Review of The Fury (1978) by Robert C — 02 Sep 2009

Brian DePalma's The Fury is one of his most effortlessly entertaining films to date. Taking its cue from Carrie, made only two years before, The Fury starts off with a bang and never lets up. The cast is spectacular featuring Amy Irving, Kirk Douglas, Carrie Snodgress, Andrew Stevens, and a creepy John Cassavetes. Like much of DePalma's work, the Hitchcock similarities are unavoidable. There's a great deal of suspense and a shocking about of gory spectacle as well, considering Irving and Stevens' characters can cause people to bleed from every orifice of their body. There's lots of twists and turns and genuine shocks delt out to the audience and one never feels safe in DePalma's sometimes senseless world of violence. The finale is especially grotesque involving a character literally exploding into bloody bits on screen.

The Fury is delightful, suspenseful fun from a master of the medium.