Themes: Kidnapping, Fathers and Sons, Psychic Abilities
Main Cast: Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Carrie Snodgress, Charles Durning, Amy Irving, Andrew Stevens
Release Year: 1978
Country: US
Run Time: 117 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Brian De Palma returns to the mind-blowing potential of telekinesis in the follow-up to his 1976 horror hit Carrie. While vacationing with his psychic son, Robin (Andrew Stevens), and close associate Childress (John Cassavetes), government agent Peter Sandza (Kirk Douglas) survives a terrorist attack, only to discover that it was staged by Childress so he could kidnap Robin for his own nefarious purposes. With the assistance of another psychic (William Finley) and Hester (Carrie Snodgress), an employee at the Paragon Institute for Psychic Research, Peter discovers a telekinetic Chicago high-school girl named Gillian (Amy Irving), who may be able to help him find Robin. Even though they have never met, Gillian can see Robin's memories and experiences telepathically, and she knows that he is in trouble. But Childress knows all about Gillian, too, and he is not about to let Peter's paternal quest get in the way of his plans for harnessing their psychic power. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Review
After the success of Carrie, Brian De Palma finally got a substantial budget, and he used it to stage even more elaborate (and grisly) special effects than in his previous thrillers. With a panoply of devices like quick cuts and superimposition, he chillingly yet stylishly reveals what Gillian sees as she connects with Robin's mind; nevertheless, as with Carrie, he saves the most horrific and flamboyant shocks for last. Though it had the effects and a bona fide star in Kirk Douglas, The Fury's moderate success was not quite on a par with horror blockbusters The Omen (1976) or The Exorcist (1973). Still, it slickly tapped into a post-Watergate mood, as operatives with unspecified government connections are the source of evil. But the gifted kids make them pay. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Fiona Lewis - Dr. Susan Charles; Carol Rossen - Dr. Ellen Lindstrom; Rutanya Alda - Kristen; Joyce Easton - Katharine Bellaver; William Finley - Raymond Dunwoodie; Jane Lambert - Vivian Knuckells; Dennis Franz - Bob; Michael O'Dwyer - Marty; Mickey Gilbert - Agent; Frank Yablans - Goon on Radio; Patrick Billingsley - Lander; Tom Blair - Top Guy #1; J.P. Bumstead - Greene; Marshall Colt - Technician; Joe Finnegan - Man; Gordon Jump - Nuckells; Bernie Kuby - Nuckles; Sam Laws - Blackfish; J. Patrick McNamara - Robertson; Alice Nunn - Mrs. Callahan; Felix Shuman - Dr. Ives; Melody Thomas - LaRue; Hilary Thompson - Cheryl; Al Wyatt - Security Agent Driver; Daryl Hannah - Pam; Jack Callahan - DeMasi; Anthony Hawkins - Chase #1 Shotgun; Stephen Johnson - Technician; Laura Innes - Jody; Harold C. Johnson - Garbage Man; John Roche - Drunk (Van Buren)
Credit
Richard J. Lawrence - Art Director, Jack B. Bernstein - Associate Producer, Lynn Stalmaster - Casting, Seth Banks - Costume Designer, Theoni V. Aldredge - Costume Designer, Margo Baxley - Costume Designer, Donald Heitzer - First Assistant Director, Brian De Palma - Director, Paul Hirsch - Editor, John Williams - Composer (Music Score), William J. Tuttle - Makeup, William Malley - Production Designer, Richard H. Kline - Cinematographer, Larry Pizer - Cinematographer, Jack B. Bernstein - Production Manager, Frank Yablans - Producer, Audrey Blasdel-Goddard - Set Designer, Rick Baker - Special Effects, A.D. Flowers - Special Effects, Hal Etherington - Sound/Sound Designer, Richard Vorisek - Sound/Sound Designer, Mickey Gilbert - Stunts Coordinator, John Farris - Screen Story, John Farris - Screenwriter
The plot combines elements of horror and the spy thriller. A teenage girl, Gillian Bellaver (Amy Irving) discovers that she possesses psychic powers, including telekinesis and extra-sensory perception, but that other people suffer bleeding if they touch her. She volunteers to attend the Paragon Clinic, whose director, Dr McKeever (Charles Durning), works for a shady intelligence operative named Childress (John Cassavetes). Childress has betrayed his friend Peter Sandza (Kirk Douglas) and is using Sandza's psychic son Robin (Andrew Stevens) in research into the weapons potential of psychics. Meanwhile Peter, who survived Childress' set-up, is searching for his son; with Gillian's help and that of his girlfriend Hester (Carrie Snodgress) he tracks Robin down, but Childress' ruthless experiments have damaged the young man's mind and rendered him soulless, and he and Peter both die within minutes of their reunion. As he dies, Robin has some form of psychic contact with Gillian. When Childress tries to persuade Gillian to accept his "help", she finally accepts her talent and kills him to avenge Peter's and Robin's deaths by exploding him from the inside out.
Trivia
Parts of this feature were filmed at Old Chicago of Bolingbrook, Illinois; a now defunct amusement park.
The scene in which Kirk Douglas escapes the agents at the hotel, were filmed at the now defunct Plymouth Hotel, the same hotel and room were used in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.
Special effects
In order to realistically show Cassavetes exploding at the climax, Cassavetes stood on the set convulsing and bleeding until a lamp falls down creating split-second white flash on the screen. Then a quick edit is done replacing Cassavetes with a lifesized rigged dummy exploding shot at several different angles.
Cameos
The film features early performances by Dennis Franz (in his debut), Daryl Hannah and Laura Innes. Franz plays a cop driving a car hijacked by Douglas' character and gets about ten minutes of screen time and numerous lines. Hannah plays a student at a school attended by Irving's character and gets about five minutes of screen time and almost no lines.
Jim Belushi appears as an extra, his appearance becoming a topic many years later on David Letterman's show when he was a guest.
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