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{{Short description|1983 film by Peter Hyams}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
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| gross = $5.6 million
| gross = $5.6 million
}}
}}
'''''The Star Chamber''''' is a 1983 American [[crime film|crime]]–[[Drama (film and television)|drama]]/[[Mystery film|mystery]]–[[Thriller (genre)|thriller film]] starring [[Michael Douglas]],{{sfn|Machlowi|1983|page=1548}} [[Hal Holbrook]],{{sfn|Levi|2005|page=39}}<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fZObgFgvLJQC&pg=PT325&lpg=PT325&dq=Hal+Holbrook+as+Judge+Benjamin+Caulfield&source=bl&ots=gU0sgm8Sa6&sig=khAdA4g_k8xaG8xJjssCoPBdtRE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7zq3y4bbRAhXI54MKHXkrAmsQ6AEINTAE#v=onepage&q=Hal%20Holbrook%20as%20Judge%20Benjamin%20Caulfield&f=false|title=Law and Popular Culture: Text, Notes, and Questions|edition=2nd|first1=David Ray|last1=Papke|first2=Christine A.|last2=Corcos|first3=Melissa Cole|last3=Essig|first4=Peter H.|last4=Huang|first5=Lenora P.|last5=Ledwon|first6=Diane H.|last6=Mazur|first7=Carrie|last7=Menkel-Meadow|first8=Philip N.|last8=Meyer|publisher=[[LexisNexis]]|location=[[Dayton, Ohio]]|year=2012|isbn=978-0769847535}}</ref>{{ref|1|1}} [[Yaphet Kotto]], [[Sharon Gless]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nndb.com/people/466/000024394/|title=Sharon Glass|work=[[Hollywood.com]]|publisher=Hollywood.com, [[Limited liability company|LLC]]|location=[[Boca Raton, Florida]]|accessdate=January 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/2/Sharon-Gless.html|title=Sharon Glass|work=[[NNDB]]|publisher=Soylent Communications|location=United States|accessdate=January 10, 2017}}</ref> [[James Sikking|James B. Sikking]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/50/James-B-Sikking.html|title=James B. Sikking|work=[[Film Reference Library]]|publisher=[[TIFF Bell Lightbox]]|location=[[Toronto]]|accessdate=January 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/james-b-sikking-57715709/|title=James B. Sikking|work=[[Hollywood.com]]|publisher=Hollywood.com, [[Limited liability company|LLC]]|location=[[Boca Raton, Florida]]|accessdate=January 10, 2017}}</ref> and [[Joe Regalbuto]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/77/Joe-Regalbuto.html|title=Joe Regalbuto|work=[[Film Reference Library]]|publisher=[[TIFF Bell Lightbox]]|location=[[Toronto]]|accessdate=January 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/joe-regalbuto-57262684/|title=Joe Regalbuto|work=[[Hollywood.com]]|publisher=Hollywood.com, [[Limited liability company|LLC]]|location=[[Boca Raton, Florida]]|accessdate=January 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nndb.com/people/302/000160819/|title=Joe Regalbuto|work=[[NNDB]]|publisher=Soylent Communications|location=United States|accessdate=January 10, 2017}}</ref> The film was written by [[Roderick Taylor]] & [[Peter Hyams]] and directed by Hyams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/19600/Star-Chamber-The/full-credits.html|title=The Star Chamber|work=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]] ([[Time Warner]])|location=[[Atlanta]]|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}</ref> The film's title is taken from the name of the [[Star Chamber]], the notorious 15th –17th-century English court.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/ttu-ir/bitstream/handle/2346/19798/31295008645003.pdf?sequence=1|title=THE FINAL YEARS OF THE COURT OF STAR CHAMBER 1558–1641|first=Newell Dalton|last=Boyd III|work=[[Texas Tech University Press]]|publisher=[[Texas Tech University]]|location=[[Lubbock, Texas]]|date=|accessdate=January 10, 2017}}</ref>
'''''The Star Chamber''''' is a 1983 American [[crime thriller film]] starring [[Michael Douglas]],{{sfn|Machlowi|1983|page=1548}} [[Hal Holbrook]],{{sfn|Levi|2005|page=39}}<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fZObgFgvLJQC&q=Hal+Holbrook+as+Judge+Benjamin+Caulfield&pg=PT325|title=Law and Popular Culture: Text, Notes, and Questions|edition=2nd|first1=David Ray|last1=Papke|first2=Christine A.|last2=Corcos|first3=Melissa Cole|last3=Essig|first4=Peter H.|last4=Huang|first5=Lenora P.|last5=Ledwon|first6=Diane H.|last6=Mazur|first7=Carrie|last7=Menkel-Meadow|first8=Philip N.|last8=Meyer|publisher=[[LexisNexis]]|location=[[Dayton, Ohio]]|year=2012|isbn=978-0769847535|author-link7= Carrie Menkel-Meadow}}</ref>{{ref|1|1}} [[Yaphet Kotto]], [[Sharon Gless]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nndb.com/people/466/000024394/|title=Sharon Glass|work=[[Hollywood.com]]|publisher=Hollywood.com, [[Limited liability company|LLC]]|location=[[Boca Raton, Florida]]|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/2/Sharon-Gless.html|title=Sharon Glass|work=[[NNDB]]|publisher=Soylent Communications|location=United States|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref> [[James B. Sikking]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/50/James-B-Sikking.html|title=James B. Sikking|work=[[Film Reference Library]]|publisher=[[TIFF Bell Lightbox]]|location=[[Toronto]]|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/james-b-sikking-57715709/|title=James B. Sikking|work=[[Hollywood.com]]|publisher=Hollywood.com, [[Limited liability company|LLC]]|location=[[Boca Raton, Florida]]|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref> and [[Joe Regalbuto]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/77/Joe-Regalbuto.html|title=Joe Regalbuto|work=[[Film Reference Library]]|publisher=[[TIFF Bell Lightbox]]|location=[[Toronto]]|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/joe-regalbuto-57262684/|title=Joe Regalbuto|work=[[Hollywood.com]]|publisher=Hollywood.com, [[Limited liability company|LLC]]|location=[[Boca Raton, Florida]]|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nndb.com/people/302/000160819/|title=Joe Regalbuto|work=[[NNDB]]|publisher=Soylent Communications|location=United States|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref> The film was written by [[Roderick Taylor]] and [[Peter Hyams]] and directed by Hyams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/19600/Star-Chamber-The/full-credits.html|title=The Star Chamber|work=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]] ([[Time Warner]])|location=[[Atlanta]]|access-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref> Its title is taken from the name of the [[Star Chamber]], a 15th−17th-century English court.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/ttu-ir/bitstream/handle/2346/19798/31295008645003.pdf?sequence=1|title=THE FINAL YEARS OF THE COURT OF STAR CHAMBER 1558–1641|first=Newell Dalton|last=Boyd III|work=[[Texas Tech University Press]]|publisher=[[Texas Tech University]]|location=[[Lubbock, Texas]]|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
Judge Steven Hardin ([[Michael Douglas]]) is an idealistic [[Los Angeles]] judge who becomes frustrated when the technicalities of the law prevent the prosecution of three criminals. The first is a man who was charged with [[murder]]ing several elderly women for their [[welfare]] money. The second and third are two men who were accused of [[rape|raping]] and killing a young boy named Daniel Lewin as part of a suspected [[child pornography]] ring.
Judge Steven Hardin ([[Michael Douglas]]) is an idealistic [[Los Angeles]] jurist who gets frustrated when the technicalities of the law prevent the prosecution of a man who was charged with numerous murders of elderly women for their [[welfare]] money after their checks were cashed and two other men who are accused of raping and killing an eight-year old boy as part of a suspected [[child pornography]] ring. The latter two were driving slowly late at night and attracted the suspicion of two police officers, who thought the van's occupants might be burglars. After checking the license plate for violations, the policemen pulled them over for expired paperwork, claimed to have smelled marijuana, then saw a bloody shoe inside the van. However, the paperwork was actually submitted on time (it was merely processed late), meaning the police had no reason to pull over the van and Hardin has no choice (see [[fruit of the poisonous tree]]) but to exclude any subsequently discovered evidence, i.e. the bloody shoe. Hardin is even more distraught when the father of the boy attempts to shoot the criminals in court but misses and shoots one of the arresting officers instead. Subsequently, the father commits suicide while in jail only after he informs Hardin that another boy has been discovered raped and murdered and tells him "This one is on you, your Honor. That boy would be alive if you hadn't let those men go." After hearing all this, Judge Hardin approaches his friend, Judge Caulfield ([[Hal Holbrook]]), who tells him of a modern-day [[Star Chamber]]: a group of judges who identifies criminals who fell through the judicial system's cracks and then takes action against them outside the legal structure with a hired assassin.


