The Secret Cinema (1966) User Reviews

fun inventive little movie

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 6 July 2015]

Jane is a single secretary in NYC. Her boss Mr. Troppogrosso is pushing her to go on a date with him. Her boyfriend Dick dumps her. Her mother tells her about a secret cinema. She starts to suspect her life is being filmed. Her best friend coworker Helen prepare her for the date with a ridiculous hairdo. She finds a cinema showing her life with many people she knows in attendance. She faints and the cinema is gone. She goes to her therapist desperate for help.

It's a wonderful no-budget 30 minute short from the warped mind of Paul Bartel. The idea of a personal reality show is not mainstream yet and it's not until 1998 that 'The Truman Show' is released. It's an inventive idea from left field. The low budget feel actually works for this movie giving it an underground tone. Amy Vane is awesome and it's too bad that she didn't continue to act. This is fun little movie.

metafilmmaking at its creepiest

[framptonhollis · 8/10 · 20 July 2017]

The plot of "The Secret Cinema" is a clever one, sort of in the vein of "The Truman Show" but with major stylistic and tonal differences. It is a small scale indie horror comedy that plays with genre and self awareness to a mind boggling and extremely entertaining extent. There are moments of hilarity and moments of genuine horror (particularly the ending), and the entire film encompasses a bizarre, Gothic atmosphere. It is shot beautifully no matter how low quality the print you watch it on is; the lighting is often dark and shadowy and it has a charmingly amateurish feeling about it. The story's increase in intensity never terminates its comedy, and vice versa; the two coexist in a manner accomplished by few other films of its genre.

In its own, unconventional and fresh way, "The Secret Cinema" tells a fun, "Twilight Zone"-type story and taking full advantage of it. Its as if Rod Serling decided it was time to broadcast an episode that functioned as an avant garde art-house black comedy mystery horror movie...and, simply put, it's really, really great!

Nice little horror comedy

[funkyfry · 7/10 · 3 May 2007]

"The Secret Cinema of Paul Bartel" is an extraordinary little low-budget/independent short film. To me it looks like the director Bartel is combining a story concept that could work on "The Twilight Zone" with the cinematic sensibilities of the French New Wave. The resulting film captures our attention and manages to wring savage humor out of the main character's horrifying situation. This is a sign of things to come from Bartel, who created several memorable satires in his later career (most memorably "Deathrace 2000" and "Eating Raoul").

Jane (Amy Vane) is a young secretary who may or may not be the subject of a "reality" film about her life. We first see her resisting the advances of her flatulent boss, all shown in silent comedy style. Soon she's being urged to go out with the man to advance her career, and hints begin to appear that erode her concept of her own privacy.

I think it's significant that the film being made about her is a comedy. Comedy is an inherently sadistic media, and being the object of humor makes Jane rather a pathetic character. Somehow Bartel manages to make US laugh at her as well, that's the real difference between this work of genius and the many lesser imitations and variations. Apparently Bartel himself remade the film as an episode of "Amazing Stories". I haven't seen it but it's hard to imagine that a slick television version of this story would have even a fraction of this version's crude power.

Cool Little Classic

[TelevisionJunkie · 19 May 2002]

Recently I've stumbled onto a few of the films made by the late Paul Bartel. I always liked him from his roles in films like "Rock 'n' Roll High School" and "Tales of the City," but I had no idea he was the man who made "Eating Raoul" (which I've been dying to see for years) and "Death Race 2000" (which I finally saw a week or so ago). As you can tell, I have bad taste... While browsing through a used video store, I found Rhino's release of this film, which was packaged with "Naughty Nurse" and an intro by Bartel himself.

