Play Misty for Me (1971)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Randy T

  
  The original <i>Fatal Attraction</i>. Still effective, though the soundtrack is slightly dated. Creepy, ominous and thrilling. *NOTE: Maybe it's just me, but I've never seen Donna Mills look this good.

• Wahida K

  
  The scream you hear may be your own!

• Dan S

  
  When a Radio DJ (Clint Eastwood) has a one-night stand with his #1 fan (Jessica Walter), she refuses to play nice and go away quietly, instead wrecking havoc on his simple, relaxing lifestyle. This movie is painfully dated, but I still liked it, only for different reasons. I had a… More
  When a Radio DJ (Clint Eastwood) has a one-night stand with his #1 fan (Jessica Walter), she refuses to play nice and go away quietly, instead wrecking havoc on his simple, relaxing lifestyle. This movie is painfully dated, but I still liked it, only for different reasons. I had a great time making fun of it, Clint and his girlfriend take like 2-3 10 mile hikes it seems, just talking about simple matters bugging them. My main fear was taking Jessica Walter seriously after watching all three seasons of "Arrested Development", but she is terrifying in every aspect. Overall, it does have some good elements in it, it's not a four-star classic like Ebert and the like claim, but it's still a solid little thriller.

• Dean !

  
  A great little thriller and the first film directed by Clint Eastwood. I imagine quite powerful in its day, one of the first obsessive, stalker thrillers. No doubt encouraged the likes of Fatal attraction and countless others.

• Jason O

  
  Eastwood's directorial debut, and man what an awesome one it was! Spectacular suspense and different from any other movie.

• Cassandra M

  
  In the early 70's Clint Eastwood was very anxious to direct a movie of his own and the producers gave him the opportunity to do so with one simple condition: he wouldn't be receiving a paycheck from his work. Eastwood accepted this offer eagerly, directed "Play Misty… More
  In the early 70's Clint Eastwood was very anxious to direct a movie of his own and the producers gave him the opportunity to do so with one simple condition: he wouldn't be receiving a paycheck from his work. Eastwood accepted this offer eagerly, directed "Play Misty for me" and the rest is, as we all know, movie history. "Play Misty for me" is a modest little thriller but it's more effective than a thousand electric shocks. Plot is rather simple but quite spectacular and Clint had the talent to tell it in a real exciting, stylish, strong, gripping and entertaining way. If someone's claiming that the story could never happen in reality I can only answer that it's impossible for me to agree. I actually used to date a girl who was annoyingly lot like Jessica Walter's Evelyn. More realistic the movie feels like, more powerful the experience obviously is and to me this film was almost frightfully realistic. Acting is superb. Eastwood's delivers a fantastic performance as Dave Garver and Jessica Walter is insanely great. One of the most sympathetic details of "Play Misty for me" is the fact that Clint gave a small supporting role of Murphy the bartender to his dearest friend and mentor Don Siegel. Siegel himself directed Clint in five movie classics: "Coogan's bluff", "Two mules for sister Sara", "The Beguiled", "Dirty Harry" and "Escape from Alcatraz". In the famous scene Dave Garver and Murphy are playing an absurd game called "Cry Bastion". Clint admitted in the DVD documentary that there's no such game at all - they were just fooling around and improvising the game while playing it and that makes the scene twice as amusing. I adore almost every moment of "Play Misty for me" but unfortunately somewhere in the middle of the film there's couple of totally unnecessary sequences. Other one is like an overromantic music video of a song "First time ever I saw your face" and afterwards there's a scene that makes the movie look more like a jazz festival documentary than a serious thriller and it needlessly breaks the excitement. Without those two scenes I would give "Play Misty for me" 10 out of 10. But now I'll have to settle with "only" 4 and a half. "Play Misty for me" started Eastwood's directorial career and it still remains to be one of the most powerful motion picture debuts acting director has ever made. It is such a terrific and marvelous suspense film it's almost touching to watch. This movie is an adorable classic and after 21 movies Clint has directed since, "Play Misty for me" has definitely place in the better half.