The suspected child murderers, Lawrence Monk and Arthur Cooms, attracted the attention of two police officers when they were driving slowly late at night. The police officers suspected that the van's occupants might be burglars. After checking the license plate for violations, the officers pulled the van over for expired paperwork. They also claimed to have smelled [[marijuana]], and then saw a bloody shoe inside the van. However, the reason for stopping the van turned out to be spurious: the paperwork was actually submitted on time, it was merely processed late.
⚫
Judge Hardin participates in one of these proceedings in which he presents the case of two other technicality released criminals. The Star Chamber declares them "guilty" and dispatches the assassin. Soon afterward, however, police detective Harry Lowes ([[Yaphet Kotto]]) comes to Hardin with conclusive evidence that someone else raped and killed the boy. Realizing that he and the Star Chamber have just sentenced two men to die for a crime that they did not commit, Hardin implores the Star Chamber to recall the assassin, but is told by the other judges that the hit cannot be canceled. For the judges' own protection, their system includes a buffer between themselves and the assassin; they do not know who he is, and he doesn't know who they are. They rationalize to Hardin that although an occasional mistake is inevitable and regrettable, what they are doing still serves society's greater good &mdash; especially, they argue, considering that the two targeted men are clearly criminals who are guilty of numerous other crimes, even if not of the specific crime for which the group convicted them.


