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Pacific heights

Love this movie , simply one of the best movies I have seen . You have to watch this one !! What a show .

Is Anyone Home?

Drake (Modine) and Patty (Griffith) are the average, healthy, nonchalant couple who having just purchased their dream Victorian house in Pacific Heights, San Francisco; get themselves further into debt as they delightfully tend to both the interior & exterior of the residence to a surpassed point. Fortunately within days, one of the flats is rented by gentle elderly pair who, like Drake and Patty, are pushed to the limits by new resident, Carter Hayes who rents out flat No. 2.

A smooth operator in both person and when away, hypothetically on business, Hayes brusquely tears their lives apart in what would seem like revenge for something they seemingly did not commit. Asking candidly for their first instalment of rent from the now-missing Mr Hayes, Drake loses his temper and gets physical with the slippery weasel and ends up naively in police cuffs. With Drake away, Patty resumes regular duties in the house which alas results in a terrifying experience for the broken lovers. A few drill holes and clunking-around later, Drake attempts to access the flat, but when his master key fails to work on Hayes' new lock, Drake pulls a berserker and decides to cut off the tenant's gas and disconnects his electricity. Living on Squatters Law, Hayes & Co. takes as much as they can as quick as they can, until Drake & Patty uncover the brutal truth of their new inexplicable tenant.

Michael Keaton with one of his alien straighter roles, as was he a year earlier in Tim Burton's `Batman', he acquaints us with another beguiling character from his mental library of personalities. Melanie Griffith is stupendous as the tormented wife and Matthew Modine as the everyday nonentity pushed to his individual limitations, is in an all-out performance in one of his more fashionable years when he also starred in the smash-hit war epic, `Memphis Belle'. With no bona fide soundtrack, of course excusing the sporadic classical wipe over, the film breeds on its sinister sound effects of creaking floorboards and mechanical shrills from an assortment of industrial tools. Griffith must have thanked her lucky stars after the flop of the highly anticipated film from Brian DePalma, `The Bonfire of the Vanities'. John Schlesinger brings an incredibly tight-knit story with menacing and suffocating direction that barley pauses for breath. One of his more finer recent pieces that only has the unbelievably underrated Richard Gere movie `Yanks' to battle with in terms of best contemporary movie from his catalogue. A brightly written script by Daniel Pyne, with one of the most far-fetched productions by Scott Rudin and William Sackheim.

Includes an Alfred Hitchcock style cameo from British-born director Schlesinger as an elevator passenger as does Griffiths mother, Tippi Hedren as a millionaire charmed by Hayes.

Chilling.

Pacific Heights is a story about obsession and violence. Michael Keaton has never been creepier than this movie, his performance was the highlight of his career. Matthew Modine and Melanie Griffith are good as well, they play a couple who become terrified of their new tentant. This film is oldie but goodie, don't watch it alone.

SUSPENSE AT ITS BEST!

HEY KEATON IS A REAL CROOK IN THIS ONE,BUT HIS ACTING IS ALWAYS GOOD BUT IN HERE HE IS A SERIOUS PART,I LOVED IT,HE TERRORIZE THIS COUPLE TILL THE END AND MELANIE PLAYED HER PART TO THE T,SHE TURNED THE TABLES ON KEY IN AN SHOCKING INSTANT,THIS IS SUSPENSE AT ITS BEST..TRUST ME,ITS ONE OF THE GOOD ONES. WORTH THE BUY!

San Francisco dream becomes a nightmare

This movie was great! The characters were very believeable, and the story kept me on the edge of my seat. The house that they filmed the movie is beautiful, and the footage of San Francisco made me wish I still lived there!
I loved Patti and Drake's relationship, because they seemed like such a realistic 'starting-out' couple, and Keaton was great as the sadistic tenant.
Highly recommended!

Sociopathic behavior hits a remodeled Victorian house in San Francisco

Pacific Heights is a prettt solid three star movie. It's not the greatest thriller ever, but it's definitely not entirely unbelievable. It's somewhere in between.

A couple (young couple, if you believe the back of the DVD) pools their life savings to purchase an old Victorian house in San Francisco, with plans to rent out the two rooms on the bottom floor in order to pay the mortgage each month. What they don't count on is Michael Keaton's sociopathic creation Carter Hayes moving in. Terrible events ensue.

