The Late Lee Tamahori's Underrated 1990s Survival Thriller Is a Free Streaming Hit

The Late Lee Tamahori's Underrated 1990s Survival Thriller Is a Free Streaming Hit A custom image of Alex Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins in The EdgeImage by Zanda Rice By  Rob London Published 54 minutes ago A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation." An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account. Sign in to your Collider account follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

New Zealand-born director Lee Tamahori passed away this month, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease. He leaves behind a legacy of films ranging from family dramas to high-octane action movies; his filmography includes Once Were Warriors, Along Came a Spider, and Die Another Day. One of his most underrated films is The Edge, a taut 1997 thriller that focuses on the struggles of man vs. the elements, man vs. man, and man vs. enormous bear. It's finding a new audience on the free streamer Tubi, where it recently hit #8 on the charts.

The Edge was written by noted playwright and screenwriter David Mamet, who titled it Bookworm; that title was deemed un-commercial, and the film was renamed three months before its release. It was Tamahori's second American film, after the neo-noir thriller Mulholland Falls, and was shot on location in Alberta and British Columbia. It was not a great commercial success upon release, earning $43 million USD on a $30 million budget; meanwhile, contemporary reviews were mixed, as it holds a 63% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert enjoyed the film, and praised Mamet's script, calling it "subtly funny in the way it toys with the clichés of the genre."

What Is 'The Edge' About?

Billionaire Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins), photographer Bob Green (Alec Baldwin), and Bob's assistant Stephen (Harold Perrineau) have traveled to a remote Alaskan resort for Morse's birthday. The trio take a trip on a small plane to visit a noted local hunter, but their plane hits a flock of birds, Sully-style, killing their pilot and stranding them in the wilderness. Unfortunately, Stephen almost immediately falls victim to a ravenous Kodiak bear (noted ursine thespian Bart the Bear), leaving Charles and Bob to brave the elements alone. Making matters worse, Charles has figured out that his much-younger wife, Mickey (Elle MacPherson), is having an affair with Bob, meaning that neither man is entirely sure he wants the other one to survive. While it seems that the younger, sturdier Bob has the advantage, the well-read Charles is more capable than he seems...

One of the movie's producers, Art Linson, wrote a book about his Hollywood experiences, What Just Happened? Bitter Hollywood Tales From the Front Line; the book includes behind-the-scenes stories from the making of The Edge, including a dispute with Alec Baldwin about a beard he'd grown for the movie. When What Just Happened was made into a movie, the Baldwin part was altered to be about Bruce Willis (playing himself), instead.

The Edge is now streaming for free on Tubi. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

The Edge

Like Follow Followed R Action Adventure Drama Release Date September 26, 1997 Runtime 117 Minutes Director Lee Tamahori Writers David Mamet

Cast

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• Anthony Hopkins
• Alec Baldwin
• Elle MacPherson
• Harold Perrineau

Genres Action, Adventure, Drama Powered by Expand Collapse

• Movie News
• The Edge
• Alec Baldwin

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