Ace in the Hole

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Mark B Kirk Douglas puts in an electrifying performance as a former down on his luck, hard-nosed, top hack, now resorting to working for a hick-town newspaper in the middle of nowhere in America to make ends meet. But Douglas suddenly hits gold in his bid to get back to the big time in New York when he stops off to get gas on the way to his original assignment and stumbles across an incident involving a man trapped down a sacred Indian tomb. With savage determination to exploit the story solely for his own gain, Douglas milks the story dry to his old newspaper boss paying him top dollar, knowing the trapped man will probably die as a result. Douglas fills the screen in this mesmerizing tale of naked, human ambition, trampling on anyone and everything that gets in his way. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/04/24 Full Review Allen R Disturbing look at what humanity will turn to if they get a little attention. Kirk Douglas is fantastic as a reporter doing anything to make it the top even if it means making up the story. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/06/24 Full Review Steve D I found it melodramatic and unconvincing, Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/10/25 Full Review Sean S Billy Wilder, one of America's top five directors teaming up with Kirk Douglas at his peak. A cynical but truthful look at the tabloid news media industry. One of the very few 5/5 films. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/16/23 Full Review bao s Kirk as always makes it a movie worth watching. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/12/23 Full Review casnien v With flaws that outweigh his talent, reporter Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) has bounced across the country from job to job. Winding up in New Mexico, Tatum gets work from the local newspaper, but finds that there's not much in the way of pressing news. However, when Tatum catches wind of a treasure hunter (Richard Benedict) trapped in a mineshaft, he turns the story into a media sensation There is something so special about Billy Wilder's films, the way that he manages to capture you in the movie from the first second of the movie, is always so special and something I can't get enough of. The screenplay written by Billy Wilder and his team is so great, there is always tension and the characters feel like they are always developing in every scene. Technically the movie looks gorgeous in black and white again, especially with the wide shots of the whole area and sets, because that set was enormous. The shots in the mountain were incredible as well and felt very challenging and psychically to shoot, the way that Billy Wilder shot it. Kirk Douglas was of course the highlight of the movie, with a performance that I will not forget soon. The rest of the cast is great as well, however they definitely don't reach the same heights that Kirk Douglas reaches. The story is gripping from the first moment and ends with an iconic shot and one that will leave you thinking about the whole movie a second time. Ace In the Hole is not my favorite work by Billy Wilder, but certainly one that is worthy in his filmography! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Ace in the Hole

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