FX - Murder By Illusion [DVD]

This is such a well-crafted suspense thriller that it's almost as much a pleasure to watch the third or fourth time as it is the first. Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) is a special effects man much in demand in Hollywood. He not only is a gifted professional in the trade, he's probably the main reason for the success of such exploitation films he's worked on as I Dismember Mama, Planet of the Female Mummies, Song of the Succubus and Rock-A-Die-Baby. Examples from these movies litter his apartment. He's recruited by Agent Lipton of the Justice Department's Witness Protection Program to stage the fake but public murder of a mafia boss, Nick DeFranco (Jerry Orbach), who will spill his guts to the Feds. All goes well until, after the event, Lipton (Cliff De Young), tries to shoot him down.

Rollie finds himself a player in a murderous con game. He escapes, goes on the run, but sees his girl friend murdered. He doesn't know whether the DeFranco shooting was truly fake or if Lipton substituted real bullets in the gun. In the background, pulling strings, is Lipton's boss, Edward Mason (Mason Williams). While Rollie decides he has to find out what's going on if he's not to become another victim, a tough New York cop (Brian Dennehy) shows up determined to find the truth about DeFranco wherever it takes him.

The action is fast and clever. The story is satisfyingly convoluted. And there are many lessons to be learned...how to make a life mask, how to set off a pattern of fake bullet explosions on your chest, how to hide your pulse so you'll look dead, how to put out a cigarette on your wrist. One of the things that makes this movie so satisfying are the actors. Bryan Brown turns in a fine job as Rollie, confident of his skills, laid back, resourceful, but really scared when people try to kill him. Mason Adams, a skilled actor with a distinctive, rough voice, and Jerry Orbach as the confident and slimy Mafia boss, both add a great deal of interest to the movie whenever they're on the screen. The movie has a funny, good-natured and violent opening scene as well as a clever and satisfying bank shot of an ending.

There even is wisdom for us. As Rollie's movie actress girl friend says to him at the start of the film, "Nobody cares about making movies about people anymore. All they care about is special effects." And this in a film over twenty years old.

There are no extras to speak of. The DVD picture looks just fine.

I have watched this about 4 times now and the ending really makes me laugh everytime with the superglue and the gun. Great soundtrack and great characters and extremely clever involving making it look as though a mafia grass has been murdered so they can put him in protective custody but then you wonder whether he really is dead.

Great film shame about the abysmal sequel.

Well unlike the previous reviewer of this title, i sit down to watch a film and if i enjoy it then thats all im hoping for.
I dont really need to analyze and nit-pick at a film before i can find it good. Ive watched this alot of times and i still love it and it takes pride of place next to FX2 in my dvd collection!