Reviews (193)

Takes it's audience too much for granted
I'm puzzled as to why some people have adopted this movie as a life manifesto as it is rather a nasty piece of work. Counter culture perniciousness is never far from the surface and the death stuff is pure 'Addams Family' corn, although undeniably amusing on that level.
Someone here mentioned the curious adoption of an 'Ubermensch' philosophy by Maude reminiscent of her war time captors and I don't know whether or not it was intended ironically. Before the fall she was obviously part of the same bourgeoise. Mind you, Hitler was a bit of a pleb and skint, too. Anyway, does 'aiming above morality' mean lack of responsibility to those closest to you? Despite surely being aware of Harold's emotional vulnerability, Maude does not make her 'saturday' intentions clear to him, other than as a vague reference in passing. The expression on Ruth Gordon's face as an actress while dropping this bombshell to Harold suggests she did not truly believe in this scene or the film as a whole, which uses the smokescreen of eccentricity to excuse Maude's lack of clarity. But since she is clearly articulate on most matters, there is an ambivalence at the heart of this picture. She appears to cruelly lead him on, only to crush him with a bromide. What are we to make of all of this? Even an offbeat film needs to maintain a certain internal logic. Likewise, stealing cars that may have been needed in a life and death emergency leaves a nasty taste. If there is an epiphany here, then I cannot see it.
This lack of internal logic extends to the direction, too. Ashby has great quirky timing but there is also a curious dishonesty at work. On the first date, how could Harold have got out from under those sheets and replaced them with a dummy without the girl in the house noticing? It would have taken exceptional sleight of hand and the director doesn't convince us. Likewise the business with Harold's hand on the second date. He clearly uses his real hands for the mouth freshner but are we then expected to believe he could have somehow slipped a false hand on to his sleave (miraculously lengthened) in front of his guest? This sloppy attitude can be seen in the opening scene. The shot behind Harold's head shows the rope not touching his body. From the other side we clearly see the rope going into his shoulder to support his weight. Also, in a later scene, the motorcycle cop aiming to shoot the fleeing protaganists with a civilian clearly walking into view. Should any of this matter in what is basically a comedy of (bad) manners? I think the film wants it both ways, that is seriousness and silliness, but it doesn't think it has to try too hard. However, if you sacrifice credibility in a style of dead pan realism you will not get away with it. Perhaps someone should have reminded Mr Ashby that comedy is, in fact, a serious business.
The main compensations in 'Harold and Maude' are the little details. The motorcycle cop's trouser problem. The way various vehicles splutter into life and barely get going suggesting the vulnerability of us all in a changing world. Harold's legs in the opening scene and his petulant reaction to furniture obstructing his way. The peculiar pause when Maude asks Harold whether it's wrong to pose nude.
As a whole though, it is distinctly uneven. The 'took my head' scene does not work but the actress scene is absolutely inspired.
This is the archetypal cult movie and beggers the question as to whether films can ever be 'cult' like this again, what with the closure of 'rep' cinemas which traditionally supported these pictures and the ready avaliability of home video. Will the definition of 'cult' simply mean failure at the box office?
The picture quality is reasonable. The chief advantage is the sound which is hugely superior to my video copy.

You should be dying to see "Harold and Maude"
I have taken it upon myself to see many of the movies that I enjoyed as a young adult in the 60's and 70's. Some of them I remember as being great, but when I see them again, they're not so great. One of the truly great ones is "Harold and Maude" (1972). The movie has lost nothing for me, and if anything, is actually better now.

It is the story of a young man (Harold - Played by Bud Cort) obsessed with death, and his relationship with an older woman, (Maude- Played by Ruth Gordon)who is a complete free spirit. Maude is fond of funerals, but is more fascinated with the circle of life, not just death. Their relationship takes Harold on a journey to maturity that is full of humor and heartache. I was quite pleasantly surprised recently while I was watching "Something about Mary" that "Harold and Maude" was mentioned a few times as Mary's favorite all time love story.

This film is the ultimate black comedy. The music is one of the highlights of this great work. All of the music is by Cat Stevens. The music of Cat Stevens also plays through a larger portion of this film that most of today's soundtracks which may be made more to sell CDs than to provide mood for the story. Cat Stevens is also an artist that we can forget how much we enjoyed.

I showed this video to my sons (12 and 14), they even appreciated it. If you want to see a video that gives you a glimpse of a how we felt about life and death in the 1970's (and how many of us feel today) see Harold and Maude. You won't be disappointed.

bittersweetness of life
Harold and Maude is an insightful, comedic and touching view of two individuals who are seemingly polar opposites. Ashby, the director, reminds the viewer that in death there is life and in life there is death and having a sense of humor is the best, if not the only antidote to both phenomena.

As many have mentioned, with a few dissenters, this is truly a wonderful film, full of irony and paradoxes. One falls in love with the characters and thus the film. Cat Stephens' haunting music provides a perfect soundscape to a film that will haunt
your memory for all time.

Hialrious!
I watched this movie the first time with a bunch of friends, and the general consensus was that it was the best movie they had ever seen. It's hilarious, sweet, and rather disturbing... but overall an excellent movie, and my current favorite.

Wonderful, wonderful & wonderful!
In an age of cynicism, bitterness, and pointless movies about horny teenagers, this film is a breath of fresh air. Movies like this simply do not get made anymore. People who hate it miss the point, it is about love and life and enjoying who you are. Movine and wonderful, and Ruth Gordon is darling. To those who hated it, please watch it again, and open your mind and your heart. You will be surprised at what you find there. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

One of the best movies about the effects of the Vietnam War
I've seen quite a few movies dealing with the subject of the war in Vietnam but this is the best by far. I love the realism in this film and how effective the plot of the movie plays into the lives of the two main characters. This is one of the best films ever made period, the acting,writing and directing is superb on all counts. John Voight is brilliant in this movie as the bitter paraplegic. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1978, which I was glad that he did because he truly deserved it. Bruce Dern (in his Oscar nominated role) is also wonderful and very convincing even Jane Fonda who I have never been fond of was very good. This movie was directed by the late Hal Ashby and Waldo Salt wrote the terrific screenplay. This film is excellent in every way and it would make a great addition to anyone who collects great movies such as this one.

