By 1980, New York City, universally known as "the Big Apple," had become the incarnation of a paranoiac's nightmare. Movies like Michael Winner's revenge thriller "Death Wish," Walter Hill's gang epic "The Warriors," and William Friedkin's homosexual murder mystery "Cruising" had spawned this unsavory image and lenser turned director Gordon Willis' "Windows," an excellently made but egriegously scripted sizzler, starring Talia Shire and Elizabeth Ashley, appropriates this negativity for maximum impact. Clearly, at 96 minutes, the R-rated "Windows" exemplifies the theme of women versus women.
The voyeurish plot involves a mousey Emily Hollander (Talia Shire of the "Rocky" franchise), who is at the mercy of lesbian stalker Andrea Glassen (Elizabeth Ashley of "The Carpetbaggers"). Ashley pays a cretinous cabbie to rape Emily and tape record the performance. Later, after Emily has moved out of the apartment where she was raped and into a security apartment complex, Glassen has Emily's tabby cat killed and frozen. Glissen sets up a telescope and then watches Emily constantly before she confronts her with the truth that she must possess her! Along the way, Emily becomes involved with an N.Y.P.D. detective (Joseph Cortese).
Ace lenser Gordon Willis, who photographed Woody Allen's "Manhattan" and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather, Part II," makes his directorial debut. Not surprisingly, Willis also doubles as his own cameraman. The technical credits are great, especially Willis' striking photography, two-time Oscar nominated Barry Malkin's suspenseful editing, and Ennio Morricone's atmospheric orchestral score. Talia Shire as victim and Elizabeth Ashley as predator deliver emotionally taut performances.
However, the Razzie nominated Barry Siegel screenplay is as sordid as it is stupid. Logic and motivation must have been thrown out the window. Happily, Siegel never wrote another screenplay. We are never told what it is that attracts Ashley to Shire. Presumably, only lesbians will know, but may hate this movie, too, for its phobic attitude. Similarly, Willis never called the shots on another movie, though he continued to lens them. My advice, unless you are written a term paper about "Windows," avoid it.
The voyeurish plot involves a mousey Emily Hollander (Talia Shire of the "Rocky" franchise), who is at the mercy of lesbian stalker Andrea Glassen (Elizabeth Ashley of "The Carpetbaggers"). Ashley pays a cretinous cabbie to rape Emily and tape record the performance. Later, after Emily has moved out of the apartment where she was raped and into a security apartment complex, Glassen has Emily's tabby cat killed and frozen. Glissen sets up a telescope and then watches Emily constantly before she confronts her with the truth that she must possess her! Along the way, Emily becomes involved with an N.Y.P.D. detective (Joseph Cortese).
Ace lenser Gordon Willis, who photographed Woody Allen's "Manhattan" and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather, Part II," makes his directorial debut. Not surprisingly, Willis also doubles as his own cameraman. The technical credits are great, especially Willis' striking photography, two-time Oscar nominated Barry Malkin's suspenseful editing, and Ennio Morricone's atmospheric orchestral score. Talia Shire as victim and Elizabeth Ashley as predator deliver emotionally taut performances.
However, the Razzie nominated Barry Siegel screenplay is as sordid as it is stupid. Logic and motivation must have been thrown out the window. Happily, Siegel never wrote another screenplay. We are never told what it is that attracts Ashley to Shire. Presumably, only lesbians will know, but may hate this movie, too, for its phobic attitude. Similarly, Willis never called the shots on another movie, though he continued to lens them. My advice, unless you are written a term paper about "Windows," avoid it.