The Neighbor | |
---|---|
Directed by | Rodney Gibbons |
Written by | Kurt Wimmer |
Produced by | Tom Berry |
Starring | Rod Steiger Linda Kozlowski |
Cinematography | Ludek Bogner |
Edited by | Robert E. Newton |
Music by | Milan Kymlicka |
Production companies | Allegro Films Image Organization Téléfilm Canada (produced in association with) Westwind |
Distributed by | Academy Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 1hr 33min. |
Countries | United States Canada |
Language | English |
The Neighbor is a 1993 horror thriller film directed by Rodney Gibbons, starring Rod Steiger, Linda Kozlowski and Ron Lea.
The film is about an aging gynecologist (Rod Steiger) with a "killer instinct" [1] who terrorizes his urban neighbors (Linda Kozlowski and Ron Lea) in a rural community in Burlington, Vermont.
While filming, Steiger commented on his character: "He¨s a person whose acts are villainous and sad, a sick person. Otherwise, I couldn't play him. I don't know how you do a villain. But I can understand a person having the psychosis". Opining that contemporary films were "all too violent for no reason", he iterated that The Neighbor was a thriller, "not a bloodbath". [2]
The film was not well received by critics. Dennis Schwartz considered it to have been one of Steiger's creepiest roles, believing that the poor script had rendered the role awkward and "mildly entertaining in the sense that Steiger is asked to carry the film and hams it up". [3] "Despite slick production values and some clever Hitchcockian touches, there is little to distinguish The Neighbor from formulaic made-for-TV fare", writes Cavett Binion for Allmovie , giving 3 of 5 stars. [4] Rod Steiger's performance has been described as "decent", though the movie is "extremely predictable". [5] In the Canadian press, the film was described as "an unpleasant Canadian effort" which for "some obscure reason ... made a brief pit stop in theatres last month before heading for video". [6]
Rodney Stephen Steiger was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Ranked as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars", he is closely associated with the art of method acting, embodying the characters he played, which at times led to clashes with directors and co-stars. He starred as Marlon Brando's mobster brother Charley in On the Waterfront (1954), the title character Sol Nazerman in The Pawnbroker (1964) which won him the Silver Bear for Best Actor, and as police chief Bill Gillespie opposite Sidney Poitier in the film In the Heat of the Night (1967) which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Linda Kozlowski is an American former actress. She is best known for her role as Sue Charlton in the Crocodile Dundee film series (1986–2001), with the first installment earning her a Golden Globe Award nomination.
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