IMDb > The Star Chamber (1983)

The Star Chamber (1983) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   2,397 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Peter Hyams
Writers:
Roderick Taylor (story)
Roderick Taylor (writer) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Star Chamber on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
5 August 1983 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Drama | Crime | Thriller more
Tagline:
THEY HAVE COMMITED EVERY CRIME IN THE BOOK. Yet the law cannot touch them. They are free to walk the streets. UNTIL TONIGHT'S MEETING OF... [THE STAR CHAMBER] [UK Theatrical] more
Plot:
Disgusted with criminals escaping the judicial system via technicalities, an idealistic young judge... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
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User Comments:
Top class legal drama/suspense more (25 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Michael Douglas ... Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin
Hal Holbrook ... Judge Benjamin Caulfield
Yaphet Kotto ... Det. Harry Lowes
Sharon Gless ... Emily Hardin
James Sikking ... Dr. Harold Lewin (as James B. Sikking)

Joe Regalbuto ... Arthur Cooms

Don Calfa ... Lawrence Monk
John DiSanti ... Det. James Wickman
Otis Day ... Stanley Flowers
Jack Kehoe ... Hingle

Larry Hankin ... Det. Kenneth Wiggan
Dick Anthony Williams ... Det. Paul Mackey
Margie Impert ... Louise Pacinni
Dana Gladstone ... Dept. Dist. Atty. Martin Hyatt

David Proval ... Officer Nelson
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
109 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)
Certification:
Germany:12 (re-rating) (2006) | West Germany:16 (original rating) | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R
Filming Locations:
Los Angeles, California, USA
Company:
Frank Yablans Presentations more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The movie features footage of a baseball game being played between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The footage shows Dusty Baker hitting a home run off of Phil Niekro. Also, a clip can be seen of a scoreboard during the game showing the Braves leading 4-3. This places the date of the game at 7 June 1982. more
Quotes:
Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin: The law. Nothing is right or wrong! It’s either the law or its not the law. Well, we got a problem here, because it’s not working anymore. It turns out that right and wrong count. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead (2009) (V) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
Top class legal drama/suspense, 30 April 2006
9/10
Author: mattrochman from Australia

The Star Chamber will remain one of my favourite films of all time.

For years, we have been debating whether the legal system is just and worth defending, despite the fact that it occasionally sets free criminals on technicalities. This film certainly explores this issue sufficiently and gives an insight into the judges who are forced to set them free on vague technicalities; and how their conscience is severely effected when the rights of the worst criminals imaginable comes before the dispensation of justice.

Through the Star Chamber, a group of frustrated judges that have their own way of seeing that justice is served on criminals who escape the weight of the law. But what seems like a reasonable and just solution to the flaws in the legal system turns out to be a nightmare for their newly elected member (Michael Douglas) as this powerful legal drama builds to a rather suspenseful and engaging conclusion. Excellent movie with magnificent performances, but (thankfully) without the over-dramatic Hollywood hogwash. Performances by the cast are as solid as they come.

I hear that they are remaking the film. I'd be surprised if it even came close to this one.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What bothers me . . . black_opera_man
The Trash can and the warrant brendangrehan
Yaphet Kotto-Why did he shoot a cop? hannahp1
why is Douglas holding a gun in the picture? jk80
female judge griff573
Good and Bad MAFishman1
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