I was pleasantly surprised by how good "Secret Cinema" is. The acting was good all-around, though some would probably gripe about the bad dubbing (particularly Helen, the black woman, who's voice never once matched her lips). With the Twilight-Zone-ish premise of someone who's unaware that their life is being filmed, this seems to be the original, made long before "The Webbers" (an always-overlooked gem) and the dull "Ed TV" and "The Truman Show." And I just have to rave about the woman who played three roles - she cracked me up in her role as the nurse! Amazingly for a film of this era, the picture quality was outstanding - usually you get a rather worn print, filled with scratches, anomalies, and cigarette burns - but the Rhino print looked like it just came out of the editing room. Now I'm curious to see the "Amazing Stories" remake again. I know I saw it years ago, but I remember absolutely nothing about it.

As for the companion short film, "Naughty Nurse," it doesn't seem to fit with the tone of "Secret Cinema." With its strange eroticism and bizarro ending, it seems better suited to play with "Death Race 2000" or perhaps "Eating Raoul." But that's a different review...

Fun and creepy

[runamokprods · 7/10 · 11 February 2012]

An influential (in it's time), inventive 30 minute black and white short that examined an 'Ed TV' like idea way before others did. A woman has her life secretly filmed, edited and shown to a laughing audience each week. Far more surreal and stylized than the features and TV shows that later used this concept, it's stylish, a lot of fun and effectively creepy. On the other hand, the acting is amateurish, production values nonexistent, and the post dubbed sound is pretty awful. But somehow, that homemade quality sort of works with the story. Worth seeing if you have any interest in the semi-experimental late 60s cinema that combined what would have been sleaze with far more artistic aspirations (Brian DePalma, Bartel, and many others were part of this art/exploitation film trend).

A forgotten classic

[DGutting · 10/10 · 3 January 2001]

I had heard that The Secret Cinema had become lost, but I'm glad to see that someone has turned it up and that it's even possible to buy a VHS of this little masterpiece.

This is a superb piece of work--original, funny, and capturing the real essence of what a movie is all about.

Pretty effective short

[Red-Barracuda · 6/10 · 21 March 2022]

Death Race 2000 director Paul Bartel's debut feature is this short film. Its about a young woman whose life is disastrous - crap job, annoying mother, useless boyfriend, etc. To make matters worse wherever she goes, she gets the feeling she's being watched. Well, it turns out she's right! As her every move is being surreptitiously filmed and then edited together and shown weekly at the Secret Cinema where the audience can laugh at her expense. This is a pretty effective bit of strangeness and is definitely worth 30mins of your time.

Excellent early short by Paul Bartel

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 15 July 2015]

Secretary Jane (a solid and sympathetic performance by Amy Vane) suspects that not only is her life being secretly filmed by others, but also that the resultant movies are being watched by various friends and acquaintances at clandestine screenings.

Writer/director Paul Bartel does an expert job of exploring a dark edgy line in urban paranoia, makes neat use of New York City locations, and maintains a zippy pace throughout. Moreover, the basic premise about modern forms of voyeurism and technology intruding on one's privacy remains timely and topical even today, as confirmed by the popularity of all these so-called "reality" TV shows. The fine acting by the capable cast keeps things humming, with especially stand-out contributions from Connie Ellison as the ambitious Helen, Gordon Felio as overbearing boss Mr. Troppogrosso, and Barry Dennen as a condescending kook psychiatrist. Fred Wellington's sharp and dynamic hand-held cinematography provides a crackling kinetic buzz while the jaunty score by The Rusty Nails evokes the peppy vibe of vintage silent comedy reels. A nifty precursor to "The Truman Show," it's essential viewing for Bartel fans.

A Well-Kept `Secret'

[genekim · 21 October 1998]

Three decades ago, a young, up-and-coming movie director named Paul Bartel pulled together a lot of shoestrings to produce this wonderfully resourceful little black comedy (less than 30 minutes long) about Jane, an office secretary who comes to realize that her life is being secretly filmed for a shadowy outfit called The Secret Cinema. Some critics have pointed to what they see as a striking similarity between this film and "The Truman Show." But there's at least one crucial difference: Whereas Truman Burbank's environment is completely fabricated, Jane's life in New York is very real, although it's being manipulated by the filmmakers.

Bartel uses his budgetary and technical limitations to excellent advantage: the cheap-looking black & white photography, the obviously looped dialogue, the stock music and canned sound effects are very much in keeping with this low-budget movie about low-budget moviemaking.