Since the traffic stop was illegal, based on the [[fruit of the poisonous tree]] doctrine, Hardin has no choice but to exclude any evidence discovered as a result of the traffic stop, including the bloody shoe. Hardin becomes even more distraught when Daniel's father, Dr. Harold Lewin, attempts to shoot Monk and Cooms in court, but misses and shoots one of the arresting officers instead; Dr. Lewin is arrested.
⚫
Hardin makes it clear that he does not accept their reasoning. Caulfield warns him to back down because the group will do whatever they have to in order to protect themselves. Hardin refuses to heed this warning and says he will do whatever he can do to stop the men from being killed. He then tracks down the men in an abandoned [[warehouse]] in an attempt to warn them. However, when he arrives, they do not trust him, as he has now stumbled across their illegal drug operation. After they attack him, Hardin is saved by the hitman, disguised as a police officer, who kills the two men before they can kill Hardin. The hitman points his gun at Hardin, but at the last moment, Lowes arrives and kills the hitman.


While on a visit to Dr. Lewin, Hardin learns that another boy had been discovered by the police, raped and murdered in the same manner as Daniel. Outraged, Hardin visits his friend, Judge Caulfield ([[Hal Holbrook]]), who tells him of the existence of a modern-day [[Star Chamber]], a group of judges that identifies criminals who cannot be brought to justice through the judicial system, and takes action against them using a hired assassin. As there is a vacancy present, one of the judges, James Culhane, had committed suicide earlier, Hardin participates in two of the Star Chamber proceedings, and the assassin is dispatched to kill two other unrelated murderers who were released on technicalities despite their own confessions.
⚫
The film ends with the Star Chamber deciding another "case" without Hardin, who is outside in a car with Lowes recording their conversation.

After receiving a phone call that Dr. Lewin has committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills while in jail, Hardin contracts the assassin to murder Monk and Cooms. Police detective Harry Lowes ([[Yaphet Kotto]]) learns from a car thief named Stanley Flowers that three men were actually responsible for the crime.

⚫
While at a party, Hardin learns about the new evidence. Realizing that he and the Star Chamber have just sentenced Monk and Cooms to die for a crime that they did not commit, Hardin implores the Star Chamber to recall the assassin, but is told by the other judges that the hit cannot be canceled. For the judges' protection, there is a cut-out between them and the assassin; they do not know who he is, and he doesn't know who they are. They tell Hardin that, although an occasional mistake is inevitable and regrettable, what they are doing still serves society's greater good. They argue that Monk and Cooms are clearly criminals who are guilty of numerous other crimes, even if they are not guilty of the specific crime for which the group convicted them.

