Have you ever woke up from a dream and thought WTH? I had a dream last night that I was watching a DVD of a movie and complaining (to no one by the way) that the actor gave away the ending in a recent interview...Oh, did I mention this movie was made in 1991 AND I saw it when it came out?
The movie is actually one of my favorites, which usually means that no one has ever heard of it. Dead Again sort of began my facination with past lives and reincarnation. Without that movie, my Spiritus series probably never would have happened.
Plot Synopsis from Wikipedia (Spoilers)
A series of newspaper articles details the 1949 murder of pianist Margaret Strauss (Emma Thompson), who was stabbed with a pair of antique scissors during an apparent robbery. An anklet worth thousands of dollars is missing. Her husband, composer Roman Strauss (Kenneth Branagh), is found guilty of the crime and sentenced to death. Before his execution, Roman is visited by reporter Gray Baker (Andy Garcia). When asked if he killed Margaret, Roman leans in to whisper in Gray’s ear. Baker does not reveal Roman's answer at the time.
Forty years later, Mike Church (Branagh), a private detective, is asked to investigate the identity of a woman (Thompson) who has appeared at the Catholic orphanage where Mike grew up. She has amnesia, is unable to speak, and suffers from violent nightmares.
Mike takes her in and asks his friend, Pete Dugan (Wayne Knight), to publish her picture in the newspaper along with his contact information. Franklyn Madson (Derek Jacobi), an antique dealer and hypnotist, approaches Church suggesting that hypnosis may help her recover her memories. Mike agrees. When the session is initially unsuccessful, Madson suggests they experiment with past life regression. Mike is skeptical, but the woman suddenly is able to speak and begins detailing the lives of Margaret and Roman in the third person, from their courtship to their wedding day. When the session is over, she is still able to speak but still has amnesia. Madson shows them copies of Life magazine from the time of the murder. Mike and the woman bear a striking resemblance to Roman and Margaret.
Mike visits Cozy Carlisle (Robin Williams), a disgraced psychiatrist. Cozy insists they continue to see Madson, since delving into the problems between Margaret and Roman may help resolve the trauma that triggered the woman's memory loss.
Mike nicknames the woman "Grace" and begins to fall in love with her. After a romantic evening, a man named Doug appears and claims that Grace is his fiancée, Katherine. Mike discovers he is lying and chases him away.
Under hypnosis, Grace recalls that Roman, unable to finish his opera, is frustrated and in debt. He believes that Margaret is flirting with Gray Baker, whom she met on their wedding day. Margaret becomes frustrated when she cannot convince Roman that she is faithful. Margaret catches Frankie, the young son of their housekeeper, Inga, looking through her jewelry box. She asks Roman to dismiss Inga and Frankie. Roman refuses, claiming that they saved his life in Germany.
Grace has a vision of Mike in the past standing over Margaret with a pair of scissors and becomes terrified, convinced he means to kill her. Mike is enraged and insists that he is not Roman and would never hurt Grace. When he accidentally calls her Margaret, he agrees to let Madson regress him as well.
Under hypnosis, Mike discovers he was actually Margaret in the past and Grace was Roman. Mike tries to explain this to Madson and Grace, but Pete Dugan interrupts to announce that someone has identified Grace: her name is actually Amanda, and she is an artist. Amanda, still afraid of Mike, accompanies Pete and Madson to her apartment. Amanda's artwork reveals a recent obsession with scissors. Madson gives her an old gun from his antique shop to protect herself from Mike.
Mike asks Gray Baker about the secret that Roman whispered to him in 1949. Baker insists that Roman said nothing to him and only kissed him on the cheek. Gray is convinced that Roman did not kill his wife and urges Mike to find Inga, who would have known everything that happened in that house. Based on Baker's description, Mike realizes that Madson is Frankie. Mike questions Inga, who explains that shortly before the murder she had confessed her love for Roman. Roman insisted that he loved only Margaret. Inga tried to explain her sorrow to Frankie, but he was unable to understand. Frankie blamed Margaret for his mother's unhappiness and killed her with the scissors. He stole her valuable anklet, a symbol of Roman's love for her. Roman stumbled upon the scene and was found later covered in his wife's blood and holding the murder weapon.
After Roman's execution, Inga took Frankie to London to treat his stammer. From his tutor, Frankie learned about hypnotherapy and ultimately about past life regression. After moving back to Los Angeles, Frankie became convinced that Margaret’s spirit would seek revenge. When he saw Amanda’s picture in the paper, he "knew" she had finally returned. He hired Doug, an actor, to separate Mike and Amanda and direct Amanda's attention away from himself, while he waited for an opportunity to kill her. Inga apologizes for her past sins and refuses to protect Frankie any longer. She hands Mike the missing anklet. Mike leaves to find Amanda. Madson appears from the shadows and smothers Inga with a pillow.
Mike finds Amanda's apartment to tell her the truth, but she is still terrified of him. She accidentally shoots Mike in the shoulder with Madson's gun, and he falls unconscious. Madson arrives and reveals his true identity. Amanda tries to shoot him, but the gun jams. Madson knocks her out. He places the scissors he used to kill Margaret in Mike's hand and tries to make it look like Amanda committed suicide with the gun. As he stoops to pull the trigger, Mike stabs him in the leg with the scissors. In the ensuing struggle, Madson is impaled on a sculpture of giant scissors and dies.
The film ends some time later with Mike and Amanda in a passionate embrace.
