Reviews (185)

Redefining the Rock Musical.
I've been a fan of musicals ever since I saw Dorothy go Technicolor in "The Wizard of Oz" when I was about five - but I had just about given up hope of a modern day musical. The last popular musicals were done in the seventies (Tommy, Rocky Horror, The Wiz), and they weren't really emotionally moving. Entertaining, yes - but thought provoking and touching, not exactly.

Hedwig has given me hope. Based on a play that became a cult hit in New York and other big cities, now it's been put on DVD with great care by its creator John Cameron Mitchell. He's done an excellent job of bringing Hedwig's energy and intimacy to the screen. I'd love to see him direct and star in more films.

The music is excellent and the lyrics surprisingly insightful. You have to watch this movie more than once to fully appreciate the intricate story, but the music will grab you right away. Stephan Trask is an amazingly talented writer.

Although not everyone may think of an East German transsexual punk rock whore as a heroin - I do. This is the story of her self-discovery, how she finds completeness within herself. She wants love and acceptance ' just as we all do.

Not bad. But ROCKY HORROR is better.
I have a feeling that in later years this movie will be as big a cult classic as ROCKY HORROR or BLOODSUCKING FREAKS. No, its not a great movie, but it has just the right amount of weirdness, pomp and some pretty good rock music to become one of the first major cult sucesses of the 21st century. It centers around a German transexual who after a sex change op gone wrong leaves him with the "angry inch" of the title, is appalled when his secret gay lover steals credit for his music and becomes a number one chart success and sets out to get his music back. The music is pretty good, but the movie itself isn't completely sucessful. That said it works better as a film because the visual elements including animation add to what is a rather bizarre, unique viewing experience. Naturally, I haven't seen the musical on which it is based (typical of me, I know) but I recommend it if you are in the mood to watch something a little different, though personally I think ROCKY HORROR stands head and shoulders over HEDWIG any day.

Rock N Roll & Passion, Truth,Sadness,Loves found & Lost
This movie -- I can watch it each and every day. The characters captured me and they were real people with their faults, genius, heart and soul. Anyone who enjoys Rock and a fabulously written script exploring Transgender relationships, the transgender mind will fall in love with Hedwig. ^5 to all connected with this brilliant movie. It is passion, grit, soul, heart, double cross, greed, and a search for love, acceptance. This movie is so great and moving I do not possess the vocabulary to describe the emotional journey the viewer travels. FANTASTIC

Ladies and Gentlmen the best movie you'll ever see
To say the least i am a fag hag, thus, i love musicals and anything remotely gay. albeit i am neither a boy nor a gay boy but rather a female whose only form of male friends are queer, gay, fagets etc. and i have to say this is one of my favorite movies of all times when i first viewed this movie i couldn't believe it i thought "yes, i'm not a freak someone took two of my favorite things Rock and Roll and Transexuals and rolled it into one great movie" and not only did i completely fall in love with the movie the directer, writer and star of the movie but also the soundtrack which by the way you the soon to be viewer should definetly get because its the best. Hedwig or Hansel as that was his name before his transformation or rather confusion, he and his mother lived in a cramped apartment in Communist Berlin, before the wall came down that is, They were left by his American GI father and it was just his mother and him. THe apartment was so small that the only place for Hedwig slash Hansel could find refuse to listen to his American Rock and Roll music was in the oven. The two lived together sleeping in the same bed until around Hedwig slash Hansel was into his late twenties and was discovered sunbathing on ruins by his semi perverted prince charming, an American military black man the two decides to get married and get the hell out of berlin. the only thing that stands in their way is Hedwig slash Hansel's little bishop between his slash her's legs but Hansels mother whose name by the way is Hedwig convinces him that its just a simple cut and paste job and she'll be on her way to america. but little did they know what they were into unfortunately for Hansel Berlin did not have the best plastic surgens around and instead of a female genitalia or even male genitalia he was left with a inch of skin where something was supposed to be there. thus the title angry inch. But to cut a good story short He took on his mothers name Hedwig and was then known throughout the movie as hedwig and referred to as her or she. and after a few months of wedding bliss she was left by her GI husband for a younger more tight boy. left by her husband and with an inch to work with she took all her anger and fustraion into making a remarkable band with beautiful songs in which she meets tommy gnosis or rather makes tommy gnosis this psuedo rockstar whom was created and shaped into a rockstar by none other Ms Hedwig herself and then like her father and husband left her in the dumps. but this time she wasn't going to let anyone take what she worked so hard at, her music and her heart. you see first Hedwig meet tommy while babysitting for his family tommy was just a christian rock nerd before ever meeting Hedwig and the two hit it off they were more in love than ever the problem tommy was sadly not into the whole inch thing and couldn't work it out so like the dish and the spoon he ran away with her heart and the songs in which she wrote and made him famous rather than herself. the underlining of this movie is all about find yourself and accepting who you are once you've found yourself and its about love and how sometimes you just have to let that one person who feel you can't live without, go. but enough about the film i command you to watch it listen to the soundtrack and be in love.

incredulous
There are people on here that do not think that Hedwig is very good, and that is okay. The next time somebody mentions that they do not think the "story is good!!1!!" or that "all of these transies are weird, omgggg!!!!1", I might vomit.

If you think that the metaphors John Cameron Mitchell employs are silly or trite- news flash, he didn't make them up. If you want to disagree with Plato, however, be my guest (it'll just validate your stupidity). Since Hedwig and the Angry Inch was based upon The Speech of Aristophranes from Plato's Symposium (a foundational text which deals with greek mythology and is really just another version of Genesis which includes room for people of all sexual orientation) you might want to think twice about what you call silly.

People know Plato's name for a reason. Mitchell is a genius.

Bravo. ... Read more

Reviews (291)

'The Rocky Horror Show' Movie
There is one reason why everyone should see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show": it is the best cult film ever made. There are also three reasons why everyone should want to watch it: 1) It is one of the only 'R' rated musicals in existence. 2) It has strong science-fiction overtones. 3) It is very funny. The movie starts Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon (before they were stars) as the recently engaged Brad and Janet. However, they are upstaged in nearly every scene by Tim Curry who plays Frank N. Furter, the mad doctor. The cast delightfully performs many memorable songs including "Over at the Frankenstein Place" and, of course, the "Time Warp". To fully enjoy RHPS, one must not be closed minded or the picture could prove to be quite offensive. Don't think it's gratuitously violent- it isn't. Merely, the situations the characters find themselves in could shock or appall overly sensitive viewers. If you think you won't enjoy RHPS, going to a midnight screening might be your best bet. The live audience participation will guarantee you a good time, despite your opinion of the actual film. So overall, RHPS is quite a good adaptation of Richard O'Brien's original concept, which always honors its roots on the stage.

DVD = Perfect format to truly experience "Rocky" at home
I loved going to "Rocky Horror" when I was in college, but watching on home video just wasn't the same. I'm probably committing heresy but there's a reason why this sci-fi, horror, B-movie satire, rock musical didn't really make it big until theaters started showing it as a midnight movie and fans started attending in costume and talking back to the screen. The 25th anniversary DVD, with several audience participation options, really is the next best thing to being there.

For the uninitiated, "Rocky Horror" tells the story of two clean-cut American youths, uptight Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick of "Spin City") and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon of "Dead Man Walking") whose car breaks down on a dark, deserted road in the middle of a storm--the classic beginning to many horror movies--and who seek help at a nearby castle. Castles, as Rocky fans know, don't have phones! What this castle has instead is a cross-dressing mad scientist Frank-N-Furter Tim Curry, in perhaps his finest performance), two very creepy servants, Riff-Raff (Richard O'Brien, who wrote the musical) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and various other hangers-on, including lovers Columbia (Little Nell) and biker Eddie (Meat Loaf). Brad and Janet walk in on a party celebrating the creation of Frank-N-Furter's muscle-bound boy-toy "Rocky." Bed-hopping chaos soon ensues, until the servants reveal their true identities and take control.

