The Star Chamber (1983) (original) (raw)
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Original title
The Star Chamber
Year
1983
Running time
109 min.
Country
United States
Director
Screenwriter
Cast
Music
Cinematography
Producer
Genre
Synopsis
Fed up with watching vicious criminals walk on technicalities and loopholes, judge Michael Douglas accepts his older colleague Hal Holbrook's invitation to join "The Star Chamber." This sub-rosa organization consists of nine like-minded judges who endeavor to take the law into their own hands. Essentially, these are robed vigilantes, but Douglas joins them, determining that the end justifies the means. Before long, however, Douglas finds himself balking at sanctioning the murder of freed criminals -- and as a result becomes the target of the Star Chamber himself. Worth noting in the supporting cast of The Star Chamber are Diana Douglas, Michael Douglas' real-life mother, and Frances Bergen, widow of Edgar Bergen and mother of Candice Bergen. (Hal Erickson: All Movie Guide)
Critics' reviews
- "It's a beautifully composed and tautly engineered production, a model of trim and attractive genre moviemaking."
- "Taut, if occasionally silly, the film is hampered by ideological confusion. Director Peter Hyams doesn't seem to know if he's making a reactionary 'Death Wish' clone or a liberal problem film."
- "Supported by an excellent cast and very stylish cinematography, Hyams sustains the tension from start to finish, no matter how preposterous the plotting becomes"
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