Love And Death On Long Island

This week we lost the terrific actor John Hurt. This amazing performer had an incredible body of work, The Elephant Man, Alien, Midnight Express, and 1984, just to name a few. There were some great performances from him that didn't get the attention they deserved as well. Over the next few blogs, I thought I would take a look back at some of those. First up is 1997's Love And Death On Long Island.

An out of touch, and somewhat stand offish, British writer, Hurt, accidentally locks himself out of his home during a rainstorm. To keep dry while waiting for a locksmith, the writer ducks into a movie theater. Thinking he is seeing the latest E.M. Forster film, he walks into an American teen sex flick by mistake. While viewing this, he becomes obsessed with the young star of the movie, Jason Priestley. He becomes so infatuated that he flies to Long Island to track down the actor. After some failed attempts, the writer is able to track down the actor's girlfriend. The two hit it off and she sets up a meeting between the writer and actor. They hit it off as well and the writer becomes a regular guest in their house. But it gets harder and harder for the writer to keep his obsession at bay.

This is a terrific showcase for Hurts talents. In a role that could come off as creepy, Hurt brings a sympathy and compassion to the character. You really feel this man's pain. This is one of his best performances. Priestley is great as well. I know most people look at him as somewhat of a joke because of his Beverly Hills 90210 days. But after that show ended, Priestley popped up in some great independent films and turned in some wonderful performances. If you don't believe me, check out this film, Cold Blooded, and Cherish, and you will see what I'm talking about. I plan to write the about latter two at a later date.

It's available on dvd.