Sudden Fury

I found this film to be unusual in the sense that it wasn't a predictable, hollywood-type film complete with the obligitory happy ending. Tension builds slowly as the struggle between good and evil takes some unexpected turns. Low budget and largely unknown but well done.

Gay Rowan was a very good actress, I liked her in the TV show, The Starlost, with Keir Dullea. She seems to have stopped acting around 1984. Ms. Rowan gives a stellar performance in this film as the mistreated wife. This film is suspenseful all the way, and never gets boring. The farmers wife, played by Hollis Mclaren is an absolute hottie. Big on action, paranoia, and diabolical lunacy. Well made for a low budget film from the mid 1970's. The husband played by Dominic Hogan is a complete nut job. The costumes in the film are so 1970's they need to make a comeback. Hogans three piece suit is great. Though not a masterpiece, I give this an 8 out of 10.

Big shot Hollywood producers take a pencil and a notebook, because this ultra-cheap and sadly obscure 70s exploitation thriller succeeds - almost effortlessly - where practically 99% of all nowadays attempts fail miserably. I'm talking about sheer and genuine tension from start to finish, a simple but original and compelling plot, unpredictable and shocking story twists, being horrific without the use of a single special effect, etc. "Sudden Fury" honestly deserves to be wider known, or is at least entitled to an immortal cult status, as it truly was one of the most engaging viewing experiences I've had in the past couple of years.

Never heard about writer/director Brian Damude before, but he surely deserves utmost respect and credit for his screenplay that continuously sets you on the wrong foot. At the very beginning of the film, you automatically sympathize with lead character Fred, because he finds out that his wife Janet is unfaithful and lying to his face. Shortly after, when the two of them are driving along the godforsaken roads of rural Ontario, it becomes abundantly clear that Fred is a naive dreamer, an entrepreneurial failure, and an ill-tempered brute! When they get into a car accident that seriously injures Janet, Fred thinks up a series of diabolical schemes that even turn him into a genuine psychopath! One of the sliest and most loathsome psychopaths ever, in fact! I really don't want to reveal everything that happens next, but rest assured Brian Damude still has many nasty, courageous and startling surprises in store. Also, the ending may feel unnatural and unsatisfying at first, but it's actually quite brilliant.

Of course, one could righteously state that films like "Sudden Fury" have badly dated. These days everybody has mobile phones and reliable GPS-systems (although they probably wouldn't find a signal on these backwoods roads), but seen in its mid-70s frame, it's a nightmarish thriller. The film makes excellent use of the awesome remote filming locations, and there's a good old-fashioned moody country-soundtrack. The performances are terrific all around, but I simply must put Dominic Hogan in the spotlights for his role as Fred. Unfortunately, he died shortly after the release of "Sudden Fury", and Brian Damude incomprehensibly also never made another movie after this hidden treasure.

I remember this movie from when I was a kid. I remember it being quite effective. Low budget, yes, but also elemental and quite engrossing. This was shot on location in the remote backwoods of Ontario and really had a very Canadian feel to it. Would love to find a copy of it somewhere. Funny that both stars went on to star in the low budget Canadian sci-fi series Starlost, which was neither effective nor engrossing. I remember they'd show it quite often on Canadian movie series, back in the days when network television owned the world of movie watching. Jeeze this ten line rule really makes you go on too long about movies you barely remember but do want to note.

I saw this movie when I was a teenager and always thought there was going to be a part Two. That never happened. I like movies with plots that are unpredictable and this movie is just that. It takes you in so many directions and has so many surprises. While you do hope things straighten out for the hero you never know what will happen next. It is very believable and the actors (none of whom I remember) are excellent. This is a movie I've longed to see again but never got the opportunity. Hope the Canadians see it fit to commit this excellent move to video. This is one of the thrillers that, once you see it, you'd never forget it. It's worth seeing and I intend owning it.