Pacific Heights | | Cast : | Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, Michael Keaton | | Director : | John Schlesinger | | Studio : | Warner Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | September 28, 1990 | | DVD Released Date : | June 01, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | March 30, 2005 | | Summary | Housing Opportunity | Content
 | The 90's were a great time for the psychological thriller genre. From big hits like Basic Instinct and Silence Of The Lambs, to smaller films like Sleeping With The Enemy and Bad Influence, each one trying to out jolt the last. Pacific Heights is one of the most underatted efforts in the catagory that deserves more attention.
Patty (Melanie Griffith) and Drake (Matthew Modine) are an unmarried couple, who are finacially strapped, but want to desperately keep their Victorian home. They decide the only way to ensure they don't lose it, is to rent out the bottom floor to Carter Hayes (Michael Keaton). After all, his references are impeccable, and he appears to be an upstanding guy. However, things are not as they seem--in reality, Hayes is a frighteningly dangerous psychopath who will stop at nothing to claim the house for himself, making certain the law is on his side.
Famed director John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy) does a great job building suspense from Daniel Pyne's script. Escaping the long shadow of his turn as Batman, from a year earlier, Keaton is very effective as a cunningly creepy guy. As someone who has never gone hog wild for either Modine or Griffith, I must say, they do a good job too--acting as a "real" couple. The film has some truly goosebump moments that will keep you riveted. Kudos to Hans Zimmer for his unsettling score for the film, making the film even more unsettling.
The typical theatrical trailer is the DVD's only extra. That said though, the disc is still worth your time, as Schlesinger works his magic. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 16, 2004 | | Summary | Not what I expected. | Content
| It was about 8 years ago at least when I first seen this film. At that time I was young and I couldn't remember it, but I just bought it the other day. I watched it, and it was totally different from what I expected. I could only remember this film being very nasty and the villain (played by the excellent Michael Keaton) to be more scarier. Even though the film wasn't what I expected it was still good. Many people hate Michael Keaton's character in this, I can see why, but the character I more hate in this is Matthew Modine's. His character always treats Keaton's very badly in it, and he never treats him nice in it. The ending is quite tense (it was the only part I remember from when I saw it 8 years ago), a bity predictable, but it was good. The film can also try to be funny in places, it can be too.
So, you might not expect such a psychological thriller that much in this, but it does reach a point in the film where it does become psychological as it nears the end. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 26, 2004 | | Summary | Cockroaches & Power Tools & Destruction, OH MY!!! | Content
| The seemingly charming, but sadistic, brutal, destructive & oh yeah... homicidal, Carter Hayes (Michael Keaton) puts
yuppies-cum-landlords, Patty Palmer and Drake Goodman (Melanie Griffith & Matthew Modine) through their paces as they experience the WORST tenant in the history of landlord lore! Carter Hayes, armed with power tools, garbage, his little cockroach friends, and the law on his side, are GUARANTEED to drive Patty and Drake out of their beautiful victorian fixer-upper that they have just purchased. It seems like Carter would like to pick up the house for himself and thus, tries his darndest to make Patty and Drake default on their huge mortgage. Tippi Hedren, Laurie Metcalf and Dan Hedaya also star. This is a great suspense filled movie with a "killer" ending. Michael Keaton is perfect in the role as Carter Hayes. He is one of the most flexible and versatile actors, playing good guys (Mr. Mom & The Dream Team), bad guys (Pacific Heights & Desparate Measures), cartoon characters (Batman & Beatlejuice), & a dying man (My Life). This is a most excellent suspense film and highly recommended! Happy Watching! |
| Rating | | | Date | August 13, 2003 | | Summary | Beware Of Tenants Bearing Trust Funds!.... | Content
