Product Description

Thriller about a jet-setting game master who devises a deadly game of whodunit.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16276 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2004-04-20
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 119 minutes

Amazon.com
The Last of Sheila is one of the great underrated films of the '70s: a bitchy Hollywood whodunit and a clever parlor game (cowritten by Anthony Perkins and Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim). Several celebrity chums are invited aboard prankster James Coburn's yacht for a cruel game of "guess the deep, dark secret." Everyone has one; but naturally some are more wicked than others. Richard Benjamin, James Mason, Dyan Cannon, Joan Hackett, Raquel Welch, and Ian McShane are the odd cast of participants. However, the stakes are unexpectedly raised when murder gets added to the not-so-fun agenda. Plenty of inside jokes and red herrings in this nasty and unforgettable film. It's just what you'd expect from the twisted minds of Perkins and Sondheim. --Bill Desowitz

Customer Reviews

CLEVER, FUNNY, AND JUST FABULOUSLY SCRIPTED!
If you love mysteries and are tired of the brainless detective films being released on a regular basis these days, you OWE it to yourself to watch this taut yet darkly sardonic thriller!

The Agatha Christie type script (Death on the river Nile, for instance, where many plausible clues are dropped for attentive members of the audience) is nothing if not supremely intricate and as much of a guesser as I am, the film has me riveted every time I watch it.

With the possible exception of Welch, who may be guilty of being somewhat deadpan as the glam queen, almost every other actor comfortably nails his role. Great timing.

Despite the relatively dry DVD (nothing special in the "special features") I highly, highly recommend this fabulous feast of film. Buy it, for you will watch it more than once for sure.

Finally - the DVD of this wonderful brainteaser of a film
The Last of Sheila is a love or hate for most folks. I fall into the love category. A GREAT cast beautifully embodies the twisted, neurotic hollywood-types in this whodoneit or even whodonewhat for that matter. The screenplay is full of incredibly witty, sharp dialogue and it layers puzzle upon puzzle until the very end. Then - one last joke at Hollywood's expense before the final credits. Coburn, Benjamin, Cannon and Mason are particularly excellent here. Some flashback twists might get confusing, but keep watching - it pays off beautifully. Oh, and Bette Midler's closing credits number is just the perfect iceing on this multi-layered, very dark chocolate cake. Just excellent!

SHEILA is the most intelligent film I've ever seen!
THE LAST OF SHEILA is a perfect movie for anyone who feels like thinking -- but be warned: to follow the plot, you'll have to pay close attention! You may even find yourself watching scenes several times, to make sure you understand the story. The script is witty and intelligent, and the plot is impossibly clever. When you're finished watching it the first time, you'll want to watch it again right away! Every frame contains a "clue" to the mystery, which you'll appreciate more once you know the solution. Don't be misled -- this isn't a "heavy" movie (the ending will remind you not to take it too seriously!). You'll have a lot of fun. Of course, the characters are necessarily cold, so you won't get too attached -- although you'll love Dyan Cannon! James Coburn is positively chilling, and Raquel Welch adds some unintentional humor with her awkward perfomance -- I watched her scenes over and over, just to laugh! However, her acting -- and the hilariously dated clothes and attitudes of the 70s -- are the only weak spots in a terrific film. THE LAST OF SHEILA deserves more attention from movie fans. Just watching will make you feel intelligent -- and it's a must-see for any Sondheim admirer!