Search - Hide and Seek on DVD

Taught Thriller - Underground Classic

06/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love Vincent Gallo, so I took a chance on this movie. It was a total surprise! I can't believe I hadn't heard of it. A fantastic thriller that rides the line between truly disturbing and hilarious. You can't imagine the twists this story takes. Think 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf' meets 'Misery'. The characters are totally inspired and insane, a nod to the writers. Jennifer Tilley is at her maniacal best. Gallo is creepy and real as her 'whipped' husband. The ending could have been a little more satisfying, but what comes before it is so scary/funny it's a small point. An underground classic."

A Wild Ride

12/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you don't think that a married couple, arguing loudly about which of them "gets" to pump their pregnant hostage's force-feeding device is funny, it's pretty safe to say that you should just avoid this film. But those who revel in sick, black comedy, deranged, eccentric characters and stories that get so, well, "icky" they make you laugh, will love this movie. I saw it on the USA Channel- after I rented it- and needless to say that all the good parts seemed to be cut out for TV. This is Jennifer Tilley's movie, and she is unstoppable. Gallo is a creep as her equally evil husband- and the scenes between them are among the best in the film. To be sure, this movie isn't for everybody; my mom, for example, would hate it- big surprise. It obviously wasn't made for her. This is a dark, cult film- no two ways about it. Scary and hilarious at the same time... I loved it."

Remember 'Misery'?; See for Tilly's Over-the-Top Acting

Tsuyoshi | Kyoto, Japan | 04/24/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"AKA 'Code.' Not to be confused with another 'Hide and Seek' (2005) starring Robert DeNiro and Dakota Fanning.



This is a Canadian straight-to-video psycho-thriller, and stars Daryl Hannah, Jennifer Tilly, Vincent Gallo, and Bruce Greenwood. The director is Canadian B-film master Sidney J. Furie. I don't know how you feel hearing his name, but I believe he is more talented than some people would think, and with decent budget and script, he could have done better films, far better than, say, under-financed 'Superman IV.'



The film is about a pregnant woman played by Hannah suddenly kidnapped by thick-bearded Gallo. Gallo, it turns out later, does this for his 'baby' Tilly, and locks Hannah up in the dark basement room of his house, and chains her to the bed, nad fakes her death to cover his crime. Greenwood is Hannah's hubby who seeks for his missing wife.



So 'Hide and Seek'? A suspence, huh? Yeah, it sounds like 'Misery' or 'The Collector,' but probably before you feel any thrills, you will be either immensely entertained by or absolutely disgusted with Jennifer Tilly's over-the-top acting. I regret that my poor English cannot fully express the joy of watching campy acting from her, but let me only say that her constant yellings, ultra-heavy make-ups, silly dialogues are hilarious enough to outshine ten Sharons and Halles in the wretched 'Catwoman.' I'm not blaming her for giving poor acting. It's like watching the younger version of Kathy Bates (who was Oscar nominated for 'Misery' you know that), and the more I watch her, the more I admire her.



As to Gallo, no comment is the kindest comment I can make, and as to Daryl Hannah, probably she has already had this entry erased from her CV circulated among the studios. I can hear her say, Thank you Quentin Tarantino, you saved my life.



At times the film is very nasty (how can you call it entertainment when you have to see a kidnapped pregnant woman forced to eat through a tube strapped to her mouth?), and its story is never convincing (why kidnap a pregnant woman, not a baby?), and most of all, hey, Ms. Hannah played a replicant in 'Bladerunner' who nearly killed Harrison Ford! Can you kidnap her? No kidding!



So two stars are the best I can give to this film, both for Ms. Tilly for giving one of the most bizarre acting that I have ever seen. I really like her, but for once, please, someone give her something different."

Not as Bad As It's Made to Be

Joshua Miller | Coeur d'Alene,ID | 07/04/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hide and Seek" is a movie that most people will never see and that's not only because it's now going to be confused with the Robert De Niro-Dakota Fanning film of the same name. The reason I saw this movie was because I'm a huge fan of Vincent Gallo and wanted to see more of his acting work (I've seen his two directorial efforts, Buffalo 66 & The Brown Bunny, and two other films he acted in called Palookaville and The Funeral). I'm not positive, but I think this movie was straight-to-video; I heard someone say that, but it doesn't have the "direct-to-video" feel to it. That's not to say it's not a bad movie, because it kind of is...But, whatever. The movie stars Daryl Hannah and Bruce Greenwood as a happily married couple named Anne and Jack who desparately vie to have a baby. It seems they've succeeded, but the clinic tells them that they're not pregnant. Jack goes on a business trip, leaving Anne alone and in the middle of the night she's kidnapped. When she wakes up, she's handcuffed to a bed in the basement of a house. At first, Anne is confused, not really noticing she's handcuffed and an odd woman named Helen (Jennifer Tilly) is trying to get her to eat. When she starts reacting, Helen's husband Frank (Gallo) comes downstairs and explains she's been kidnapped. Frank then calls Jack and asks for ransom. The latter is merely an excuse to make the movie longer, because Helen reveals that they're holding her to have her baby, so they can take it for themselves. Frank works at the clinic where Anne had a pregnancy test and he forged it and then faked her death so no one would be looking for her. When Jack returns to discover his wife missing/dead he doesn't believe it and goes looking for it, hence...Hide and seek. The plot of the film and Tilly's character owe a lot to the movie "Misery." In that movie, an insane woman takes an injured writer hostage in her house. In this movie, a man takes a pregnant woman hostage for his insane wife. Helen is very childlike and annoying and, we later find out, pretty sadistic. This movie tries for some chills and thrills, but the only thing remotely disturbing is Gallo's demise in the movie. If you are a Gallo fan (and most people aren't), you can feel OK passing this movie up. I am giving it four stars, because it wasn't dull. It did keep me entertained for the 100 minutes, but it was a pretty stupid movie. Why does it never occur to these characters to just adopt? Who does it seem that Helen runs Frank's life? Why does Vincent Gallo look like a hippie? There's a lot of unanswered questions left with us. If you're looking for a movie you're going to enjoy and recommend, I'd see something else. But if you, for some odd reason, have this movie in your house; It's not a complete waste of time.



GRADE: B-

DESERVES MORE LIKE A: C+

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