Punctuating this wacky plot are some of the wildest rock-musical songs ever written. In addition to the classic "Time Warp," there's O'Brien's salute to cult-classic B-movies, "Science Fiction Double Feature," Meat Loaf's "Hot Patootie," and Sarandon ode to sexual self-discovery, "Toucha Toucha Touch Me!"

So much for the "Rocky virgin" portion of the review... What makes the DVD so exceptional is the chance to experience "Rocky Horror" at home nearly like you would in the theater. The DVD has the option of turning on the audience screen comments as well as another option for viewing members of the Rocky Horror Fan Club performing select scenes before returning to the main movie. For those less familiar with audience participation, the DVD can prompt when to throw toast, toilet paper, rice, etc., light a match, put your newspaper on your head, etc.

The second disc contains fascinating interviews with cast members, where fans can find out about their reaction to starring in this cult classic. Meat Loaf's description of not realizing what "Rocky Horror" was going to be about and running out of the theater when Tim Curry entered wearing fishnet stockings, spiked heels, a merry widow, and a leather jacket and singing "Sweet Transvestite" is hysterical. Patricia Quinn talks about how her fondness for the opening song, "Science Fiction Double Feature" made her want to take the role even though she hadn't read the rest of the script. What? Don't remember Quinn singing that number? In the stage versions she did, but the song got reassigned in the film version--and Quinn makes her feelings about that QUITE clear. Sarandon makes the interesting observation that "Rocky Horror" probably kept a lot of art house theaters in business over the years, since they could count on good revenue from the midnight movie, even if the latest regular-hours offering flopped. In Bostwick's interview, however, the actor sounds a bit like William Shatner giving his anti-Trekkie diatribe on "Saturday Night Live."

The only disappointments on the DVD are that the outtakes really aren't that interesting and actor bios aren't provided. I would have liked to see what else the "minor" cast members did after Rocky, but that information is limited to a few lines in the companion booklet. Also, some of the audience-participation comments are nearly impossible to understand because fans are talking over each other. But then that's part of the modern-day theater experience. Even Sarandon noted in her interview that talking back to the screen has gone from the more unison catechism approach to a loud free-for-all.

What seemed so risqué and shocking a few decades ago seems much more innocent today, but it was great when it all began and it's still great! If you've never ventured into the theater to experience "Rocky Horror," this is the best way to experience it at home.

Mesmerizing film.
This is a very outrageous movie. The rock is the background to tell us a horror movie but also spiced with sex , ransvestism and above all a splendid tribute to the movies specially King Kong .
One couple strands in an old house full of weirdos . This movie (here between you and me)could have inspired for Tim Burton in Beetle juice .
In this decade there were great visuals films too . Sherman built a magnificent story absolutely free , intelligent and sarcastic, irreverent and bitter . You might state that Fellini's influence (dressed of english manners and clothes) is present all along the film .
Inmediatly after its release this one acquired the status of cult movie.

The original is still the best!
Don't bother with the play, or the music from the play. The original is still the best. Nobody can fill the shoes of Sarandon, Curry, etc. They originated the roles and have been associated with them for far too long for anyone else to come in try to change them so many years later and attempt to redo them. Stay with the best.

Those Gold Shorts!
Ahhhhh...Rocky had such a lovely outline showing in his gold lame shorts. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Hilarious
I saw this film twice when it came out in LA in '89 or '90 and almost got a hernia from laughing. Sandra is truly OVER the whole Westernized idea of self-concept; she has irreverence for almost everything in pop culture, and...well, who can blame her? I listened to the soundtrack from the show again last weekend twelve years later and still laughed. She really has a way of tempering one's desire for too much self-importance, and the way she skewers fame is just... charmed!

One of a kind
This movie, WITHOUT YOU I'M NOTHING, is based on Sandra's off-broaway, smash hit one woman show. Whew.. that was a mouthful. Anyway I wasn't familiar with Sandra's work before I saw this but after I saw this, I was floored. It's funny, touching, silly, and crazy. It's one of the best movies/shows I've seen. During WITHOUT YOU I'M NOTHING Sandra takes jabs at people but she's also an incredible storyteller/comedian. She also sings and dances thoughout. This movie is like no other. It's dark humor, crazy stories, and Sandra's eccentric attitude is sure to entertain.

You'll be memorizing the lines from this movie in no time.
Sandra Bernhard's Without You I'm Nothing, the movie released in the winter of early 1990, followed on the heels of her 1988 off-Broadway stage production ... what she and others refer to in the movie as her "smash-hit one-woman show." There were several changes in monologues and one-liners to update the comedic appeal of the show. And the movie version visually re-vamped the story, taking Sandra from a fabulous existence as a successful stage performer in New York, during what she calls her "superstar summer," to an illusory existence back in her home in Los Angeles - her fictional manager in the film refers to it as getting Sandra back "to her roots, to ... upscale supper clubs like the Parisian Room."

There's a point to be made here. Sandra tries to appeal her liberal worldview to an audience that doesn't completely see it. In L.A. she's playing to a predominantly black audience, trying to relate her ideas and comedy when all these people seem to want is "Shashonna," a Madonna-look-alike stripper. And even then, with Shashonna dancing to drum beats that resemble those from "Like a Virgin," there's not much to be said for the audience's enjoyment of the show. The scene in the club throughout the movie is dryer than a bone. A funny scene to catch is of a rotund man from the audience helping Shashonna out of her pants.

But, if she's going down, Sandra's going down with style and force, conveying everything from foul confidence to punctured vulnerability ... right to the point at which she's naked (literally), pleading with the audience for acceptance and, yet, somehow still swimming in the pool of her own transparent stardom. Her interactions with celebrities like Calvin Klein, Jerry Lewis, Bianca Jagger, Ralph Lauren and (what we're lead to believe is) Warren Beatty are fictional and hilarious.

Sandra begins her show in her most awkward moment, performing a quiet but mystifying rendition of Nina Simone's song "Four Women" while dressed in African garb, singing lines such as "my skin is black," "my hair is wooly," and "they call me Sweet Thing."

She resurrects and celebrates the ghosts of underworld art: "Leave it to Andy [Warhol] to have the wisdom and sensitivity into the hours and hours of toil and labor that went into the Indian product ... that they've been so lucky to cash in on this whole Santa Fe thing happening."

She expounds on the excessiveness of Hollywood, consoling a distraught friend then admonishing him, saying "Mister, if this is about Ishtar, I'm getting up right now and walking out of your life forever because that's too self-indulgent for even me!"

Sandra illustrates the expectations of women in the age of feminism. In retelling her young-girl fantasy, she eventually concludes in relief, "I'll never be a statistic, not me. I'm under 35, and I'm going to be married!"

And she extols the opening of sexuality in society: "When he touches you in the night, does it feel all right, or does it feel real? I say it feels real ... MIGHTY real." And, finally, she cries for change in American society by channeling disco greats Patrick Cowley and Sylvester and proclaiming, "Eventually everyone will funk!"

All this comes in the form of glitzy, schmaltzy but wonderful cabaret performances of songs written and originated by Billy Paul, Burt Bacharach, Hank Williams and Laura Nyro, to name a few. At the same time, the idealized, fictional incarnation of Sandra -- her self-generated mirror image -- floats around town, a beautiful model with flowing gowns and tight bustiers reading the Kabala, studying chemistry and listening to NWA rap music.

Without You I'm Nothing exposes Sandra in what was then her most intimate and direct engagement with an audience to date. She explores emotions and existences that, up until then, she'd only toyed with as a regular guest on Late Night With David Letterman. Her almost child-like enthusiasm for shock, exhibited throughout the '80s, is thrown aside in the face of a subtler allure, and her confidence in the face of materialism and American celebrity proves refreshing. This approach to comedy would change Sandra's direction forever and mark the more mature, more personable entertainer to come.

If you like subtle humor to the point of engaging in inside jokes about glamour, celebrity, sex, loneliness, despair and shallow expressions of love and kinship, this movie will keep you in stitches. But see it with a friend "in the know" because it's definitely funnier that way. Before you know it, the two of you will be trading Sandra barbs and confusing the hell out of everyone else.