⚫
Hardin makes it clear that he does not accept their reasoning, and Caulfield warns him to back down because the members of the group will do whatever they have to in order to protect themselves. Hardin decides to make an effort to stop Monk and Cooms from being killed, so he tracks them down in an abandoned warehouse and attempts to warn them. However, Hardin has stumbled across their illegal drug operation, and they don't believe him. They attack Hardin, but the hitman, disguised as a police officer, arrives and kills both of them before they can kill Hardin. The hitman prepares to kill Hardin, but Lowes arrives at the last moment and kills the hitman.

⚫
Finally, as the Star Chamber decides another "case" without Hardin, Hardin sits with Lowes outside in a car, recording their conversation.


==Cast==
==Cast==
{{Div col}}
{{cast list|
* [[Michael Douglas]] as Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin
* [[Michael Douglas]] as Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin
* [[Hal Holbrook]] as Judge Benjamin Caulfield
* [[Hal Holbrook]] as Judge Benjamin Caulfield
* [[Yaphet Kotto]] as Det. Harry Lowes
* [[Yaphet Kotto]] as Det. Harry Lowes
* [[Sharon Gless]] as Emily Hardin
* [[Sharon Gless]] as Emily Hardin
* [[James Sikking|James B. Sikking]] as Dr. Harold Lewin
* [[James B. Sikking]] as Dr. Harold Lewin
* [[Joe Regalbuto]] as Arthur Cooms
* [[Joe Regalbuto]] as Arthur Cooms
* [[Don Calfa]] as Lawrence Monk
* [[Don Calfa]] as Lawrence Monk
Line 55: Line 64:
* [[DeWayne Jessie]] as Stanley Flowers
* [[DeWayne Jessie]] as Stanley Flowers
* [[David Proval]] as Officer Nelson
* [[David Proval]] as Officer Nelson
* [[Robin Gammell]] as Judge Archer
* Matthew Faison as Judge Stoner
* [[Fred McCarren]] as Judge Karras
* [[Michael Ensign]] as Judge Kirkland
* [[Michael Ensign]] as Judge Kirkland
* [[Jason Bernard]] as Judge Bocho
* Jerry Taft as Judge Fogelson
* Mike Austin as Judge Lang
* Sheldon Feldner as Judge James Culhane
* [[Keith Buckley (actor)|Keith Buckley]] as the assassin
* [[Diana Douglas]] as Adrian Caulfield
* [[Diana Douglas]] as Adrian Caulfield
* [[Frances Bergen]] as Mrs. Cummins
* [[Frances Bergen]] as Mrs. Cummins
* [[Robert Costanzo]] as Sgt. Spota
* [[Robert Costanzo]] as Sgt. Spota
* [[Charles Hallahan]] as Officer Pickett (uncredited)
{{div col end}}
}}


==Production==
==Production==
''The Star Chamber'' was given a budget of [[USD|$]]8 million.{{sfn|Solomon|1988|page=260}}
''The Star Chamber'' was given a budget of [[USD|$]]8 million.{{sfn|Solomon|1988|page=260}}

Hyams said "I wanted first and foremost to make a film that is connected to an issue, not whether a bunch of judges getting together and ordering people's deaths is a credibility problem. The issue is the breakdown of the legal system and the resulting hysteria of crime . . . I was nervous about how young I could make Judge Hardin (Douglas), but I spent a lot of time at the Superior Court and there are silver foxes, sure, but there are also quite a few good-looking, 40-year-old judges on the bench."<ref>The agony and the ecstasy Hyams tries for brass ring with new film
Fraser, Matthew. The Globe and Mail1 3 July 1983: P.13.</ref>


==Reception==
==Reception==
''The Star Chamber'' grossed $5.6 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=starchamber.htm|title=The Star Chamber|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|location=United States|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}</ref>
''The Star Chamber'' grossed $5.6 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=starchamber.htm|title=The Star Chamber|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|location=United States|access-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref>


===Critical response===
===Critical response===
[[Review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives ''The Star Chamber'' a score of 71% based on reviews from 14 critics and a rating of 6 out of 10.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_chamber/|title=The Star Chamber|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango (company)|Fandango]]|location=United States|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}</ref>
[[Review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives ''The Star Chamber'' a score of 71% based on reviews from 14 critics and a rating of 6 out of 10.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_chamber/|title=The Star Chamber|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|location=United States|access-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref>