One of the most important films on Vietnam!
This movie really blew me away. I rented it the other day not expecting much, but after the movie ended I realized how wrong I was! Jon Voight does an incredible job as the wheelchair-bound Vietnam War vet who falls for Jane Fonda. Bruce Dern is almost as good in his portrayel of Fonda's husband, who goes to fight in the jungles of 'Nam while Fonda & Voight fall in love. I've never been a big Jane Fonda fan because of her actions duing the war, but she did a very good job. However, I don't think it was academy award winning acting. Jon Voight's award was well deserved, though. One of my favorite moments is when he talks to the high school students at the end. The film is great & I loved it, but it's far from perfect. For example, the movie ends rather abruptly without totally resolving the plot. And how come one of the last things we see is Bruce Dern's rear!!! It adds absolutely nothing to the plot & takes away some of the power of Jon Voight's speech. One last thing I've got to mention is the awesome music. I've never heard so many great '60s songs in one film, and they add so much to the movie's dramatic mood. I especially liked the song "Once I Was" by Tim Buckley played during Jon Voight's speech at the end. I highly recommend this film for everyone (except kids!).

HORSE MANURE
As if to counter-balance "The Deer Hunter", good old Jane Fonda starred in "Coming Home" (1978) with Jon Voight. Saved by the pure benevolence of American goodwill from a treason trial, she was allowed to pursue her craft (she is excellent at it). "Coming Home" seemed to be the realization of the self-fulfilling prophecy she created in 1972. It was that year that she traveled to Hanoi, the heart of America's enemy, and allowed herself to be posed on Communist tanks, wearing an army helmet. It was blatant "aid and comfort" provided to an enemy during a time of war. Jane did not stop there. Like a modern day Tokyo Rose, she got on the radio and told the troops their wives and girlfriends were having sex with hippies and protestors back home. To this day, the G.I.s have never forgiven "Hanoi Jane". She tried to apologize and say she was wrong, but her heart was never in it.
Eventually she married CNN founder Ted Turner, a man who may not be the anti-Christ (but may be), and may not have achieved his success by invoking Satan (but may have). When Turner saw CNN employees adorned in "ashes" to worship Ash Wednesday, he went ballistic about "Jesus freaks" in his employ. Such a crime! Jane, in the first move she ever did that I liked (other than wearing skintight sex clothes in her hot-selling workout vids), declared she was a "born again Christian." That was the last straw for Turner, who divorced her. There is no word on whether Christianity took in Jane's life, but I wish her well.
In "Coming Home", she portrays the very cheating wife she described to the boys in her "Hanoi Jane" days. She tries to pepper the performance with an apology to her officer husband, Bruce Dern, but it ends up being more of an explanation, which in light of what we know about Vietnam does not wash. Two thumbs down.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM

THE MOST MOVING OF THE VIETNAM WAR FILMS
More emotional than THE DEER HUNTER, and that's going some, Hal Ashby has a masterpiece that moves even the most macho of hearts, especially when Tim Buckley's "Once I Was" plays its first five notes. Oscar worthy, as well as winning, COMING HOME is a gripping work of artistic integrity. Forgotten among the two big Oscar winning roles are Bruce Dern and Penelope Milford (both Best Supporting nominees) and Robert Ginty, all 3 of whom do more than fill screen space. The Rolling Stones "Out Of Time" cannot be more perfectly placed.

A Serious And Sensitive Portrayal Of Vietnam Vets!
Who would have thunk?? How is that someone as adamantly against the Vietnam war made such a transition that she starred in this terrific melodrama focusing on what happens to those who gave their all for their country, and have to live with the consequences. Certainly none of us veterans would have supposed Hanoi Jane to be capable of such a mind-boggling transformation. Yet her personal feelings about the damage done to our young men and women "in country' were truly galvanized by what she learned in preparing for her role as the wife of a Marine officer at loose ends with her time and spirits, and volunteers her time at the local Veteran's hospital. Both she and co-star Jon Voight won Academy Awards for their thoughtful, moving, and emotional portrayals of people caught in the biggest and most overwhelming geo-political issue f the sixties.

The entire ensemble cast is wonderful, with Bruce Dern superbly playing the marine officer feeling confused and cuckolded, on an emotional knife's edge as he learns of her romantic and emotional betrayal with the wheel-chair ridden Voight, and neither of them can save him from the roaring emotions Dern feels roaring through his head. This is a sensitive screenplay that introduces a lot of fairly sophisticated and sometimes shocking aspects of real life onto the screen, but it is so well done that it all seems quite natural and open and healthy. For example, this was the first time paraplegics are seen making love on-screen, and the action is both realistic and fairly explicit. So forget about Jane's confused and somewhat tortured past, take a chance and give this movie a roll. I know you will love it. Enjoy! ... Read more

Description

Based on Jerzy Kosinski's satirical novel about an illiterate gardener who has lived his entire life behind the walls of a Washington, D.C., house, his only knowledge of the world coming from the TV programs he watches.When his employer and protector dies, he is catapulted into the fast lane of political power. ... Read more

Reviews (120)

Excellent Satire - Incredible Acting from Peter Sellers
This film came out in 1979 and seems to get better every year. It is the bizarre story of a blank slate of a gardner who literally has never been outside of the walls of a single house until he is in his 40s or 50s. The entire view of this man comes from watching television.

The basic story is quite simple. As Chance the gardner is forced to leave the house he has lived in as a child, he is hit by a limosine transporting the wife of a dying plutocrat. Taken to the home of the plutocrat, he eventually meets the rich and powerful of the land (the president included)and is taken to be an oracle of wisdom with his simple statements about gardening and the television he has watched. It is a great satire that just keeps getting better as we rely more and more on soundbites for our information.