A Masterpiece of Black Comedy: rent it, buy it, steal it
Sandra's off-the-cuff remark that "my father is a proctologist and my mother is an abstract artist: that's how I see the world" is an early warning of her often scatological, often surrealist commentaries on the conventions and pop culture of our time. The wild musical interludes, broken up by deadpan monologues, and hilariously backhanded commentary by her fictionized former agent and an old "friend", will never be forgotten by any viewer, whether fan or not.

In this earlier incarnation, Sandra was the foremost artist of emotional abjection. A character who encounters rejection and misunderstanding everywhere, yet one whom the viewer soon identifies as easily the most intelligent person in the room. It is neither her religion nor her sexuality which marginalize her, but the particular pitch of her wit and her kaleidescopic view of cultural phenomena.

Sandra's scatter-shot talents range from singing to dancing to acting to writing, but, as this film demonstrates, the sum of her brilliance is greater than any one (though also brilliant!) part.

Sandra is a national treasure who might just change and even save your life. She is tragi-comedy incarnate. Support her artistic productions: as a one-of-a-kind artist, she is certainly an endanged species.

It will change your life
My introduction to Sandra Bernhard, the ultimate sage of our times, came when I went to see "Without You I'm Nothing" in the movie theater when it was first released. I knew nothing about her and was blown away by her wit and insight into American culture. I have never been in a movie audience that laughed as hard and as often than when I saw this film. Sandra has that uncanny ability to be at once hilariously funny and deeply moving. Her stage performances are brilliant and "Without You I'm Nothing" captures her brilliance in an innovative and creative way - this film is not simply a multi-camera shoot of a stage performance, but utilizes fiction, documentary and stage elements all at once. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A wimpy remake of an already anemic movie (the 1947 Rita Hayworth vehicle Down to Earth), this glitzy musical from 1980 improbably stars Olivia Newton-John as a heavenly muse sent here to help open a roller-derby disco. Gene Kelly is mixed up in this well-meaning but goofy effort to fuse nostalgia with late-'70s glitter-ball trendiness, and he looks just plain silly. Directed by Robert Greenwald, the film doesn't even work as decent kitsch.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (149)

Merely the Ultimate Musical
I've watched "Xanadu" probably about fifty or sixty times - or more. I've worn out two VHS videos, and am now, even while typing this, watching my Xanadu DVD. I can't believe that anyone would call this undiscovered wonder of the world "wimpy" or "anemic". This movie deserves its current status as a cult classic.

The Stars. I'll have more to say about Gene Kelly later. Olivia Newton John, still on the top of her conversion from Country Western to Pop Rock, never sounded or looked better. Her ability to seemingly switch back and forth on a moments notice from her old image of sweetness and nice to her new image of almost a dominatrix was great. Her combination of any boy's fantasies with a girl you could take home was wonderful. Mike Beck does a good job as "Sonny" - the modern-day version of Danny McGuire, although, in comparison to Kelly and Olivia, he looks kind of flat. But who could hold a candle to that caliber of actor or actress?

The scenes. The scene where Danny dances with Kira and ends up with her in his arms ("Whenever You're Away from Me"), followed by a similar scene with Sonny and Kira minutes later in the movie ("Suddenly"), only help to reinforce the Deja-Vu like sense of wonder that permeates this entire film. We are treated to this sense of deja-vu over and over again. The scene where the Big Band era meets the rock-and-roll era still gives me a thrill. Olivia Newton John's singing blends virtually perfectly with Electric Light Orchestra's symphonic sound, but heavy rock influence.

The musical numbers. Done by Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton John, they include the pop hits "Xanadu" and "Magic", as well as: "I'm Alive", "All Over The World", "Dancin' Round and Round", "Suspended in Time", "Whenever You're Away from Me", "Don't Walk Away" and "Suddenly". Imagine, if you can, a blending of the best of the 30's and 40's Big Bands with the best of the 70's and 80's rock and disco. Now imagine it on the same stage - blended almost perfectly. That =is= what happens in this movie.

The dancing. What can anyone say about Gene Kelly that hasn't been said already? Watching Gene trip the light fantastic with Olivia was worth the price of admission all by itself. This was, I believe, Gene Kelly's last movie, and it is a fitting send-off to his long career. It was kind of fun to see him as a clarinet player and construction company boss. He doesn't look the least bit "silly" - it's easy to see where he could have been Kira's love interest back in the 40's. It was appropriate to see Gene's character called "Danny McGuire" as that was actually the name of one of Gene's characters in another movie.

In addition, to cap off this film, Don Bluth did the animation for a wonderful sequence ("Don't Walk Away") where Kira and Sonny are transformed into fish and birds. This provides a perfect sense of surreal to Sonny's and Kira's developing love.

This movie means more than its outer shell of "a muse is sent from 'heaven' to help with the creation of a disco roller derby". It means it's OK to have dreams - because a dream is a wish your heart makes. The emphasis, told in various ways, that you should always follow your dreams, is a message that needs to be emphasised today. Both Danny's dream of opening a new club, and Sonny's dream to do something more than his boring job of painting recreations of album covers are fused together by Kira (or should I say "Terpsichore"? :-) into a single dream that they, with her help, make a reality. Do a search on the Greek Muses and you'll find a lot of the inspiration for this movie.

If there really is a real Xanadu, I would love to go there. If there never really was a real Xanadu, there should be. This still ranks as one of the most underappreciated musicals ever. Get it. You will not be disappointed.

The movie bites big time - but the music is awesome!
Xanadu is a hard film to review, because, as a movie, it is a terrible piece of dreck. As a music video it works just fine and even succeeds immensely at times.

Originally conceived as a disco movie, the producers decided to cash in on the popularity - at the time - of roller skating, so they made the movie - at the last minute - a roller disco film. Throw in Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly and you've got: DISASTER!

The plot of the film is so transparently thin that it falls apart several times throughout. The dialogue is so agonizingly bad that even Gene Kelly (a man not known for his acting but his dancing) must have been embarrassed by it.

As the male romantic lead, a little known actor by the name of uh, just a minute I'll think of it.....was cast on the heels of his turn in the highly successful fantasy gang film: The Warriors. Michael Beck (the actor's name) can't act, can't sing, and can't dance...... so he was cast in the lead of a musical? Huh?

Newton John plays a Muse (of the old Greek mythology variety) who comes to life off of a wall painting - why we just don't know. She decides to glom onto Michael Beck's character (an architect who wants to create the most fabulous nightclub ever - Xanadu). And that, folks, is the plot of the movie. Oh, that, and apparently John's Muse was once the inspiration for Gene Kelly's character back in WWII. Huh?

Anyway, if it weren't for the producers wisely employing Electric Light Orchestra, The Tubes, and Newton-John, then this would have been insufferably bad. As it is, the movie has some really fantastic moments of musical fun. There's an interesting mixture of styles when The Tubes performs with a pseudo-swing band from the 1940's. Then there are Newton-John's songs throughout, which were orchestrated by ELO. The title song is possibly the most fun because it is where Newton-John met her former husband Matt Lattanzi (he was a dancer in the sequence). However the sequence employs the whole roller disco thing (not terribly effectively) and feels forced and just looks terrible!

However, as I said earlier - Xanadu works as an extended music video - something that was not in true existence at the time - it would happen about a year later on MTV.

Xanadu was made in the very late 1970's and released in 1980 and just happened to hit theatrers when disco was becoming reviled and New Wave was the latest sensation. Also by 1980 roller disco was VERY passe. Xanadu laid a big old egg (although I've read that it did fairly well at the box office on Newton-John's Grease fame and general popularity alone).

Get the DVD and select the song chapters and you'll have a great time watching this. Don't bother actually watching the film.