| This review refers to the DVD edition(Warner) of "Pacific Heights"..... A really good thriller for me, is one that not only grabs me and keeps me in suspense the first time around, but one that keeps me on the edge of my seat on repeated viewings as well. "Pacific Heights" is one of those thrillers, that makes buying the DVD worthwhile, as I know this one will not be collecting dust on the shelves. The very cool and respectable looking Carter Hayes(Michael Keaton) is new to San Francisco. He's looking for an apartment and his done his homework well. He's found the perfect place and has even taken the time to check out his landlords.Drake and Patty(Matthew Modine/Melanie Griffith) are the eptiome of Yuppiedom. Unmarried, but a couple, they bury themselves in debt buying the Victorian fixer-er-upper, that they will renovate and make a huge profit on when it's complete. In the meantime they will simply rent out the two apartments downstairs to help pay the bills. They should have done their homework as well as Hayes. The smooth talking Hayes worms his way into one of the apartments and promises payment when his expected funds arrive, which of course will be very soon. It doesn't take long for Patty and Drake, as well as the other tenants, to discover the Carter is the tenant from Hell.He has a few social and psychological problems. He imposes a frightening presence and knows all the legal manuevers, and scare tatics to take over the house for himself. It's a journey frought with fear and suspense as Patty and Drake try to reclaim their home and their sanity. A nice clear picture with good color is presented in widescreen. The Dolby Dig 5.1 Surround was excellent. The haunting score by Hans Zimmer, all background and surrounding sound effects, and the dialouge all came through beautifully. No special features on this one. It may also be viewed in French (2.0), but there are no subtitles in any langauge for those who may need them. There is also a short theatrical trailer. Modine and Griffith are very believable as the beleagured and frightened but determined landlords. Michael Keaton pulls off this repulsive villain amazingly well. His versitility is unending.Directed by John Schlesinger("Midnight Cowboy"), it also stars Laurie Metcalf,Mako and Dorian Harewood. Also look for Dan Hedaya and a real special treat and rare appearance by Tippi Hedren. Get the popcorn ready and don't watch this one alone! Oh and remember to always check refrences!.....Laurie |
| Rating | | | Date | March 09, 2003 | | Summary | Is Anyone Home? | Content
| Drake (Modine) and Patty (Griffith) are the average, healthy, nonchalant couple who having just purchased their dream Victorian house in Pacific Heights, San Francisco; get themselves further into debt as they delightfully tend to both the interior & exterior of the residence to a surpassed point. Fortunately within days, one of the flats is rented by gentle elderly pair who, like Drake and Patty, are pushed to the limits by new resident, Carter Hayes who rents out flat No. 2. A smooth operator in both person and when away, hypothetically on business, Hayes brusquely tears their lives apart in what would seem like revenge for something they seemingly did not commit. Asking candidly for their first instalment of rent from the now-missing Mr Hayes, Drake loses his temper and gets physical with the slippery weasel and ends up naively in police cuffs. With Drake away, Patty resumes regular duties in the house which alas results in a terrifying experience for the broken lovers. A few drill holes and clunking-around later, Drake attempts to access the flat, but when his master key fails to work on Hayes' new lock, Drake pulls a berserker and decides to cut off the tenant's gas and disconnects his electricity. Living on Squatters Law, Hayes & Co. takes as much as they can as quick as they can, until Drake & Patty uncover the brutal truth of their new inexplicable tenant. Michael Keaton with one of his alien straighter roles, as was he a year earlier in Tim Burton's `Batman', he acquaints us with another beguiling character from his mental library of personalities. Melanie Griffith is stupendous as the tormented wife and Matthew Modine as the everyday nonentity pushed to his individual limitations, is in an all-out performance in one of his more fashionable years when he also starred in the smash-hit war epic, `Memphis Belle'. With no bona fide soundtrack, of course excusing the sporadic classical wipe over, the film breeds on its sinister sound effects of creaking floorboards and mechanical shrills from an assortment of industrial tools. Griffith must have thanked her lucky stars after the flop of the highly anticipated film from Brian DePalma, `The Bonfire of the Vanities'. John Schlesinger brings an incredibly tight-knit story with menacing and suffocating direction that barley pauses for breath. One of his more finer recent pieces that only has the unbelievably underrated Richard Gere movie `Yanks' to battle with in terms of best contemporary movie from his catalogue. A brightly written script by Daniel Pyne, with one of the most far-fetched productions by Scott Rudin and William Sackheim. Includes an Alfred Hitchcock style cameo from British-born director Schlesinger as an elevator passenger as does Griffiths mother, Tippi Hedren as a millionaire charmed by Hayes. |
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