Reviews (116)

I love this movie!
Miles Kendig (played Walter Matthau) is a CIA agent who is used to doing things his way. When his new chief, the abusive and bombastic G.P. Myerson (Ned Beatty), decides to retire him behind a desk, Kendig decides that the CIA needs a house cleaning--and that his memoirs would make the perfect broom. Now Kendig is on the run from the Agency: sending out new chapters, playing hide-and-seek with old associates. It's all a game, a game of hopscotch, and Kendig needs to keep one step ahead. Will he succeed? [Color, released in 1980, with a running time of 1 hour, 44 minutes.]

I have loved this movie since it came out in 1980! It is just the perfect mix of adventure and humor. Humorous, but not a comedy movie--it's an adventure story with a sense of humor. And now for the bad news: to make his character more dislikable, Ned Beatty swears incessantly in this movie, which makes it a little much to watch in front of small children (I have two). That said, though, I do not know why this movie deserved its R rating. There is no nudity, and practically no violence. And I must add, the swearing is not too much for adult viewers; I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't break into uproarious laughter when Myerson angrily gives his opinion of what FBI stands for!

Smart, Stylish Comedy
We saw this movie back in the early 1980's and loved it, but by the time we tried to get a copy, it had gone out of print. Many thanks to Criterion for releasing it on DVD! This film is superb, well-written and directed, with a cast of very gifted performers. The actors play their roles to the hilt and have a terrific chemistry onscreen.

The plot is basic revenge, perpetrated on the CIA by one of its top operatives. Walter Matthau plays the amiable Kendig, a man who's served in the field for decades and is an excellent agent. He's smart yet still down-to-earth; his reputation among the underworld of spydom is the stuff of legends. Kendig is respected even by his enemies for his savvy decisions and sense of fair play, and his reluctance to resort to dirty tricks. His new boss, Meyerson (Ned Beatty) resents his underling's popularity and decides to neutralize Kendig's effectiveness by yanking him from the field and assigning him to a desk job as a file clerk.

To say that Kendig despises his new boss would be a gross understatement. A switched file is shredded and Kendig vanishes, fleeing to Austria and his lover Isobel (Glenda Jackson). From there, he nurses his wounds and launches on his vengeance against Meyerson and the CIA by writing a book that reveals the agency's dirty tricks and botched missions. Meyerson is livid and assigns Joe Cutter (Sam Waterston) to put a stop to Kendig by any means necessary, especially assassination. Cutter admires Kendig and is torn by his personal feelings for the man and his desire to serve his country.

The story then twists and turns as Kendig leads his former employers on a huge wild goose chase. He calls them from a phone booth right near the CIA headquarters, hides out in Meyerson's southern house---which is later demolished by the feds themselves---, and feeds chapters of the book to Meyerson to whip him into a frenzy of ineffectual rage. He plans on getting the entire book to a publisher, and his means for doing so and ensuring his own protection from future assassination attempts are ingenious.

We are very happy that this movie was released to the public once again. Matthau is superb as a real man working in an unreal world of espionage. Herbert Lom is great for the role of his KGB counterpart, and Glenda Jackson is both tart and elegant as the enigmatic Isobel, who frankly adores Kendig. Ned Beatty plays the part of the oafish Meyerson to perfection, making the viewer hate him thoroughly. Waterston is in excellent form as the good-hearted and conflicted Cutter, and shows hints of his mildly acerbic wit that would come to fruition in his later role of McCoy. The supporting players are fine, too, and the plot is well-crafted and believable.

The DVD is nicely done. There aren't many extras, but it's beautifully produced and does have a nice feature: an alternate soundtrack that deletes the foul language, so even kids can watch it with their parents. We are pleased with our investment, and highly recommend "Hopscotch" to anyone who enjoys a well-done and stylish comedy. It's also perfect for fans of Walter Matthau!

He's about to expose the CIA, the FBI, the KGB...and himself
Off the top of your head, how many funny spy films can you think of? The James Colburn 'Flint' films of the 60's? The Austin Powers movies perhaps? Or that incredibly lame Leslie Nielsen film...Spy Hard (1996)? Over-the-top silliness seems to be a common theme in these films, but Hopscotch (1980), based on a book written by Brian Garfield, also a comedy involving spies, manages to rise above, avoiding the slapsticky and crude humor, rather providing a charming and intelligent story that entertains throughout. Directed by Ronald Neame (Prudence and the Pill, The Poseidon Adventure, The Odessa File), the film stars a wonderful and accomplished cast of actors including Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston, Herbert Lom, and Ned Beatty.

Matthau plays Miles Kendig, one of the CIA's top field agents who suddenly finds himself relegated to a desk job after control of the department he works for is taken over by a petty, vindictive, and less than capable man named Myerson (Beatty) who seems to harbor a personal grudge against Kendig. Unable to deal with riding his career out behind a desk, Kendig leaves the agency, and, after much thought, decides to write his memoirs, detailing all kinds of juicy, sensitive stuff about not only his own agency, but also intelligence agencies throughout the world. After being in the biz for thirty years, he certainly has the inside scoop on all kinds of things, causing his former boss to put out the order for his termination, elimination, liquidation, extermination, what have you...with the aid of a wealthy widow and love interest named Isobel who was also once in the game, played by Jackson, Kendig begins leading his former colleagues on a chase that spans halfway around the globe, always managing to stay one or two steps ahead. Will he be able to finish his book before his old agency or that of a foreign power catches up to him? Even if he does, will he live to see his work published?

Hopscotch is a wonderfully witty, light comedy with a dash of sophistication that nearly everyone can enjoy. Matthau plays his role so perfectly that after seeing the film, you could imagine no one else in the part. He's certainly got that whole irascible charm thing down, and it fits with the character very well here. I loved how his character never seemed to lose his calm composure, constantly outwitting and outsmarting his former co-workers in leisure like fashion, given that he probably wrote the book and trained half the men now chasing him. The element of Kendig using the notion of a book for revenge at first, but then once removed from the work he participated in for so long and seeing just how nasty it is from an outside perspective decides to follow through with his initial threat of finishing the book and getting it published. Jackson plays so very well off Matthau, and they create a level of chemistry that's pretty rare, in my opinion, between on screen couples. They just seem to fit so naturally together, creating a level of believability to counteract the somewhat unrealistic element that the CIA are a mostly a bunch of bumbling buffoons. Did anyone else think her hair was a bit too short, giving her the appearance of a young boy? Maybe it was just me... I really enjoyed a young looking Waterston (Law and Order) as Cutter, Kendig's competent and intelligent protégé now responsible for finding and eliminating his former mentor. I read that he'd actually come into shooting late due to the film he was working on prior, Heaven's Gate (1980) ran past its' shooting schedule, and is the reason why Waterston looks so very tired in some of the scenes in Hopscotch. Herbert Lom is also very good as a Soviet agent named Yaskov, one "who's seen Casablanca one too many times", although I felt he deserved a bit more screen time. Ned (Squeal like a pig for me, boy) Beatty is a riot as Myerson, constantly exasperated by his group's futile attempts to put a lid on the loose cannon he himself let loose due to his own petty dislikes for Kendig. Imagine someone you work with that no one likes, and then that person finally getting a little bit of power, lording over certain individuals, power tripping here and there, but mostly tripping over his own feet, and you basically have Myerson. The direction by Neame was most excellent, keeping the viewer (me) engaged throughout, with a smooth, steady pace as the story unfolded, which is a bit light in some parts, but did nothing to reduce my enjoyment of this charming, funny film.

Criterion provides a superior high-definition digital transfer here in wide screen format and a cleaned up soundtrack. The quality of the picture is really fabulous, especially when compared to my old VHS copy. As far as special features are concerned, there's not as much as I would have thought from a Criterion release, but what's here is very worthy. There's liner notes on the insert inside the DVD case by Bruce Eder, a video introduction by writer Brian Garfield and director Roland Neame along with interviews, a separate audio track, a clean version created for television broadcast along with the original version (there's very little profanity in the film, but what this is comes from Ned Beatty's character Myerson) and an original theatrical trailer along with a teaser trailer for the film. If you're looking for a smartly funny engaging comedy that only gets better after repeated viewings, then Hopscotch is for you.

