Movies about movies have a special fascination, and, despite some flaws, "The Stunt Man" is no exception. Arrested for an unnamed offense, Cameron, a crazy-eyed young man played by Steve Railsback, escapes custody and encounters a film company on location. The crew is on a beach shooting a World War I battle that involves dozens of extras, vintage biplanes, and explosions. Aided by the film's director, who does not want to admit that he has lost a stunt man in a tragic car stunt, Cameron becomes the stunt man and is goaded into performing daring and dangerous stunts of his own. In an Academy Award nominated performance, Peter O'Toole plays the determined Eli Cross, the movie-in-the-movie's ruthless manipulative director. Cross stops at nothing to get footage in the can, irregardless of the consequences, even the death of a stunt man. When not jumping from buildings or hanging from ledges, Cameron becomes involved with the film's female star, Nina Franklin, played by Barbara Hershey, whose history with Cross further complicates things.The screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus and Richard Rush was adapted from a novel by Paul Brodeur, and both the screenplay and Richard Rush's direction, like O'Toole, received Oscar nominations. While much of the film's fun comes from the action and the stunts performed for the movie within the movie, O'Toole's delicious performance as the flamboyant philosophical director is also a major draw, although the supporting cast is also fine, with Alan Garfield and Alex Rocco deserving mention.The mystery of Cameron's crime and the cause of the stunt man's death plunge into a river are slowly revealed, but character is emphasized over plot and the romance consumes much screen time. Thus, the film is often slow, overlong, and not as clever as Rush wanted it to be. Judicious editing could have tightened the film and improved the pace. However, while "The Stunt Man" is fairly entertaining, O'Toole's star performance remains the film's major asset and chief draw.

It has to be the best quote in the whole movie because not only it defines the whole thing but it's also one of the most funniest (specially when it is said at the ending). The height of 1933's King Kong (3'6) is mentioned in "The Stunt Man" as a representation of how manipulative and incredible movies are. It also represents the audience's manipulation in terms of believing in what they're seeing as real when in fact it's not. Everybody knows King Kong as something monstrous, gigantic but very few know that the real thing was a small toy made to look bigger thankfully to special effects.But what's have to do with the story of a Vietnam War veteran running away from police, who happens to stumble on a film set to be later get invited by the film director to replace a dead stunt man? Everything! The fugitive Cameron (played by a sexy Steve Railsback) while learning to be a stunt gets fooled over and over by the director Eli Cross (a dynamic Peter O'Toole - Oscar nominated for this role), who puts the poor man in the most audacious, risky and dangerous stunts in a World War I film. Along with the filming, there's a romantic story involving an actress (Barbara Hershey) involved with both director and stunt man, and of course, the police hunt for the man and a investigation of what really happen with the original stunt guy. Then, just like Kong, there's the manipulation of "The Stunt Man" on us, audience, when we think that all what's happening with Cameron is real until someone yell 'Cut', and the background is revealed, cameras and people start to show up. Here's one example: Cameron is running away from villains, being chased over rooftops, stairs, bullets flying over his head, explosions, the fear we see in his eyes are very real but then we know it's a planned stunt. This screenplay strategy works but not that much if we consider that most of the time Cameron is performing all the stunts in one long shot where he falls and runs and jumps, I mean, Eli's team is filming like five or six sequences continuously, which is quite impossible to be done in films. It's visually impressive to see all that but not much believable.Even so, this is a very funny and interesting film that show the magic of movies being made. It was a dream project for director Richard Rush that took nine years to be finally made and it worth all the while, guarantying a Oscar nomination for him as Best Director. The performances fit the film perfectly with the highlights on O'Toole making of Eli an egomaniacal film director who believes to be an God who controls everything and everyone, without caring about anything although he's impressed by the mysterious Cameron. Railsback is very memorable and a little sinister as the fugitive/stunt man who gets astonished with the film he became part of and the salary offered, but he doesn't realize how naive he was and how deceivable Eli was.Fugitive on the run, filmmaking of a big budget film, romance, action, comedy, lots of humor, this film in no way could go wrong. Here's an very enjoyable and underrated classic of the 1980's. 10/10

A convict named Cameron (Steve Railsback) is being chases by the police. He inadvertently stumbles upon a stunt being done for a movie--and the stuntman dies. The crazy director Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole) makes believe that the stuntman didn't die and passes off Cameron as him. Cameron goes along with it and becomes the official stuntman for the movie. What follows is a frustrating and decidedly unfunny black comedy.I caught this back in 1980 and couldn't make heads or tails out of it. Critics were raving about it nonstop but I thought it was pointless and quite dull. I (sort of) get it now. It's a VERY surreal black comedy about a bunch of people making a movie about WW1 and being ruled over by a mad director who will do ANYTHING to get it done. Some people may find jokes about people being killed or wounded hysterically funny but I didn't. Also the movie is constantly playing with the viewers mind--fantasy and reality keep intermixing in the film. You think you're seeing something real...but it turns out to be fake. This happens nonstop throughout the film! It's kind of fun at first but then it just gets annoying. Acting doesn't help. Railsback (who can be good) is dreadful here. He has just one look and uses it throughout the entire picture! I didn't have a clue on how to take his character. His big speech towards the end is more funny than shocking. Hershey (another one who can be good) is ALSO terrible! Was she taking acting tips from Railsback? She's all over the place here. The script is lousy. Nobody talks like a real person here. I was always aware I was listening to a script--NOT dialogue.There are only two bright lights here: the action sequences are fast, furious and lots of fun. And O'Toole takes his meaty role and runs with it. He was justly nominated for an Academy Award for this. He's WAY over the top but it fits the surreal material like a glove. He's just incredible but he's the only thing worth seeing here. Everything else is just horrible. The total adoration of this picture is beyond me. I give it a 2 and that's just for O'Toole's brilliant performance.

This is definitely one of my favorite films of its time. I can't understand why this film is not more highly rated by just about anyone -- the critics or the public. It's not really a cult film so much as a seemingly chaotic black comedy. One is never quite sure if Eli Cross is totally insane, or has taken measures to prevent the killing of his on-the-lam stunt man. The case is definitely made that Cross is desperate, and resorting to desperate measures. The "killer crane" is a wonderful device, since it helps in the overall feel of vertigo that Rush is looking for.There's obviously the motif of trying to tell reality from false perceptions, and what better way than to have cinema as the setting? We share Cameron's bewilderment at what is happening to him, and there is non-stop tension in every scene -- you just don't know what lunacy may arise at any time. Can he trust anyone? The special edition of the DVD has interviews that really do enlighten. The difficulty in Rush having this film realized is a gripping story in itself -- obviously Rush was as obsessive as his antagonist Cross! I confess to falling for Barbara Hershey -- it's not so much her performance than how Rush photographs her -- she seems to represent not just the Most Desirable Woman but also Comfort. (Or is she just acting? Has Cross put her up to this? What are her true feelings?) And Cameron needs a lot of comfort. They filmed this in San Diego at the Hotel Coronado, but I can't seem to remember reading anything about it at the time! (I was certainly living here at the time.) Of course, Some Like It Hot was also filmed at the Coronado.