• Chris G

  
  Actors always want to be directors. It seems to be a right of passage that every actor seems to think that they can do a better job than the guy behind the camera. Clint Eastwood seemed to be one of those actors and in 1971 Universal allowed Clint Eastwood to take a crack at… More
  Actors always want to be directors. It seems to be a right of passage that every actor seems to think that they can do a better job than the guy behind the camera. Clint Eastwood seemed to be one of those actors and in 1971 Universal allowed Clint Eastwood to take a crack at directing, thinking that if we throw him a bone he'll do another western for the studio. Instead he gave them a little thriller called Play Misty For Me that planted the seeds of a second career as an actor. Clint Eastwood stars as Dave Garver, a small town jazz disc jockey tom cats around town on a wave of popularity. But good old Dave is trying to change his ways and get back with his steady girlfriend Toby (Donna Mills). The problem is he's gotten involved with a fan who requests Misty nightly named Evelyn (Jessica Walter). Dave saw their relationship as a typical one night stand. Evelyn is more clingy than that. And a little more violent as he tries to juggle his new problem with his old flame. Play Misty For Me represents Eastwood's first work behind the camera and shows that he had been studying a bit. Misty is a solid film that delivers it thrills with a cast that is above average. Eastwood and Walter really carry the film with Donna Mills over acting a bit in her damsel that doesn't know she's in distress role. For all of Eastwood's good direction, there are a few sequences that tend to show how green he was behind the camera, particularly the long winded Robert Flack and Monterey Jazz sequences that drag the film to a grinding halt. Thankfully, Eastwood gets the film back on track after these horrendous segments. For a directorial debut Play Misty For Me is a solid piece of film making from Clint Eastwood. It's a film that was ahead of it's time in that it led the obsessed love interest craze that have filled cinemas by over fifteen years. It's also a representation of the first effort of a director whose career has exploded into better films as time has past. Yes, Misty is dated, but it's still a classic thriller that stands the test of time (wardrobe excluded).

• First L

  
  In "Play Misty For Me", Clint Eastwood (Dave) plays a radio D.J. who acquires a stalker, played by Jessica Walter (Evelyn). Evelyn seems sort of harmless at first, but after Dave starts sleeping with her, it quickly becomes obvious that she's a raving mental patient.… More
  In "Play Misty For Me", Clint Eastwood (Dave) plays a radio D.J. who acquires a stalker, played by Jessica Walter (Evelyn). Evelyn seems sort of harmless at first, but after Dave starts sleeping with her, it quickly becomes obvious that she's a raving mental patient. Clint's not a pushover (never has been, never will be), but this lady clearly scares the bejesus out of him. What's great about this movie is, while Clint's playing "Dirty Harry" (a toughguy badass who happens to be a poetry-reading D.J.? Hmmm...), Evelyn is being played in an over-the-top campy manner that puts her on a level similar to Freddy Krueger. In fact, when the 2nd half of the movie starts to drag, it's only due to the lack of screentime being dedicated to Evelyn. When she returns in the final act, it's as a less-effective, knife-welding maniac that's so typical of horror films (the obsessed fan, "stalker" aspect of her character was much more terrifying). The way Clint/Dave finally ends this movie is simultaneously hilarious and awesome at the same time, and it's good, campy fun for everyone all around.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Clint Eastwoods's curious directorial debut. Despite the amateurishness, dated look and some arrhythmic narration, Eastwood manages some pretty intense moments. A fun 70s funky thriller.

• Stephen M

  
  Eastwood's fine first directorial effort. The great thing about this film is the way he subverts his heroic onscreen persona by playing a womanizing sleaze-ball, terrorized by a clingy conquest. Jessica Walter is so good in this that I find it astonishing that a string of… More
  Eastwood's fine first directorial effort. The great thing about this film is the way he subverts his heroic onscreen persona by playing a womanizing sleaze-ball, terrorized by a clingy conquest. Jessica Walter is so good in this that I find it astonishing that a string of impressive movie credits didn't follow; I remember seeing her in a substandard episode of "Columbo", made a couple of years later, but that's about it. The movie is a little rough around the edges and considerably dated but the shocks still work. Nice views of the California coastline, too.

• Drew S

  
  I enjoyed this movie, but there are too many fairly severe flaws in it for me to really consider it that great. What Play Misty For Me wants to be is a tonal big sister to Psycho; it almost succeeds, except for this agitating ten-minute stretch toward the end where nothing fucking… More
  I enjoyed this movie, but there are too many fairly severe flaws in it for me to really consider it that great. What Play Misty For Me wants to be is a tonal big sister to Psycho; it almost succeeds, except for this agitating ten-minute stretch toward the end where nothing fucking happens. The plot is not advanced, the characters are not developed, the atmosphere is not furthered. I just can't understand why he decided to include these scenes, especially in the twilight hours of the film. There are also problems with Clint Eastwood's character, and some obvious vanity that he infused the project with (he spends about 20% of it missing his shirt). If you can suspend your disbelief, then it makes for a pretty damn good thriller. If not...this one's gonna drive you crazy. Crazier than Evelyn. That's pretty crazy.

• Lafe F

  
  A jazz radio DJ (Clint Eastwood) is stalked by a crazy admirer Evelyn (Jessica Walter). They date for awhile, but she tries moving into things too quickly and he dumps her; she becomes threatening and scary; possibly homicidal. Great direction, and great acting. Features the great… More
  A jazz radio DJ (Clint Eastwood) is stalked by a crazy admirer Evelyn (Jessica Walter). They date for awhile, but she tries moving into things too quickly and he dumps her; she becomes threatening and scary; possibly homicidal. Great direction, and great acting. Features the great song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack. A classic suspense thriller. There are some rip-roaring funny scenes when Evelyn starts freaking out.

