EARLY ACCES: Cape Fear

Nick of Time

The American Film Institute named Atticus Finch the greatest hero of the 20th century, and rightly so.

Mark Finley

Sleeping with the Enemy might be a good one for her

Elliot Nesterman

To flesh out the Gregory Peck films that have been suggested: "Roman Holiday" (1953, B&W) Romantic comedy with Audrey Hepburn. Her Oscar for Best Actress. "Moby Dick" (1956, color) Peck plays Captain Ahab "The Guns of Navarone" (1961, color) WWII action, adventure. "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962 B&W) Based on Harper Lee's novel, an essential American film. Peck's Best Actor Oscar. "The Omen" (1976, color) Supernatural horror.

Tyler Foster

Out of the Past would be another good one.

Eric Janssen

We NEED the original The Omen for HallowBeans '21. (The other two, nnnot so much.) It was all over the Reactor-verse last October, and Gregory Peck, the Second Doctor Who and 70's soft-focus cinematography give it all the gravitas it needs.

Kevin Townsend

Great movie! I also like Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. One of my all time favorite characters.

Eric Janssen

I keep seeing "Do Cape Fear!" turn up on EVERY reactor's fan requests, and I don't know whether it's the cult-quotable "Come out wherever yeww are!" Robert DeNiro remake or the original, and if the original...why?? I mean, it's good and all, and a good gateway to watching Robert Mitchum in “Night of the Hunter”, but why has this one joined the two or three Only B&W Movies That Gen-Z Reactor Fans Request, along with 12 Angry Men and Arsenic & Old Lace? I figured it had to be some same kind of thing as with “Gaslight” trending, where girls see a movie about stalking and think it’s about their boyfriends.

Paul Johnson

Lol I say "today's standards"...sometimes you forget 1991 was 30 frickin' years ago!

Brandie Woodward

Another good suspense from the 90’s was Malice and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.

Elisa H.

"do people have kids so they do the work they don't want to do?" My mother would constantly say that when giving out chores if we complained we didn't want to, "this is why I had children so I wouldn't have to do it, now take out the trash!"

Ashleigh Burton

Fixed!

Ashleigh Burton

HOLD UP. JESSICA LANGE IS IN THE REMAKE???

Ashleigh Burton

TRUTH!!

SCSponge

and Juror #1 in 12 Angry Men... oh wait, she watched the wrong version...

Carl Sage

The reason that the police chief looked familiar was because he was also in 'Psycho'... His name is Martin Balsam. He played Detective Arbogast in 'Psycho'.

Amstrad

Ashley, you misspelled 'Cape' in the title of the upload for this one on Youtube!

Kevin Charley

Always start with the original

Raul Melendez

You mentioned all the people killed and left out the dog. :-O

Mark Sylvester

Great pick TJ I also like both films but I agree with you that Mitchum's Cady is better. I'll take his evil shit eating grin in the opening scene over Tattooed knuckled pullups any day!

Mark Sylvester

Tyler, I wholeheartedly agree with your whole post. You said everything I was thinking. Thanks for having TJ's back.

T.J. Gengler

I just got off work and stepped in to see what has been going on with my film choice. Many thanks to Ashleigh for this reaction and I'm glad you found it interesting and suspenseful if a bit dated. I have seen the Scorsese remake and I can appreciate it. I actually saw it during it's theatrical run, before I had ever even heard of the original. On the whole, the remake is certainly a very good film with a far more nuanced good/evil interplay between the leads. I also give the remake credit for a stronger supporting cast. I might have selected the remake except for one major issue. In my humble, I just can't stand DeNiro's over-the-top, almost cartoonish level of insane dialogue spewing from his face hole. Between his voice choices and his bat-crappish delivery - it just doesn't work for me. DeNiro is a caricature while Mitchum is just plain evil. As far as Sam's choice to spare Cady's life, I approve. Ashleigh, I understand your reasoning but I have to try to view this through Sam's perspective. Sam Bowden was a man of tremendous moral character, possessing a clear sense of right and wrong, Not choosing to murder a thoroughly vile but helpless man was the choice he had to make. Not only for his own sake but because he knows that Cady's life wasted in a cage is a crueler fate. To be fair, Cady's fate is also a product of the era in which the film was made. The Hays code told us that we wanted our heroes pure and noble and that we should trust in the legal system to preserve justice. Having Sam kill Max while he was helpless may be smarter and may have the benefits of realism but I don't accept that it would have made for a better story. As always, opinions vary. Peck vs Nolte? How is that even a discussion? If you prefer the remake over the original, game on. You certainly don't have to defend that choice to me. I find the original to be the more interesting of the two. If you consider that a sin, so be it.