The best part of the film is Peter Sellers who plays this absolutely blank, innocent, and slow-witted person with complete aplomb. I remember an interview with Sellers when the movie came out, and he said it was a real struggle to develop an accent that had no roots at all -- a perfect blend of voices heard on television. He plays the movie absolutely straight, the comedy being how people react so seriously to his child-like comments. For example, in a television interview about the economy, people take his comments that "there is always growth in the spring" to mean an end to a recession when he is simply talking about his garden.

This is a unique film with lots and lots of subtle humor (no slapstick ala Clouseau). There are some very funny moments as people react to Peter Sellers, but the humor always comes back to how we choose to see the world. There is no deception of the part of the character of the gardner -- it is everybody else who plays the fool here.

This is a definitely a movie to own and to watch over and over. I know some people who have found it a bit slow, in that very little really happens -- it is almost a comedy of manners. It is a great memorial to Peter Sellers from one of his very last movies.

"I like to watch..."
Peter Sellers is wonderful as the simpleton gardener who in middle age finds himself in the real world for the first time and through a series of coincidences is hailed as a genius with all cures for mankind's problems. As a confidante to a wealthy philantropist, Chance the gardener is introduced to the President of the United States. Paraded through formal dinner parties, invited as talk show guest, and eventually investigated by the CIA, "Chance Gardener" becomes an unprecidented enigma .

A star-studded cast includes a beautiful Shirley MacLaine as the tycoon's wife who is very attracted to the "inexperienced" Chance. Melvyn Douglas took the Best Supproting Actor Oscar (his second) for his role as the dying philantrophist.

The slow moving yet poignant film offers many observations about people and how they are perceived by new acquintances. Peter Sellers' character benefited greatly from his handsome, classy attire when forced out of his home of many years. His simple speech would have been taken as foolish babble, had the man been dressed in rags.

There is a particularly moving scene near the end of the film, when Chance's benefactor is layed to rest. Seemingly disinterested in the ceremony, Chance wanders off, examining nearby plant life, to see what improvements need to be made. The DVD version offers a hilarious set of "bloopers", showing how Sellers can't get through the lines without laughing out loud.

"Being There" is certainly quite a departure from any standard comedy/drama. Not for everyone, but worth a chance!****

Two movies in one!
This is really two different movies. Most viewers will watch the DVD up until the credits start, hit the Stop and Eject buttons and will have seen one, admittedly excellent, story.

BUT... those lucky few who tend to watch the credits to the end...will get a mind-snapping shock! For there's one additional scene burried in the credits, a scene that changes the entire meaning of the movie - and will send you back to chapter 1 to watch the entire film all over again.

And you will then see the SECOND story.

It was THIS movie that has led me to sit in theaters until the end of the credits ever since!

I'm very hungry
My wife and I tend to quote lines from this wonderful movie, much like I do on the golf course with Caddy Shack lines. As Caddy Shack is to golf, Being There is to life: a delightful comedy but with meaning.

Brilliant and haunting.....
This film is like none I have ever seen before. In the past, when I thought of Peter Sellers (who plays lead character "Chance the Gardener"), my mind automatically went to Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther series. I thought of the bumbling, clumsy and silly detective in hot persuit of the pink panther jewel. What a terrific change of pace! I really got a sense of Peter Sellers' depth as an actor in this brilliant film. Sellers, Melvyn Douglas, and Shirley Maclaine were all strong leads in this story, along with a great supporting cast.

BEING THERE tells the story of Chance, the Gardener, a simple man who spends his entire life gardening in the backyard of his boss' house, until one day the old man passes away. When a couple of journalists come around to find out more about the former master of the house, Chance is the only one there. The house must close, and for the first time the man must make strides into the big, wide world. This world is like nothing he could have ever imagined outside of the house where he worked. One thing that keeps him tranquil and holds his attention is the television. As Chance says, "I like to watch." (this line is misinterpreted a few times during the course of the movie.) By chance, Chance meets up with Shirley Maclaine the wife of an elderly billionaire. This is just the beginning of an intriguing series of events where Chance--renamed Chauncey Gardner--the simple man who speaks of plants and their growth (the only real knowledge he has about the world) becomes central as wise sage in one of the most intriguing political ventures.

This film has moments of laugh-out-loud comedy, and serious elements as well. (The final scene is chilling.....that is all I am going to say......)
Check it out if you are in the mood for something completely different. In the words of Chauncy, this is definitely a film "I like to watch." ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Sexual Satire
1975's Shampoo is a satirical look at the sexual revolution of the late 60's and on the politics of Richard Nixon. The film takes place on and around Election Day, 1968 in Los Angeles. Warren Beatty stars as George Roundy, a hairdresser who, it seems, ends up sleeping with everyone he does hair for. Goldie Hawn is his girlfriend Jill, who is pushing him to open up his own shop. He ends up soliciting start up funds from Lester played by Jack Warden who meets him on the behest of his wife Felicia play by Lee Grant. George is sleeping with Felicia and as it turns out he used to date Lester's mistress, Jackie, played Julie Christie and also ends up sleeping with Lester's daughter Lorna played by Carrie Fisher in her first movie. The movie pokes fun at Mr. Beatty's own image and he plays the role as dimwit who knows he's not too bright, but doesn't care. The film is definitely dated as it was a comment on Watergate, but the performances are first rate. In fact, Mr. Beatty is the weak link in the film and Ms. Grant, Ms, Christie and Mr. Warden are all stellar. Mr. Beatty was the producer and co-writer and he received a best original screenplay Academy Award nomination and Ms. Grant won the award for Best Supporting Actress.