Bartel later remade "The Secret Cinema" as an episode of Steven Spielberg's NBC anthology series "Amazing Stories." The remake starred Penny Peyser as Jane, Griffin Dunne as Dick and Bartel himself as Jane's psychiatrist. The NBC version was, I thought, terrible; it was over-produced, over-written and over-acted, and totally lacking the charm of the original. Worst of all, it failed to adequately convey the story's basic premise that Jane's life was being secretly filmed. (The remake also offers an ending completely different from the darkly humorous resolution of the first film.)

Before TRUMAN and EDTV . . .

[Tresix · 19 August 1999]

I only saw this short subject once and never forgot it. Three whole decades before THE TRUMAN SHOW, there was this early work by Paul Bartel about a woman who slowly comes to realize that her life is being secretly filmed and shown for the entertainment of her close "friends" and "family" as well as the general masses. I thought that this short conveyed the pain and paranoia of invaded privacy much better than TRUMAN and in a much shorter time as well. "Secret Cinema" was remade by Bartel as an episode of Steven Spielberg's AMAZING STORIES, but didn't have anywhere near the impact that the original had. Not only that, but it was given a sickeningly sweet happy ending that ruined the theme of the original story. Now I feel vindicated because whenever I described this film to friends, most of them looked as if I was making it up or dreamed it. Now, here is the proof. Look for this film, it will be well worth the hunt.

Interesting Curio

[rwint · 2 November 2003]

5 out of 10

An interesting idea that would have been better had it been played out more and at a feature length instead of just thirty minutes. A young women, who has a very hard luck existence, slowly finds that her whole life is secretly being filmed. The film is then shown at secret locations throughout the city all to the amusement of others including her own friends and family.

With the advent of shows like "Big Brother" and other reality series this idea doesn't seem to have the novel edge that it once did. First time director/writer Bartel only touches the surface here and his 'twist' ending is very derivative and flat. Take away the offbeat context and everything else is handled in a very routine fashion. There is no humor or jokes and despite being only thirty minutes there are several segments that are long and drawn out.

Bartel did this feature on weekends with friends of his. Yet despite it's very miniscule budget it really isn't bad especially on the technical side. In particular are the dubbed voices. Bartel did not have the means to film it with sound so he had to use the Italian technique of filming without sound and then dubbing in the voices later. In the Italian films this always seems very obvious and annoying yet here it is not so obvious and actually rather well done.

This film is good on a certain symbolic level. It seems to be as a kind of breaking in to a deeper, darker type of underground filmmaking. A sort of correlation to what the nation was going through at the time. This film embodies that same type of transition. It was filmed in black and white and has very much the look and feel of a old fashioned conventional comedy. Yet it very quietly works in these strange and offbeat qualities that become more pronounced as it goes on. Sort of like a warning to the dawn of change.

In 1986 director Bartel remade this feature for the old "Amazing Stories" TV show. This updated version was in color and had more of a edge. It starred Penny Peyser and Eve Arden as her mother.

leave this gem alone, Mr Spielberg

[poguemathon · 3 September 2004]

Okay, you've chanced to see something that sticks in your craw after gawd only knows how many decades - much like "Eclipse of the Sun Virgin" and a few other rarities from the day of true "underground" film. So you decide to check it out on IMDb just to see if anyone else has had the same grace and seen this movie. And you find out that it has already been filtered and reduced to some pablum for the masses already, and for TV, no less. Leave this gem alone, Mr Spielberg. The black and white ORIGINAL is so powerful and fun and dark that doing anything with the content or.... needless to say, Hollywood seems to have run out of ideas, or original ideas, or any means to make a buck without investing a whole lot of energy (as I see it). This wonderful movie should be on any serious film buff's list of must sees. Are you paranoid? This movie gives credence to anyone and all of us who have felt that there ain't an inch of life left to ourselves and that your meager little life is an open book for other's amusement - and our personal horror. Love love love this film.