So, there I am complaining because Kenneth Branagh gave away the ending...In a recent interview...To a movie I saw in 1991...I think I hear the approach of the men in the white coats with the butterfly nets.
The movie is actually one of my favorites, which usually means that no one has ever heard of it. Dead Again sort of began my facination with past lives and reincarnation. Without that movie, my Spiritus series probably never would have happened.
Plot Synopsis from Wikipedia (Spoilers)
A series of newspaper articles details the 1949 murder of pianist Margaret Strauss (Emma Thompson), who was stabbed with a pair of antique scissors during an apparent robbery. An anklet worth thousands of dollars is missing. Her husband, composer Roman Strauss (Kenneth Branagh), is found guilty of the crime and sentenced to death. Before his execution, Roman is visited by reporter Gray Baker (Andy Garcia). When asked if he killed Margaret, Roman leans in to whisper in Gray’s ear. Baker does not reveal Roman's answer at the time.
Forty years later, Mike Church (Branagh), a private detective, is asked to investigate the identity of a woman (Thompson) who has appeared at the Catholic orphanage where Mike grew up. She has amnesia, is unable to speak, and suffers from violent nightmares.
Mike takes her in and asks his friend, Pete Dugan (Wayne Knight), to publish her picture in the newspaper along with his contact information. Franklyn Madson (Derek Jacobi), an antique dealer and hypnotist, approaches Church suggesting that hypnosis may help her recover her memories. Mike agrees. When the session is initially unsuccessful, Madson suggests they experiment with past life regression. Mike is skeptical, but the woman suddenly is able to speak and begins detailing the lives of Margaret and Roman in the third person, from their courtship to their wedding day. When the session is over, she is still able to speak but still has amnesia. Madson shows them copies of Life magazine from the time of the murder. Mike and the woman bear a striking resemblance to Roman and Margaret.
Mike visits Cozy Carlisle (Robin Williams), a disgraced psychiatrist. Cozy insists they continue to see Madson, since delving into the problems between Margaret and Roman may help resolve the trauma that triggered the woman's memory loss.
Mike nicknames the woman "Grace" and begins to fall in love with her. After a romantic evening, a man named Doug appears and claims that Grace is his fiancée, Katherine. Mike discovers he is lying and chases him away.
Under hypnosis, Grace recalls that Roman, unable to finish his opera, is frustrated and in debt. He believes that Margaret is flirting with Gray Baker, whom she met on their wedding day. Margaret becomes frustrated when she cannot convince Roman that she is faithful. Margaret catches Frankie, the young son of their housekeeper, Inga, looking through her jewelry box. She asks Roman to dismiss Inga and Frankie. Roman refuses, claiming that they saved his life in Germany.
Grace has a vision of Mike in the past standing over Margaret with a pair of scissors and becomes terrified, convinced he means to kill her. Mike is enraged and insists that he is not Roman and would never hurt Grace. When he accidentally calls her Margaret, he agrees to let Madson regress him as well.
Under hypnosis, Mike discovers he was actually Margaret in the past and Grace was Roman. Mike tries to explain this to Madson and Grace, but Pete Dugan interrupts to announce that someone has identified Grace: her name is actually Amanda, and she is an artist. Amanda, still afraid of Mike, accompanies Pete and Madson to her apartment. Amanda's artwork reveals a recent obsession with scissors. Madson gives her an old gun from his antique shop to protect herself from Mike.
Mike asks Gray Baker about the secret that Roman whispered to him in 1949. Baker insists that Roman said nothing to him and only kissed him on the cheek. Gray is convinced that Roman did not kill his wife and urges Mike to find Inga, who would have known everything that happened in that house. Based on Baker's description, Mike realizes that Madson is Frankie. Mike questions Inga, who explains that shortly before the murder she had confessed her love for Roman. Roman insisted that he loved only Margaret. Inga tried to explain her sorrow to Frankie, but he was unable to understand. Frankie blamed Margaret for his mother's unhappiness and killed her with the scissors. He stole her valuable anklet, a symbol of Roman's love for her. Roman stumbled upon the scene and was found later covered in his wife's blood and holding the murder weapon.
After Roman's execution, Inga took Frankie to London to treat his stammer. From his tutor, Frankie learned about hypnotherapy and ultimately about past life regression. After moving back to Los Angeles, Frankie became convinced that Margaret’s spirit would seek revenge. When he saw Amanda’s picture in the paper, he "knew" she had finally returned. He hired Doug, an actor, to separate Mike and Amanda and direct Amanda's attention away from himself, while he waited for an opportunity to kill her. Inga apologizes for her past sins and refuses to protect Frankie any longer. She hands Mike the missing anklet. Mike leaves to find Amanda. Madson appears from the shadows and smothers Inga with a pillow.
Mike finds Amanda's apartment to tell her the truth, but she is still terrified of him. She accidentally shoots Mike in the shoulder with Madson's gun, and he falls unconscious. Madson arrives and reveals his true identity. Amanda tries to shoot him, but the gun jams. Madson knocks her out. He places the scissors he used to kill Margaret in Mike's hand and tries to make it look like Amanda committed suicide with the gun. As he stoops to pull the trigger, Mike stabs him in the leg with the scissors. In the ensuing struggle, Madson is impaled on a sculpture of giant scissors and dies.
The film ends some time later with Mike and Amanda in a passionate embrace.
So, there I am complaining because Kenneth Branagh gave away the ending...In a recent interview...To a movie I saw in 1991...I think I hear the approach of the men in the white coats with the butterfly nets.
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