I certainly disagree with the viewer who called this tedium--after all when one can't tell Mahler's Songs of Ruckert from a symphony, he is no music lover! The recurring song ("Ich bin der welt abhanden gekommen") is very meaningful for it is associated with the teacher, a retired performer (brilliantly played by opera star Jose Van Dam). The words of the song translate as " I am lost to the world with which I used to waste so much time. It has heard nothing from me for so long it may well believe me dead." The song concludes with "I live alone in my heaven, in my love, and in my song." I played this film for a class of students whose knowledge of classical music was nil and they liked it. Of course the young leads were attractive and there was some sex in the film. I suggest you view it should you get the chance. It is one of my favorite films, and you really don't need to be knowledgeable in music to like it as long as you like beauty.
Reviews
16 Reviews
Scorpio
(1973)
A TRULY TOP-NOTCH THRILLER
3 May 2002
Back in the 1970s when Capitalism and Communism were fighting the cold war with undercover activities, a film such as this was able to play on our fears of the "good" guys as well as the "bad" guys. So, along with Burt Lancaster's aging C.I.A. agent, Cross, we can't know whom to trust. We like Burt, but we also like Alain Delon (Scorpio) the free agent assigned to assassinate him. We loathe John Colicos as the C.I.A. chief, yet he's supposedly working for our side. We like Paul Scofield's Zharkov, yet he's a commie. (Indeed, Scofield who is a master of cold characters has never been so charming.) The film offers great action scenes as well as unmitigated suspense. There is a superlative cast, and a lot of surprises. (Burt ain't named Cross for nothin'.) If you are a fan of thrillers, or even you aren't, this one's a must see!
Advice from a Caterpillar
(1999)
ANNOYING STAGE DRAMA TRANSFERRED TO FILM
14 April 2002
As soon as Cynthia Nixon's character spies the naked Brat (Timothy Oliphant) sleeping in her gay friend's bed and her eyes betray her interest, we know that they will be together by the end of the film. That's the way movie cliches work. Missy (Nixon) a pop-fad artist, who has an amazing success showing home movies of her childhood with narration, is having an affair with a married man whose character is given in the credits as "Suit" (Jon Tenny). If there is humour in this film, I missed it. Obviously the final confrontation scene in the diner with a commenting chorus of patrons is meant to be a hoot. But it's too far-fetched and contrived even for this film. And one can't really have a "Romance" if one doesn't care about the characters involved in said romance. But I think there is a greater problem with this film. Let me explain. If films continued to depict Afro-Americans as toadying Uncle Toms, I am certain that here would be vehement cries of anger and protest. Yet this film dares to portray a gay man as the swishy, queenly creature that bigoted Americans think all gays are. Worse than that, it tells us that any bi-sexual man can be "cured" by the love of a good woman. Yet even accepting this preposterous and insulting thesis, it is inconceivable that Timothy Oliphant's character would have Andy Dick's homely, effeminate character as a regular sex-partner and/or fall in love with the irritating creature played by Cynthia Nixon. This film not only angered me. It was an insult to my intelligence.
Traveling to Olympia
(2001 Video)
Two Movies in One - Unfortunately
16 March 2002
The main problem with TRAVELING TO OLYMPIA is that it can't decide what it wants to be: an indictment of unfair treatment of gays or a soft-core porn flick. It is much too "talky" and "preachy" and it's lecturing to an audience that is already converted. And it's slow. Oh, is it SLOW! There are also numerous gratuitous scenes--such as a clumsy dance by unattractive, would-be cowboys in a gay bar, and a song by a singer whose off-keyed wail is so bad you will reach for the mute button. There is also an interpolated scene with two people we have never met before who have a tender, highly erotic love scene. ("This was your first time, wasn't it?" "Yes.") But we stop wondering who these people are and just enjoy the first enjoyable thing in this movie. As to the main love stories, Justin McFarlane and Michael Harboush are engaging performers and make us care for their final declaration of love. Though it seems odd that someone who has spent from age 16 to 19 in a maximum-security institution would have his navel and both nipples pierced; and someone who is in his early twenties would be a successful attorney. But most peculiar of all is why the cute, wealthy kid played by Donald Allen wants a balding Daddy-figure? (Wealthy Daddies keep cute twinks. Wealthy twinks do not keep old Daddies.) The final annoying thing about this film is that there are no chapters, so one has to fast forward to get to the "fun" scenes. The film means well which is why I gave it two stars, but the scripting, the direction, and the acting (with the notable exceptions of the three performers mentioned) is stricly amateur.