Cookieman108

Ughhh! What a Waste of Major Talents!
Rarely have such major talents (Matthau, Jackson and Beatty) been wasted in a film.

Matthau plays a CIA station chief who is called back to Washington when - against CIA instructions - he allows the KGB's top agent to go free after catching him dead to rights in an espionage sting.

How does Kendig (Matthau's character) deal with being "taken out of the game"? Against CIA policy, he proceeds to sell out U.S. national security interests by writing a best-selling expose of CIA covert operations. Ha, Ha! Real funny! What a laugh riot! The entire movie is standard liberal Hollywood fare - the CIA is stupid, the FBI is stupid, the iconoclast is irrascible and superior (he must be, he loves opera), yada, yada, yada.

And what, do you ask, is Kendig's stated motive in disclosing U.S. secrets in a best-selling book? To expose CIA wrong-doing? Uh, no. Is it to expose a rogue agent in the upper reaches of the CIA? No, not that either. To quote the film, it's payback because his boss "emasculated" him. I do not kid. That's what he says. Wow! What a riot! Get back at your boss by selling out your country!

I was in the last PATH train to be diverted from the World Trade Center PATH stop and watched the buildings go down - not on TV. I have subscriptions to the Metropolitan Opera and the City Opera. I DID NOT FIND THE PREMISE OF THIS FILM THE LEAST BIT FUNNY.

"Hopscotch"..."Good Title"
was suprised to see criterion release hopscotch, but glad they did. here matthau is repremanded for allowing a wanted KGB agent to walk. matthau's integrity is too precious to take guff from even the CIA. subsequently, he does not take the news of being reassigned to the job of file clerk very well so he begins to write his memoires, leaking secret information to the opposition. the ensuing chase is slapstick, a spy vs. spy comedy with great international locations. frankly, using the cold war as a catalyst for comedy was long overdue by 1980. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Should've Been on the AFI's list of "Top 100 Romantic Films"
I saw this movie when it first came out in the 70's and have seen it many times on and off for years.

The movie is funny, but what makes it work is the two stars. George Segal (who never looked better) is in fine comedic form, and he and Glenda Jackson complement each other perfectly. She was especially singled out for critical acclaim -- some people compared her to Katharine Hepburn in Hepburn's comedic roles.

The movie also affords a look at London in the early 70's.

Because the actors work so well together, I would've liked a different (happier) ending for the movie. Still, after thirty years, "A Touch of Class" remains very watchable and poignant -- largely because of the two stars.

creepy and disturbing
I did not like this movie. I know that times have changed and it would be revisionist to hold this movie to millennium standards of sexual conduct and infidelity. Nonetheless, I found it very disturbing: his lack of concern for his wife and children, how the wife was unsympathetic and one dimensional, and how absolutely de rigueur it was in the sixties for married men to have "a bit on the side." And what about her kids? apart from the first scene we never see them again; she instead seems to spend all her time cooking and keeping house for a married man. I'm not a prude, really, but this film left a bad taste in my mouth.

One of the funniest, sexiest, smartest movies I've ever seen
...and I'm not easy to please. It's strange when you realize just how sexy George Segal was. But the movie is wonderfully written, sharp, smart and incredibly funny. I saw another reviewer liked The Goodbye Girl better. I prefered this...Sharper, more biting, less sentimental. That doesn't mean it's heartless or even cynical, just that it's lacking in syrup. George Segal and Glenda Jackson have the all the chemistry and the comedic chops (and then some) needed to make this movie work. This movie made me laugh a lot, was sexy enough to warm any cold night and smart enough to make me feel like the people who made it figured I had at least a high school education. How come comedic movies this smart don't get made by the major studios anymore?

A great movie that will one day be remade
Glenda Jackson and George Segal tear up the screen and nearly each other in this frothy 1973 Oscar-winning comedy. The relationship is the key here and the two leads almost define screen chemistry. Shot in London and Malaga, Spain, it's also a fun date film. The DVD transfer is pretty decent considering the age. Whatever your tastes in film, this is a pretty tough one not to like.

With Hollywood remaking classics like "Charade," this one seems a solid bet. Who would they pick today? Oh, probably Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.

How come it's unavailable???
Extremely funny, light-hearted movie. Whether it was worthy of a best actress oscar is debateable, but nonetheless: HOW CAN AN OSCAR WINNING FILM NOT BE AVAILABLE IN THIS DAY & AGE?????? ... Read more

Reviews (18)

More Spectacle than Substance.
In 1808, at a mental institution in Charenton, outside of Paris, France, the patients perform a play for a visiting audience of the city's high society. The play was written and directed by the infamous Marquis de Sade (Patrick Magee), a long-term resident of the asylum known throughout the Western world for his scandalous philosophical novels. The play -and sometimes musical- is a reenactment of key events in France's tumultuous recent past. It dramatizes the French Revolution, its aftermath, and the eventual murder of revolutionary leader Jean-Paul Marat (Ian Richardson) by Charlotte Corday (Glenda Jackson) in 1793. Interspersed throughout the play are monologues by Marat and de Sade that articulate their conflicting socio-political ideologies.

"Marat/Sade" is a movie of a play -indeed of a play within a play- that was performed by The Royal Shakespeare Company under the direction of Peter Brook in 1967. The play was originally written by playwright Peter Weiss and entitled "The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum at Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade", which is an accurate, if cumbersome, title. "Marat/ Sade" is a film of that play, and it is filmed in a style that draws attention to the fact that we are watching a play. To put it bluntly, it is filmed more awkwardly than well. The style of the play/movie reflects some of the experimental fashions in the art world of the late 1960s. The performances are interesting and heartfelt, but more melodramatic than convincing. The actors are playing performers who suffer from various mental ailments who are in turn playing roles in a play. -Kind of like playing two characters at once. The behavior of the asylum's histrionic inmates sometimes seems to coincide with their particular mental conditions and sometimes seems to be an acting class exercise in various extreme but unlikely emotional states. The chorus and minor players are generic crazies: ugly, outrageous, and pitiful, who seem to exist primarily to be just that. The most interesting aspect of the film is its philosophical monologues by Jean-Paul Marat and the Marquis de Sade. The antics of the mental patients trying to stage a proper full-length play and occasionally being overcome by their madness are funny, but ultimately most of the film just seems like clutter between the far more coherent monologues.

Like most experimental theater, "Marat/Sade" is more about spectacle than about presenting a credible story or characters. The Marquis de Sade actually was an inmate at the Asylum at Charenton. And he did write plays which were performed by his fellow inmates for visiting Parisian aristocrats. But those plays have not survived. Whatever de Sade's plays at Charenton were about, they almost certainly had philosophical underpinnings. "Marat/Sade" showcases the conflicting ideologies of The Marquis de Sade and Jean-Paul Marat, but it doesn't do it very well. Philosophy also plays second fiddle to spectacle. The monologues are disjointed and none of the ideas are complete. The film toys with themes here and there, and then drops them. Only the idea that humans are violent savages if left unchecked is expressed coherently. Ultimately, "Marat/Sade" has the feeling of something that actors, writers, and directors like to create because it exercises their abilities, but that audiences don't like to watch because it isn't valuable beyond that. It's a movie made for performing, not for viewing. In a nutshell, this is 1960s experimental theater. It you like that, you'll probably like this. If you don't, you won't.

The DVD (This refers to the Image Entertainment DVD only.): The disc has very poor sound, as if some dialogue simply wasn't miked. You'll have to turn the volume way up to hear some of the dialogue and then quickly back down so as not to be deafened. The sound badly needs to be remixed. This disc is full screen; the movie was filmed in a widescreen aspect ratio. Instead of compressing the wider image into a full screen ratio, the sides of the image have simply been chopped off. So you can't see what's going on in the periphery. There are no bonus features on the disc. Basically, this is a bad disc. Image Entertainment usually does better. But it looks like they're no longer producing it, so perhaps the MGM/UA disc is better.