Beautiful transfer!
Cheers to Johnny Depp, Sandra Bernhard, and Julianne Moore for citing this almost forgotten '70's classic as one of their all time favorites. To most, Shampoo is looked at as a Beatty vanity project, a dated box-office hit, or just dull and not worth your time. It's a shame because it's one of the best films of its time and is probably the last example of a sex comedy having any sly wit, sophistication, or style. The character of George (Warren Beatty) is based on Manson family victim Jay Sebring -a close friend of Beatty's- and his quest for maturity and respect cuts through the dozens of meaningless, in-your-face type comedies of today. No, it's not an overbearingly gross, laugh-'til-your-side-aches ride with lots of gratuitous nudity and forgettable one-note characters; the film builds at a carefully constructed pace and -using humor as an undercurrent and beautifully soft neutral colors as its visual look -packs a slight emotional wallop at the end. It's as close to an American art film comedy as you're going to come.

The collaboration of screenwriter Robert Towne (Chinatown) and director Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Coming Home) is a small dream and together they create some beautiful magic: the subtlety of Towne's very funny dialogue never becomes monotonous like a bad Broadway farce and Ashby's camera allows a viewer to discover hidden depths in Goldie Hawn, Carrie Fisher, Jack Warden (Oscar nominated), and Lee Grant (Oscar winner). All the performances are first rate but Julie Christie as George's true love interest steals the movie with those wonderfully expressive eyes and her classic drunk scene. (One of the best visual jokes in the movie is the backside of the black cocktail dress she wears at the election dinner.)

I owned the Criterion laserdisc version of Shampoo and saw a great print on the big screen but this digitally remastered DVD treatment is nothing short of fabulous. The visual look of Shampoo is very important since as the story gets deeper so do the colors (watch the scene where George cuts Jackie's hair in her bathroom while they both glow in the fading afternoon light) but you could never tell from the VHS tape copies or even on its scatter-shot television appearances. This transfer does the film justice but unfortunately there are no special features whatsoever. A making-of documentary or even a commentary track (with the exception of Jack Warden all the principal actors are still alive) would have made this edition a great feature in your library. It's still worth buying but also just a bit of a letdown. Regardless, you can view Shampoo as either a lumbering, relic-like snapshot of its time or a morality tale with depth, humor, and some class. A richly rewarding viewing experience awaits the viewer who sees the latter. Enjoy!

One Fairly Fine Film
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair," say the Three Witches in _Macbeth_, and the principle holds true for the film _Shampoo_. Released in 1975, and one of the leading members of what are now being called "70s films," _Shampoo_ is the story of George Roundy, hairdresser in beautiful and sun-blessed City of Angels. Perhaps no other film in Hollywood has been placed into more capable hands -- Hal Ashby, the remarkably disciplined but expressive director (as in Roundy's rides on his motorcycle through the Hollywood Hills); Robert Towne, veteran screenwriter who won an Oscar for _Chinatown_; and Warren Beatty, one of Hollywood's greats, and swordsman of renown. The film follows Roundy as he enjoys what he seemingly enjoys most, the company of women, and as he seeks to start a business, his own hair salon. But in the film, as the Three Witches say in _Macbeth_, fair is foul, and foul is fair -- which is to say that in _Shampoo_, roles reverse and appearances deceive. Roles reverse in the central characteristic to Roundy -- his enjoying the company of women. For in Roundy's world, the courter has changed to the courted, and the courted, the courter. Why it is, or even whether it must be or ought to be is perhaps fit for another discussion -- but it seems hard to argue, to this reviewer, that the traditional role for a guy in courtship is to be the courter, and the traditional role for a woman, to be the courted. In Roundy's world, however, things somehow have got reversed. He does no courting -- he doesn't stop his movement seeing an angelic brunette walking down the sidewalk and chase her down, he doesn't time his exit from a bank to catch an arresting blonde on her way out. He does no courting. For it is women who court him. He's walking into his shop and a woman slams on her brakes and bats her eyes for his attention, he's waiting for one of his "friends" (most likely how he'd introduce her to someone) at her house and, while he's killing time, her daughter comes on to him. So in Roundy's world, things have got themselves reversed. The cause of the reversal is significant and important to understanding Roundy. Roundy's very existence is you might say "half free-will" -- half free-will because on nearly any matter, he is only forced to make half a decision. For in constantly being courted, he is essentially being offered decisions for approval or rejection. In being constantly sought-after, half of his decision-making process is completed for him. His life is thus a whirlwind -- from an observer's point of view, he might be seen to do things in a roundabout fashion. And so he ends up having sex with the young daughter, Lorna (played by Carrie Fisher), of one of his friends. How does such a thing happen? Because he's only ever forced to make half a decision. And yet in Lorna's courting him, which she does with vigor, there is a lesson as well. For she comes on to Roundy by saying, "Wanna f---?" And to this Roundy agrees. However, when one of his friends courts him by indirectly asking him to fix her hair, he turns her down. And so a lesson to be seen here, as well, is that as Roundy has a thousand and one offers at any one time, he takes the most direct and most clearly communicated. Thus roles reverse in _Shampoo_. But appearances deceive as well. Perhaps appearances deceive in no better way in the film than in the manner that Roundy is forced to act in order to start his business. For Roundy secretly has his own master whose altar he must kneel before -- the bank. In seeking to start his own hair salon, he must do the courting. He must go to a bank and apply for a loan. It is he who is doing the approaching, it is he who conforms to the standards his master will demand of him. Indeed, no longer is it one of his friends who is putting on just the right top or just the right perfume for Roundy's approval, but it is Roundy who is putting on just the right jacket and putting his raffish hair in just the right place for the approval of his master -- a bank manager. Tellingly, he invites none of his friends along with him to the bank -- he's aware of his reversed role, and he doesn't like it, but there is nothing he can do about it. Denied his first attempt at a loan, he must later go see another banker, Lester (played by Jack Warden). Lester is the husband of one of Roundy's friends. And here too appearances deceive -- for Lester believes Roundy to be gay, and so Lester would be quite shocked to learn that Roundy is enjoying the company of his wife. And indeed appearances may so deceive in this world that the end is a deception itself. For the end of _Shampoo_ is often seen as bleak and despairing -- Roundy in shock as the only person he decides he can trust, leaves him, and breaks his heart. But is Roundy's heartbreak forever? It's hard not to look a few months into the future and see Roundy motoring along Mulholland Drive on his motorcycle, a friend of his speeding up beside him in her car, flagging him down, smiling devilishly out of her car, asking him if he wants to f---, Roundy suppressing a smile, glancing around. Glancing at what? At nothing. Roundy shrugging, and then Roundy off on his motorcycle tailing behind the girl in her car, having already mended, or if not mended, at least forgotten -- maybe! with hope! -- his heartbreak.

