Eureka

"This film is probably best known for MGM hating it so much, despite it’s $11m budget, that they refused to release it. While I wouldn’t say it’s good, Eureka is an interesting mess of a movie. Hackman plays a CF Kane-style retired gold tycoon. The supporting cast is stacked with Rutger Hauer, Theresa Russell, Joe Pesci and Mickey Rourke who are all entering the movie at high points in their careers. The film is tonally all over the place. It veers from historical drama, to hallucinogenic art film, to campy melodrama, to a Giallo style murder mystery and often seems disinterested in its own plot. Roeg, the director, made a career out of making provocative art films and, for better or worse, that’s what he tried to do here too. While the (initially x-rated) film he made didn’t really work, I’ll take an interesting mistake over a competently made bore any time. 6/10"