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Simply Perfect

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Good movie but grossly overrated

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

My little town is notoriously skimpy when it comes to good VHS finds at our local thrift stores. Most of the time, there just aren't any good finds, which is pretty sad. But every once in a while, I'll come across one that I think will be halfway decent, only to discover that it's so much better than I anticipated. These are the kinds of film experiences I thrive on, that I live for, and Best Seller was that kind of experience, a film that just took me completely by surprise. I've always loved the cover, it's a nice reminder of when actors actually showed up to take a photo for a movie poster, as opposed to the photoshop messes we get today. It's a cool image for sure, but the film still could have gone either way. Luckily, it ended up being awesome for all the right reasons.Cleve (James Woods) is a hit-man who reaches out to Dennis (Brian Dennehy), a cop and author, with an idea for a new book, the story of Cleve and his life as a hit-man. Dennis, skeptical and weary from the beginning, and Cleve travel the country gathering evidence and facts for the book, all the while a powerful former client of Cleve's will stop at nothing to prevent it from ever seeing the light of day.The Good: Powerhouse performances. First and foremost, the film is only as strong as it is for 2 important reasons; James Woods and Brian Dennehy. It's as if this film, and better yet the script, was specifically written with them in mind. They're just fantastic in this, both bringing their very unique brand of tough-guy machismo to their roles. It's perfect casting if there ever was such a thing.Mid 80's grittiness brought to life. John Flynn's impeccable direction serves the film extremely well, and after seeing this, it's no surprise he would follow this up with films like Stallone's Lock Up and Seagal's Out for Justice. His particular brand of gritty gives the film an overall sense of dread and bravado, almost as if the film's style serves as another character of the film. Even watching this in full frame on VHS didn't take away from it's visual impact.Razor sharp intensity. Genre writer/director Larry Cohen (Maniac Cop, Q: The Winged Serpent, It's Alive) writes the film as he's writing a hard-boiled detective novel. It's a detective story in a sense, but a different one altogether. Instead of a cop investigating a series of crimes or murders, you have a cop/author who's investigating a supposed hit-man and his past deeds to basically call bullshit to his claims of high profile murders, yet Cohen plots the film in such a way that it feels like you're watching an old school detective thriller about a cop tracking down a serial killer. It's brilliant and intensely effective.The score packs a punch. Jay Ferguson delivers one helluva brilliant synth score for a film who's score would normally be the last thing you would notice. But much like John Flynn's direction, Ferguson's score serves as yet another character to the film, giving it a moody atmosphere that screams 80's synth, but in the best possible way. I loved it so much in fact that I immediately set out to try and track it down, only to discover that it may never have even gotten an official release as a soundtrack. I could be wrong though, and if I am, please feel free to correct me. I need this soundtrack in my life, because it's that good. HELP!The Bad: There is no bad. Much like my experience watching Shoot to Kill, this is another solid example of the perfect 80's thriller. I didn't find a single thing I would change with this film. Every single aspect, from the direction, the script, the performances, the action, the score, were all essential in creating a truly riveting film experience with an insatiably satisfying climax.robot GEEK'S Cult Cinema

I have reached the conclusion that mainly fans of a particular film visit its respective page at IMDb. How else to explain this film's rating of 6.3 out of 10 stars? Sure, Dennehy and Woods work well with what they are given. But it is what they are given that is the problem.Best Seller is filled with "that would never happen" moments, which is fine if the premise is not to take it seriously. But there is every indication that this film wants to be a believable thriller.Cleve's (James Woods) story would best be told from behind bars, but for some reason Dennis (Brian Dennehy) allows Cleve to drag him all over the country in an attempt to prove that he was once a hit-man working for David Madlock so that Dennis can write a book about it. And along the way, Dennis discovers that Cleve is the one who shot him and a couple of his fellow officers in a robbery of a police evidence room 15 years earlier. Despite his knowledge that Cleve is indeed a dangerous killer, the fact that Dennis proceeds to share a hotel suite, visit Cleve's parents home (where Cleve puts a gun to Dennis' head in the middle of the night) or generally has anything to do with him outside of a jail cell is really absurd. Of course, the book will reveal the criminal empire of David Madlock. So naturally, Madlock is doing everything he can to prevent Dennis from publishing it. So while he is out of town doing additional research, would Dennis be so foolish to leave the mostly finished manuscript with his teenage daughter alone at home? Apparently so.There are many other examples, but my main point is that Best Seller is a cheesy 80's thriller with its share of plot holes along with decent performances by most of the cast (with the exception of Allison Balson - her acting was fine for Little House on the Prairie - but not so much here).So if you sit down to watch this movie, don't bring your disbelief or high expectations with you. It will make for a much better viewing experience.

What looks like a b-grade buddy film (there were plenty around this time and usually looking to be humorous), is far from it. Director John Flynn's 'Best Seller', which was written by Larry Cohen (who makes a crackerjack combination), is actually a stark, stinging and darkly witty and violent crime caper with an out-the-shadow concept. Novel writing (mainly the sharp exchanges and character inserts) and its zesty tempo couldn't be faulted. Even with its talky core, Flynn keeps it gustily hard-boiled and rancorous with its occasional action sequences and lean suspense. Knowing that it heavily relies on the performances to be successful, Flynn sets-up the film around the pairing of James Woods and Brian Denneby. Woods effortlessly vivid and unbalanced performance frighteningly commands attention and Denneby is sensationally rock-steady. The two worked off each other impeccably and build a sympathetic, but also conflicting edge that never feels forced. Cohen's biting script illustrates and develops quite a stimulating, random and unusual relationship between the two. While his usual social commentary (quite a familiar one) and plot devices playing second fiddle to the complex arrangement. The rest of the support cast don't quite have the same impression, but Paul Shenar and Victoria Tennant are good in their roles. The weak points would have to be that of Jay Ferguson's ugly sounding synthesiser score and a mishandled conclusion. A solidly rewarding crime thriller drilled home by two tremendous lead performances.

This is a great movie. James Woods is brilliant as is Brian Dennehy and they work extremely well together. The plot is original. It moves quickly the one regret I have in regard to the movie is that it wasn't longer. The way Dennehy's character bonds with Wood's character despite the intense anger he feels towards him is very well done. What makes the movie great is the performance of both actors. It would be nice to see them in another project together. The supporting actors all do a great job as well. The late Paul Shenar was very good as Madlock. The pace of the film varies but I think that works well for it. Sadly the DVD version doesn't have any special features.