Richard Meyer

If you liked Robert Mitchum , I recommend “Night of the Hunter” for Hallobeans. If you like Gregory Peck, I recommend “To Kill a Mockingbird”.

Dylan

I’m definitely not one for remakes there are very few that I like the the remake of cape fear is really good

Paul Johnson

Great reaction glad you enjoyed it...Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum are Hollywood legends each with a long resume of classic films("Heaven Knows Mister Allison" is a personal favorite Mitchum film it's great) and it's funny you mention "Psycho" because Chief Dutton is played by Martin Balsam who played Arbogast the victim who weirdly fell down the stairs in that film(he also has a prominent role in "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" which I sincerely hope you will take a look at someday)...the Scorcese remake is also very watchable but as previous posters have said ups the violence and brutality to today's standards...hope you have a great weekend!

Tyler Foster

I'm of the opinion that unless the movie has some major twists to spoil (which, to be fair, many times you can't know), it's better to watch the remake first and then the original second. If the originals are generally better, then you get to watch the remake without the handicap of the original looming over it, and then you get to see the one that's even better. Same with movie adaptations of novels.

Tyler Foster

If I'm remembering this correctly, it will just seem really ironic to me that TJ picked the remake "12 Angry Men," and everyone was unhappy, and then he picked the original Cape Fear, and everyone was unhappy. Personally, I said then and I still believe now, TJ should pick whatever he wants to pick and I hope he never feels bad about it! It's just a reminder that you can't please everyone...so he had better be pleasing himself! (I also think both versions of Cape Fear are good, just very different.)

GamerGal8684

I don't think I have talked to TJ but thank you for the pick TJ :) Great taste in films. Holy crap. This is...one of my favorite films. Gregory Peck is an amazing actor in every right. There are many people who would say the remake is better but I beg to differ. While Deniro is great in roles, this one...is too over the top and by being too over the top becomes less scary. There are scenes in the remake that work, don't get me wrong..I just love this one so much better.

Mark Finley

I'm not sure your basis for saying this. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but don't expect the rest of us to respect that opinion. In comparison, the original is dull, wooden, poorly acted, directed, and edited. It's inferior in every way.

Gio Vidrio

I personally think the 1991 version is more suspenseful, so I can’t wait for you to get to that one. Plus, a young Jessica Lange is in it (she could GET IT). But glad that you seen this one cause now you’ve been introduced to Gregory Peck, who you’ll eventually see again in The Omen during Hallobeans or even sooner if it gets hyped up. Ready for the night vision. 🍿😈💀

Uncle 'Traveling' Matt

"The remake is brutal and disturbing." As it should be. It's what the story calls for. If you wish to avoid brutality, perhaps don't watch a film about a sadistic ex-con stalking a lawyer and his family. Personally, I find sanitized violence, such as is found in this film, both dishonest and exploitative.

Michael Waldrep

I only saw the remake, which I liked. I need to check out the original.

Manuel Johnen

The remake is weak Scorsese... the original is MUCH better. Good choice... <3

I'm a bit relieved to hear that you're watching the original as its a good film, and dang, you've had enough trauma for one week!

Daniel Örtoft

The rememake is way more psycho and violent. Better? Hard to say. I like both.

Bill Bevins

Disagree. I think she should do both. By seeing the original, it would make for a great reaction for her to make a comparison between the two. If you saw the newer version first then I can see how you wouldn't care for this one. But if you saw this in the 60s when it first came out, you would think it was really well made. Since she liked it I hope this makes her more open to doing more old movies.

Richard Meyer

Always give the originals a chance. Without them, there would be no remakes.

Bill Bevins

Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck are in my top five favorite actors. (Other 3 are Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robertson, James Cagney). You saw Mitchum in Scrooged. He was Bill Murray's boss. Mitchum was in many good movies. Some I would recommend are El Dorado, Night of the Hunter, Farewell My Lovely, The Big Sleep and 5 Card Stud. Gregory Peck is an American treasure. He was in so many great movies. Some I would recommend are To Kill A Mockingbird, Guns of Navarone, The Omen, Moby Dick, and The Boys From Brazil.

Bleedingreen

Its actually good to watch the original first, watch the remake another time. then compare.

Elisa H.

Another movie that I have never had any interest in watching (neither version) but I shall watch your reaction

Bill Bevins

Was pleasantly surprised to see the original. The remake is brutal and disturbing. Robert DeNiro played the Robert Mitchum part and Nick Nolte played the Gregory Peck part. Both Mitchum and Peck had small roles in the remake. It's different enough to warrant a reaction but be prepared for a brutal experience.

Mark Finley

'll say it. TJ did you wrong. you would have loved the 1991 version. I wont give any spoilers because I'm hoping you'll watch it someday, but it's an entirely different film, and the acting is INCREDIBLE. This version is too wooden and sanitized.