Not Like Us
(1995 TV Movie)
Makes Ed Wood Seem Like A Master Artist
17 December 2001
A top contender for worst film ever made. Joanna Pakula's character seems to have an I.Q. of 3 which is only one less than the writer and director. The screenplay would not have passed in a high school writing class; the "jokes" are juvenile; the concept corny. These performers were obviously desperate for work. I stayed to the end only to see if it would get worse. It did. Life is too short to spend any part of it watching this film.
Macbeth in Manhattan
(1999)
Macbeth Loses
6 December 2001
The major fault in this film is that it is impossible to believe any of these people would ever be cast in a professional production of Macbeth. Hearing David Lansbury's soft voice struggling laboriously with the famous "Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" speech made it impossible to believe anyone would ever consider him for the role. I kept believing therefore that he didn't get the part because he was a lousy actor; not because a bigger name was available. Then when we see portions of the play in rehearsal it is difficult to believe the director is not parodying things with a hopelessly miscast, misdirected travesty of actors who are unable to articulate or even understand the verse and directors who see the play through their own screwball interpretations. Sometimes directors are so anxious to have their films done (and writers think they have the ability to direct their own works)that they settle for less. This appears to be such an example.
Killer Condom
(1996)
Hysterical Parody
8 August 2000
Expecting this to be bad cult film in the vein of "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes", I was pleasantly surprised to find this a delight. New Yorkers and Oklahomans speaking German started me tittering. (It was also rather creepy--as though Hitler had won the war.) A little further, however, my tittering escalated into full-throated laughter. This is a clever parody of film noir, sci-fi, and soft-core porn films rolled into one. Top-notch performances by an excellent cast, a clever script, and talented direction make this one to see. Watch it with a group of unprudish friends for its full effect. Better still, watch it with a gay audience.
Gormenghast
(2000)
Wondrous Fantasy from the BBC
3 July 2000
The BBC has created a wondrous fantasy from the first two novels of Peake's eerie trilogy. Settings, costumes, special effects, and above all the acting is remarkable. To single out any performer would do the others an injustice, but it must be mentioned that Jonathan Rhys-Meyers gives the most malevolent performance of any young actor since Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange and Caligula, and Christopher Lee gives his best performance to date as the kind, protective Flay. At present this is only available for US viewers who get BBCAmerica, or those who can play PAL format. But as soon as it becomes available here (and it will tragic if it doesn't), lovers of fantasy should not miss it. It's truly a remarkable show!
The Farmhouse
(1998)
Good Acting in an Irritating Film
3 July 2000
Since an earlier viewer seemed confused, I will begin by revealing the problem. Through a series of fast flashes it seems that Momma (Blythe Danner)was sexually abused by her father, and in a moment of reliving it accidentally shoots her daughter. Father and Son cover up the crime by dumping the car in the swamp (shades of Psycho) and burying daughter under the willow (Shades of Buried Child). Then a young girl comes by who may have done in her father for the same crime and her brother into the bargain. Hers is a most inconsistent character, and the plotting and writing makes her seem more unstable than Blythe Danner. The whole thing is second-rate Sam Sheppard. Danner, however, is excellent and Kurt Deutsch as her thirty year old son is a mesmerizing actor with a promising future. Watch out for him.
