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The Anderson Tapes

The Anderson Tapes (1971)

June. 17,1971
|
6.4
|
PG
| Drama Thriller Crime

Thief Duke Anderson—just released from ten years in jail—takes up with his old girlfriend in her posh apartment block, and makes plans to rob the entire building. What he doesn't know is that his every move is being recorded on audio and video, although he is not the subject of any surveillance.

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Solemplex
1971/06/17

To me, this movie is perfection.

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Lawbolisted
1971/06/18

Powerful

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Philippa
1971/06/19

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

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Bob
1971/06/20

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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ma-cortes
1971/06/21

A top-notch cast under superb direction and slickly made by Sidney Lumet who makes this movie enjoyable in every aspect . Amusing caper with magnificent acting by all-star-cast , acceptable production design and masterfully realized by the always original and great Sidney Lumet . After Duke Anderson (Sean Connery , being the first film in which he stopped wearing a toupee) is released from prison after ten years for taking the rap for a scion of a Mafia family , he cashes in a debt of honor with the mob chief (Alan King who also worked in ¨Just Tell Me What You Want¨ by Lumet) to bankroll a caper . Upon visiting his old girlfriend , Ingrid (Dyan Cannon married to Gary Grant) at her upscale apartment in New York City , he plans to rob the entire building . As the ex-convict , under strange electronic surveillance that have tracked him since he abandoned prison , wishes to pull off a big robbing . Agreeable as well as interesting picture with tight editing , magnificent acting , fast-paced , thrills , plot twists , emotion and entertainment . It was originally conceived as a tense as well as thrilling flick about a spectacular hold-up . Though the most movie is set in a luxurious building it never lacks for taut , suspense , intrigue , inspired direction and a climax particularly thrilling . The tension behind closed doors is tense , charged and riveting . Sean Connery is very good as ex-inmate decided to carry out a big heist , being accompanied by a beauty Dyan Cannon . Support cast is pretty good , such as a young Christopher Walken -film debut- is perfectly cast as an ex-con , Alan King as mobster , Ralph Meeker as Police officer , Martin Balsam as gay man , Garrett Morris , Val Avery , and final feature film by Margaret Hamilton of Wizard of Oz , among others . Fine Quince Jones soundtrack . Atmospheric and appropriate cinematography by Arthur Ornitz . Frank Pierson's brilliant script was left virtually intact on this adaptation upon the novel titled "The Anderson Tapes" by Lawrence Sanders . This thriller was professionally directed by Sidney Lumet with an extraordinary plethora of actors who give awesome interpretations . It keeps the spectator utterly involved , it holds up extremely well on television . Sidney Lumet was a master of cinema , best known for his technical knowledge and his skill at getting first-rate performances from his actors and for shooting most of his films in his beloved New York . In ¨ The Anderson tapes¨ Lumet had a strong comeback with this box-office hit . He made over 40 movies , often complex and emotional , but seldom overly sentimental . He achieved great successes such as ¨Serpico¨, ¨The Veredict¨, ¨Fail safe¨ , ¨ Morning after¨, ¨The hill¨ , ¨Dog day afternoon¨, ¨Murder on the Orient Express¨ , ¨Network¨ and his best considered one : ¨12 angry men¨ . In 2005 , Sidney Lumet received a well-deserved honorary Academy Award for his outstanding contribution to filmmaking.