• xGary X

  
  The original stalker film. Slightly dated, but infinitely better than Fatal Attraction.

• Dean M

  
  This Clint Eastwood's movie is a doubly encouraging directorial debut, successful both as a controlled and original psychological thriller.

• Hal M

  
  A good story-line by Jo Heims. Badly acted by all significant players and poorly directed by newcomer Clint Eastwood. Atrocious music score (and no, I'm not referring to the title song). This is cheesy made-for-TV movie fare which happened to be a commercial success on the big… More
  A good story-line by Jo Heims. Badly acted by all significant players and poorly directed by newcomer Clint Eastwood. Atrocious music score (and no, I'm not referring to the title song). This is cheesy made-for-TV movie fare which happened to be a commercial success on the big screen.

• Danny R

  
  A captivating psychological thriller with an auspicious directorial debut by Clint Eastwood. About a popular jazz disc jockey of a small California radio station named Dave Garver, marvelously played by Clint Eastwood in a richly textured and charismatic performance; and his steamy… More
  A captivating psychological thriller with an auspicious directorial debut by Clint Eastwood. About a popular jazz disc jockey of a small California radio station named Dave Garver, marvelously played by Clint Eastwood in a richly textured and charismatic performance; and his steamy sexual involvement with a possessive, staking psychotic woman named Evelyn Draper, played intensely by Jessica Walter in a truly frightening performance who keeps requesting that old standard "Misty," Miss Walter does make a unforgettable impression as the dangerous listener who takes charge of Garver's life, and turns it into a living hell, when he makes the big mistake of ending what he thought was a casual affair, Evelyn begins an increasingly violent and deadly reign of terror against him and all his friends, an effective and suspenseful script by Jo Heim and Dean Riesner, with beautiful cinematography by Bruce Surtess, the supporting cast all deliver solid performances they include Donna Mills, John Larch, Clarice Taylor, Duke Evers, George Fargo and Eastwood's dear friend and mentor Don Siegal as Murphy the bartender, Seigal directed Eastwood in several of his films, most notably the classic 70's cop thriller "Dirty Harry." The film also features the memorable hit song The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face sung by Roberta Flack, "Play Misty for Me" is a audacious classic shocker that is the original fatal attraction, it clearly shows all the aspects that would develop into a long and distinguish body of work for Eastwood, who is now a highly respected two-time Academy Award winning director. Highly Recommended.

• Christopher O

  
  The true original Fatal Attraction and after viewing it, the one from the 80's is far inferior to the original. Eastwood stars and directs and plays a well liked Radio Dj who foolishly hooks up with a unbalanced fan played wonderfully by Jessica Walter. It is scary, suspenseful… More
  The true original Fatal Attraction and after viewing it, the one from the 80's is far inferior to the original. Eastwood stars and directs and plays a well liked Radio Dj who foolishly hooks up with a unbalanced fan played wonderfully by Jessica Walter. It is scary, suspenseful and well filmed and scored. Eastwood always has good music in his films and this is no exception.

• Curt C

  
  This contains everything I hate about 70's movies, and Clint Eastwood is the complete wrong person for this role. However, Jessica Walter's performance as the psycho stalker girlfriend is beyond describable, and completely elevates this otherwise average movie.

• Wu C

  
  Fantastic directional debut by Eastwood.

• Brian R

  
  "PMFM" reminds me of films such as "Cape Fear", "Chloe", "Fatal Attraction" and "Obsessed". The idea of an individual who is madly obsessed with someone they've known or met only to make their life a living hell. These crazed… More
  "PMFM" reminds me of films such as "Cape Fear", "Chloe", "Fatal Attraction" and "Obsessed". The idea of an individual who is madly obsessed with someone they've known or met only to make their life a living hell. These crazed stalkers will go to edge threatning, intimadating and even to the highest point use violence. Jessica Walter(a fine actress) plays this character and it is quite a shocking role maybe more shocking then when Norman Bates dressed up as his mother who went into the motel bathroom and stabbed Janet Leigh with a deadly butcher knife. The picture also works because Eastwood's character is so laid back and Walters's character is so dark so in a way Eastwood is trapped within Walter's role and becomes the meekest link. In recent American pictures audiences have been bom blasted with movie gun violence or a character is shown on a movie poster holding a set of guns to attract a mass audience. There is violence in this film yes, but Eastwood takes another appproach using suspense rather then glorifying it with guns. A deadly butcher knife is all the more silent then a loud gun is. That's for sure.

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