Demanding, Stimulating, But Of Limited Appeal
MARAT/SADE is the film version of a play that arose from an actor's workshop exploring various theatrical theories expressed by French actor-director-writer Antoine Artard, who extolled a style of performance he described as "theatre of cruelty"--which, broadly speaking, consists of an assault upon the audience's senses by every means possible. Ultimately, and although it makes effective use of its setting and the cinematography mirrors the chaos expected of such a situation, the film version of MARAT/SADE is less a motion picture than a record of a justly famous stage play that offers a complex statement re man's savagery.

The story of MARAT/SADE concerns the performance of a play by inmates of an early 1800s insane asylum, with script and direction by the infamous Marquis de Sade. (While this may sound a bit farfetched, it is based on fact: de Sade was known to have written plays for performance by inmates during his own incarceration in an asylum.) The story of the play concerns the assasination of the revolutionary Marat by Charotte Corday, but the play itself becomes a debate between various characters, all of which may be read as in someway intrinsically destructive and evil. Since all the characters are played by mentally-ill inmates of the asylum (the actor playing Marat, for example, is described as a paranoid, and the actress playing Corday suffers from sleeping sickness and meloncholia), the debate is further fueled by their insanity, unpredictability as performers, and the staff's reactions to both their behavior and the often subversive nature of the script they play out.

Patrick Magee as de Sade, Glenda Jackson as the inmate playing Corday (it was her breakout performance), and Ian Richardson as the inmate playing Marat offering impressive performances; indeed, the ensemble cast as a whole is incredibly impressive, and they keep the extremely wordy script moving along with considerable interest. Even so, it will be obvious that the material works better as a live performance than as a film, and I do not recommend it to a casual viewer; its appeal will be largely limited to the literary and theatrical intelligentsia. The DVD includes the original theatrical trailer, but beyond this there are no extras of any kind.

Filming a play has mixed results
The legendary stage production of Marat/Sade was, I am sure, one of those great moments in theater history. I am somewhat grateful that an attempt was made to capture the moment on film for people who didn't witness it, but the film drags at times. I watched with interest at the directing choices, but was not fully involved with the action. I don't imagine there is any way to capture the sight of all the lunatics challenging the audience by their very presence. It doesn't communicate from a tv screen in quite the same way. This is a good record of theater history, but only an mediocre film.

Intense, intelligent film
This 1966 film depicts the Marquis de Sade's imprisonment in a mental asylum and a play that he directs using the other inmates as actors. The story of Sade was recently related in "Quills," and that film is somewhat similar in tone, but not plot. Believe it or not, the film is also a musical! The "play" within the movie chronicles events from the French Revolution pertaining to Marat, and is put on for the asylum's leader and the local gentry. The local gentry are shocked at times, and the asylum leader interrupts the play several times with interjections concerning the play's radical ideas and how the gentry are depicted. As the play reaches its culmination, the inmates inevitably begin to stage their own revolution. The action is often confusing, but the emotions conveyed are so intense, that the film can be enjoyed on a visceral level.

The direction of this film is quite brilliant, and it must have been pretty shocking when it was released 36 years ago. The acting is also very intense and realistic. Glenda Jackson has her starring debut here and is quite appealing, considering that she's playing a mental asylum inmate. The only quibble I have with the DVD is the poor sound quality. Even on DVD, the sound is muddled and the actor's dialogue is often unintelligible, especially during the songs. Unfortunately, the DVD does not include captions/subtitles, which would have helped immensely (there are no other extras either). A very worthwhile movie that could have been presented better on this DVD.

Prophecies Of The Divine Marquis.
This is certainly one of the great events of cinema history. Director Peter Brook wanted to re-create the play by Peter Weiss, The Persecution And Assassination Of Jean-Paul Marat, with the multiple-view possible only in cinema but without losing the immediacy of the stage. So, he used a stationary camera for long shots and hand-held camera for close-ups and the result, somewhere bewteen cinema and stage, is phenomenal. Everything in the production is first-rate. There are large exquisite performances by Patrick Magee as Sade, Ian Richardson as Marat, and Glenda Jackson as Corday and equally fine smaller performances down to the most anonymous lunatic. The script is very fine and well translated from the German. The music is wonderful.
This film was released in 1966, one year after Grove Press issued its handsome 750 page paperback volume The Marquis De Sade (...) which, along with this film, really began the popular American interest in Sade which has continued up to the present. But the picture of Sade in this 1966 film is much more interesting, deeper, and closer to the truth than anything that has come since then. Sade was not a pornographer or a smut peddler, he was a literary philosopher whose books were not intended to arouse sexual desire, but rather to overthrow conventional premises and assumptions about reality itself. The endless sadistic/masochistic sex scenes in his books are really not about sex at all, they are about breaking down the illusions in the human mind and seeing reality for what it is: an endless, bottomles process of creation and destruction that is utterly indifferent to any human desire or feeling. Sade's 'perverse criminals' are merely people attempting to identify with this transcendent force as individuals because that is the only real power and 'dignity' that they have. Sade believed that the world was destined to become one vast mad slaughterhouse and the film conveys this very well. But what Marat/Sade really captures is Sade's passionate and prophetic position in modern history. Who could deny that this film is at least as relevant now as it was in 1966 and that its relevance will probably continue to deepen? Where is the modern philosopher who can prove Sade wrong? Whether one likes it or not this is what makes this film still such an urgent work of art. Only in Bresson or Tarkovsky can the negative force of its revelation be countered by a different perspective. It remains a crucial masterpiece. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Glenda Jackson is majestic in the six-video miniseries from the BBC, Elizabeth R. Covering the entire reign of Elizabeth I, from her struggles with her half-sister Mary just before being crowned as queen to her death in 1603, the series profiles the life of the Virgin Queen in detail--and with historical accuracy--not possible in the as beautiful, but much shorter, theatrical release, Elizabeth. Religious conflicts, her struggle over the execution of her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, battles with Spain, court politics, and of course her flirtations with Robert Dudley (portrayed as an almost-comical fop by Robert Hardy) and her decision to remain unmarried are just some of the highlights of this magnificently costumed and finely acted piece. Jackson skillfully captures the capricious moods and incredible intellect of the queen who defied the pope and the conventions of the time as a strong-willed woman, and characters from textbooks--Sir Francis Bacon, Sir Walter Raleigh, King Phillip II--come vividly to life. Elizabeth R (and for those not in the know, the "R" is for "Regina") is a splendid melding of history and entertainment, and as thorough as this series is, you will still long for more. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Masterpiece Theatre's enduring classic
Elizabeth R tells the fascinating story of Elizabeth Tudor's life. She was 25 years old when she became queen of England in 1558 and ruled for 45 years. This six-part series is concerned primarily with her life as queen, hence the 'R' for Regina. The six parts are divided onto three dvds; each part is roughly ninety minutes long. A fourth dvd contains a nice selection of bonus materials. Elizabeth R premiered on Masterpiece Theatre in 1971, the same year as The Six Wives of Henry VIII. In terms of quality, however, its only rival is I, Claudius, produced five years later.

The series stars Glenda Jackson, who also plays Elizabeth in 1971's feature film Mary, Queen of Scots. After watching this series, it is impossible to imagine another actress bringing Gloriana to life. Jackson was in her mid-thirties when filming began. For that reason, part one of this series (The Lion's Cub) has many flashbacks seen through Elizabeth's eyes. The Thomas Seymour affair and the tragic end of Katharine Parr are given due attention. In a nice touch, Rosalie Crutchley reprises her role as Parr from The Six Wives series.

