I guess this is one where you have to pay more attention than I did. I knew something wasn't quite right, but missed the significance of the out-of-place scene with the inconsequential character. So, someone more alert than me would have figured this one out a lot sooner, but would probably have enjoyed the film less. It was OK. It had some interesting stuff going on, but not really enough. Good work from Sean Young, who doesn't seem (to me) to get the credit she deserves, or the good roles that go with it. Even a decent performance from Edward James Olmos, who I've never really cared much for. The rest of the cast was utterly forgettable. They badly needed a better actor to play Lt. Randazzo. Decent photography and evocation of the Coachella Valley. Overall, it's worth checking out on cable if you like Sean Young. Otherwise, skip it. Grade: C-
6 Reviews
good movie plot ... twisted story ... But .. some very bad performance..
afterdarkpak7 March 2020
First of all, wtf with lead actor with long hairs. doesnt fit well.
the movie starts slow and boring but it gets interesting later till the end. And the ending is kinda bad , not very satisfying. as its B type movie , thats why the director didnt put much effort to make the movie more appealing.
the movie starts slow and boring but it gets interesting later till the end. And the ending is kinda bad , not very satisfying. as its B type movie , thats why the director didnt put much effort to make the movie more appealing.
Vertigo Rip Off
DrPhilmreview12 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
If you've ever wondered what "Vertigo" would look like if rewritten by James Andronica and directed by Paul Williams (no, not THAT Paul Williams) then "Mirage" is the perfect movie for you. For everyone else, well...
Edward Olmos takes over the Jimmy Stewart part of the cop who's being used because of his problems (in Vertigo if was with heights, in Mirage, its being afraid to pull the trigger) by his old buddy, Lt. Randazzo (played by scriptwriter James Andronica) and Donald Gale (played by director Paul Williams!). They hire Olmos character to keep track of Gale's wife (played by Sean Young) who they say has multiple personality disorder. Instead of course, its a big insurance scam. What they don't count on is for Young's character (like Kim Novak) falling for the broken down ex-Cop played by Olmos.
Why watch this film instead of "Vertigo"? Well, Sean Young does a nude scene (and the ladies get to see Olmo's butt, if that's an attraction) and ...and...well, I don't see another reason.
Williams, Young and Andronica teamed again for a movie called "Men" this same year, but Olmos apparently got while the getting was good.
As a home movie, where you get together with your friends and write a script and all play parts, this is not bad. As a actually professional movie, this is not good.
Edward Olmos takes over the Jimmy Stewart part of the cop who's being used because of his problems (in Vertigo if was with heights, in Mirage, its being afraid to pull the trigger) by his old buddy, Lt. Randazzo (played by scriptwriter James Andronica) and Donald Gale (played by director Paul Williams!). They hire Olmos character to keep track of Gale's wife (played by Sean Young) who they say has multiple personality disorder. Instead of course, its a big insurance scam. What they don't count on is for Young's character (like Kim Novak) falling for the broken down ex-Cop played by Olmos.
Why watch this film instead of "Vertigo"? Well, Sean Young does a nude scene (and the ladies get to see Olmo's butt, if that's an attraction) and ...and...well, I don't see another reason.
Williams, Young and Andronica teamed again for a movie called "Men" this same year, but Olmos apparently got while the getting was good.
As a home movie, where you get together with your friends and write a script and all play parts, this is not bad. As a actually professional movie, this is not good.
Oh My God!
lpaglin8 April 2007
This movie was so bad it was funny! For awhile there I thought I was actually watching a parody of a bad movie (a la "For Your Consideration"). The "cliffhanger" scene at the end had me laughing until my insides hurt. The script was dreadful enough, but coupled with Sean Young's terrible acting -- especially while she explains the entire plot in great detail (complete with flashbacks) while dangling off a cliff -- makes it a truly classically bad movie worth watching! In fact the fakey shots in this scene reminded me of an Ed Wood movie. I still can't believe how this thing got made. First of all, how did such a bad script get the green light? How did star actors get attached? Were they at low points in their careers? Questions, questions.
Hitchcock classic butchered
thomally120 December 2000
It may be difficult to believe, but the basic plot of this abysmal flick has been lifted from Hitchcock's perennial classic, "Vertigo". To see Edward James Olmos in the part once played by James Stewart is heart-breaking; Sean Young is better, but still a poor substitute for Kim Novak.
I thought I had made a mistake, but it gets better
vchimpanzee9 December 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Edward James Olmos plays a former cop who apparently had to retire or be fired after accidentally shooting a woman while aiming for the man holding a gun on that woman. He winds up in trouble with his former co-workers after following around a woman with multiple personalities (one of which is a stripper), eventually starting a romance with her. Later in the movie he meets a woman who looks like the first one but has an Irish accent. It was only after he meets the second woman, and they end up romancing as well, that the movie becomes more entertaining but very confusing. ** Spoiler alert **: It turns out nearly everything in the movie has a connection to a complicated murder plot, and yet again former cop Olmos faces the situation of having to help a woman with a gun being held on her. Does he repeat his past mistake or find redemption?
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