Critic [[Roger Ebert]] wrote in his review: "''The Star Chamber'' works brilliantly until it locks into a plot. Then it stops dancing and starts marching. The movie opens with a series of intriguing scenes showing a series of shocking miscarriages of justice. Fiends and perverts are caught red-handed, confess to their crimes and then are put back on the streets again because of minor legal technicalities. [...] The ending of the movie was especially infuriating."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-star-chamber-1983|title=The Star Chamber|first=Roger|last=Ebert|authorlink=Roger Ebert|work={{noitalic|Roger Ebert}}|publisher=Ebert Digital LLC|location=[[Chicago]]|date=August 8, 1983|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}</ref>
Critic [[Roger Ebert]] wrote: "''The Star Chamber'' works brilliantly until it locks into a plot. Then it stops dancing and starts marching. The movie opens with a series of intriguing scenes showing a series of shocking miscarriages of justice. Fiends and perverts are caught red-handed, confess to their crimes and then are put back on the streets again because of minor legal technicalities. [...] The ending of the movie was especially infuriating."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-star-chamber-1983|title=The Star Chamber|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|work=Roger Ebert|publisher=Ebert Digital LLC|location=[[Chicago]]|date=August 8, 1983|access-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref>


Critic [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote in her review: "[[Peter Hyams|PETER HYAMS]] has shown himself, with films like ''[[Busting]]'', ''[[Outland (film)|Outland]]'', and ''[[Capricorn One]]'', to be a stylish, flippant director, capable of generating a great deal of suspense as well as action scenes that really pack a wallop. ''The Star Chamber,'' which opens today at Loews Tower East and other theaters, begins so excitingly that Mr. Hyams appears to have outdone himself. [...] But ''The Star Chamber'' can't live up to its own initial promise - nor does it really live up to Mr. Hyams's. His powerhouse style finally sabotages the issues raised by ''The Star Chamber,'' which remain much more delicate than the treatment they have been given here.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A0CEFDA103BF936A3575BC0A965948260|title=PETER HYAMS DIRECTS 'STAR CHAMBER'|first=Janet|last=Maslin|authorlink=Janet Maslin|work=[[The New York Times]]|publisher=[[The New York Times Company]]|location=[[New York City]]|date=August 5, 1983|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}</ref>
Critic [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote: "[[Peter Hyams]] has shown himself, with films like ''[[Busting]]'', ''[[Outland (film)|Outland]]'', and ''[[Capricorn One]]'', to be a stylish, flippant director, capable of generating a great deal of suspense as well as action scenes that really pack a wallop. ''The Star Chamber,'' which opens today at Loews Tower East and other theaters, begins so excitingly that Mr. Hyams appears to have outdone himself. [...] But ''The Star Chamber'' can't live up to its own initial promise – nor does it really live up to Mr. Hyams's. His powerhouse style finally sabotages the issues raised by ''The Star Chamber,'' which remain much more delicate than the treatment they have been given here.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A0CEFDA103BF936A3575BC0A965948260|title=PETER HYAMS DIRECTS 'STAR CHAMBER'|first=Janet|last=Maslin|author-link=Janet Maslin|work=[[The New York Times]]|location=[[New York City]]|date=August 5, 1983|access-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref>


==Release==
==Release==
''The Star Chamber'' was released in theatres on August 5, 1983.<ref name="NYT"/>
''The Star Chamber'' was released in theatres on August 5, 1983.<ref name="NYT"/> The actual theatrical runtime of the film was one hundred–eight minutes and thirty–eight seconds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/star-chamber-1970-0|title=''STAR CHAMBER'' (15)|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|location=[[London]]|date=July 7, 1983|accessdate=May 8, 2015}}</ref> ''The Star Chamber'' was originally released on [[DVD]] on August 30, 2011, and then on May 28, 2013 by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Star-Chamber-Michael-Douglas/dp/B0006Z2NQI|title=The Star Chanber|work=[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|location=[[Century City, Los Angeles]]|date=August 30, 2011|asin=B0006Z2NQI|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}</ref>


