Play Misty for Me

Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut is about a smooth talking jazz-rock radio DJ that gets involved with crazed fan Evelyn (Jessica Walter (Ghost in the Machine)).  She stalks him, abuses him, attacks him and so on.  You know the drill.

The stalker movie was something newer back in ’71 but since it’s been done so many times between then and now this one doesn’t have a lot of impact.  All of the typical things happen that you’d expect like Evelyn seems normal at first glance, Eastwood tries to get back together with an old flame causing Evelyn to unleash her rage on the ex, the police don’t/can’t do shit ‘cause they think the scenario appears flimsy and all that shit.

Usually I love a good stalker picture but this one isn’t executed as well as most.  The biggest problem is there’s hardly any build up.  You know Evelyn is pushy and crazy from the second encounter leaving you only more and more drastic places to take the character for most of the run.  I’m surprised Eastwood didn’t kill her halfway through the film.

The bad pacing isn’t only due to the villain’s rushed character development but also the million fucking shots of people walking on beaches or in fields.  Every so often the movie has to stop to give you a very nice view of northern California which Eastwood clearly loves and just has to show you.  These parts are almost like high grade home movies or the stereotypical easy listening album cover.  Yea, it’s pretty.  I get it.  But this isn’t helping your movie man.  Neither is that unnecessarily long stretch showing off the 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival.

Gorgeous, it's just unfortunate these shots are mostly filler

This is one of the worst stalker films I’ve seen.  You’re better off watching Fatal Attraction, Obsessed, The Boy Next Door, hell maybe even The Perfect Guy.  But this was crucial for Eastwood as a director.  He needed to cut his teeth on something and this was the sacrificial lamb.  He got better really quickly too because his next feature was the fuckin’ High Plains Drifter.  He’s not the best director and never developed much of a recognizable style over the years but he usually does a decent job.  Just don’t ask him to play “Misty” for you.

This poster kinda reminds me of something...

...oh, right.