Love the movie, but DVD transfer quality is so-so.
I really enjoyed this as a kid (10 yrs old when it was in theatres). I even have the LP soundtrack somewhere. So I was excited to buy the DVD. On the nostalgia level, it doesn't disappoint. Great scenes with Gene Kelly, Olivia Newton John, and the real star of the movie -- the Pan Pacific Auditorium in LA, an art deco landmark that burned down years ago. But technically, I think Universal did a lazy job. The sound is wimpy and muddy, which is disappointing. These awesome ELO songs should jump out of speakers, not struggle out of them. The picture quality is also substandard: it looks like a 3d generation videotape (except with the ability to freezeframe). If you're like me, you'll hold your nose and buy this, because it's the only game in town. It's unlikely that Universal will go back and remaster this for another DVD release (but who knows?). Overall, it was a great late-night, flashback DVD to watch, and I'll definitely watch it again, as time goes by. One final thing: don't expect toooo much from the DVD extras. Other than the film trailer, all you get are static text bios to flip through.

A CULT CLASSIC and an EXCELLENT SOUNDTRACK
When this big budget Olivia Newton-John vehicle hit the silver screen, it actually did make money at the box office. However, because of the high expectaions of the film's star, Olivia Newton-John's performance in "Grease", it was called a bomb, which, financially it wasn't. It also became one of the top selling videos in 1981 in days when Vhs and Betamax both ruled the markets! The soundtrack went #1 and has 5 hit songs spun off of it, and it later gained a bigger following when it hit the movie channels! Critics hate this movie, but I don't care! I LOVE IT! Olivia Newton-John is so gorgeous and sings some great tunes as well as dances it up with Gene Kelley(in his final movie role). Michael Beck, however, falls flat on his face, showing no charisma and terrible acting chops. But Olivia and Gene pick up the slack, thankfully, and the end result is a very glitzy, campy,yet dazzling old fashioned musical tinged with 80's songs by Olivia, E.L.O. and The Tubes.Light on plot, heavy on song and dnace and special effects, Xanadu is fun for the entire family. Just don't expect anything more than to be entertained and you'll love it!

Roller-Disco epic from the 70's! Outrageous!
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You have to wonder what they were thinking when they decided to re-make the Rita Hayworth film "Down to Earth" as a roller-disco musical epic starring Olivia Newton John.

It's interesting, but when you realize that the running time of this film itself lasts longer than the actual fad of roller-disco did, you have to wonder why they bothered!

Gene Kelly seems lost in a musical nightmare, and the production numbers seem to scare him silly. It's as if he wonders how he got on the soundstage at all.

The music is cute, the production numbers are a perfect example of 70's excess, and the story is ridiculous.

All in all, I think it's a guilty pleasure to watch. Just don't tell anyone you enjoyed it, because they'll probably make fun of you.

A perfect double-feature evening would be to watch this along with "Can't Stop the Music" starring the Village People. (Read my review on that one!)

To quote Olivia Newton John: "Xanaduuuuuuu, Xanaduuuu-uuu-uuu!" ... Read more

Amazon.com

If it weren't for a couple of inspired performances, as well as the time-capsule weirdness of it all, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band would be definitively unwatchable. This misguided effort to dramatize the classic Beatles album (the Fab Four had nothing to do with it, thank goodness) also includes tunes from other Beatles LPs, strung together in lumbering '70s rock-opera style. Peter Frampton, then at the crest of his brief run at the top, stars as Billy Shears, with the Bee Gees wearing the glossy day-glo band jackets from the Pepper album cover. Earth, Wind & Fire turn in a spirited revamp of "Got to Get You into My Life," and Aerosmith thrash their way through "Come Together"; but most of the performances are pretty awful. Out-and-out novelties include Steve Martin doing "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and George Burns (but of course) warbling "Fixing a Hole." This high-profile 1978 flop helped kill the hot streak (Saturday Night Fever, Grease) of record and movie producer Robert Stigwood and sink his RSO movie-music empire. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (92)

Once in a lifetime film & great fun too!
This is one of the most fun films ever made and as a wine improves with age, so does this film. When this film was first released, it was scoffed at and rebuked by "true" Beatles fans throughout. What? the Bee Gee's doing the Beatles - Heaven forfend! - this is an outrage! Hogwash! It died a sudden death in the theatres because it was released into a critical sarcastic period of time where we, during the party crazed 70's weren't ready for it. The film is a perfect reminder to us now in the 90's to have fun and not be so critical. Enjoy life - enjoy this movie. Listen to the music, don't make comparisons, enjoy it for what it is - a fun journey, making fun of itself and us too with wonderful music delivered in a unique format. The critics are always critical - that's their job. Trying to analyze this film critically is a mistake as it doesn't fit within the standard confines of a typical film. Don't be surprised if this film takes on a cult personna, ala Rocky Horror - it's unique, it's great fun, and you've missed the point if you take it too seriously - have fun, sit back, and go on a journey unlike any other...

Nice Keith!
Not for the weak of stomach! And NOT for all Beatles fans. There are those who, finding themselves confronted with the sight of Alice Cooper singing Because, or worse yet, George Burns singing Fixing A Hole, may want to cut and run while they still think themselves sane. I however, love the movie wholeheartedly, rejoicing in the Bee Gees in all their seventies glory. Peter frampton gives me a queasy feeling in my stomach, and I think Sandy Farina has no self respect, but that doesn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying the performances of Paul Nicholas, Dianne Steinberg, Donald Pleasance, Frankie Howerd, Steve Martin, Stargard, Aerosmith and so on. The storyline is basic (good slugs it out over evil to the sound of Beatles tunes remade in the image of the artists who cover them), the costumes are WILD, and the hair is LONG. It does give one pause to consider how much more beautiful the movie would have been with Andy Gibb as Billy Shears, in place of the toothy and pop eyed Frampton. But that's just a thought from this very devoted Gibb fan.

25 Years Later, 'Sgt. Pepper' Is Still Painful To Watch
The ficticious place called "Heartland" finds all kinds of musicians coming together in orange, pink, red and purple satin. "Sgt. Pepper" unites all kinds of Beatle tunes into one large ball of cheese. How many careers were ruined by this film? Is it easy to spot that only a handful of people here actually had (any) acting experience out of the hundreds of people in this film? Outside of some brief narration by George Burns, it's ALL song and dance. There's a few good performances here (Aerosmith's "Come Together", Robin Gibb's "Oh Darling", Earth Wind & Fire's "Got To Get You Into My Life", and the Bee Gees' "Golden Slumber")... and one hilarious - Steve Martin singing "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" in the green tiled room... but most of this is tedious to get through. THE HEROES: Peter Frampton plays the starring role of Billy Shears (dig those white overalls with "Billy" printed on them). Barry, Robin and Maurice (RIP) Gibb play the roles of the Henderson brothers who help Shears find the stolen instruments. George Burns plays the role of narrator and Mister Kite. Donaled Pleasance (from "Halloween" fame) as BD Hoffler. THE VILLAINS: Alice Cooper as the mean Marvin Sunk (why was his version of "Sun King" omitted on the "Sgt. Pepper" movie soundtrack?). Aerosmith as the infamous (FVB) Future Villain Band. And a wonderful performance by Steve Martin as the evil Dr. Maxwell Edison. In the stands for the Grand Finale, you'll spot numerous "guests" from 1970's world of music... including Tina Turner, Robert Palmer, Hank Williams Jr, Seals & Croft, Sha Na Na, Nils Lofgren, Heart, Leif Garret, Jose Feliciano, Johnny Winter, Wolfman Jack, etc. Outside of the trailer and a language selection, this DVD has no extras. For those of us that grew up in the 1970's, it would have been nice to see some interviews or commentaries with some of the musicians. Thank goodness Billy Preston saved the day at the end of the movie (singing "Get Back")... bringing back to life the already deceased Strawberry Fields with a zap of his finger, and then saving Billy Shears from certain suicide and a very sad ending... Ugh.

a notoriously rotten movie!
The Beatles had nothing to do with this farce,and it shows.The performances are awful and the movie is just plain silly.

If you're not a Bee Gees fan, it's not worth your trouble
The Beatles never existed--as far as this film is concerned, anyway. Before watching this movie, you should empty everything you know about the Beatles from your mind. While you're at it, you might as well empty everything else from your mind, because your intelligence may be insulted.