==References==
===Home media===
The film was released on [[VHS]] by [[CBS/Fox Video]] in 1984 and reissued by [[FoxVideo]] in the 1990s. It was on [[DVD]] in 2005, and then on [[Blu-ray]] on May 28, 2013, by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] and is and has since the 2010s been available [[online]] through [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[iTunes Store]] [[downloadable]] [[application software|application]] and [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]]'s, [[Vudu]]'s and [[YouTube]]'s [[website]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Star-Chamber-Michael-Douglas/dp/B0006Z2NQI|title=The Star Chamber|work=[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|location=[[Century City, Los Angeles]]|date=August 30, 2011|asin=B0006Z2NQI|access-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref>
===Notes===
⚫
{{refbegin}}


==TV Series==
# {{note|1}} The book does not have numbered pages.
In April 2020 it was announced Amazon had a TV series in development based on the film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/04/the-star-chamber-drama-inspired-movie-sheldon-turner-jennifer-klein-vendetta-amazon-studios-fox-21-1202910699/|title = 'The Star Chamber' Drama Inspired by Movie in Works at Amazon from Sheldon Turner & Fox 21 TV Studios|date = April 17, 2020}}</ref>


==References==
⚫
{{refbegin}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}

===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}
{{reflist|30em}}


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{{Refbegin|30em}}
{{Refbegin|30em}}


* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wTedX0OUbCMC&pg=PA1548&lpg=PA1548&dq=Michael+Douglas+as+Steven+R.+Hardin&source=bl&ots=i9x2qqv24i&sig=d0dr8ofvQWH6barmtb1AQdJqWRI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj8nJCGtLjRAhWDQyYKHYi7CJkQ6AEIUDAM#v=onepage&q=Michael%20Douglas%20as%20Steven%20R.%20Hardin&f=false|title=Lawyer on the Aisle|first=David S.|last=Machlowi|work=[[ABA Journal]]|publisher=[[American Bar Association]]|location=[[Chicago]]|date=October 1983|accessdate=January 10, 2017|page=1548}}
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wTedX0OUbCMC&q=Michael+Douglas+as+Steven+R.+Hardin&pg=PA1548|title=Lawyer on the Aisle|first=David S.|last=Machlowi|work=[[ABA Journal]]|publisher=[[American Bar Association]]|location=[[Chicago]]|date=October 1983|access-date=January 10, 2017|page=1548}}
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yLVNY1h_2zYC&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=Hal+Holbrook+as+Judge+Benjamin+Caulfield&source=bl&ots=RhUY_hXYTc&sig=JOysIrtC00ZSOFQIDD4hF8tO3_M&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7zq3y4bbRAhXI54MKHXkrAmsQ6AEIOjAF#v=onepage&q=Hal%20Holbrook%20as%20Judge%20Benjamin%20Caulfield&f=false|title=The Celluloid Courtroom: A History of Legal Cinema|first=Ross D.|last=Levi|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group#Imprints|Praeger Publishers]]|location=[[Santa Barbara, California]]|year=2005|isbn=978-0275982331|page=39}}
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yLVNY1h_2zYC&q=Hal+Holbrook+as+Judge+Benjamin+Caulfield&pg=PA39|title=The Celluloid Courtroom: A History of Legal Cinema|first=Ross D.|last=Levi|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group#Imprints|Praeger Publishers]]|location=[[Santa Barbara, California]]|year=2005|isbn=978-0275982331|page=39}}
* {{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Twentieth-Century-Fox-Corporate-Financial-Filmmakers/dp/0810842440|title=Twentieth Century-Fox: A Corporate and Financial History|first=Aubrey|last=Solomon|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield#Imprints|Scarecrow Press]]|location=[[Lanham, Maryland]]|year=1988|isbn=978-0810842441|page=260}}
* {{cite book|title=Twentieth Century-Fox: A Corporate and Financial History|first=Aubrey|last=Solomon|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield#Imprints|Scarecrow Press]]|location=[[Lanham, Maryland]]|year=1988|isbn=978-0810842441|page=260}}


{{Refend}}
{{Refend}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0086356|The Star Chamber}}
* {{IMDb title|0086356|The Star Chamber}}


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[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
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[[Category:American mystery films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Peter Hyams]]
[[Category:Films directed by Peter Hyams]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Peter Hyams]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
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[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Legal films]]
[[Category:1980s legal films]]
[[Category:Serial killer films]]
[[Category:American serial killer films]]
[[Category:Vigilante films]]
[[Category:American vigilante films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
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[[Category:Films scored by Michael Small]]
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[[Category:1980s American films]]
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Latest revision as of 22:01, 6 October 2024

