Cliffhanger ★★★ 1993 (R)

Actionpacked thriller. Expert climber Gabe Walker (Stallone) faces his greatest challenge when criminal mastermind Lithgow and his henchman appear on the scene. Turner plays fellow climber and love interest. Lithgow makes a particularly convincing, if not downright chilling, murderous thief. Filmed in the Italian Alps with a budget of $70 millionplus; boasts stunning cinematography and breathtaking footage of the Dolomite mountain range. Harlin's expert pacing and direction combine to produce maximum thrills and suspense. The hit Stallone's been waiting for, placing eighth on the list of top 1993 boxoffice grossers. 113m/C VHS, DVD . Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Michael Rooker, Janine Turner, Rex Linn, Caroline Goodall, Leon, Paul Winfield, Ralph Waite, Craig Fairbrass, Michelle Joyner, Max Perlich; D: Renny Harlin; W: Sylvester Stallone, Michael France; C: Alex Thomson; M: Trevor Jones.

cliff·hang·er / ˈklifˌhangər/ • n. an ending to an episode of a serial drama that leaves the audience in suspense. ∎  a story or event with a strong element of suspense.DERIVATIVES: cliff·hang·ing / -ˌhanging/ adj.

cliffhanger a dramatic and exciting ending to an episode of a serial, leaving the audience in suspense and anxious not to miss the next episode; originally (in the US in the 1930s) a cliffhanger was a serial film in which each episode ended in a desperate situation.