It's a pretty solid premise and plays out fairly well, except that in order for Hayes' plans to unravel correctly, you have to assume that any landlord would be rash enough to accept you as a tenant without receiving any payment and without a rental application, shut off your power if you're loud at night, physically attack you and knock you through a glass window, and ultimately be unsuspecting enough not to watch out for you making bail once you've been discovered and arrested. These flaws, which feel more and more forced throughout, seriously damage the chilling nature of the film, and also damage what would otherwise be a very credibly psychological thriller.

Michael Keaton is the only credible actor in the film a well, although Beverly D'Angelo also has some good scenes. Melanie Griffith and Matthew Modine give stilted performances that also hurt the movie, Modine more so than Griffith.

Now that I've said all the bad stuff about the movie, I'm changing my tune to say that it was still interesting to watch and for a movie made 17 years ago, it held on to quite a bit of its twists and intrigue. Identity theft is much more technologically advanced these days, but the idea of someone walking around pretending to be you is equally disconcerting in 2007 as it was in 1990. Pacific Heights is definitely still worth a watch.

Don't be a wimpy landlord!

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Fix-up an old Victorian home in a fashionable San Francisco neighborhood, rent out some of the rooms to help pay the mortgage, and keep the best part of the house for yourselves. However, when the young couple Patty Palmer (Melanie Griffith) and Drake Goodman (Matthew Modine) do just that, their great plans turn into a horror story.

In this film the couple inadvertently let Carter Hayes (Michael Keaton) take possession of an apartment in their home before he pays any rent. Hayes soon exploits California's liberal tenant-rights laws and cannot be evicted. Hayes then slowly terrorizes the couple and the other tenant by making noise, starting an insect infestation, and damaging the newly-remodeled home.

Furious about the situation, Modine's character lashes-out and soon finds himself on the wrong side of the law. As the situation deteriorates, the couple begins to argue over money, fear living in their own home, and seek revenge on the renegade tenant.

''Pacific Heights'' shows the dangers that exist when an evil person chooses to exploit others and has no remorse about doing so. Although the film is somewhat depressing, it does show the dangers of being too trusting or naive when dealing with others.

While I liked the plot of the movie, the acting by Modine and Griffith, was mediocre at best. They often seem wooden and stilted when delivering their lines. And Modine's character became annoying as he initially downplayed the situation then lashed-out at others for his own mistakes. But the drama and exciting final few scenes make the film a good horror-drama.

A must have thriller!

This is a must have for your average movie buff. Matthew Modine and Melanie Griffith play a nice couple trying to rent out their spacious house to make the mortgage. Then along comes Michael Keaton who puts on a brillant performance as the well mannered/psycho Carter Hayes. And wastes no time at making their life hell so he can keep the house for himself. The directing is nicely done and pretty convincing. Keaton's performance is much like that of the movie "Desperate Measures." And so good you'll wonder if Carter Hayes could ever lose. Definitely a great flick!

Cockroaches & Power Tools & Destruction, OH MY!!!

The seemingly charming, but sadistic, brutal, destructive & oh yeah... homicidal, Carter Hayes (Michael Keaton) puts
yuppies-cum-landlords, Patty Palmer and Drake Goodman (Melanie Griffith & Matthew Modine) through their paces as they experience the WORST tenant in the history of landlord lore!

Carter Hayes, armed with power tools, garbage, his little cockroach friends, and the law on his side, are GUARANTEED to drive Patty and Drake out of their beautiful victorian fixer-upper that they have just purchased. It seems like Carter would like to pick up the house for himself and thus, tries his darndest to make Patty and Drake default on their huge mortgage.

Tippi Hedren, Laurie Metcalf and Dan Hedaya also star.

This is a great suspense filled movie with a "killer" ending. Michael Keaton is perfect in the role as Carter Hayes. He is one of the most flexible and versatile actors, playing good guys (Mr. Mom & The Dream Team), bad guys (Pacific Heights & Desparate Measures), cartoon characters (Batman & Beatlejuice), & a dying man (My Life).

This is a most excellent suspense film and highly recommended!

Happy Watching!