The Star Chamber
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Hyams
Screenplay by
Story byRoderick Taylor
Produced byFrank Yablans
Starring
CinematographyRichard Hannah
Edited byJames Mitchell
Music byMichael Small
Production
company
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • August 5, 1983 (1983-08-05)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8 million
Box office$5.6 million

The Star Chamber is a 1983 American crime thriller film starring Michael Douglas,[1] Hal Holbrook,[2][3]1 Yaphet Kotto, Sharon Gless,[4][5] James B. Sikking,[6][7] and Joe Regalbuto.[8][9][10] The film was written by Roderick Taylor and Peter Hyams and directed by Hyams.[11] Its title is taken from the name of the Star Chamber, a 15th−17th-century English court.[12]

Plot

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Judge Steven Hardin (Michael Douglas) is an idealistic Los Angeles judge who becomes frustrated when the technicalities of the law prevent the prosecution of three criminals. The first is a man who was charged with murdering several elderly women for their welfare money. The second and third are two men who were accused of raping and killing a young boy named Daniel Lewin as part of a suspected child pornography ring.

The suspected child murderers, Lawrence Monk and Arthur Cooms, attracted the attention of two police officers when they were driving slowly late at night. The police officers suspected that the van's occupants might be burglars. After checking the license plate for violations, the officers pulled the van over for expired paperwork. They also claimed to have smelled marijuana, and then saw a bloody shoe inside the van. However, the reason for stopping the van turned out to be spurious: the paperwork was actually submitted on time, it was merely processed late.

Since the traffic stop was illegal, based on the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine, Hardin has no choice but to exclude any evidence discovered as a result of the traffic stop, including the bloody shoe. Hardin becomes even more distraught when Daniel's father, Dr. Harold Lewin, attempts to shoot Monk and Cooms in court, but misses and shoots one of the arresting officers instead; Dr. Lewin is arrested.

While on a visit to Dr. Lewin, Hardin learns that another boy had been discovered by the police, raped and murdered in the same manner as Daniel. Outraged, Hardin visits his friend, Judge Caulfield (Hal Holbrook), who tells him of the existence of a modern-day Star Chamber, a group of judges that identifies criminals who cannot be brought to justice through the judicial system, and takes action against them using a hired assassin. As there is a vacancy present, one of the judges, James Culhane, had committed suicide earlier, Hardin participates in two of the Star Chamber proceedings, and the assassin is dispatched to kill two other unrelated murderers who were released on technicalities despite their own confessions.

After receiving a phone call that Dr. Lewin has committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills while in jail, Hardin contracts the assassin to murder Monk and Cooms. Police detective Harry Lowes (Yaphet Kotto) learns from a car thief named Stanley Flowers that three men were actually responsible for the crime.

While at a party, Hardin learns about the new evidence. Realizing that he and the Star Chamber have just sentenced Monk and Cooms to die for a crime that they did not commit, Hardin implores the Star Chamber to recall the assassin, but is told by the other judges that the hit cannot be canceled. For the judges' protection, there is a cut-out between them and the assassin; they do not know who he is, and he doesn't know who they are. They tell Hardin that, although an occasional mistake is inevitable and regrettable, what they are doing still serves society's greater good. They argue that Monk and Cooms are clearly criminals who are guilty of numerous other crimes, even if they are not guilty of the specific crime for which the group convicted them.

Hardin makes it clear that he does not accept their reasoning, and Caulfield warns him to back down because the members of the group will do whatever they have to in order to protect themselves. Hardin decides to make an effort to stop Monk and Cooms from being killed, so he tracks them down in an abandoned warehouse and attempts to warn them. However, Hardin has stumbled across their illegal drug operation, and they don't believe him. They attack Hardin, but the hitman, disguised as a police officer, arrives and kills both of them before they can kill Hardin. The hitman prepares to kill Hardin, but Lowes arrives at the last moment and kills the hitman.

Finally, as the Star Chamber decides another "case" without Hardin, Hardin sits with Lowes outside in a car, recording their conversation.