The Thief
(1997)
An engrossing look inside Stalinist Russia
29 March 2000
For those of us who are interested in Russian life and film this is a must see. It provides an inside view of life in Stalinist Russia where people are forced to live in communal apartments and struggle to survive. A single mother with a young son becomes enamoured of a man she believes to be a soldier. He turns out to be a burglar preying on the unfortunate. The story is told by the son who first hates, then loves, then hates the thief. Amazingly, the viewer experiences the same shifting emotions. This is a film that will involve you and really play on your emotions. It's as though Dostoyevsky wrote the screenplay. No stereotypes or two-dimensional characters here but complex individuals who will draw you into their fear and pain. It is an unforgettable film; well worth seeking out!
Illuminata
(1998)
Inferior Woody Allen
22 January 2000
Does Turturro want to say something about theatre? Does he want to say something about love? Does he want to make a brilliant film like Woody Allen? Does he want to do all of these things? Probably. But he fails abysmally! The film is the most self-indulgent, pretentious piece of you-know-what I have ever sat through. The DVD version features a director's commentary. This one thinks will provide some glimmer as to what he thought he was doing. But no! Turturro and his young son chatter on in the most inane, inept, and ineffective babble ever recorded. Turturro should open a pizza parlor and leave film to artists. Who ever annoys me most this year will get this film for Christmas.
A Chorus of Disapproval
(1989)
Great Send-up of Amateur Theatricals
14 November 1999
I am surprised that other reviews for this film are negative. If anyone has ever participated in an amateur operatic society then they know that this movie is bang on. Perhaps it is an in-joke, but for us in the know it is hysterical. Most surprising is Anthony Hopkins revealing a remarkable gift fo comedy. His performance alone is worth seeing this. Jeremy Irons is perfectly cast as the stranger who wanders into these "strange doings", and the supporting cast (including the wonderful Lionel Jeffries)are superb. In short, this is one my all-time favorite comedies, and a "must-see" for anyone who has trod the boards with amateurs. I would think anyone would find it amusing, but apparently some of the other critics are quite clueless when it comes to this film. It's not available for purchase, but don't miss it if you find in on TV or in a rental store--especially if you have done an amaatuer musical or are a Hopkins fan. I give it a 10.
Bulworth
(1998)
Drop the "worth" and add an "l"
19 May 1999
The title of this film is misleading. It should have been titled "Bulworthless" or just plain "Bull". The premise is a good one: a politician with nothing to lose tells the truth and becomes an immediate success. Beatty's tasteless handling of the material, however, made it one of the most excruciatingly idiotic films I have ever sat through--an insult to its audience. How this film could have been nominated for anything appalls me. Has the Warren Beatty who starred in and directed "Reds" lost it?
The Lost Boys
(1987)
Humorous homoerotic horror.
19 May 1999
This film is a humorous homoerotic horror fest calculated to appeal to all sexual orientation. The scary element is for the guys, while the "boys" of the title who range from the youthful Coreys Haim & Feldman to the macho Jason Patric are for girls of all ages. It's more a comedy than a horror flick, but that doesn't mean there aren't scary moments. It is the tongue-in-cheek approach, however, that makes this film timeless. I highly recommend it.
Der blaue Engel
(1930)
First great sound film.
10 September 1998
Today, most people know this film as featuring Marlene Dietrich's signature tune "Falling in Love Again." But it was the first sound film to be made in Germany; and is the first great sound film to be made anywhere. Although it exists also in an English version that was made at the same time, both Dietrich and Jannings give better performances in their native language; and, as the sound is rather poor, it is easier to follow in German with the English sub-titles. Jannings was the first actor to win an Academy Award (though not for this film) and his performance as the professor who is lead to ruin by a femme fatale remains one of the memorable film performances. Fans of Dietrich should not miss this film which brought her international success. This is one of those films that only grows with continued viewing. If you were fond of Cabaret, then this is the real Germany between the World Wars. Highly recommended.
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