I watched this movie knowing it would be bad, but I was hoping it would be classic bad, cult following bad, Rocky Horror Picture Show bad. I wanted to hear George Burns sing "Fixin' a Hole" and Steve Martin deliver a slightly pervy redition of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." I wanted to hear robots perform "Mean Mr. Mustard". And I really wanted to see Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees become the Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The movie delivers all of these and more, horrifyingly more. I can't even explain how bad this movie is. Let's just say that it makes Rocky Horror look like Les Miserables. This movie is also pretty racist; I'm white and I was offended by the portrayal of black people in it (Earth, Wind, and Fire, of course, were the exception; the guy who played the weathervane, on the other hand, made me feel like I was at a minstrel show). Sargeant Pepper's not bad in a fun way; it's just bad in a bad way.

I should say that the best performance of the movie is Aerosmith's snaky redition of "Come Together." This is coming from someone who is not even an Aerosmith fan. There are a lot of unbelievable moments in the film, but that one was surprising in a good way. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

ken russell is the antichrist!
The main problem of this film is that it fell into the hands of Ken Russell, England's bad boy of cinema. He had a chance to make The Who's amazing rock opera into a visual treat--and totally let his penchant for garish imagry and bad taste ruin it! Perhaps if the project fell into the hands of a better director (Alan Parker, Stanley Kubrick, Norman Jewison, anyone!) then this would be a better film.

For those unfamiliar with the story, "Tommy" is about a boy who becomes psychosomaticaly blind, mute, and deaf after watching his mother's new boyfriend (Oliver Reed) kill his father (it was the father killing the boyfriend in the original album). His parents take him to see a Marilyn Monroe worshipping cult led by a barefoot Eric Clapton (probably a satire of Catholicism, the very same religion Russell converted to) and the hooker/junkie the Acid Queen (played brilliantly by Tina Turner). He is abused by his Cousin Kevin and Uncle Ernie (Keith Moon), and defeats the Pinball Wizard (Elton John). After Tommy is cured, he becomes a false messiah.

Russell's verion does away with the spiritual vibes of Pete Townshead's original concept and makes the film more of an anti-organized religion message. Russell also includes images that absolutely make no sense (young Tommy with a box over his head on a beach, Tommy's father in a crucifix pose, and let's not forget the beans and chocolate coming out of the TV). Oliver Reed cannnot sing to save his life, and Ann Margaret's performance (although she was nominated for Best Actress) is pure ham. Plus, the original rock music that made the album so great is replaced by an overkill of synthesizers! You can't help but laugh at how absurd it is.

Bottom line: go get the original Who album and let your imagination do the rest!

not great in my eyes
holy shizzle. I really got bored with all of Daltrey's shirtless scenes and his running around, swimming and whiny babbling. not for my taste. Oliver Reed and Ann Margaret are smashed as Daltry's parents and Jack Nicholson only has a cameo part. like I said before it wasnt great in my eyes

Nicholson Croons, Ann Margret Swims in Beans & Chocolate..
...and, I heartily concur that The Acid Queen and EJ in those huge platforms nearly steal the show. Daltry is adequate as Tommy, since most of the lead vocals done in the original production are his, but he's like Ross in The Wiz. A touch older than what's required. 'Salright, I guess. For campiness and for whatever makes a cult film, this has it. I would dig seeing a remake with current stars. Lessee, Ashton Kusher as Tommy, Demi Moore as the Mom, Jack Black as Uncle Ernie, Beyonce as The Acid Queen, and Justin Timberlake as the Pinball Wizard's foil...I can see Timberlake in those platforms

See it for Eric, Elton, and Tina.
When this movie came out I was in high school and the consensus amongst the oh-so cool high school rock critics was that "Tina Turner's pelvis saved the movie!" Turns out, we may have been overly harsh; the Eric Clapton and Elton John scenes are also worth a peek. But in the end, without Clapton paying homage to Maryln Monroe, John's Pinball Wizard, and the amazing-beyond-belief Turner as the Acid Queen, this movie would only be laughable.

who's inconsistent?
After seeing the broadway version and listening to the movie soundtrack, I was anxious to see the video. Unfortunately the movie was a disappointment from the start, beginning with a shaky zoom on a waterfall and continuing through some drug inspired but shoddy special effects. The music is - as always - spectacular and it was nice to see a different take on the plot from the one in the Broadway version. The movie is worth renting just to see the masses pay homage to a huge porcelain Marilyn Monroe and the bizarre, syringe covered armour that appears during the "Acid Queen" number. Also memorable are Elton John's outfit (aren't they all memorable??) and the number where Mrs Walker shatters her TV screen allowing a flood of baked beans to spread across her bedroom.

Final advice: rent, don't buy. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The 15th Anniversary
I recently found a used copy of the 15th Anniversary VHS of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. I must say that I absolutely love it. The prologue and music video are very interesting and entertaining. As for the film itself, well, it's a classic. No video collection can be without this film. The 25th Anniversary two-disc DVD is, without a doubt, the best DVD I have ever seen. The quality of it and the features on it are amazing. "Don't dream it, be it." ... Read more

Amazon.com

Animator-director-screenwriter Ralph Bakshi audaciously tries to chronicle the history of 20th-century American popular music, while also placing each period into historical and social context--all in 97 minutes! Its animated, episodic narrative follows four generations of Jewish-American musicians as each painfully seeks fame through changing musical eras. Starting at the turn of the century with a piano-playing immigrant in New York, the film moves swiftly, following his offspring through such movements as Gershwin-era pop, jazz, folk music, '60s psychedelia, and punk--and only pauses for elaborate, energized musical numbers designed to showcase the work of Benny Goodman, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Lou Reed, the Jefferson Airplane, and numerous others. However, these electric set pieces provide brief dynamism in a relatively bleak film filled with hard-luck protagonists suffering through clichéd drug addiction, death, and alienation. While the film's scope is admirably ambitious, and Bakshi's stylized use of rotoscoping (tracing animation from live action) makes for fluid and often eye-popping visuals, his treatment also feels heavy handed and cuts numerous corners. And, when Baskshi ends his epic by mocking punk, and celebrating the future of rock & roll through the music of Bob Seger, one wonders whether or not he a knowledgeable grasp of his topic at all. The DVD version presents the film in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. --Dave McCoy ... Read more

Reviews (23)

OK animation, iffy movie
The animation is good, especially considering when it was made, but "American Pop" is never quite successful. Once again Bakshi probes the sordid underbelly of his subject, in this case pop music, but nothing here ever comes off quite convincing enough. And his dismissal of punk and rush to embrace the bland beardo post-hippie commercial rock of Bob Seger and Heart betrays Bakshi's age, and maybe a lack of good taste as well. It comes off a bit old-fogeyish.

Like a lot of Bakshi's work, this has to be taken as it is, and the viewer has to bear in mind when and how it was made. Computer animation was in its infancy, and animation was at a low point in the United States, so the fact that this was made and distributed in mainstream theaters at all was a minor miracle at the time.

In short, the musical spots provide the bright moments, but the plot is labored and the characters, particularly the ridiculous "rock star" he invents at the end of the film, are unconvincing. As a historical document of where animation was in the United States at the time, it's viewable; as entertainment, well, it's better than "Heavy Traffic" but certainly not any kind of a classic animated film. See it if you want, but it's not indispensable.

One of My Favorite Movies of All Time
I watched American Pop for the first time after seeing a promo for it on the Anniversary Edition DVD of Heavy Metal. I loved Heavy Metal so I figured why not try this one out since it seems to be of a similar genre. Boy was I glad I did...

Not only did I have no clue the movie was made in the early 80's wheh I watched it in 1999, but I was absolutely floored by the fluid animation that was produced by Bakshi's technique of Rotoscoping that was also used in Heavy Metal, Wizards, and Lord of the Rings...

The animation and story line were some of the best I have seen...in any movie!! I never watch many dvd's more than once but this one I have gotten through at least 5 times. It is an absolute masterpiece in animation and Bakshi's best work to date.

Rotoscoping animation is largely misunderstood and doesn't get enough credit. If more animation was done this way, adults would probably enjoy more non-Disneyesque type features geared towards older audiences.

Don't miss this flick if you are a fan of excellent animation...