Cast

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Production

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The Star Chamber was given a budget of $8 million.[13]

Hyams said "I wanted first and foremost to make a film that is connected to an issue, not whether a bunch of judges getting together and ordering people's deaths is a credibility problem. The issue is the breakdown of the legal system and the resulting hysteria of crime . . . I was nervous about how young I could make Judge Hardin (Douglas), but I spent a lot of time at the Superior Court and there are silver foxes, sure, but there are also quite a few good-looking, 40-year-old judges on the bench."[14]

Reception

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The Star Chamber grossed $5.6 million.[15]

Critical response

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Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives The Star Chamber a score of 71% based on reviews from 14 critics and a rating of 6 out of 10.[16]

Critic Roger Ebert wrote: "The Star Chamber works brilliantly until it locks into a plot. Then it stops dancing and starts marching. The movie opens with a series of intriguing scenes showing a series of shocking miscarriages of justice. Fiends and perverts are caught red-handed, confess to their crimes and then are put back on the streets again because of minor legal technicalities. [...] The ending of the movie was especially infuriating."[17]

Critic Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote: "Peter Hyams has shown himself, with films like Busting, Outland, and Capricorn One, to be a stylish, flippant director, capable of generating a great deal of suspense as well as action scenes that really pack a wallop. The Star Chamber, which opens today at Loews Tower East and other theaters, begins so excitingly that Mr. Hyams appears to have outdone himself. [...] But The Star Chamber can't live up to its own initial promise – nor does it really live up to Mr. Hyams's. His powerhouse style finally sabotages the issues raised by The Star Chamber, which remain much more delicate than the treatment they have been given here.[18]

Release

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The Star Chamber was released in theatres on August 5, 1983.[18]

Home media

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The film was released on VHS by CBS/Fox Video in 1984 and reissued by FoxVideo in the 1990s. It was on DVD in 2005, and then on Blu-ray on May 28, 2013, by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and is and has since the 2010s been available online through Apple's iTunes Store downloadable application and Amazon's, Vudu's and YouTube's websites.[19]

TV Series

[edit]

In April 2020 it was announced Amazon had a TV series in development based on the film.[20]

References

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  1. ^ Machlowi 1983, p. 1548.
  2. ^ Levi 2005, p. 39.
  3. ^ Papke, David Ray; Corcos, Christine A.; Essig, Melissa Cole; Huang, Peter H.; Ledwon, Lenora P.; Mazur, Diane H.; Menkel-Meadow, Carrie; Meyer, Philip N. (2012). Law and Popular Culture: Text, Notes, and Questions (2nd ed.). Dayton, Ohio: LexisNexis. ISBN 978-0769847535.
  4. ^ "Sharon Glass". Hollywood.com. Boca Raton, Florida: Hollywood.com, LLC. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  5. ^ "Sharon Glass". NNDB. United States: Soylent Communications. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  6. ^ "James B. Sikking". Film Reference Library. Toronto: TIFF Bell Lightbox. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  7. ^ "James B. Sikking". Hollywood.com. Boca Raton, Florida: Hollywood.com, LLC. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  8. ^ "Joe Regalbuto". Film Reference Library. Toronto: TIFF Bell Lightbox. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  9. ^ "Joe Regalbuto". Hollywood.com. Boca Raton, Florida: Hollywood.com, LLC. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  10. ^ "Joe Regalbuto". NNDB. United States: Soylent Communications. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  11. ^ "The Star Chamber". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  12. ^ Boyd III, Newell Dalton. "THE FINAL YEARS OF THE COURT OF STAR CHAMBER 1558–1641" (PDF). Texas Tech University Press. Lubbock, Texas: Texas Tech University. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  13. ^ Solomon 1988, p. 260.
  14. ^ The agony and the ecstasy Hyams tries for brass ring with new film Fraser, Matthew. The Globe and Mail1 3 July 1983: P.13.
  15. ^ "The Star Chamber". Box Office Mojo. United States: Amazon.com. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  16. ^ "The Star Chamber". Rotten Tomatoes. United States: Fandango. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  17. ^ Ebert, Roger (August 8, 1983). "The Star Chamber". Roger Ebert. Chicago: Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  18. ^ a b Maslin, Janet (August 5, 1983). "PETER HYAMS DIRECTS 'STAR CHAMBER'". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  19. ^ "The Star Chamber". 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Century City, Los Angeles: 20th Century Fox. August 30, 2011. ASIN B0006Z2NQI. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  20. ^ "'The Star Chamber' Drama Inspired by Movie in Works at Amazon from Sheldon Turner & Fox 21 TV Studios". April 17, 2020.

Sources

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