But the story really begins when Elizabeth's Catholic half-sister Mary becomes queen in 1553. Jackson captures the paranoia and danger of Elizabeth's life and her uneasy flirtation with Mary's husband Philip of Spain. She is ably supported by her castmates. Daphne Slater is a wonderful Mary I (like a Mor portrait come to life), as is Peter Jeffrey playing Philip. He returns later in the series, as the conflict between Spain and England leads to the great Armada invasion of 1588. The second part (The Marriage Game) is the story of Elizabeth's first years on the throne, and her romance with Robert Dudley. Robert Hardy plays Dudley, who soon comes into conflict with Elizabeth's most trusted advisor, William Cecil. In part three (Shadow in the Sun), the marriage problem is acute; Elizabeth is no longer young and must wed. We are now introduced to French politics as Catherine d'Medici works to marry her son Francois to Elizabeth. Our heroine must finally decide - will she marry or remain a virgin queen? Jackson makes us feel the personal cost of this political decision. Watch Elizabeth when she learns that Dudley has secretly married her cousin! In part four (Horrible Conspiracies), the tragic story of Mary Queen of Scots takes center stage. Vivian Pickles plays Mary. The filmmakers
take a confusing tale and make it understandable, even for those who have never heard of either queen. We witness the Babington Plot, Elizabeth's famous 'answer answerless' speech, and Mary's dramatic execution. In part five (The Enterprise of England), Philip of Spain returns as his country prepares to invade England. The cautious Elizabeth scores her greatest victory when the English navy, with help from Mother Nature, defeats the Spanish force. Part six (Sweet England's Pride) is the story of the Earl of Essex, Dudley's stepson and the great favorite of Elizabeth's last years. Arrogant and hot-tempered, Essex chafes at court life and longs for glory. He eventually attempts to seize the English throne and is executed.

Throughout it all, Jackson captures the intelligence and passion of this famous queen. Not one moment in this series rings false. The production values are excellent, especially for a television mini-series. For Tudor enthusiasts, there is a real treat in seeing famous portraits of Elizabeth come to life. The beautiful gowns from the coronation, Darnley, Ditchley, and Armada portraits are recreated perfectly.

This is the most accurate historical mini-series I have watched. It is also the most engrossing. The tangled politics and loyalties of 16th century Europe are made intelligible. I have watched it with friends who only vaguely knew of Elizabeth and they loved it. The supplemental materials give some insight into the creation of Elizabeth R. You can watch Glenda Jackson try on various costumes. She also contributes new readings of Elizabeth's most famous speeches and an interview. Historian Alison Weir contributes historical notes. And there is a photo gallery of portraits and locations. There is an error on one of the portraits; I'll let the Tudor fans figure it out.

The dvd set comes in a green slipcase and is beautifully packaged. The BBC put such care and effort into this release that I can only wonder why The Six Wives of Henry VIII received such shabby treatment. If you have some extra money and a desire to slip back in time, to watch a great actress bring a great queen to life, then purchase Elizabeth R. You will not regret it.

An excellent biography
This biography of Queen Elizabeth I, a made for TV miniseries, is composed of six 90-minute shows, each on its own tape. Episode 1 is The Lion's Cub, which documents Princess Elizabeth's early life, surviving the machinations of the royal court, her imprisonment under Queen Mary, and her final ascension to the throne. Episode 2 is The Marriage Game, which documents Elizabeth's contemplation of marriage, and her interaction with her royal favorite, Lord Robert Dudley. Episode 3 is The Shadow in the Sun, which covers the Queen's foreign policy and her contemplated marriage to the French Duc d'Alencon. Episode 4 is Horrible Conspiracies, which documents the plots and intrigues surrounding Elizabeth and her imprisoned cousin, Mary Queen of Scots. Episode 5 is The Enterprise of England, covering England's war with Spain and the Armada. And finally, episode 6, Sweet England's Pride, covers the rise and fall of the Earl of Essex, and Queen Elizabeth's own death.

This miniseries is an excellent biography of Queen Elizabeth I, being remarkably close to the historical record. The quality of the production is not too high, but the wonderful acting by Glenda Jackson, et al, make the series well worth seeing. In reference to family viewing, there are some disturbing scenes (e.g. one where Princess Elizabeth's dress is being ripped off of her, off camera, by an amorous suitor in Episode 1), and two very brief scenes of nudity (both male and female) in Episode 3. Overall, though, this series is very family friendly.

So, this is a great series, and is something anyone interested in Queen Elizabeth I should see.

More extras than listed
There's little I can say that others haven't already stated: this is a brilliantly acted, extremely well-written arc of six plays. Each play could stand on its own, though of course, you'll want to watch them in order. It should be noted, however, that there are a few more extras than are listed here on Amazon or even on the box itself, including a 44-minute documentary on the Queen by A&E, especially useful to those who might want a little historical background, and a conversation with historian Alison Wier which runs for an interesting 21 minutes. This is not the same as the commentary track which I haven't listened to yet, though, from occasionally flipping to it, it seems to be full or information and no silences--amazing for a nine-hour drama. Everything, including the extras, has captions--rather than subtitles--which unfortunately are generated by the TV and not the TV player, but that's a minor quibble for such a great disc.

Highly recommended.

Great production
I was expecting the sets and costume to look like it was produced in 1971, but I was much surprised that it could have passed being produced early 1990s. I have seen some period movies produced in 1990s with much worse sets and costumes. Plus, Glenda Jackson's acting is just fab! This production is as old me and still looking very much up to date!

An Outstanding Dramatisation!
Elizabeth R is an outstanding and refreshingly accurate 1972 dramatisation of the life of Queen Elizabeth I. Headed by an all-star British cast, the acting is flawless, the costumes magnificent, the writing first-rate, and the dialogue sumptuous. Existing documents have been utilised for speeches and such, but the same tone or feel has been maintained throughout, resulting in a rich verbal tapestry.

The series is presented in six 90-minute episodes, and as for the quality of the DVD set, the BBC has done an exceptional job. The picture is nice and clear, the sound is good, and the disc set is encased in a richly flocked, emerald green slip case. Best of all, however, are the numerous special features. Firstly there is a 30-minute interview with Glenda Jackson (2001) wherein she talks about the role and her preparation for it, about Elizabeth, and lastly about politics (she's been a Labour MP for the last decade or so). Also informative is a 20-minute interview with historian Alison Weir (2001), wherein she talks about Elizabeth, her world, and the accuracy of the presentation. There is a 45-minute A&E biography (1996) on the life of Elizabeth, an audio reading by Jackson of a number of period documents, behind-the-scenes' photos of Jackson in make-up and costume fitting, a portrait gallery with stills of various characters displayed beside portraits of the originals, and a text-based guide to who's who in the cast. A wonderful feature (which I highly recommend viewers take advantage of!) is the audio commentary provided by Alison Weir, which one can turn on while watching the episodes. Weir provides a lot of background information and other tidbits, as well as highlighting areas where liberties have been taken.

Born in 1533 to Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was a woman of formidable intelligence who proved herself to be an extremely capable and dedicated monarch, and Glenda Jackson's portrayal of her from youth through old age is nothing short of a masterpiece. I have seen other actresses in the role but Jackson's portrayal is and (for me) always will be the definitive one. It is sheer perfection--one in which realism (thankfully) is not sacrificed on the altar of vanity. Jackson went so far as to blacken her teeth to mimic the rotting teeth of the ageing Elizabeth; also, she partially shaved her head in order to better resemble the high-foreheaded Queen.

Familiar faces to fans of British television include: Robert Hardy (All Creatures, Edward the King), who is magnificent as the dashing Robert ("Robin") Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the life-long love of Elizabeth. The late Michael Williams (A Fine Romance) is highly enjoyable as Elizabeth's "Frog", the Duke of Alencon--the only real contender for her hand. The late Peter Jeffrey is superb as Phillip II of Spain. Robin Ellis (Poldark) is splendid as the young, handsome, highly ambitious but petulant and self-destructive Earl of Essex, whom the Queen rather foolishly favoured--indeed doted on--in her old age.

In conclusion, I HIGHLY recommend this series to anyone interested in history or historical biography. Being a 70's dramatisation, it may not have the slick production values of more recent endeavours (ie. it feels at times as though we are watching a play that's been filmed), but don't let that deter you. You'll have to look far to find a more authentic dramatisation or one that is better written or more consummately acted. If you are familiar with and have enjoyed other superb historical productions of the time--shows like I Claudius or The Six Wives of Henry VIII, for example--you will surely enjoy this one! Finally, for those interested in delving a little deeper, I highly recommend Alison Weir's well-researched, captivating book entitled The Life of Elizabeth I. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Bravura Filmmaking, Great Performances
This is probably Ken Russell's best film after "Women In Love." It is truly unfortunate that only a pan-and-scan video is available; the brilliant opening "Winter Carnival" sequence, which introduces all the main characters - AND establishes their relationships, without a word of dialogue! - is particularly damaged by the cropped aspect ratio. Chamberlain was never better, and still in his physical prime, and Jackson is briliant as always. This is worth the price just for the drunken honeymoon train-ride scene. Why in God's name this isn't on DVD is beyond me- Chamberlain's fans alone would put this one in the black! Hellooo MGM, WB or whoever owns this title now, we're waiting for a widescreen transfer!