Wouldn't It Be Nice?
Yes it would if we could get Hollywood to produce films that are timelessly fresh as the great "Shampoo". ............. Warren Beatty is unforgettable as George, a shameless womanizing cad of a hairdresser, who effortlessly beds every woman that crosses his path. They usually do that at his salon, as they all wait for George to "Do" them, in more ways than one! .............George naturally has several girlfriends who he tries to keep from knowing about the others, but of course they all find out. Goldie Hawn is just adorable here in her little velvet brown baby doll dress, and exudes a helpless little girl type charm from every pore. She lives with George, when he's not with various others. Lee Grant is his married lover, whose husband Jack Warden is the patsy. He plays his role quite sympathetically. There is Julie Christie as the girl who George really wants, and the only one who doesn't want him. Now that IS realistic cinema. There are other quickies of course. A not to be missed young Carrie Fisher scores some real "Love" between tennis lessons before her mom gets "done" by George when she arrives home, and finds her daughter took her appointment! George goes about his day to day activities, without a hair out of place, no matter how often, or how many women try to seduce him. A drunken Lee Grant creates a memorable scene when she visits George under a table they are seated at with several other people. For more, YOU need to watch! .............What is interesting here, besides the wonderful flavor and mood of the late sixties captured in the music, free love attitudes, fashions and mod ambience, is that it took place in 1968 and was released in 1975. It covers the election eve of 1968, the whole start of the Nixon era, released at the end of the Watergate era. Maybe that can be called dated now, but it gives you a real flavor of what the world of politics and attitudes were. It is interesting and very unusual to see a film that is set in a time period, so close to the actual era that just preceded it. There is less than a decade between the 1968 era theme, and the films release in 1975. For this reason, it was perfect for it's day, and in my opinion remains so today. .............. There are way too many wonderful moments to list here. If you haven't seen this film, you are truly missing a classic piece of what made the late sixties and mid seventies so special. If you didn't live it, here is a film that will give you a great vcarious feeling that you did.

an MBA degree in less than two hours !
------- not nearly as salacious as valley of the dolls, but far more human. nor is it as zany as earthgirls are easy. it absolutely nails the slightly drug-hazed days of the '70s, but doesn't forget that business has to make a profit. kind of a male fantasy (but also kind of a female fantasy - warren beatty is as beautiful a guy as one'll ever see . . .) without all the in-n-out of the skin-flicks.

Big ... Read more

Reviews (19)

An Unsung Classic
Directed by Hal Ashby, who made such powerful commentaries on life in America as SHAMPOO, COMING HOME, BEING THERE and the cult-favorite HAROLD AND MAUDE, THE LAST DETAIL offers the story of three U.S. Navy sailors on a toot--and at the time of its 1973 release it was chiefly noted as the most profane film to achieve a mainstream release. The passage of time has dimmed that profanity's bite, but nothing can dim the power of its performances, it's darkly funny story, or the director's bitter vision of both life in the Navy and the urban decay of 1970s America.

Two Navy-lifers (Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) are ordered to escort a young sailor (Randy Quaid) to a military prison, where he will do eight years followed by dishonorable discharge for attempting to steal a charity jar containing forty dollars. Once the trip gets underway, they realize the young sailor is essentially an innocent--and they set out to show him a good time before he is locked away. And their idea of a good time ranges from a bout of hard drinking in a hotel room to a brawl in a men's restroom to an evening with New York hookers. Along the way, Nicholson and Young gradually realize that they are just as much in prison as Quaid will soon be--victims of their own ennui, serving out their sentences in a military that fosts coarseness, frustration, and mindless machisimo as a matter of course.

The performances are excellent throughout. This was the film that launched Nicholson to stardom--but it is also a film that allows us to see what Nicholson could do before he became immured in the trappings of his own fame and collapsed into self-characture: he is every bit as good here as he would be in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and CHINATOWN. Otis Young, an actor whose career never quite took off, is Nicholson's equal here, balancing Nicholson's excesses with his no less firey but considerably more commonsense role. And Randy Quaid scores an equally memorable performance as the young sailor, while Carol Kane gives a memorable turn as one of the hookers they encounter in their travels. Watch closely and you'll also discover a very young Gilda Radner as a member of a religious cult.

In spite of the noteriety it received upon release, like many of the best films of the 1970s THE LAST DETAIL has fallen through the cracks to become a largely unsung classic. Fashion changed, and with the advent of Ronald Regan, the stock market boom, and two decades of heavy-handed materialism Americans abandoned their cinematic realism and social statement in favor of big budget, special effects heavy, and largely escapist film. But the pendulum inevitably swings back, and now that we face serious issues both at home and abroad such films as THE LAST DETAIL are at last, perhaps, beginning to come into their own. Strongly recommended.

