The Fury (1978)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers:

John Farris (novel)
John Farris (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 March 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

An experience in terror and suspense.

Plot:

A government agent is determined to come to his son's rescue, when a sinister official kidnaps him to harbor his extremely powerful psychic abilities.

Plot Keywords:

Psychic | Experiment | Gothic | Severed Head | Chicago

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Peter Sandza
John Cassavetes	...	Ben Childress
Carrie Snodgress	...	Hester
Charles Durning	...	Dr. Jim McKeever
Amy Irving	...	Gillian Bellaver
Fiona Lewis	...	Dr. Susan Charles
Andrew Stevens	...	Robin Sandza
Carol Eve Rossen	...	Dr. Ellen Lindstrom (as Carol Rossen)
Rutanya Alda	...	Kristen
Joyce Easton	...	Katharine Bellaver
William Finley	...	Raymond Dunwoodie
Jane Lambert	...	Vivian Nuckells
Sam Laws	...	Blackfish
J. Patrick McNamara	...	Robertson
Alice Nunn	...	Mrs. Callahan
Melody Thomas Scott	...	LaRue (as Melody Thomas)
Hilary Thompson	...	Cheryl
Pat Billingsley	...	Lander
J.P. Bumstead	...	Greene
Barry Cullison	...	Chase #1 Driver
Jack Callahan	...	DeMasi
Dennis Franz	...	Bob Eggleston
Anthony Hawkins	...	Chase #1 Shotgun
Michael O'Dwyer	...	Marty O'Brien
Felix Shuman	...	Dr. Ives
Albert Stevens	...	Arab Prince
Anne Peterson	...	Deborah (as Anne Brunk)
Eva Cadet	...	Woman - Van Buren
John Roche	...	Drunk - Van Buren
Gordon Jump	...	Mr. Nuckells
Eleanor Merriam	...	Mother Nuckells
Harold Johnson	...	Garbage Man
Wayne Dahmer	...	Nelson
Joe Finnegan	...	Man
Kathleen Francour	...	Betsy
Daryl Hannah	...	Pam
Laura Innes	...	Jody
Clair Nelson	...	Dr. Becker
Peter O'Connell	...	Dr. Conn
Al Wyatt Sr.	...	Security Agent Driver (as Al Wyatt)
Douglas J. Stevenson	...	Houseboy
Mickey Gilbert	...	Agent
Hanns Manship	...	Agent
Mariana Proctor	...	Agent
Marshall Colt	...	Technician
Roberta Feldner	...	Technician
Stephen Johnson	...	Technician
Robin Marmor	...	Technician
Michael Copeland	...	Tough Youth
Alfred Tinsley	...	Tough Youth
Tom Blair	...	Top Guy #1
Gunnar Lewis	...	Top Guy #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Belushi	...	Beach Bum (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Jordan Williams	...	Beach Bum (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian De Palma		(as Brian DePalma)

Writing credits
John Farris		(novel)
John Farris		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jack B. Bernstein	....	associate producer
Ron Preissman	....	executive producer
Frank Yablans	....	producer

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Richard H. Kline

Film Editing by
Paul Hirsch

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Bill Malley

Art Direction by
Richard Lawrence

Set Decoration by
Audrey A. Blasdel		(as Audrey Blasdel-Goddard)

Costume Design by
Theoni V. Aldredge		(as Theoni V. Aldridge)

Makeup Department
Rick Baker	....	special makeup effects
Greg Cannom	....	special makeup assistant
Emma M. diVittorio	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Jack B. Bernstein	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kim C. Friese	....	second assistant director
Donald Heitzer	....	assistant director (as Donald E. Heitzer)

Art Department
Bill Bates	....	property master
Hendrik Wynands	....	construction coordinator (as Hendryk Wynands)

Sound Department
Harold M. Etherington	....	production sound mixer (as Hal Etherington)
Dan Sable	....	sound editor
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording supervisor

Special Effects by
A.D. Flowers	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Bill Hansard	....	process coordinator

Stunts
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunt coordinator
Charles A. Tamburro	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Bettcher	....	camera operator
Ed Carlin	....	gaffer
Howard Mase Hector	....	key grip
Itzik Ben-Aroya	....	key grip (uncredited)
Curtis Foster	....	lamp operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Seth Banks	....	costumer: men
Margo Baxley	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Maria Iano	....	assistant editor
Pat Shade	....	assistant editor

Music Department
George Korngold	....	music editor
Robert H. Raff	....	music editor (as Robert Raff)

Other crew
John Fox	....	assistant to director
Ray Quiroz	....	script supervisor
Charles A. Tamburro	....	helicopter pilot
Sam Irvin	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Frank Yablans Presentations
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CBS/Fox (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox-Stockholm Film Distribution (1979) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Cinema Classics (video)

Other Companies

• Arista Records  soundtrack
• Botany 500  men's clothing
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color by (as DeLuxe)
• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  orchestra
• Trans / Audio  sound recording

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:16 | Argentina:18 (re-rating) (1978) (cut) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:13 (re-rating) (1985) (uncut) | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Brazil:16 | Sweden:15 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Astor Street, Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Frank Yablans Presentations

Trivia:

The videogame system featured at the Paragon Institute was a Fairchild Channel F system.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Woman gets run down by a current model Ford. She crashes through the windshield, which is made of plain glass. Since 1966, all cars made in the United States have safety glass in the windshield.

Quotes:

Peter Sandza: Mother Nuckells, I'd appreciate it if you didn't untie 'em until after "M*A*S*H" is over.
Mother Nuckells: "M*A*SH"? I won't untie 'em until after "Sunrise Semester".

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Effects (1980)

* * *1/2 out of 4.

A man discovers that his telekinatic son has been kidnapped and is being exploited for his powers. He seeks the help of a young woman who has similar powers to help him locate his son, but it might be too late, because with each growing day he becomes more violent and out of control.

Ambitious horror/suspense film is perhaps one of the scariest, most disturbing and violent films ever released into mainstream America. It reaches tremondous heights for a film in this genre, because of the terrific performances from everybody in the entire cast, top notch direction, superb score, and sensational editing that keeps things tight and never lets the suspense to ever lag. A masterpiece for the horror genre and one of De Palma's best.

Rated R; Extreme Graphic Violence, and Profanity.