Hubby Loved It & Hates Animation; I Loved It Period
I usually like animation, especially when it has an art house spin to it like Bashki's work does. I've never been able to convert hubby to it though, with only a few exceptions. This was the first animation that I ever screened for him that he enjoyed from beginning to end. In fact, he watched it twice. Since it came out (many years ago), the only animation he's liked as well is "Waking Life." Bashki does an incredible job of covering the rock world and its stars, although he never explicitly names anyone. The story flows effortlessly (it seems) and takes us for a kaleidescopic ride along the development of rock and roll set in the USA. The art and music are outstanding. Well worth buying since you will want to watch it more than once. It will appeal to a wide variety of ages too.

A Brilliant underrated masterpiece.
From Ralph Bakshi ( Director of "Lord of the Rings" 1978 version, "Fritz The Cat" and "Wizards) has crafted a highly entertaining and moving animated feature using Rotoscopic technics and great script too.

This tells four stories of four generations of one family under the influence of American music, from Vaudeville era to the 80's, it's a animated flick that is serious for once without no goofy sidekicks but does entertain and is quite a fun flick, if you like " Heavy Metal", "Secret of NIMH", "Flight of Dragons" and "Last Unicorn" then check out this movie.

Still a classic!
This movie was released when I was 19. I watched it over and over again. Something hard to do before VCRs or DVDs were popular. I was worried that it would stand the test of time. Well, this evening I showed it to my 18-year-old niece who has a scholarship to the animation track at the Art Institute of San Francisco. I was worried she would find it too dated. She really loved it. And I still enjoyed it too! ... Read more

Reviews (291)

'The Rocky Horror Show' Movie
There is one reason why everyone should see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show": it is the best cult film ever made. There are also three reasons why everyone should want to watch it: 1) It is one of the only 'R' rated musicals in existence. 2) It has strong science-fiction overtones. 3) It is very funny. The movie starts Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon (before they were stars) as the recently engaged Brad and Janet. However, they are upstaged in nearly every scene by Tim Curry who plays Frank N. Furter, the mad doctor. The cast delightfully performs many memorable songs including "Over at the Frankenstein Place" and, of course, the "Time Warp". To fully enjoy RHPS, one must not be closed minded or the picture could prove to be quite offensive. Don't think it's gratuitously violent- it isn't. Merely, the situations the characters find themselves in could shock or appall overly sensitive viewers. If you think you won't enjoy RHPS, going to a midnight screening might be your best bet. The live audience participation will guarantee you a good time, despite your opinion of the actual film. So overall, RHPS is quite a good adaptation of Richard O'Brien's original concept, which always honors its roots on the stage.

DVD = Perfect format to truly experience "Rocky" at home
I loved going to "Rocky Horror" when I was in college, but watching on home video just wasn't the same. I'm probably committing heresy but there's a reason why this sci-fi, horror, B-movie satire, rock musical didn't really make it big until theaters started showing it as a midnight movie and fans started attending in costume and talking back to the screen. The 25th anniversary DVD, with several audience participation options, really is the next best thing to being there.

For the uninitiated, "Rocky Horror" tells the story of two clean-cut American youths, uptight Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick of "Spin City") and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon of "Dead Man Walking") whose car breaks down on a dark, deserted road in the middle of a storm--the classic beginning to many horror movies--and who seek help at a nearby castle. Castles, as Rocky fans know, don't have phones! What this castle has instead is a cross-dressing mad scientist Frank-N-Furter Tim Curry, in perhaps his finest performance), two very creepy servants, Riff-Raff (Richard O'Brien, who wrote the musical) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and various other hangers-on, including lovers Columbia (Little Nell) and biker Eddie (Meat Loaf). Brad and Janet walk in on a party celebrating the creation of Frank-N-Furter's muscle-bound boy-toy "Rocky." Bed-hopping chaos soon ensues, until the servants reveal their true identities and take control.

Punctuating this wacky plot are some of the wildest rock-musical songs ever written. In addition to the classic "Time Warp," there's O'Brien's salute to cult-classic B-movies, "Science Fiction Double Feature," Meat Loaf's "Hot Patootie," and Sarandon ode to sexual self-discovery, "Toucha Toucha Touch Me!"

So much for the "Rocky virgin" portion of the review... What makes the DVD so exceptional is the chance to experience "Rocky Horror" at home nearly like you would in the theater. The DVD has the option of turning on the audience screen comments as well as another option for viewing members of the Rocky Horror Fan Club performing select scenes before returning to the main movie. For those less familiar with audience participation, the DVD can prompt when to throw toast, toilet paper, rice, etc., light a match, put your newspaper on your head, etc.

The second disc contains fascinating interviews with cast members, where fans can find out about their reaction to starring in this cult classic. Meat Loaf's description of not realizing what "Rocky Horror" was going to be about and running out of the theater when Tim Curry entered wearing fishnet stockings, spiked heels, a merry widow, and a leather jacket and singing "Sweet Transvestite" is hysterical. Patricia Quinn talks about how her fondness for the opening song, "Science Fiction Double Feature" made her want to take the role even though she hadn't read the rest of the script. What? Don't remember Quinn singing that number? In the stage versions she did, but the song got reassigned in the film version--and Quinn makes her feelings about that QUITE clear. Sarandon makes the interesting observation that "Rocky Horror" probably kept a lot of art house theaters in business over the years, since they could count on good revenue from the midnight movie, even if the latest regular-hours offering flopped. In Bostwick's interview, however, the actor sounds a bit like William Shatner giving his anti-Trekkie diatribe on "Saturday Night Live."

The only disappointments on the DVD are that the outtakes really aren't that interesting and actor bios aren't provided. I would have liked to see what else the "minor" cast members did after Rocky, but that information is limited to a few lines in the companion booklet. Also, some of the audience-participation comments are nearly impossible to understand because fans are talking over each other. But then that's part of the modern-day theater experience. Even Sarandon noted in her interview that talking back to the screen has gone from the more unison catechism approach to a loud free-for-all.

What seemed so risqué and shocking a few decades ago seems much more innocent today, but it was great when it all began and it's still great! If you've never ventured into the theater to experience "Rocky Horror," this is the best way to experience it at home.

Mesmerizing film.
This is a very outrageous movie. The rock is the background to tell us a horror movie but also spiced with sex , ransvestism and above all a splendid tribute to the movies specially King Kong .
One couple strands in an old house full of weirdos . This movie (here between you and me)could have inspired for Tim Burton in Beetle juice .
In this decade there were great visuals films too . Sherman built a magnificent story absolutely free , intelligent and sarcastic, irreverent and bitter . You might state that Fellini's influence (dressed of english manners and clothes) is present all along the film .
Inmediatly after its release this one acquired the status of cult movie.

The original is still the best!
Don't bother with the play, or the music from the play. The original is still the best. Nobody can fill the shoes of Sarandon, Curry, etc. They originated the roles and have been associated with them for far too long for anyone else to come in try to change them so many years later and attempt to redo them. Stay with the best.

Those Gold Shorts!
Ahhhhh...Rocky had such a lovely outline showing in his gold lame shorts. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

A Nearly Perfect Fun Camp Film
This movie is a definate visual treat. From the beautiful and fun Valerie Perrine to the spectacle that is Bruce Jenner in short shorts which are so tight that my eyes watered for him and then there's Steve Guttenburg....who is so hyper and manic in this movie that one wonders what he was on that kept him so perky and wide eyed? :o) It was after all 1980 and I don't even think Betty Ford was thought of as anything but a former first lady at that point in time. Then there's The Village People without whom this film would never had been made at all. Now I was a pre-teen when this came out and I wasn't a huge fan of their music but I still remember the David Hodo musical sequence and thinking to myself....Yikes. And then there's the ode to the "Milkshake" and I ask you, Got Milk? How ahead of it's time! In a strange note, since buying this video I had an erotic dream about Felipe, the Indian, and to this day I can't explain that one? So if you like a fun, frilly, fluffy, and Fabu film....PLEASE buy this movie A.S.A.P. P.S. Valerie Perrine is still a goddess, why isn't she making movies anymore, where is the justice in this world?