You Can See Different Worlds When You Join the Navy
Jack Nicholson is a performer with the rare ability to completely immerse himself in a chosen role and convince the audience of the stark reality of his performance. Playing Navy Signalman First Class Billy "Badass" Buddusky in Hal Ashby's 1973 film rendition of Darryl Ponicsan's novel, "The Last Detail" is a sterling example of that uncommon talent. Rough-edged but understanding, crude but compassionate, Buddusky and fellow "lifer" Gunner's Mate First Class "Mule" Mulhall (skillfully portrayed by Otis Young) are "detailed" as armed Shore Patrol guards to escort a young sailor, Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid) from Norfolk, Va. to a naval prison in Portsmouth, NH in order to serve an eight-year sentence after being convicted at a court-martial of petty theft. The five-day journey northward is an adventure for all three. Sympathizing with Meadows's plight, apprised of his utter naivete and realizing his sentence far exceeds the severity of the offense, Buddusky and Mulhall conduct their version of a cram course in traditional male rights of passage--ranging from a drunken spree in Washington, D.C. to duking it out with Marines in New York City and getting their charge sexually initiated with a Boston prostitute--if for no other reason than to give him some taste of what he will not be experiencing for a long time and to teach him in some small way to assert himself as an individual. The novel and the film (which was released almost immediately after the book hit the racks) was initially hailed as a polemic against what many believed was the cold indifference of the military establishment. However, since that time, it has been judged more a compelling "slice of life" drama about the complexities of everyday human behavior and how it is shaped by our own decisions and by entities beyond our immediate purview. And, more importantly, it forces us to think about how our ever-more-complicated society is increasingly unable to find ways to help its young people constructively mark transition into adulthood. END

Yo-Di-Lo-Di-Lo-Yeh-Dee-Hooooooooo!!!!
Ohhh, Jack! How hard you make it for your fans to decide which one of your films is the best. This one ai'nt restricted to the navy, but to any enlisted U.S. serviceman, past, present or future. If only the chaser duties I did from Ft Bragg to Camp Lejeune were this classic....

SIMPLY THE BEST
When I first saw this great film I was living in Australia and this was my first taste of east coast 70"s USA in winter and it was spot on.Since then I have spent many a long cold winter in Pa ,thats why I now live happily in Fla. Other reviewers have told the story of the film really well but I feel that this was easily Nicholsons best as he nails every scene without smothering his two "shipmates: .I will turn on this masterpiece of real life just to see a certain scene when I have the time.The beginning; " when you"re in the navy , and you"re in transit no one knows where the f--k you are, so go tell the M A A to go f--k himself." or to relive the bar scene where Nicholson loses it when the bartender refuses to serve the kid as they try to show him a good time before he goes to the brig for 8 years.Yes it is certainly a film that ranks with the greats , I watch it regularly and I strongly recommend it to anyone 17 years and older.

For Every Navy Enlisted Man (or Person)

If you've ever been (or are) a U.S. Navy Petty Officer, you have to see this movie. It is the most true-to-life depiction of life as a sailor ever put on the screen. The daily grind, the trudging through the system as lifers, then the highs of getting out and going crazy; it's all here in perfect detail, acted with perfect intonation by all three leads.

Other Amazon reviewers have commmented on the language of the characters, making the constant profanity out to be a kind of social or emotional statement. Believe me (as a six-year veteran and first class petty officer, in the Navy just about when this movie was made), there is nothing in this script that has not been said by every sailor every day in every routine situation; it's just the common argot of every enlisted man who ever served in the U.S. Navy -- not a social statement. In fact, I wonder how Towne got it so perfect. Even the detail of Nicholson's character (who is a Signalman) talking across the room by waving his fingers as signal flags is right on; I remember seeing every signalman I ever knew doing the same thing.

If you were ever in the enlisted Navy, you must see this movie. It'll bring it all rushing back. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

SOUNDTRACK WAS FINE
Unfortunately, for months I was frightened away from purchasing this movie, because one reviewer a year ago said the DVD soundtrack was such a bad transfer it was difficult to hear the dialog at certain points. Finally I decided I wanted to see this classic film so bad, I'd risk the bad sound. To my surprise and delight, I discovered no problem at all with the sound -- and I'm usually ultra-critical of fuzzy sound, which normally drives me up the wall. If, in fact, there was any sound problem on early prints of the DVD version, it appears to have now been corrected in the later prints. The viewer discovers belatedly, at the end of one music sequence, that it was tinny-sounding on purpose, because one of the characters was listening on an old-fashioned wind-up phonograph -- a nuance easy to miss if you blinked in the wrong place. In a few other sequences, the movie appears to utilize early-day recordings by the real Guthrie -- which helps rather than hinders the impact. True, the soundtrack technology in this 1976 movie is not up to modern-day Dolby Surround Sound standards -- but it's amazingly good for a 25-year-old soundtrack. Relax, and enjoy the Academy Award-winning Depression Era photography of Haskel Wexler that will make you feel you've stepped into a Walker Evans photograph of 1936 Dust Bowl refugees fleeing to the supposed golden land of California. Almost every scene is suitable for framing. Not to be missed. A "must buy" for collectors.

SOUNDTRACK WAS FINE.
Unfortunately, for months I was frightened away from purchasing this movie, because one Amazon reviewer a year ago said the DVD soundtrack was such a bad transfer it was difficult to hear the dialog at certain points. Finally I decided I wanted to see this classic film so bad, I'd risk the bad sound. To my surprise and delight, I discovered no problem at all with the sound -- and I'm usually ultra-critical of fuzzy sound, which normally drives me up the wall. If, in fact, there was any sound problem on early prints of the DVD version, it appears to have now been corrected in the later prints. The viewer discovers belatedly, at the end of one music track, that it was tinny-sounding on purpose, because one of the characters was listening on an old-fashioned wind-up phonograph -- a nuance easy to miss if you blinked. In other places, the soundtrack seems to have utilized less-than-perfect, early-day recordings of Guthrie himself, which helps rather than hinders the impact. True, the soundtrack technology in this 1976 movie is not up to modern-day Dolby Surround Sound standards -- but it's rather good for a 25-year-old soundtrack. So relax, and enjoy the Academy Award-winning Depression Era photography of Haskel Wexler that will make you feel you've stepped into a Walker Evans photograph of 1936 Dust Bowl refugees fleeing to the supposed golden land of California. Almost every scene is suitable for framing. Not to be missed. A "must buy" for collectors.