Not a masterpiece, but certainly an excellent film
No film critics seem to like THE MUSIC LOVERS, and Cinebook even scored this film 'zero', claiming that this film should be avoided by all 'music lovers'. The film's focus on Tchaikovsky's homosexuality has always been considered inappropriate. While Cinebook scored 5 stars to AMADEUS which places emphasis on Mozart's impudent and vulgar character, I think it should be fairer to this film. THE MUSIC LOVERS is not up to Ken Russell's other masterpieces like WOMEN IN LOVE, but in terms of film-making, this is a marvellous film. In the film's opening, Tchaikovsky (Richard Chamberlain), playing wildly with his sleigh, has a brief encounter with Antonina Milyukova (Glenda Jackson), later his wife. This opening is simply as witty as David Lean's DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, where Omar Sharif has a brief encounter with Julie Christie on a tram in the beginning, not realizing at that time that this is the woman who will become part of his life. Indeed, this is how THE MUSIC LOVERS brings these two important characters together, Nina attending Tchaikovsky's concert, imagining herself having a good time with the soldier she loves, who later turns out to be an abuser. In Nina's imagination and with the 2nd symphony as the background music, Tchaikovsky shoot the soldier dead in a duel for Nina, and the two embrace. Audience will learn that this is Tchaikovsky's fantasy too, resulting in their marriage, which soon becomes disastrous. Throughout the film, Tchaikovsky's music is combined with perfect editing. His 6th symphony is used in the scene on a train, where Nina gets drunk and takes off all her clothes while Tchaikovsky feels sick as he sees Nina's breasts and vagina. The montage here alternating between Tchaikovsky's face of agony and Nina's body is simply perfect. Symbolism is also the key to success for this film. In the house of Madame von Meck, Tchaikovsky's secret subsidizer, fireworks form Tchaikovsky's face, and this is when Madame von Meck finds out about his homosexuality. The fireworks become dimmer and dimmer, signifying the end of their relationship. Now he has to compose without subsidy, and this comes the climax of the film, the use of 1812 Overture, in which we watch Tchaikovsky's fantasy of getting rid of all the people in his life, the canons being used to blow off their heads one by one, again done through the best montage ever. THE MUSIC LOVERS is not at all faithful to Tchaikovsky's life, but which biographic film is? Even LUST FOR LIFE has received the same criticism. When you watch THE MUSIC LOVERS, I think you should be looking for more than just the story itself. Anyway, I have read about Tchaikovsky in encyclopaedia, and I don't find THE MUSIC LOVERS that untrue. The film is not one of Ken Russell's masterpieces, but certainly one of his most stylish. Also, I am convinced that a first-class actress like Glenda Jackson, who won an Oscar just a year before, in WOMEN IN LOVE, would not have agreed to act in a film which she believed to have a bad script. She really sacrificed a lot for this film. Besides showing her breasts and vagina, she even cut almost all her hair for the asylum scene by the end of the film, and this is unquestionably Glenda Jackson in her ugliest. I think such sacrifice should have at least earned her an Oscar nomination, but of course, she was already nominated for another film, SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY, that very same year.

Watch and enjoy !
When is this little gem* going to come out on DVD ?

*for the squared minant.

Tchaikovsky's Genuis Laid Bare
Ken Russell is one of the most underrated directors in cinema, and although his later output does not reflect the great potential he possesses, it is his earlier films that showcased his true talents in their unique and controversial style.
Russell was instrumental, along with directors like Lindsay Anderson and Nic Roeg,in giving British cinema its own more subtle version of 'nouvelle vague' in the early 70s.
His great passion for literature and classical music was a constant source of inspiration,from his adaptation of D.H Lawrence's 'Women in Love' his most acclaimed film to date, to his biographies of Elgar,Liszt, Mahler and Tchaikovsky.
The British film establishment along with almost all critics liked nothing better than to dismiss Russell and his films as pompous and over indulgent.Micheal Winner has always had his share of these snide reviews and remarks, but although he is a remarkable socialite and bon vivant, his direction talents can not be compared to Russell's at all ,thus making the cold shoulder the latter received totally unjustified.
Music Lovers, was one of the first films I ever saw, and it was largely responsible for two main developments in my life,
my love and appreciation of classical music on one hand, and a passion for cinema that remains as strong and vibrant to this day on the other.
It is a biography of this greatest of composers,Tchaikovsky, like nothing you are likely to see..Amadeus was majestic and grand..Beethoven's Immortal Beloved was too polished...Russell in Music Lovers gives us a biography that is troubled, anxious, raw and unashamedly personal.
The crazy camera movements, the use of music both as part of the plot and as a background, the emphasis on an aspect of the great composer's life rarely written about or known:
Russell in Music Lovers was able to show the viewers the human with his failings, successes and indulgences that were behind the creative genius, and the agony, despair as well as joy behind the music.
Critics have slammed the film as an bombastic emphasis on Tchaikovsky's homosexuality, but they did miss the point totally..for I believe Russell was not trying to talk about the composer's sexual orientation, rather more about the demons that haunted him and the confusions and anxiousness that followed him throughout his life, his loves, disappointments, and friendships and from which many masterpieces came to life.
I loved the fact how cleverly Russell uses the music to enhance the drama and the mood of the his film: in a way the music of Tchaikovsky speaks in itself the story of its composer..this Russell I believe understood very well and used it to his benefit.And of course it is safe to say that Richard Chamberlain as the Russian composer gave his best performance to date, while actress turned politician Glenda Jackson who worked with Russell on Women In love,is one of the best actresses in the world, in the Rampling-Dench-Redgrave league, and had she not chosen a different career, I am certain she would have delighted cinema lovers with many more great performances.
The sad fact that Music Lovers is not yet released on DVD just confirms how underrated that great director is. At a time when really awful films get a two disc releases with tons of extras, classic films such as Music Lovers, remain out of stock and out of sight to cinema lovers everywhere to be seen again or rediscovered. It is time to give this film a proper release, and its director the recognition that he truly deserves.

Fantastic!
I must say this is about the best movie I saw that I never knew that it existed. The whole thing is a masterpeice from beginning to end. Never a dull 5 minutes and always stays interesting. Perhaps the best "under-the-influence" movie ever made! Can't wait for the DVD release! *crosses fingers* ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Wonderfully unusual
The best type of film, one that stays with you and intrudes your thoughts for days and days. Glenda Jackson is as always excellent and Mona Washbourne is a wonderful actor, effortlessly balancing Jackson's genius.

It should be seen over and over to appreciate the beauty of the words of Smith on film

By far, STEVIE is the best of the "stagy" films
Throughout her career as the British madame of the tragicomedy mask, Glenda Jackson has featured herself in many productions that have been labeled as "stagy" and "theater-like" (such as MARAT SADE and HEDDA), once in awhile retiring into a Ken Russell project, specifically WOMEN IN LOVE and THE MUSIC LOVERS. When Hugh Whitemore's play STEVIE was going to be given screen treatment after a successful run in English theaters with Jackson playing the highly autonomous poetess Peggy "Stevie" Smith, I am sure she jumped at the chance.

The film, from stage director Robert Enders, features only four established characters. Mona Washbourne gives one of the most tender performance of her career as Smith's forthright "lion aunt" ("She looks very lion-like, don't you think?"). The first portion of the film, in which the director tries to give the film a good-natured exposition, is most slow-moving, but always enjoyable, especially when Smith and her "sidekick" in the lampooning of British social unease poke satirical jabs (through the use of some of Smith's poetry) at the most likely of targets in English society.

It is important in viewing this film to take notice to the performance of Washbourne, simply because it is one of the most multi-layered performances I have seen in any artistic/theater medium. This device (also used in the writing) is used to develop a poignant, but not contrived, character relationship. Trevor Howard, billed ingenuously as "The Man", does an admirable job in helping the audience establishment a vantage point of which to look at the character of Stevie. Both Howard and Jackson deliver Smith's poetry accurately and flawlessly.

