he is betrayed by his lifelong friend Ben Childress (John Cassavetes). He is attacked by missionaries with machine guns, only to kill a few himself before apparently being blown up. Ben escapes with Robin, a boy Ben believes to have a powerful telekinetic and psychic ability. As Peter begins his frantic search, fellow psychic Gillian (Amy Irving) is admitted to the Paragon Clinic under the supervision of Dr. McKeever (Charles Durning), who may be linked with Robin's disappearance. As Gillian's power becomes stronger, she feels a connection with Robin, just as Peter comes close to discovering the whereabouts of his son.

Brian De Palma's career is somewhat of a mixed bag. Highly influence by Hitchcock, his films are packed with homages and winks to a wide range of classic movies. He was prolific with his quality output in the 70's and 80's (Blow Out, Carrie, Scarface, Dressed To Kill), but his late 80's through to the present have been littered with the dodgy and the dire (Casualties Of War, Mission To Mars, The Bonfire Of The Vanities, The Black Dahlia), albeit with a few decent films (Carlito's Way, The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible). 1978's The Fury, made just two years after the similarly-themed Carrie, lurks somewhere in between his very best and his worst.

Where Carrie announced the arrival of a potentially brilliant horror/thriller director, with its high tension, gore-drenched climax, and that jump ending that bred a thousand horror copycats, The Fury tackles the same supernatural themes, but just comes off as a bit silly. One half a badly staged action film, with an old Kirk Douglas outwitting a mass of secret agents, and one half a nicely plotted, but rather unspectacular supernatural horror. Although there are few glimpses, it certainly lacks De Palma's knowing cinematic style, best displayed in balls-out Hitchcock homage Dressed To Kill.

Although the film is sporadically entertaining, it's about twenty minutes too long, and seems to slow down to a snail's pace in the middle. It takes too long developing a story which is pretty straightforward, and characters that aren't particularly interesting. However when the climax comes, it's a lot of fun, and is just mad enough to save the film. I don't recall ever seeing a man exploding repeatedly from so many angles before, which is always a bonus. It literally happens about fifteen times. For a more defining telekinetic/exploding bodies film, seek out Scanners.

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As dumb as De Palma's other thrillers, but more fun.
fedor81 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Ehm, where shall we start...? Let's just count the illogicalities, shall we... Just for fun; but not in chronological order - after all, the movie hasn't got much order so why should this review about it be any different. Illogicalities and dePalmanesque absurdities: 1) Why does everyone keep touching Amy Irving when it should have been perfectly clear to everyone - except for complete morons - that she was dangerous to touch (conclusion: the characters in this film are morons)? 2) Why does Douglas's son not use his telekinetic (or whatever) power to figure out that his father was: a) framed by Cassavetes, and b) still alive; 3) does Cassavetes's "secret (government - ?) organization" really number one million agents who at all times survey every move of everyone in any way connected to Amy Irving? One billion? The American President doesn't have that many agents looking after him; 4) Where's the explanation of how Douglas's son managed to survive that ridiculous fall through the window? 5) Related to (4): how can anyone fall in such a manner through a window? 6) Towards the end of the film Douglas's son has proved that he could fly; only minutes after that he failed to fly when he needed it to prevent his fall from the building (not the absurd fall through the window covered in Illogicalities (4) & (5)); 7) Why the attempt to get rid of Douglas in the beginning? His son was supposed to leave him anyway as agreed, so why the assassination? - no explanation at all; 8) Why did they decide to get rid of Douglas in such a spectacular and noisy manner? Surely not just so they can show this footage later to his son, or? But I have to say that I went into this movie expecting another "Sisters" mess so that the illogicalities and dePalmanesque absurdities didn't take me by surprise. And while "Sisters" was utterly stupid and suffered from a severe case of coincidentalitis and moronism, "The Fury" was incomparably more entertaining because its absurdities weren't as irritating. Hence, one can enjoy the action (and the film in general) and not get too distracted by the plentiful amounts of nonsense.

The first half-hour or so is quite entertaining and relatively absurd-free, and Douglas is a real plus here. There is a very funny scene when he comes into an apartment to "borrow" clothes and ends up being treated like a king by the hostess. Amy Irving also did the best she could with a role that wasn't easy (because it's a dePalma film).
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