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flackjacket
1971/06/22

In 1971 I was in first grade. So the first time I saw this film was about 5 years later when a censored version was broadcast on TV. So when it was recently broadcast, unedited, all I remembered was the imagery and soundtrack was unique. The synthesizer sound track, the big Mayflower moving truck and leather masks. So I decided to watch it again.Actors and story line aside, I was amazed at how perfectly this film totally captured that brief era in technology and culture between Woodstock and Watergate, both visually and audibly. Overall, it's a surreal painting of the year 1971. Quincy Jones' soundtrack, and his use of the early synth combined with the visuals of reel to reel tape recorders, bugging devices, microphones and radio equipment all ooze 1971. And seeing it now, post 9/11, it's a rare, almost prophetic commentary on how government surveillance can fail when it's isolated between departments. The country had just landed a man on the moon, all the technology from NASA was just beginning to saturate the society. But regardless, when the intelligence wasn't shared, it was useless.The casting and acting are impeccable. Each character plays their role to perfection and it's an all-star cast. Quincy Jones score for this film is in a class of it's own, a one of a kind audible mile marker of 1971. And the camera angles, direction and visuals paint in vivid detail the brief moment in history between the lunar landing and digital LED watches.On the surface, and at the time of release, it was just another big heist film. But years later, it has become a film that not only defines the genre, but is a genre in and of itself.If your young and want experience that transitional time in history, or if you're older and want to go back in time, this movie is well worth watching.

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mark.waltz
1971/06/23

When safecracker Sean Connery is let out of prison, he doesn't waste time; He begins planning a sure-fire way to make a quick fortune, and that includes using his old girlfriend (Dyan Cannon) to get access to her upper east side Manhattan apartment to rob the safes of the wealthy residents. What seemed like an easy robbery ends up like "Dog Day Afternoon" only with a private residence rather than a bank. What made that 1975 film so riveting was the subject matter behind the robbery (and the fact that it was a real-life crime) and the personal drama of the actual thieves. Here, the people are just greedy, and it is obvious how it will all play out.Poor Dyan Cannon has really no purpose here other than being a box office name, and she (like Elliot Gould) was terribly over-exposed after "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" with some less than memorable movies. The presence of some familiar character actors (Conrad Bain, Margaret Hamilton, Judith Lowry) and some humorous moments (Lowry, like she did on the TV series "Phyllis", has truly hysterical lines, especially one where she reveals a little secret about roommate Hamilton's reading material.) but little else to praise. A stereotypical early 70's gay character may raise eyebrows in this era of political correctness in movie and TV characterizations of homosexuals, but it is interesting to see that the gay character and Sean Connery have a truly affectionate camaraderie. A dumb Tor Johnson like brute (named "Socks") is added to give the thieves someone other than the gay character to make fun of and really adds no point other than "variety is the spice of life" when you want to do a home invasion.

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Tweekums
1971/06/24

Having finished with James Bond Sean Connery plays a very different character here; he is John 'Duke' Anderson a burglar who upon being released from prison decides to burgle the apartment block where his girl friend lives; not just a single apartment; every single one! For this he will need a team; including a specialist driver, safe cracker and even somebody to reconnoitre the building before hand to identify everything of value. He will also need money for upfront expenses so approaches the Mob; they agree to finance the operation on condition that Anderson takes one of their men with him... and kills him! What he doesn't realise is that just about everybody he is dealing with is under some form of surveillance. Surprisingly the people listening in don't do anything with what they hear as none of them has the full picture and the robbery goes ahead as planned... well almost as planned; they didn't count on a disabled boy sending out a message on a ham radio so as the thieves work their way through the apartment the police prepare to make their move.This is very much a seventies movie with its jazz inspired music, strange electronic sounds and the sense that just about everybody is being spied on by somebody. Connery does a good job as Anderson; the film is also notable for the first film performance from Christopher Walken and the last film performance from Margaret Hamilton, best known as the Wicked Witch of the West from 'The Wizard of Oz'. The preparation for the robbery is never boring and when it actually goes ahead things get fairly exciting; especially when we know the cops are there in force but the robbers have no idea. The action, when it comes, is fairly low key which makes it more believable; no doubt if it was made today there would be shootouts with the cops and perhaps a few CGI explosions... thankfully that sort of thing didn't happen in thrillers then; keeping it real was more important than lots of excitement. This may not be a classic but it is still worth watching if you are a fan of any of the stars or enjoy crime capers.

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