Reviews

"Desperation" was premiered in Tucson at the newly- restored Fox Theater, a great Art Deco movie house. After the showing, the cast and director held an interesting question- and- answer session, somewhat marred by a few long- winded local politicos.

The movie was filmed in Bisbee, in the now- closed Lavender Pit copper mine, an imposing location. Other open- highway scenes were filmed on Sierrita Mountain Road and Sasabe Road. The filming shut down the highways for periods of time but it was interesting watching what was going on. The film crew also accidentally set the Tucson Community Center on fire.

As far as rating the movie, it's simply a "made for TV" production and you get pretty much what you might expect. It's no "Sunset Boulevard" but it's watchable.

It is refreshing to see what a film maker can do when he dispenses with car chases, gunfire, fiery explosions, and cartoon- like digital effects and returns to that one core value-- quality and talent. Anthony Hopkins scores a tour de force with his portrayal of Burt Munro; it is like watching a master at his craft. His looking through his old family photo album with the young boy "...here's Ernie, there's my Mum....they're all gone now.." is as moving a scene as the one in Honkeytonk Man where John McIntire talks to his grandson about what it was like in the Oklahoma Land Rush of his youth. Subtle, underplayed, but filled with deep emotion. This isn't a "motorcycle movie"; it's simply a kind and gentle tale that inspires dreams. A thoroughly enjoyable film. As Burt says when he finally sets foot on the salt of Bonneville, "...big things happen here...this is Holy ground, Mate!"