The scene that I love to view concerns one of Jackson's last monologues in which she explains how utterly humorous Agatha Christie is in French ("Je m'apelle Hecrule Poirot") and her account of her visit to royalty. Stevie Smith's final words (in a letter) did pull on my heartstrings, I must admit, as we, the audience, finally realize that once the "lion aunt" died, most of Stevie died as well. It is the perfect swan song to a strong poet.

It was only logical that a play be written about Smith and the last portion of her life spent in a house on Avendale Road ("How sweet the birds of Avendale") with her "lion aunt", and the film succeeds in all its endeavors to deliver what Smith never truly realized in her life or writings: the poetry of life.

"PORTRAIT OF A LADY NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN"
Another Stellar turn by the Great Glenda Jackson who created the role on stage!

An ultra-economic, yet superbly effective little gem of a movie about the life of poet Stevie Smith [1902 - 1971] played by Jackson with Mona Washborne as the "lion aunt", and Trevor Howard as the narrator.

An uplifting look at a lonely life, filled with intentional humor [not quite a 'yuk-fest' - it's very real and very human]. We deal with gain, loss, daily routine, suicide [just an attempt], and eventual 'passing'.

Superior, witty dialogue, [the "lingering-hopefully" sequence about Anglo-courtship is priceless as is the later and very real recollection of the meeting with Queen Elizabeth - after her {Stevie's, not HRH's} "nervous breakdown"].

Quite memorable, and worth revisiting - often!

[DVD Issue please!]

Not to be missed.
STEVIE is a one-of-a-kind film biography of the quirky, cultish British poet whose preoccupation with the theme of death nevertheless provides a setting for a powerful and moving film about life. Glenda Jackson and Mona Washbourne, as Stevie's long-suffering, beloved aunt, inhabit these roles as they would their own skins. The incorporation of many of Stevie Smith's insightful poems is seamless; the overall effect of the characters talking to the audience with equal ease as with one another only deepens our emotional connection with these odd, endearing people. Most highly recommended. END ... Read more

Reviews (2)

King of the Wind
A most sensitive and moving film. The love the young boy has for his horse is especially touching. Great acting all around, especially by Jenny Agutter. This film is one that children of all ages will enjoy, and all adults should appreciate.

I loved this movie!!!
The movie is basically about a tale of devotion between a mute boy and his horse. The boy saves his horse from being killed because the horse was considered bad luck. And from then on the horse, Sham, and the boy stay together.I thought the movie was really great and I recomend this movie to any one who loves horses or a story of devotion. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Not exactly Sandy Wilson's The Boy Friend, but...
...it's a wonderful (and hilarious) movie!!
Most of the play is in this movie (on stage), but everything funny in this movie is on stage but has to do with things off stage or off stage.
I love the show, The Boy Friend and I am not at all offended at what Ken Russell did with it: one of the mains things is the Busby Berkeley style numbers (hilarious).
Other things I like about this movie is much of the casting: Twiggy is absolutely wonderful as Polly; Glenda Jackson makes an unforgettable appearence as Rita; Moyra Fraser has a great stage presence, playing Mme Dubonnet; Antonia Ellis is hilarious and steals the movie as the jerky Maisie; Georgina Hale is both cold and sweet as Fay; Tommy Tune could not have been better as Tommy (originally Bobby); Barbara Windsor is priceless as Hortense; Sally Bryant is great as the thick-headed Nancy; Murray Melvin is sweet as Alphonse; Max Adrien is fun as The Show's Director and Catherine Willmer is delightful as the Director's uptight wife.
I didn't really care much for Vladek Sheybal (De Thrill). I thouht he could have done much better. Christopher Gable (Tony) is much better off as a dancer. And Bryan Pringle was pretty lifeless.
The dream sequences are beautifully put together and wonderful with Christopher Gable's choreogrophy. The sets were beautiful (and way too complicated for an actual performance of The Boy Friend) and the props were hilarious. The backstage charactor personalities (along with reat actors) contributed so much to making this film funny. And I couldn't get enough of Busby Berkeley styled numbers.
As for singing: Twiggy suprised me with her nice and gentle voice; Antonia Ellis sung with many diferent levels and she was great at it; Tommy Tune can sing, of course; Barbara Windsor's voice may not have been beautiful, but her voice is warm and charming and that absolutely fit the part she played; Georgina Hale's voice is thin and a little flat, but her seductive tone fit her (offstage charector) part; Moyra Fraser may be the only one who SANG all the way through "Fancy Forgetting," but I wasn't convinced that she could actually sing. When she spoke through songs, I felt that it was to cover up the fact that she has an exremely limited range, however "Fancy Foretting" was good; Max Adrian sung just right for his character (while carrying a tune), but outside of that, he probably wouldn't be on Broadway; Christopher Gable was good; Bryan Prinle was also good.
The movie also has many memorable moments:
Maisie (snobbish) [Offstage Charactor]: Don't cry Polly, you weren't that bad.
Tommy's Life Story
Rita's entire part
Everything Polly had to do to memorize lines
Maisie's ad-libs/Attempt to seduce De Thrill
Fay's attempt to seduce De Thrill
Nancy trying to learn French
Bad Props (on stage)
...and many, many more.
The reason that I give this movie 5 stars instead of 4 or 3 (which my review may sound like thats right) is that I can re-watch it and still find it Fabulous! This movie is definetly going on my 10 Funniest Movies list!

That certain thing called...MAGIC.
This year 2003 marked the 50th anniversary of Sandy's Wilson's THE BOY FRIEND. Not only the stage musical is a hit but Ken's Russell's film The Boy Friend should have given more credits.The film was cleverly put togther and the production is A class.At the right time this film should get a lot of oscar nominations for best director, best choreography and most of all best musical. If ever they produce the 50th anniversary cd of this UK muiscal you should buy it. Just to hear Lilian Montevecchi singing as Madame Dubonnet is worth getting the cd.

Twiggy's show
No this is not based on the original "Boy Friend", so all of you original fans will have to go elsewhere. I thought the original was outdated so was delighted with Ken Russell adding a backstage story and straight out going druggy.. I think 30 minutes should have been edited, (explains why it's only 4.)
The main surprise in this movie is Twiggy. People who dismissed her as a phase in modeling should watch this. She sang wonderfully back in the 70's. She had a sweet gentle voice. I think the soundtrack of this movie should be released. I just bought the record and am happy with it. Also this movie is flat out magical. I had many daydreams about it when I was 15.

I LOVED THIS BUT........
Say what you will - it's not the sweet stage version but it's pretty wild - and how great is TWIGGY?

Now, if I loved this movie then why only 3 stars instead of 4 or 5? Simple... the darn video was modified to "fit my screen". If a movie ever deserved widescreen letterbox, it's THIS one! In fact, some of the musical numbers are so large, the video pops into widescreen for them and then retuns to formatted when finished (wouldn't that be even harder to do?!).

Anyway, if you're listening MGM, it's time to release this one on DVD, letterbox - and don't forget to add lots of tasty tid-bits... how bout comentary by Tommy Tune, Twiggy, Glenda Jackson and Ken Russell???

By the way, the stage version is really wonderful and deserving of a Broadway revival - the movie is indeed VERY different and in some ways Ken Russell erases the innocence of the stage version - but for a film, this movie is GREAT... just eliminate your expectations of what the stage version is like because there's no comparison.

What tha......??????
I have had the good fortune to work on a production of the original Broadway musical script and score of "The Boy Friend" written by Sandy Wilson. This video of the same show (supposedly) is incredibly derivative and quite frankly, frightening. I wish I could give it 0 stars, but.... "The Boy Friend" VHS is a mix of "42nd Street," "Noises Off," and some horrible acid trip. Twiggy - as good as she is in other vehicles - is simpering and annoying in this one. The fun of the original has been removed - gone are the carefree spoofs of love, gone is the energetic silliness of the girls, gone is the utter fun of the typical "boy meets girl/boy loses girl over misunderstanding/boy and girl get it together for the end" theme of the late 20's and early 30's movie musicals. In my opinion, this was a misguided attempt at.... something. I haven't figured out exactly what yet. Please see and enjoy and have FUN at the original stage show being performed in your area and ignore this bit of druggy tripe... you'll feel better in the morning. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Just What The Doctor Ordered
Christopher Durang's off-Broadway play BEYOND THERAPY was a triumph, and Durang himself worked with director Robert Altman to bring it to the screen. The result is a truly remarkable film--beautifully played by a first-rate cast, quick paced, provocative, romantic, and very, very funny.

