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      Scalpel

      PG Released Mar 4, 1977 1h 36m Drama List
      Reviews 33% Audience Score 100+ Ratings A plastic surgeon (Robert Lansing) makes a topless dancer (Judith Chapman) look like his runaway daughter, to grab her inheritance. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

      View All (4) Critics Reviews
      Anton Bitel Little White Lies Scalpel belongs to a strain of films that explore the connections between plastic surgery, personal identity and mythic transformation... a Southern gothic melodrama whose bizarre love triangle drips with psychosexual subtexts and madness. Feb 19, 2018 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com It's a wonderfully sordid tale of familial dysfunction and greed, played to the hilt by (eventual) soap opera star Judith Chapman, who has a sultry Tennessee Williams' inspired drawl. Rated: 3/5 Aug 25, 2020 Full Review Chris Alexander Alexander On Film It's like someone hired Jess Franco to direct an episode of Love, American Style. Mar 4, 2018 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The last minute twist is unconvincing and ludicrous. Rated: C+ Jul 15, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member Another knockout from Grissmer, it's too bad he didn't do more genre movies... Sure, it plays a bit like a soap opera, with its over-the-top elements, like plastic surgery doppelgangers and will manipulation... But it's still a solid Hitchcockian thriller, with themes of treachery and hints of incest. It's engaging as hell. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/21/20 Full Review Audience Member Scalpel is a bit of a knock-off of Eyes Without a Face, or it feels that way anyway. The story is similar: a wealthy plastic surgeon learns of a fortune that his daughter has inherited, but can't find her since she's been missing for a year after he murdered her boyfriend in front of her. After finding a woman in the street with her face nearly destroyed, he convinces her to play the part of his daughter after reconstructing her face to look like her. His plan backfires when his real daughter shows up and causes problems. To be honest, this movie was a bit of a snoozer. I found it at a Goodwill on VHS and hoped for some lost and forgotten horror movie about a killer doctor. Sadly, I was let down by the seemingly "movie of the week" type scenario. The performances aren't memorable and neither is anything else about it really. The only thing good about it was the ending, which was crazy and unintelligible, but I was ready to fall asleep by that point so I was thankful for a nice send-off, despite it not making any sense. It's not a good movie, but if you're one of those people in search of the real stinkers of cinema, then this might be a good selection. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member A plastic surgeon reworks the mutilated face of a stripper into the likeness of his missing daughter to collect an inheritance. When his real daughter reappears it's too late to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Better start than end. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Plastic surgeon reconstructs a Jane Doe patient as a lookalike of his runaway daughter to seize her rightful inheritance. A lot of twists along the way. Relationship between the Doc and his patient is creepy though, given her likeness to his own daughter. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member A plastic surgeon reworks the mutilated face of a stripper into the likeness of his missing daughter to collect an inheritance. When his real daughter reappears it's too late to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Better start than end. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Smart, well made little indie thriller with a really fantastic performance by the beautiful and talented Judith Chapman in a dual role. It's a grand thriller in the Hitchcock tradition. The ending brought a big smile to my face. Well worth seeking out! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Scalpel

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis A plastic surgeon (Robert Lansing) makes a topless dancer (Judith Chapman) look like his runaway daughter, to grab her inheritance.
      Director
      John Grissmer
      Distributor
      United International Pictures
      Production Co
      PJ Productions
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Mar 4, 1977, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Feb 19, 2018
      Runtime
      1h 36m