Bound For Glory-First Rate!
After spending 7 months engaged as music coordinator and playing the role of George Guthrie is this excellent Hal Ashby film, I was pleased to see how well it actually turned out. When one is behind the scenes in the making of a film, it is often difficult to try and follow a script, inasmuch, that so many scenes are shot out of sequence. This is a very fine film made by one of my closest friends, Hal Ashby. A great director with great actors. Carridine does a wonderful job, as does Ronny Cox, Melinda Dillion, and Randy Quaid...A first rate film for any class "A" film collector...Believe me, most of the dust in this motion picture was real..I coughed for month after the film wrapped...Hope you enjoy it... Guthrie Thomas

Bad Soundtrack Mars Biopic of Folk Music Legend
One of the best American filmmakers of the 1970's was Hal Ashby who looked at the world through the eyes of oddball characters like Harold and Maude and Chauncey Gardner from Being There. But this is also the filmmaker who gave us the allegorical Coming Home, and Bound for Glory is a film in that vein. Ashby's work with the picture is masterful, Haskel Wexler's cinematography is wonderfully stylistic moving from soft steamy focus to crystal clear images, and David Carradine was nominated for Best Actor for his performance as Woody Guthrie. So what's wrong? The transfer on the DVD audio track is horrible with rumblings, hisses, and portions of the film where dialogue is inaudible moving from heavy bass to high treble. Does anybody bother to look at a print of a film before it's mass produced? This movie is not that old and I'm sure a better job could have been done on the audio tracks. Shame on you, M-G-M! You've caused both Ashby and Guthrie to roll over in their graves.

INSIDE BOUND FOR GLORY
This film is an intimate veiw of dust bowl Americana, and the life of a folk music Icon.The best performance to date from David Carradine. A visual jewel,filmed in California's San Joaquin Valley,by cinematographer Haskel Wexler. First film to use the Steadycam,(floating camera mount). Incredible dust bowl scene created with effects. The music reflects the mind of a man who see's the struggles of the people and the freedom of the soul through his music. Look for Mary Kay Place in her first movie role. Also, first film for Randy Quiad. A real handcrafted film. I shoud know,I was Carradines' stand-in. ... Read more

Description

Famous playwright Neil Simon’s story of a young power-hitting baseball player who falls in love with a rock singer. When they finally come together, his average goes up and they get married. But she’s bored and frustrated staying at home and hanging around with ballplayers; she wants to continue her own career. When she sings, he slumps and together they weather the rocky storm of marriage. Stars Michael O’Keefe (Caddyshack), Rebecca De Mornay (Risky Business). ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Worst Sports Movie EVER!
I spent 2 hours of my morning watching this on HBO Signature and this is anything but good. The music in this movie is terrible, and I was cringed while I listened to it. This movie does not resemble baseball. Superstar athletes are inspired by others, but definately not to the point of this movie's main character. What bothered me the most was really a, if you think about it, an embarassment to Braves fans and baseball fans. In the last game of the season, when the player hits HR #62 you barely see the ball go over the fence. You could see empty seats all over. In addition, if the Braves won they would enter the playoffs. In real baseball, all 30 teams would have packed stadiums filled, with the probable exception of Montreal. This is the worst sports movie EVER. The romance is tolerable, but these newlyweds seem to hate each other. The wife doesn't want her own HUSBAND to see her. Doesn't sound like love to me. Don't waste your time on this piece of trash.

A Good Look at The Limelight Atlanta
While the story might be a bad excuse for an apology to Marsha Mason from Neil Simon, and the baseball scenes are incredibly inaccurate (Astros and Braves are wearing their home uniforms at the same time), this video affords the viewer a look at one of the best nightclubs ever seen. Limelight Atlanta was built in the old Harlequin Dinner Theatre and featured an extravagant light show valued some say at over a half million dollars. It's unfortunate the club is gone, but the footage inside the club is wonderful. Also filmed inside The Saint Atlanta which closed shortly after the movie was released theatrically...

Worst baseball movie ever??
The baseball scenes alone make this one of the worst hack jobs I've ever seen. At the end of the movie our hero belts home run #62 to break the all-time record, and they don't even show the ball go over the fence!!! What, did they forget to take the lens cap off for that shot or something?? Not to mention the crowd of about 100 extras (not very convincingly positioned to resemble a sellout crowd), looked and sounded about as axcited as if he had just drawn an intentional walk. Not one millisecond of the game scenes in this movie come close to the real game of baseball. My favorite is Al Hraboski, who I remember well as "Tha Mad Hungarian", hamming it up as himself - throwing a complete game. Hello, a complete game? Everyone knows the guy was a reliever!! This movie is a disgrace and an insult to even casual baseball fans...

a cute movie
I am going to have to completely disagree with the other customer review here. While The Slugger's Wife wasn't a great classic romantic comedy to come out of the 80's, it was worth the two hours I spent watching it on cable. I think this must have been one of Rebecca Demorney's earliest roles, possibly after Risky Business. She plays a singer(well, err...she tries to be a singer) that performs covers of popular rock songs in cheezy/lounge singer mode. I'm sure it was her own voice too. That part of the film was a bit cheezy, but it was the 80's! Michael O'Keefe plays a major league baseball player who falls instantly in love with her as he sees her perform at a club. He doesn't win her right away, he actually almost "strikes out" completely. Eventually they start dating and get married. He wants her to be there for the games and not work, and she wants to continue with her lame singing career. This was definitely not one of the best movies from the 80s, but it is worth a look at in my opinion. It was kind of sweet. The music however, was more of a cheeze factor than real music. I didn't feel my time had been wasted on this movie. I found it to be a cute little romantic comedy that seemed to be forgotten.

