Extremities (1986)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Robert M. Young

Writers:

William Mastrosimone (play)
William Mastrosimone (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 August 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

What she did to survive is nothing compared to what she'll do to get even.

Plot:

A woman takes revenge on the man who invades her home and tries to rape her.

Plot Keywords:

Rape | Fireplace | Spit In The Face | Face Slap | Car Trouble

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Farrah Fawcett	...	Marjorie
James Russo	...	Joe
Alfre Woodard	...	Patricia
Diana Scarwid	...	Terry
Sandy Martin	...	Officer Sudow
Eddie Velez	...	Officer #1
Tom Everett	...	Officer #2
Donna Lynn Leavy	...	Woman on Phone (voice)
Enid Kent	...	Mother at Police Station
Michael Hennessy	...	Bob the Pizza Guy
Clare Wren	...	Marjorie's Racquetball Partner
James Avery	...	Security Guard

Directed by
Robert M. Young

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William Mastrosimone		play
William Mastrosimone		screenplay

Produced by
Thomas Coleman	....	executive producer
George W. Perkins	....	producer
Michael Rosenblatt	....	executive producer
Scott M. Rosenfelt	....	line producer
Burt Sugarman	....	producer

Original Music by
J.A.C. Redford

Cinematography by
Curtis Clark

Film Editing by
Arthur Coburn

Casting by
Sharon Bialy
Richard Pagano

Production Design by
Chester Kaczenski

Costume Design by
Linda M. Bass

Makeup Department
Steve LaPorte	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sharon Mann	....	first assistant director
Victoria E. Rhodes	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Roger Kelton	....	construction coordinator
Daryl 'Dazz' Reynolds	....	on-set decorator
R. Vincent Smith	....	property master
John Stewart	....	illustration

Sound Department
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist
Gabriel Cubos	....	boom operator
John Dunn	....	supervising sound editor
R.J. Kizer	....	sound effects editor
Dominick Tavella	....	sound re-recording mixer

Stunts
Richard Epper	....	assistant stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael F. Barrow	....	gaffer
Andreas Crawford	....	grip
David M. Rakoczy	....	electrician
David Schmalz	....	video assist operator
Jorgen Wedseltoft	....	first assistant camera

Editorial Department
Bruce Pearson	....	color timer

Music Department
Mark McKenzie	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Joan MacKenzie	....	assistant accountant
Kerry Lyn McKissick	....	script supervisor

Distributors

• Atlantic Releasing Corporation
• América Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (DVD)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Quotes:

Joe: Look at her, and look at me... who did what to who?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Feast 3: The Happy Finish (2009) (V)

Soundtrack:

Stand Up to the Night

VERY GOOD FIRST HALF!

Extremities, which runs 89 minutes, could have worked perfectly if the last 45 minutes were just like the first 44. The first half is very disturbing and realistic in its depiction of attackers and rapists. This half could even be seen as an after-school special showing teenagers that "Rape is no laughing matter!" Farrah Fawcett's character gets threatened, violated, beat up, raped, and humiliated. Her attacker is a married man with children who is a complete sadist in sexual dominance. He makes Farrah cook him some breakfast, touch his genitals, tell him "I love you" and "I want to make love to you" while beating her up in the process. This is where the movie really works. It shows the viewer that rape isn't always committed by a strange loner...it can be committed by anyone (Even a happily married man with children. I say "happily married" because in the beginning of the movie, you can hear the attacker's wife calling him to lunch. It is obvious that his wife, although never seen on screen, has made him a very nice and delicious lunch. You can tell by the tone of her voice). The first half also has us asking questions such as "Why would a man do this?" and that question has to be answered by the viewer's own opinion because the second half on Extremities falls completely apart. Farrah, with her beautiful strong feet, manages (in a completely impossible situation) to capture her attacker and reverse the role playing. She sprays his eyes with bug spray (which happens to be conveniently by her at the time) then ties and beats him up (yeah....whatever). The question above is never answered because instead of going into deep character studies, the last 45 minutes are close ups of Farrah's feet walking around her captor as her roomates look on wondering if she's really the crazier and more sadistic one. Excellent 51% of the way.