In a cavernous, foreboding Russian studio, an American film crew labors on a low budget slasher film. One night after hours the cameras roll on a real murder, inadvertently witnessed by the mute special effects artist, and the relentless (and relentlessly bloody) chase begins. A stylistic tour-de-force by first-timer Anthony Waller. Incidentally, the film features Alec Guiness. Incredibly, the distinguished actor filmed his few, but pivotal, scenes in 1985. Waller met Guiness at an awards dinner, pitched the as-yet-unwritten film and Sir Alec agreed to go before the cameras the next morning before leaving the country. Tops of its type.DVD Review--September 9, 2003--Columbia TriStar, 96 min., R, $24.95--Debuting on DVD in an extra-less letterboxed edition, Mute Witness boasts a decent (if somewhat grainy--especially noticeable in night shots) transfer with a solid Dolby Digital surround soundtrack. Bottom line: a nervy thriller, this is worth picking up. (D. Liebenson)
Mute Witness
(Columbia TriStar, 100 min., R, avail. Feb. 20) Vol. 11, Issue 1
Mute Witness
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: