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The Escape Artist

PG 1982 1h 34m Drama List
80% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
After the death of heralded escape artist Harry Masters, his grieving son Danny (Griffin O'Neal) moves in with distant relatives. A talented magician in his own right, Danny aspires to break out from his father's legacy but finds trouble in the form of the delinquent son (Raul Julia) of the town's unscrupulous mayor (Desi Arnaz). The intrigue builds to a peak when Danny dares the local police force to incarcerate him, swearing he'll manage an escape that will rival those of his father.
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The Escape Artist

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
David Denby New York Magazine/Vulture The Escape Artist is a heartbreaker, a movie with atmosphere, wit, soul, and absolutely zero narrative logic. Sep 10, 2020 Full Review Bob Thomas Associated Press The Escape Artist is a glorious idea gone awry, yet it remains a pleasant 98 minutes in the theater. Oct 22, 2018 Full Review Nathanael Hood The Retro Set The Escape Artist doesn't always make sense, but the ultimate magic trick is that we don't care. Rated: 7/10 Sep 10, 2019 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...the movie's pervasive lack of drama or tension results in a palpably flat atmosphere that proves disastrous... Rated: 2/4 Nov 2, 2011 Full Review Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice The Escape Artist is a riveting film about a son trying to prove himself to his father. Feb 4, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (14) audience reviews
Steve D There isn't enough here to engage. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Like quite a few of Coppola's American Zoetrope productions, this film is more interesting than good. It's got a really interesting cast (Raul Julia, Teri Garr, Desi Arnaz, John P. Ryan, Jackie Coogan) and a fairly eccentric plot, but nothing seems to ever really click. There's a lifeless quality to the whole enterprise, as if all these great actors are playing their parts in separate rooms. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member on amazing great fucking movie and all time classic, a film u watch as a kid and never forgot, great ensemble cast, i tear up when i see this film makes me feel young again. man I miss raul julia, and griffin oneal, one joan hackett greatest films before she passed away a year later. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member As a fan of magic and Raul Julia, I figured I had to check this out. Griffin O'Neal is the son of a famous magician and wants to make a name for himself. He ends up befriending a sketchy Raul Julia and hatches a plan to break out of prison and break a safe. A few things felt like there was missing scenes, particularly in the final escape. Otherwise, this film is incredibly boring. It felt like nothing was going to happen and it just took forever to get there and the buildup was not worth the wait. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member You wanna know what you need? You need an education.' Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member (***): [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] An odd and confusing film (at times), but I enjoyed watching it anyway. Good cast of characters. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Escape Artist

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Movie Info

Synopsis After the death of heralded escape artist Harry Masters, his grieving son Danny (Griffin O'Neal) moves in with distant relatives. A talented magician in his own right, Danny aspires to break out from his father's legacy but finds trouble in the form of the delinquent son (Raul Julia) of the town's unscrupulous mayor (Desi Arnaz). The intrigue builds to a peak when Danny dares the local police force to incarcerate him, swearing he'll manage an escape that will rival those of his father.
Director
Caleb Deschanel
Producer
Doug Claybourne, Buck Houghton
Screenwriter
Melissa Mathison, Stephen Zito
Production Co
Zoetrope Studios
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 1, 2010
Runtime
1h 34m
Sound Mix
Surround
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