OH, YEAH....SO BAD, IT'S *GOOD*!
OK, first of all, completely ignore Leonard Maltin's taking-himself-far-too-seriously review of this film. Like a pug that's so ugly it's cute, this movie, like so many others have pointed out, is deliciously bad -- horrible acting; cheesy special effects (no doubt state-o'-the-art way back then); riduclous plot; oh, and did I mention *horrible acting*? -- so bad it's wonderful. Like a horrible auto accident you can't tear your eyes away from, this movie is so dreadful that you can't stop watching, if only to see how badly any of the actors (except the ever-perky/pro Valerie Perrine) will deliver their lines. The musical numbers are a delight, though, and it's obvious THAT is where most of them money went. Poor, poor Nancy Walker (that's right, Rhoda's mom) directed this and she'll be remembered for this if nothing else. You haved to wonder WHAT she was thinking, though....

You don't have to be gay or into disco to enjoy this: just sit back and let the horror (and the fun) wash over you. It's THE perfect movie for a group of people to watch and groan together.

BUY THIS MOVIE!

Relentlessly incredible
This film is one of the best musical movies ever made. The Village People are incredible. I highly recommend this film to everyone that likes to watch a bunch of fun people having a great time.

Can't stand the movie
There are some movies so horrible that you watch them, not out of guilty pleasure but rather with the same interest as rubbernecking a 20 car pile-up on a major highway.

Nothing works about this movie. It is bad, bad bad, not even Valerie Perrin can make it good. As for Bruce Jenner, what was he thinking. The rumour is that a lot of coke was used in the making of the movie, the reason, they all wanted to dull their senses it is that bad. I'm surprised anyone had a career after this.

I appeared in this movie, and I think it's great!
.
OK, so I wasn't exactly a "star" in this epic, but I was in the final scene, filmed in San Francisco. It was a HUGE disco-bash filmed at The Galleria, and I was on one of the balconies hanging over the dancers below. We all kind of wondered what the heck was happening; what they were filming. No one was really sure at the time. (And NO ONE could figure out what Gypsy Rose lee's little sister "Baby June" (June Havoc) was doing at a gay dance bash... sing OUT, Louise!)

When the film came out (inside joke here, as the gay aspect of the movie was closeted within the context of the film itself), I went to the San Francisco premiere. The film continued to play for about a week before fading into oblivion. It was a HUGE BOMB!

I always thought the best part of this film (besides the over-the-top production numbers) was Bruce Jenner's fabulously sexy belly in the scene where he wears a half-shirt and cut-offs. However, when I saw this on DVD and kept my finger on the freeze-frame button, I was amazed to see more than I ever remember seeing in the theatre during the "YMCA" number. Hard to believe this film has a "PG" rating with what they show in the shower scene! (I thought I was at a hotdog stand!)

A few years after this film bombed in theatres world-wide, I remember meeting Bruce Jenner in San Francisco and telling him that I thought his belly in that scene was the best part of the film. He said that if that was the best part of the movie, he now understood why he and most of the other actors in that film never made another film!

Well, since this film effectively killed the careers of everyone who appeared in it (except for Steve Guttenberg), his words proved true.

Anyway, it's a fun movie to watch, just don't take it seriously. It's just a big disco joke. Enjoy it for what it's worth. This ain't "Gone With The Wind", it's a different kind of epic!

Oh, I remember disco, and the glory of the BOOM BOOM BOOM when we all saw our faces reflected in the spinning mirror globes high above the dance floor, and thinking it would never end. This movie is an effective reminder of the good times, bad taste, and sweet excess of the disco era. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Best Movie Ever Made!
The people (Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon) The Music (Time Warp) All were wonderful! It was like one big party and I loved it~ Every time you see it, it is like watching it for the first time. I recommend you buy it, because there is no other Movie like it!

Better than anything You've EVER seen before!!
I've loved this movie for years and every time I watch I get engrossed into it all over again. I love Tim Curry in it and this has got to be his best movie ever(second best being "CLUE"). My favorite character is Columbia(Little Nell) and her songs about Eddie are the best. I would recommend this movie to every person out there. If you haven't seen Tim Curry and Susan Saradon making out, or singing about biceps than you don't know what your missing. I love this film!!!

"It's just a jump to the left...,"
It was a cold and rainy night Brad and Janet, had a flat and needed to find shelter and a phone. There was a light. Unknown to them was the particular caste was a meeting place of a unique other worldly crowd. Soon they will have realized their mistake; but will it bee too late?

And where have all the actors gone?

Susan Sarandon from Janet Weiss to Jackie Harrison in "Stepmom (1998)" ASIN: 0767821769
She took her screen daughter to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Tim Curry (who likes to play doctor) from Doctor Frank-N-Furter to Dr. Thornton Poole in "Oscar (1991)"
Oscar is still available from amazon.co.uk

Barry Bostwick from Brad Majors to Det. Tucker Pendleton to himself in "Hollywood Squares" (1998) [TV-Series]

Meatloaf from Eddie to himself in Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (1999) ASIN: B00003XAMG

Richard Milhouse Nixon from Himself (archive audio: resignation speech) to "Speeches of Richard Nixon, The (1995) (V)" (archive footage) he will always be with us.

And where is Denton now?
Do your homework and be sure to get these movies first:

Day the Earth Stood Still, The (1951)
Flash Gordon (1936)
Invisible Man, The (1933)
King Kong (1933)
It Came From Outer Space (1953)
Doctor X (1932)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Tarantula (1955)
Day of the Triffids, The (1962)
Night of the Demon (1957)
When Worlds Collide (1951)
House in Nightmare Park, The (1973)
Reptile, The (1966)
Brides of Dracula, The (1960)
Man in Black, The (1949)
Night of the Demon (1957)
Forbidden Planet (1956)

First time or 100th time, have fun.

What a weird movie!
My friend asked me if this movie was good. I replied, "It's funny and the music is good". But I didn't say the actual FILM was good. The acting is so-so, even by a young Susan Sarandon! It really doesn't have much of a plot either. The music has a really good beat and this movie has it's funny moments. I think this movie's so popular because it mixes rock and roll, transvestites, and monsters. It's fun to watch, but really has no depth or meaning. It didn't win any awards, nor was it nominated. But it's just pure fun. Give it a chance!

Excellent Choice!
Let me ask this question- do you consider yourself to be normal? Conventional? Conformist? If so, unless you're on drugs, you probably won't like this. But if you aren't any of these things, you'll love this movie! It lets out the wild side of you, lets you open up your mind to a world that you might not have known exists. It's probably especially fun to see live- I still haven't had the chance- but if you're like me and you can't get to it live, the tape works just as well. Watch it to have a fun time, and if you're watching it with friends, you'll have a greater time! ... Read more

Reviews (52)

A Nearly Perfect Fun Camp Film
This movie is a definate visual treat. From the beautiful and fun Valerie Perrine to the spectacle that is Bruce Jenner in short shorts which are so tight that my eyes watered for him and then there's Steve Guttenburg....who is so hyper and manic in this movie that one wonders what he was on that kept him so perky and wide eyed? :o) It was after all 1980 and I don't even think Betty Ford was thought of as anything but a former first lady at that point in time. Then there's The Village People without whom this film would never had been made at all. Now I was a pre-teen when this came out and I wasn't a huge fan of their music but I still remember the David Hodo musical sequence and thinking to myself....Yikes. And then there's the ode to the "Milkshake" and I ask you, Got Milk? How ahead of it's time! In a strange note, since buying this video I had an erotic dream about Felipe, the Indian, and to this day I can't explain that one? So if you like a fun, frilly, fluffy, and Fabu film....PLEASE buy this movie A.S.A.P. P.S. Valerie Perrine is still a goddess, why isn't she making movies anymore, where is the justice in this world?