Masterpiece

Drake Goodman (Matthew Modine) and Patty Palmer (Melanie Griffith) are a young couple in love
and together they take the plunge and buy a house beyond their means in the upscale Pacific

Heights. Overextended but in love, they rent out 2 apartments for income to help with their

mortgage. One is rented out to a wealthy young businessman (Michael Keaton) who drives a

Porsche and pays 5 months in advance rent in cash. After their other tenant moves out, and

Michael Keaton refuses to pay rent, the strain on the couples finances threaten foreclosure.

As Michael Keaton's true nature emerges, and he changes the locks, does loud construction

work into the late hours, and sets up Matthew Modine to be arrested, Melanie Griffith

starts to investigate Michael Keaton's real past. She learns that he's born into wealth, has a

checkered past, and swindles wealthy people as a career con artist. She gets Michael Keaton

arrested and his wealthy girlfriend bails him out. In the end, Michael Keaton has a fatal

confrontation with Matthew Modine in their house. Supporting cast includes Beverly D'Angelo

as Michael Keaton's former lover and partner.


A masterful treatment of the story. Great film for any age.



Little coarse language and few scenes of violence.


A perfect suspense film. Michael Keaton is terrific as the bad guy, scheming his way
like a snake. Melanie Griffith is strong minded, and Matthew Modine plays naive but well

meaning.


Everything's perfect in this film, not a dull moment. Little to say about this movie except,
"watch it!"


A great addition to your film collection of modern suspense masterpieces.

To the uneducated reviewers, you know who you are!

Can someone please use a little bit of grammar when critiquing a movie? It's quite simple really, take out a dictionary, use a guide or do some spell checking before putting in your two cents to the rest of the world. At least it will benefit the young people who may be reading these reviews and taking notes from everyone's bad writing skills.

Now, for the review of this film-total garbage! None of the facts invested into this film hold any water whatsoever! I simply had to cringe and laugh uncontrollably when the police arrive in favor of the Michael Keaton character after Matthew Modine beats the living crap out of him. The most irritating character had to be the lawyer, a complete no-talent actress that belongs behind a counter flipping burgers somewhere! Which by now, I am sure she is-thank God! This movie simply proves, you don't really need to have talent to be making movies! Now, what about the Melanie Griffith character? She's the only reason this movie is even remotely interesting. If not for her in the final act, this movie would fall face flat on the ground like it should have! Lame script! Lame characters (with the exception of Melanies character of course). Leave this one on the shelf folks, these reviews are so full of it, and I am starting to smell a bad odor from the moronic fumes!

Prompt shipment

I still haven't had time to watch the video to comment about the quality, but it was shipped promptly and seems to be in good order.

I hated Michael Keaton in this movie--

Michael Keaton's part in this movie was such a villian. Everytime I saw him, I hated him, which makes you realize what a great actor he is. He made my skin crawl--Matthew Modin, no matter how hard he tried, kept making things worse. You had to feel sorry for him. And Melanie, way to go!!

Very Suspenseful, well done, and keeps you interested!!

I have to say this was a great feature. I liked the production value, acting, dialouge, and sequence of disasters that literally gets your adrenaline going. Michael Keaton portrays as menacing of a horrendous psychopath as you could ever want, and the private eye efforts of Melanie Griffith toward the nerve jolting conclusion were quite realistic and well performed. Quite a shock nowadays with the internet and virtual signatures responsible for thousands of new cases of fraud each day, to look back 15 years ago to see that your most professional criminals could do it just as efficiently back then as now if not even easier. I give it an A+ and it definitely is among the best films of the early 1990's.

An excellent movie!

If you haven't seen the movie Pacific Heights, you haven't seen one of the best suspense films of the decade. Michael Keaton is a terrific villain in the worst possible way. It is amazing to watch as Keaton's passive aggressive behavior ruins the lives of an unmarried couple who are trying to purchase an old Victorian home in San Francisco by renting parts of the house out to pay the mortgage. What is even more of a surprise is Melanie Griffith's character ... she is the ultimate heroine. This is an excellent movie that didn't even seem to get the critical acclaim it deserved.

Pacific Heights or California Low?

There is some first-rate acting in Pacific Heights by Melanie Griffith, Mathew Modine, Mako, Nobu McCarthy, Michael Keaton and every other role, however large or small in the film. I'd rate Pacific Heights as a full five-stars were it not for the less than inspired writing. (I often suspect some writers believe their audience is primarily composed of idiots.)