Unlike some Altman films, BEYOND THERAPY offers a traditional storyline. When Prudence and Bruce (Julie Hagerty and Jeff Goldblum) meet for a blind date the result is disasterous--not surprising, when Bruce casually notes that he is bisexual and living with lover Bob (Christopher Guest.) Prudence and Bruce rush back to their therapists (Tom Conti and Glenda Jackson, respectively) for advice... but their therapists are nuttier than they are, and soon they, Bob, Bob's mother Zizi (Genevieve Page), and the entire waitstaff of a French restaurant are dragged into the fray.

Durang's adaptation of his script is absolutely hilarious, and so many memorable lines ("My mother is NOT a transvestite!") bounce through the film that the effect--particularly when coupled with Altman's "wall of sound" audio style--is absolutely dizzying; the sound design is also memorable for the constant car crashes and china shattering that occurs in the background, a metaphor for collision of characters happening before our eyes. The entire cast is absolutely first rate (Hagerty, Goldblum, and Guest have never been better), and Altman guides them with a very sure hand.

Altman's vision always divides viewers: you either like his films or you do not. Although BEYOND THERAPY offers a relatively small cast in a cohesive story, it is actually one of Altman's most visually and aurally kaliediscopic films, and it is unlikely to convert those who find his style confusing and frustrating. But that said, this is a must-have film for any Altman fan, a truly enjoyable romantic comedy with a razor sharp script and a joyous style. A great shame that this VHS is out of print and there is no DVD release! Strongly, strongly recommended.

Not funny
I bought this movie because it was (somewhat) by Christopher Durang, and it is positively the very last time I'll buy a DVD without renting and seeing it first. I liked "Sister Mary..." (the script, I know there's a film out there somewhere with Dianne Keaton in it, ALL of it written by Durang, but alas it is not on DVD, I very much want to see it). But "Beyond Therapy." One good thing I can say for it is the interesting way the chaos and seemingly disparate actions and characters come together (congeal?) into something coherent. But I only laughed twice. Once at the beginning when Prudence drops her magazines and screams a cussword (must be decent, mustn't say the naughty word) at the guy who runs off with them. And once when Bob is lying on the therapist's sofa with a child's fuzzy puppet on his right hand and starts to cry and takes a Kleenex with the hand with the puppet on it. Other than that the most I can say is that it was interesting, hardly funny, NOT Durang that I remember (I've read the play), and the color of the film was kind of dark and blackish, like it had been dipped in soot. I do not recommend this flick to anyone. However. A lot of people liked it, so I guess it's a question of taste.

Beneath Contempt
I don't think I've seen a worse screen version of a stage play than this one.

Christopher Durang and Robert Altman have very different styles and senses of humor, which come together in this movie like the Titanic and the iceberg, sinking the whole enterprise. Durang is direct and over the top; his characters constantly surprise us with their emotional zigzags and unpredictable comments. Altman likes his actors underplaying much of the time while offscreen chattering and noises distract viewers from the dialogue. Jokes, motives, and plot points all get lost in the buzz.

Some of the actors are so badly miscast that no one's direction could have helped. Jeff Goldblum is more creepy, obnoxious, and arrogant than neurotic. And what's with Tom Conti's outrageous accent? He doesn't normally talk like that, and the character isn't written like that.

The play is episodic enough that it should translate well to the screen. I can only hope that some director whose style is more compatible with Durang's will film it again.

Parody of shrinks and art movies
I am convinced that European Art Movies and psychotherapy are amongst the many ideas being satirized here. And what a hilarious send-up! The gaggle of dowager duchesses frantically fanning themselves in the French restaurant and the antics of the two psychologists are absolutely priceless. Brilliantly designed and shot, this film is a strange and often wonderful excursion into the world of neurosis and manages to delight, disturb and engross the viewer at the same time. Very sharp, very memorable.

Just What The Doctor Ordered
Christopher Durang's off-Broadway play BEYOND THERAPY was a triumph, and Durang himself worked with director Robert Altman to bring it to the screen. The result is a truly remarkable film--beautifully played by a first-rate cast, quick paced, provocative, romantic, and very, very funny.

Unlike some Altman films, BEYOND THERAPY offers a traditional storyline. When Prudence and Bruce (Julie Hagerty and Jeff Goldblum) meet for a blind date the result is disasterous--not surprising, when Bruce casually notes that he is bisexual and living with lover Bob (Christopher Guest.) Prudence and Bruce rush back to their therapists (Tom Conti and Glenda Jackson, respectively) for advice... but their therapists are nuttier than they are, and soon they, Bob, Bob's mother Zizi (Genevieve Page), and the entire waitstaff of a French restaurant are dragged into the fray.

Durang's adaptation of his script is absolutely hilarious, and so many memorable lines ("My mother is NOT a transvestite!") bounce through the film that the effect--particularly when coupled with Altman's "wall of sound" audio style--is absolutely dizzying; the sound design is also memorable for the constant car crashes and china shattering that occurs in the background, a metaphor for collision of characters happening before our eyes. The entire cast is absolutely first rate (Hagerty, Goldblum, and Guest have never been better), and Altman guides them with a very sure hand.

Altman's vision always divides viewers: you either like his films or you do not. Although BEYOND THERAPY offers a relatively small cast in a cohesive story, it is actually one of Altman's most visually and aurally kaliediscopic films, and it is unlikely to convert those who find his style confusing and frustrating. But that said, this is a must-have film for any Altman fan, a truly enjoyable romantic comedy with a razor sharp script and a joyous style. A great shame that this VHS is out of print and there is no DVD release! Strongly, strongly recommended. ... Read more

Description

When a schoolmaster's wife predicts her own death and names her husband the murderer, George Smiley comes to her aid -- too late to save her, but just in time to uncover the truth. In this exclusive, private cauldron bubbling with snobbery, rivalry and envy, everybody has something to hide, but only the killer has everything to lose. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

No car chases, (...), you call this a movie!
Is blavis of Beaumont sure that his brain imploded after the film started! I am sure that Christian Bale is relieved that he was excluded from the crystal clarity of your in-depth and thoughtful review.

I suggest to any and all lovers of literature on film that you pass on the Top Ten favorite films of blavis of Texas and rent, buy or steal this film. You will not be sorry!

Murder of Quality.....John Le Carre
Excellent film rendition of the novel, done with the subtle touches that give the educated a stimulating exercise of the "little grey matter".

The so called review by:Reviewer: blavis from Beaumont, TX United States confirms the prevailing lack of educated beings' in Texas and most of the Southern US. Such a pity in this day and age.

Have not seen the movie
yet I feel sorry for blavis from Beaumont, TX United States. This person should stick to James Bond.

Solid Adaptation
The reviewer from Beumont, TX has no clue what he was watching. To watch this film without any knowledge of the unparalleled John Le Carre is folly. The reviewer didn't know that the so-called "ex-spy" was Le Carre's great hero - George Smiley, spy par excellence despite his failing in the social graces. If you are aware of Le Carre and Smiley, you will enjoy this movie. It is difficult to portray Le Carre books effectively, because of the depth of his characters, but this does a good job of portraying the Smiley character.

A fine production
This is an excellent adaptation of John Le Carre's elegant mystery concerning Britain's class system and academia.

Beware though: not for the unintelligent. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Before director Ken Russell's name became synonymous with cinematic extravagance and overkill, he actually directed what is one of the most passionate and involving adaptations of D.H. Lawrence in recent memory. Oliver Reed and Alan Bates star as friends who fall in love with a pair of sisters (Jennie Linden and Glenda Jackson, who won an Oscar for the role). But the relationships take markedly different directions, as Russell explores the nature of commitment and love. Bates and Linden learn to give themselves to each other; the more withdrawn Reed cannot, finally, connect with the demanding and challenging Jackson. Shot with great sensuality, it was surprisingly frank for its period (1970) and includes one of the most charged scenes in movie history: Bates and Reed as manly men, wrestling nude by firelight. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Totally Ken Russell's Lawrence
The cast alone should indicate you are in for fireworks! Add to that a totally, over-the-top treatment by Ken Russell. This film will please and titillate, amuse and confuse. Such being the nature of love. As the main characters, Jackson, Bates and Reed are incredible. The film does a very credible job of sticking to the D.H. Lawrence idea. If for no other reason, watch it for the the nude wrestling scene! Encore!