OH, YEAH....SO BAD, IT'S *GOOD*!
OK, first of all, completely ignore Leonard Maltin's taking-himself-far-too-seriously review of this film. Like a pug that's so ugly it's cute, this movie, like so many others have pointed out, is deliciously bad -- horrible acting; cheesy special effects (no doubt state-o'-the-art way back then); riduclous plot; oh, and did I mention *horrible acting*? -- so bad it's wonderful. Like a horrible auto accident you can't tear your eyes away from, this movie is so dreadful that you can't stop watching, if only to see how badly any of the actors (except the ever-perky/pro Valerie Perrine) will deliver their lines. The musical numbers are a delight, though, and it's obvious THAT is where most of them money went. Poor, poor Nancy Walker (that's right, Rhoda's mom) directed this and she'll be remembered for this if nothing else. You haved to wonder WHAT she was thinking, though....

You don't have to be gay or into disco to enjoy this: just sit back and let the horror (and the fun) wash over you. It's THE perfect movie for a group of people to watch and groan together.

BUY THIS MOVIE!

Relentlessly incredible
This film is one of the best musical movies ever made. The Village People are incredible. I highly recommend this film to everyone that likes to watch a bunch of fun people having a great time.

Can't stand the movie
There are some movies so horrible that you watch them, not out of guilty pleasure but rather with the same interest as rubbernecking a 20 car pile-up on a major highway.

Nothing works about this movie. It is bad, bad bad, not even Valerie Perrin can make it good. As for Bruce Jenner, what was he thinking. The rumour is that a lot of coke was used in the making of the movie, the reason, they all wanted to dull their senses it is that bad. I'm surprised anyone had a career after this.

I appeared in this movie, and I think it's great!
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OK, so I wasn't exactly a "star" in this epic, but I was in the final scene, filmed in San Francisco. It was a HUGE disco-bash filmed at The Galleria, and I was on one of the balconies hanging over the dancers below. We all kind of wondered what the heck was happening; what they were filming. No one was really sure at the time. (And NO ONE could figure out what Gypsy Rose lee's little sister "Baby June" (June Havoc) was doing at a gay dance bash... sing OUT, Louise!)

When the film came out (inside joke here, as the gay aspect of the movie was closeted within the context of the film itself), I went to the San Francisco premiere. The film continued to play for about a week before fading into oblivion. It was a HUGE BOMB!

I always thought the best part of this film (besides the over-the-top production numbers) was Bruce Jenner's fabulously sexy belly in the scene where he wears a half-shirt and cut-offs. However, when I saw this on DVD and kept my finger on the freeze-frame button, I was amazed to see more than I ever remember seeing in the theatre during the "YMCA" number. Hard to believe this film has a "PG" rating with what they show in the shower scene! (I thought I was at a hotdog stand!)

A few years after this film bombed in theatres world-wide, I remember meeting Bruce Jenner in San Francisco and telling him that I thought his belly in that scene was the best part of the film. He said that if that was the best part of the movie, he now understood why he and most of the other actors in that film never made another film!

Well, since this film effectively killed the careers of everyone who appeared in it (except for Steve Guttenberg), his words proved true.

Anyway, it's a fun movie to watch, just don't take it seriously. It's just a big disco joke. Enjoy it for what it's worth. This ain't "Gone With The Wind", it's a different kind of epic!

Oh, I remember disco, and the glory of the BOOM BOOM BOOM when we all saw our faces reflected in the spinning mirror globes high above the dance floor, and thinking it would never end. This movie is an effective reminder of the good times, bad taste, and sweet excess of the disco era. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

For Zappa fans only (and the eternally curious!)
This 1971 film shot on videotape is simply a showcase for Frank Zappa's twisted humour and unique brand of hybrid music. It has neither plot, logic nor coherence, but is basically a series of musical numbers (combining rock, orchestral and opera styles) and comedy skits tied together by the theme of how "touring can make you crazy".

Augmented by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, and the Mothers of Invention, Zappa provides the viewer with some inspired lunacy, great video effects and some highly memorable songs. If the music tickles your fancy, then the soundtrack, recently released for the first time on CD by Rykodisc/MGM, is also a must-have.

Recommended only for those with a high tolerance for Zappa's audio/ visual madness, this is nonetheless a truly satisfying psychedelic ride through the mind of the drug-addled, sex-obsessed musician.

Definitely not for young children though, as the movie contains sexual references, coarse language, nudity and what can be considered as drug-related material.

An unforgettable viewing experience...
First of all, the one thing that a lot of people miss about Zappa was that he was a master "resource" utilizer. - - He knew what he wanted his projects to look and sound like, and was great enough of an artist/producer to find/discipline people capable of delivering his vision - - So the big question : Despite his notorious reputation for his mixture of music and oddball stage antics, given a REAL big budget to make a real big motion picture, could he pull something off ? - - The answer... UNBELIEVABLY FRIGGIN' YES ! ! ! - - The film captures the MOTHERS in their prime circa the antics of FLO & EDDIE... the bizarre stage routines of his group are MELTED together by a great theme... that TOURING can make you crazy... though surreal, beyond the paranoia and psychadelic wierdness, the backstage politics of a band touring on the road, the stresses between the leader and bandmembers... and yes, the neverending quest for the ultimate BJ come through in the form of a BRILLIANT opera, featuring a full symphonic orchestra and some surprizing guest appearences... including Ringo Starr as frank zappa. - - The music is great... the images are great... and the performances (musical, now and then sexual, and stagewise) are a brilliant and mindtripping experience... This film is DEFINITELY something to watch over and over into and really get into... especially (of course) if you're a Zappa nut - - just don't get too psyched, otherwise you might find yourself singing the words to LONESOME COWBOY BURT outloud on the bus on the way to wherever...

It was just bad
One day i was looking through the cult classic section of my video rental store and I found one movie that I have not yet seen. That movie was of course none other than 200 Motels. I thought Frank Zappa and a movie= fun drug induced imagery and ridiculous dialouge about a little Jewish princess.
I was horribly mistaking. The movie was painful to watch. It had no plot and nothing to do with a band going on tour. It was completely unfunny except for one part where Captain Beefheart's hat phonetically spells out f**k in the cyrillic alphabet.
I watched this movie with my uncle who had been a pretty serious stoner back in the day when Zappa and Beefheart were still touring; he was a fan of both of these musicians. Even he continued to ask about the whereabouts of the plot or the too easily forgotten entity: entertainement.
I was sober when I watched this movie and I would expect that that is not the best way to see it. Probably some acid or at least weed would be needed to make this movie at all tolerable.
Zappa should have stayed with his ridiculous music.

A True Video Masterpiece!!! * * * * *
Frank Zappa was a creative genius, and his "200 Motels" was a true video masterpiece! "200 Motels" tells a simple story about how touring in a rock band can seem to make you crazy. Zappa used a new medium of the early 70's, what we now call "video", and really pushed it beyond the known limits. The effects he used in this movie have often been copied, and were used to describe the weird world of touring. City after city, sandwich after sandwich, the towns all begin to look fake after awhile; the effects where used to emphasize how the struggles of touring and how all that traveling and responsibility really tweaks your brain, your ability to perceive reality. This movie was possibly the first true "music video", since it originated in video, and possibly tweaked the minds of the engineers up in the control booth. When you look at how the video was structured, well, it's all shot entirely in a studio environment. It's a story within a story, and like so many other filmmakers, Zappa was almost making fun of himself, in a lighthearted manner, much as Felini and Allen have done in some of their films. Yes, this movie is twisted, in fact just as twisted as life in America tends to get. This movie is best seen projected in a theater, and unless you have a t.v. larger than 27", I recommend you wait, because it really needs to be seen larger than life!

an excellent movie
This movie is very good. But the reason, why I didn't give it 5 stars, is that here are some cuts, which are so dumb, and annoying. I don't see Frank Zappa a lot in here. They show him sometimes when they perform. And they perform the songs live. In the soundtrack, they re-record it in studio. You can hear it, and see it, by their sweat. But I really don't understand, what the movie is all about. But you'll enjoy. It's really interesting to watch a movie, with real rock stars. And real live performances. ... Read more

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A commercial disaster upon its release in 1986, AbsoluteBeginners is an uneven but often stunning attempt at revitalizing the movie musical with postmodern sensibilities.Director Julien Temple was ma