US 121m, Colour
Director: Sidney Lumet; Cast: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty, Beatrice Straight
Howard Beale is mad as hell, and is not going to take it anymore! About to be forcibly retired, an aging news anchor creates a media storm when he publicly declares to kill himself on the evening news. Taking advantage of the publicity, unscrupulous executives give the angry Beale his own show in hope of resurrecting their failing network. A brilliant black comedy that foresaw selling news as entertainment, this visionary satire is as relevant today as when it was released (Klaus Ming February 2016).
All text © 2008-2022 MiNG Movie Reviews in about 100 words or less, Klaus Ming. Movie images are copyright to their respective owner/s and are used here under terms of fair use. No copyright infringement is intended.
This is my favorite film of 1976. Part of that is that I think it’s not just relevant today, but it’s prophetic in many ways of what the news industry has become.
I also think that it would make a great (and terrifying) double feature with Nightcrawler.
As we most often do, I completely agree with you on this one. And yeah, what a great double feature with Nightcrawler!