A young, unmarried straight couple, played by Griffith and Modine, buy a fixer up house on a corner lot in Pacific Heights. The couple spends way more for the house than they can possibly afford unless they subdivide the home into three separate apartments, two of which will be rented out. (Bankers generally look down, way down, on this type of financial risk.)

The first floor apartment at the rear of the house is quickly rented to Mako and his wife, sympathetically played by Nobu McCarthy. A black detective wants to rent the apartment at the front of the house also on the first floor, but is told by Ms. Griffith that he'll have to fill out an application and a credit check will have to be run. (Isn't this general practice regardless of one's race, sex or obviously "apparent" assets, such as car, clothes, shoes, hair style, etc? But Pacific Heights tries to suggest the need for a background and credit check may relate to the detective's skin color. But Ms. Griffith, who does the interview, isn't even told the guy's a cop! Nor is he asked, "What do you do for a living?"

The biggest problem in Pacific Heights involves the manner in which Michael Keaton (who drives a black Porsche 911 in the movie) cons and forces his way into the apartment that otherwise would have gone to the black detective. Anywhere but California, and, I suspect, in California, too, Keaton's move into the first floor apartment isn't just unauthorized, it's a home invasion by a squatter! Keaton never fills out an application; he never pays the deposit; he never pays his rent; after he invades the home he gets into a fight with Modine---and gets a restraining order that keeps Modine out of his own house! The writing here is way too far-fetched.

As stated above, the acting is first-rate. So is the direction. And so are the sets and costumes. And San Francisco is such a beautiful place to visit or film a movie. The only problem with Pacific Heights is that the writing is far too weak.

Andy McKane
Missoula, Montana

Squatter's Rights (And Wrongs)...

Upwardly-mobile couple Patty and Drake Goodman (Melanie Griffith and Matthew Modine) buy a $750K house in SF. In order to offset the titanic mortgage payments, they must rent out the two apartments downstairs. At first, all is well, as a nice older couple become the first tenents. The second rental doesn't go quite as smoothly. A man named Carter Hayes (Michael Keaton from Batman, Batman Returns, and Beetlejuice) moves right in w/ what appear to be impeccable references, and a wad of cash in his wallet. Alas, Hayes is not on the level, and Patty and Drake soon find out just how off-balance this guy is! Hayes squats in the apartment, refusing to leave. He causes constant noise that eventually drives everyone nuts! He even releases an army of cockroaches to infest the whole place! The building stress, and inabiliy to legally do anything about it, eventually cause Drake to snap, sending him diving on Hayes for a major beat-down! Well, this action results in Goodman's arrest. Of course, Hayes is seen as just a poor innocent victim in all of this. Goodman is even under restraining order, and cannot come within 500ft of his own home! What can this couple do to regain their property and their sanity? Watch the fun unfold! PACIFIC HEIGHTS is a magnificent Catch-22 type story of the common man caught up in the idiocy of the system. No matter how hard they try, Hayes is always protected by the law. There's a healthy stream of good old fashioned black comedy running through this movie's veins! Keaton is superb as the nefarious Hayes, driven to do what he does by whatever pathology rumbles through his head. I consider this to be his finest performance. Watch for cameos and small roles by Beverly D'Angelo (The Sentinel), Dan Hadaya (Blood Simple), and Laurie Metcalf (Scream 2)! Highly recommend, especially to future landlords...

You may not want to be a landlord/landlady after seeing this

While watching this video, you may wonder "how could someone get away with this?" Melanie Griffith and Matt Modine are unjustly put through the ringer with this very belligerent tenant played by Michael Keaton. This is scarier and more suspenseful than any of those killing-spree horror flicks made back in the eighties because it's seemingly more likely to happen to some unsuspecting person(s) who just want to rent out their properties to help pay for the mortgage.

A Good Purchase

A good movie. never heard of it before, but came across it while watching tv late one night. I had only seen the ending.

very creppy movie about a very bad neighbor!!!

this movie is about a young couple who fix a old building in S.F. They encounter many problems as landlord with the person living downstairs. This movie is very creppy and very suspenseful!!!