The Barber [DVD]

Great film- highly recommend.

"The Barber" is a tale of a small Alaskan town that discovers a serial killer on the loose as they are stocking up and settling themselves in for a hard winter.The story is told through the eyes of the local barber - who knows everyone, and hears each of their stories and opinions as he cuts their hair. As suspicion falls from one person to the next in the close-knit community, the FBI arrives. The film becomes a tale about the individuals in the community; gradually revealing their stories and their secrets, from the inexperienced and often incompetent local Sheriff's Department to lonely members of the community indulging in unexpected relationships with their trusted neighbours. And it's because of that community trust that innocent girls are beginning to fall prey to a bigger threat than winter, or the S.A.D disorder that afflicts the towns inhabitants because of it.There are a couple of nice edges to this film, one being the genuine sense of claustrophobia, as if the viewers too are hemmed into a town in the far north, surrounded by a 24 hour darkness and cut off by heavy snows. Another is McDowell's portrayal as the local barber, the town's agony-uncle and diplomat, though one who occasionally slips up and shows his off-kilter side.I got this film very cheaply on Amazon and because of that, didn't expect too much from it; but it was a nice surprise and a worthwhile purchase. Seasonal, too ...

Malcolm McDowell was my main reason for buying The Barber; a tremendous actor, he can transform even the dullest of scripts. It's no surprise that with his back catalogue of films he tends to get typecast as the baddie but The Barber allows McDowell to demonstrate his great timing and talent for comedy too - and his baddies are never one dimensional. The premise of the film is deceptively simple but McDowell takes the viewer through a range of emotions as Dexter - serial killer and mainstay of a remote and claustrophobic community. McDowell's portrayals of men like this are masterly; he is adept at bringing out the sheer normality of your average everyday psychopath, a normality which is further enhanced by his measured tones and Zen-like calmness. Not his best film - which in my opinion is O Lucky Man! - but any offering from Malcolm McDowell is a delight and The Barber is well worth watching. Just don't expect the kind of bloodbath the title might suggest!

After reading the synopsis I was really looking forward seeing the movie, I was very disappointed. As a fan of psychological horror, I thought the plot had a lot to offer, but the film is let down by uninspired direction and an appallingly clichéd script. The resulting movie is so predictable that you will want to give up half way through - do - it does not get any better. If it were possible to give this film no stars, I would. My advice is to avoid this trite tale.

Ho hum. Move along,....very little to see here.Pedestrian drama with little to hold the attention.Not even the usually brilliant McDowell can save this.

Set in the Far North of Alaska in the 24 hour darkness of the winter which is an all-important thread to this story in a small town of some 250 or so inhabitants which are reducing in number all the time as the serial killer is on the prowl.Malcolm McDowell plays Dexter Mills the towns barber to whom all the menfolk tell their problems and all the latest gossip.The sheriff and his deputies are basically incompetent with this type of crime and the volume and it's not too long before the FBI come on the scene.But the murders continue and so do the ironies but to say more would spoil the story. Well worth a look.

Malcolm McDowell plays Dexter Mills the barber/agony uncle in this small town of 250 or so inhabitants which appears to be getting smaller in number by the week as there is a serial killer on the loose just as the long dark winter is about to close in where there are going to be days of 24 hours of darkness and there is a local Police Force that are unfortunately undermanned and incapable of dealing with such a serious crime.All the towns mensfolk tell our Dexter their problems - after all if you can't tell things to harmless old Dexter, then who can you tell them to? And sometimes, just sometimes he's got a way of solving it all for you.Even the Sheriff talks to him-in confidence of course. Before long the FBI enter the scene but the murders continue and..........well, it's well worth purchasing this DVD to watch.Don't be put off by the negative review which is c.ap and you can see is that reviewers ONLY review.I promise I have NO shares in the producing company!

Hard to find. Want the hell scared out of you. Watch this movie.

Un pauvre téléfilm de série Z.... Franchement, je m'attendais à mieux! A un moment du film, je me suis même demandé s'il ne fallait pas le prendre au 2nd voire au 3ème degré....mais même pas! Passez votre chemin, l'intrigue est très médiocre et la fin sans aucun intérêt!

Ive lived in Revelstoke bc where this was filmed on and off for 21 yrs before moving away. I know all the places where this was filmed so I had to buy. The copy was in great shape despite getting it 2nd hand

wenn man bedenkt, daß gleicher film für weitaus mehr geld zu haben war, war das für wenig geld mindestens genauso gut

Always liked Malcom McDowell, so he delivered as expected. A decent move for a cold winter night.