A Must MUST see for all.
One of the most magnificent films and most sensuous ever made. I rented "Women in Love" years ago over and over again, until I gave up and finally bought a copy. I have grown attached to this film. Glenda Jackson deservedly won oscar for her portrayal as Gudrun. Cinematographer should have won too for his elegant photography.

When discussing this film with other film buffs, they keep mentioning the "most" brilliant scene, the nude scene with Alan Bates and Oliver Reed. I agree it's brilliant and exotic, but there are others that are beautiful, graceful and unforgettable: 1) Jennie Linden's nude scene with Alan Bates, circling gracefully around one another in a field while a beautiful score of music plays in the background. 2) Jackson's dance and graceful movement while reaching for a tree branch and slowly descending to the ground and back again, while Linden sings "Pretty Bubbles". 3) Linden's reconciliation with Bates starting with "See what a flower I found you?" 4) Jackson's gorgeous elongated eyes behind a veil putting on a costume in Switzerland while having an affair and Stravinsky plays in the background.

No matter how many times I see this film, I find new beautiful discoveries. I pledge people to give this one a chance and I promise it will be worth while and rewarding.

What a disappointment
One of the great pleasures of seeing this film in the theatre was the lush green of the English countryside. This print (or pressing) looks like it was abandoned on a deck chair in the south of France ... dry and faded.

COUNTRY MANNERS.........
STILL, very moving, erotic, devastating and rather frightening in its frank sexual portrayal! D.H. Lawrence veiled expose of the 'Bloomsbury' Set and 'other encounters' - today's imitations pale by comparison.

Masterful performances by Glenda Jackson, Alan Bates, and the late Oliver Reed. Lush direction - and adaptation by Ken Russell and superb costumes by Mrs Russell - all lovingly restored on the late but 'collector's item DVD. Quite true to the flamboyant novel and a veritable primer for the aspiring actor.

Now, how about more Russell Restorations??

Excellent presentation of Lawrences warm blooded themes
Film versions of novels rarely get everything right but this comes pretty close. I especially like how effective the film is at conveying the importance of the body and physical sensation so vital in Lawrence's writing. I think a film can only attempt to show what the book more specifically says so to the mind the book will always be preferred but with a writer like Lawrence film makes perfect sense. In fact Lawrences flaw is perhaps that he at times uses too many words when an image would suffice. So I love that someone as visually audacious as Ken Russell made this film. I've seen it many times and always love different things about it. Russell is usually equated with excess but here everything exists in just the right amount, nothing is overdone, he finds just the right way to convey literary content without overly revering it and so framing it too neatly. Russell remains true to the book,and to his credit the way he injects the Lawrentian themes enlivens his characters, make them seem even more vital which is no small accomplishment and so the film never feels "literary" even though it is very literary in the best sense. To Lawrence love and any kind of relationship was always marked with struggle and restlessness because it could never be perfected. He was not interested in the bourgeoisie convention of marriage which domesticated love into something else but in its truest most uncompromised state. So in this film Ken Russell gives us that. Not every detail of the whole story but the essential feeling of love as experienced by four very different temperaments and all four main characters are very different types indeed, and all react differently to passion and interpret its meaning differently also. The most beautiful scenes are the wordless ones when the characters stop analyzing what their lives are about and allow themselves to simply inhabit their own passion and instincts. I think Russell is very true to Lawrence's concerns, perhaps shares them, but articulates them in his own visual way which really makes this a kind of collaboration with Lawrence as some of the scenes have no precedent in the book. The characters all remain complex and interesting and much remains unresolved because it is unresolvable. He also did a version of Women in Love's companion novel The Rainbow which is only about half as good. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Theatre majors take head or . . . Salome. Dance for me !!!!
I have been wating for close to 5 years to have this movie come ut on a medium that is affordable. For the longest of time the VHS version was close to $80.00. Now that it is on DVD we can apreciate this film for less ...

To say the least this is an excellent version of Oscar Wilde's Salome. If you want to understand Wilde and his plays, you should pick this film up. Not many people realize but Wilde and his friends would write plays and then act them out for fun. So when you see this movie you are getting a pretty good view of what a Friday night was for Wilde and his friends.
I mean to say, wouldn't it be fun to write a porn and have your friends act it out with you as the star? That was what Wilde did, that was why he was so controversial.
But like I said, if you are a theatre major or even a fan of literature and history. Watch this film and be amazed.

Senuous version of Wilde's exotic play
Rather than film Oscar Wilde's play, Salome, as a stand-alone piece, Ken Russell uses the time-honored technique of a play within a play, to present a fictional British premier of the play considered so decadent, the Lord Chamberlain banned it from the stage. Wilde did not see a production of Salome in his lifetime. In Mr. Russell's film, the guests and employees of Alfred Taylor's brothel present a fully staged performance of Salome for Wilde as a birthday present.

Within this concept, Russell has each actor, except Wilde, play two parts in the film, one in the brothel, one in the play. Most remarkable of these is Imogen Millais-Scott who, the first time we see her, is a very timid, slightly stuttering maid, but who, in the play within the play, is none other than the seductive princess Salome. Besides having an intriguing face that can look thirteen one minute and sixty the next, she has a melodious, slightly odd speaking voice and intense line delivery.

Nicholas Grace is the sensuous, slightly debauched Oscar Wilde, Glenda Jackson commands the stage as a dissipated, but regal queen Herodias/Lady Alice, and Stratford Johns gives a detailed characterization as Herod/Alfred Taylor (the owner of the brothel). Russell himself appears with a fairly sizeable spoken role.

There are only two extra features on this DVD: the inevitable trailers (not particularly interesting) and a commentary by the director Ken Russell which is both fascinating and enlightening. Mr. Russell readily describes his creative process, explains some of the choices he made in the film, and relates a few interesting anecdotes about the actors, all the while dropping bits of information about the music he chose for the film and why.

This is not an appropriate film for children. It contains nudity, some crude gestures, and sexual situations.

Unique Vortex of Oddity!
Much is made of risque film director's, loathe them or love them they are the ones mainstream Hollywood hacks very often "borrow" heavily from. And in doing so receive undo praise for innovention. Ken Russell is innovention personified! Like Cronenberg, Lynch and Alan Parker, he isn't afraid to takes the risks nessessary to make a highly provacative and compelling film. Salome's Last Dance is innovative, provacative, literate and well acted; brilliantly lensed on a miniscule budget (probably the budget of Spielberg's hair products durring one of his productions). Much praise to the lead actress, who's performance is nothing short of amazing! Grace as Wilde is particularly underappreciated in a subtle, yet alarmingly perverse performance that gives Stephen Fry's (in a different film) a run for his Wilde money. Odd, but sincere; bizarre, yet unique; I highly recommend t his rarely seen little gem!!!

The Wilde Party
Nicely done version of the Oscar Wilde play. Unlike Russell's film of THE BOY FRIEND, which drowned straightforward source material in an ocean of pastiche and camp, the framing device here (a private performance of Wilde's play in a brothel on the night of his arrest) actually illumines, rather than obscures, the text. Nickolas Grace as Oscar himself is something of a nonstarter, but most of the cast rise (or sink) to the occasion; pleasant to see flashes of wit again from the usually sullen Glenda Jackson. Good design, and a marvelous performance from Imogen Millais-Scott, looking like the love child of Joan Greenwood and Quentin Crisp in the title role. Would make an interesting double-feature with Nazimova's notorious silent film.

Salome's Last Dance
Salome's Last Dance is a bizarre, yet well-acted film that mixes a campy performance of Oscar Wilde's French-decadent play, witty in-joke quotes, and a nose-tweaking of history, to eventually create a film that w