Strike out
With apologies to friends who served as extras, this is a complete waste of Celluloid. Garbage is way too elevated a description. There are too many fine baseball movies on the market - "Eight Men Out," "Pride of the Yankees" - to even consider this tripe. Avoid at all costs. Strike one, strike two, strike three. Yer out! ... Read more

Reviews (193)

Takes it's audience too much for granted
I'm puzzled as to why some people have adopted this movie as a life manifesto as it is rather a nasty piece of work. Counter culture perniciousness is never far from the surface and the death stuff is pure 'Addams Family' corn, although undeniably amusing on that level.
Someone here mentioned the curious adoption of an 'Ubermensch' philosophy by Maude reminiscent of her war time captors and I don't know whether or not it was intended ironically. Before the fall she was obviously part of the same bourgeoise. Mind you, Hitler was a bit of a pleb and skint, too. Anyway, does 'aiming above morality' mean lack of responsibility to those closest to you? Despite surely being aware of Harold's emotional vulnerability, Maude does not make her 'saturday' intentions clear to him, other than as a vague reference in passing. The expression on Ruth Gordon's face as an actress while dropping this bombshell to Harold suggests she did not truly believe in this scene or the film as a whole, which uses the smokescreen of eccentricity to excuse Maude's lack of clarity. But since she is clearly articulate on most matters, there is an ambivalence at the heart of this picture. She appears to cruelly lead him on, only to crush him with a bromide. What are we to make of all of this? Even an offbeat film needs to maintain a certain internal logic. Likewise, stealing cars that may have been needed in a life and death emergency leaves a nasty taste. If there is an epiphany here, then I cannot see it.
This lack of internal logic extends to the direction, too. Ashby has great quirky timing but there is also a curious dishonesty at work. On the first date, how could Harold have got out from under those sheets and replaced them with a dummy without the girl in the house noticing? It would have taken exceptional sleight of hand and the director doesn't convince us. Likewise the business with Harold's hand on the second date. He clearly uses his real hands for the mouth freshner but are we then expected to believe he could have somehow slipped a false hand on to his sleave (miraculously lengthened) in front of his guest? This sloppy attitude can be seen in the opening scene. The shot behind Harold's head shows the rope not touching his body. From the other side we clearly see the rope going into his shoulder to support his weight. Also, in a later scene, the motorcycle cop aiming to shoot the fleeing protaganists with a civilian clearly walking into view. Should any of this matter in what is basically a comedy of (bad) manners? I think the film wants it both ways, that is seriousness and silliness, but it doesn't think it has to try too hard. However, if you sacrifice credibility in a style of dead pan realism you will not get away with it. Perhaps someone should have reminded Mr Ashby that comedy is, in fact, a serious business.
The main compensations in 'Harold and Maude' are the little details. The motorcycle cop's trouser problem. The way various vehicles splutter into life and barely get going suggesting the vulnerability of us all in a changing world. Harold's legs in the opening scene and his petulant reaction to furniture obstructing his way. The peculiar pause when Maude asks Harold whether it's wrong to pose nude.
As a whole though, it is distinctly uneven. The 'took my head' scene does not work but the actress scene is absolutely inspired.
This is the archetypal cult movie and beggers the question as to whether films can ever be 'cult' like this again, what with the closure of 'rep' cinemas which traditionally supported these pictures and the ready avaliability of home video. Will the definition of 'cult' simply mean failure at the box office?
The picture quality is reasonable. The chief advantage is the sound which is hugely superior to my video copy.

You should be dying to see "Harold and Maude"
I have taken it upon myself to see many of the movies that I enjoyed as a young adult in the 60's and 70's. Some of them I remember as being great, but when I see them again, they're not so great. One of the truly great ones is "Harold and Maude" (1972). The movie has lost nothing for me, and if anything, is actually better now.

It is the story of a young man (Harold - Played by Bud Cort) obsessed with death, and his relationship with an older woman, (Maude- Played by Ruth Gordon)who is a complete free spirit. Maude is fond of funerals, but is more fascinated with the circle of life, not just death. Their relationship takes Harold on a journey to maturity that is full of humor and heartache. I was quite pleasantly surprised recently while I was watching "Something about Mary" that "Harold and Maude" was mentioned a few times as Mary's favorite all time love story.

This film is the ultimate black comedy. The music is one of the highlights of this great work. All of the music is by Cat Stevens. The music of Cat Stevens also plays through a larger portion of this film that most of today's soundtracks which may be made more to sell CDs than to provide mood for the story. Cat Stevens is also an artist that we can forget how much we enjoyed.

I showed this video to my sons (12 and 14), they even appreciated it. If you want to see a video that gives you a glimpse of a how we felt about life and death in the 1970's (and how many of us feel today) see Harold and Maude. You won't be disappointed.

bittersweetness of life
Harold and Maude is an insightful, comedic and touching view of two individuals who are seemingly polar opposites. Ashby, the director, reminds the viewer that in death there is life and in life there is death and having a sense of humor is the best, if not the only antidote to both phenomena.

As many have mentioned, with a few dissenters, this is truly a wonderful film, full of irony and paradoxes. One falls in love with the characters and thus the film. Cat Stephens' haunting music provides a perfect soundscape to a film that will haunt
your memory for all time.

Hialrious!
I watched this movie the first time with a bunch of friends, and the general consensus was that it was the best movie they had ever seen. It's hilarious, sweet, and rather disturbing... but overall an excellent movie, and my current favorite.

Wonderful, wonderful & wonderful!
In an age of cynicism, bitterness, and pointless movies about horny teenagers, this film is a breath of fresh air. Movies like this simply do not get made anymore. People who hate it miss the point, it is about love and life and enjoying who you are. Movine and wonderful, and Ruth Gordon is darling. To those who hated it, please watch it again, and open your mind and your heart. You will be surprised at what you find there. ... Read more

Album Description

Imported from Brazil. Dolby stereo. 26 tracks including 'Under My Thumb', 'Beast Of Burden', 'Satisfaction' & 'Jumping Jack Flash'. Region Free/All Code. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This Is The Stones?!
By 1981, The Rolling Stones had lost a lot of the magic. Their singles were hardly making the top 20 and their albums still sold high ("Black And Blue" was number one for nine weeks in a row) but were not as good as "Sticky Fingers", "Exile On Main Street" or anything from the peak period. Also suffering was their live shows. Once a group whose concerts were full of energy and theatrics, they now are boring and don't even do most of the songs that good.

The main problem I have with this dvd is the songs themselves. They don't sound like Stones songs at all. "Beast Of Burden", "Shattered" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (to name a few) could have been done by any hack tribute band. Their performance of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" is good, but you can tell by the way they just jump right into the second verse when you go to it that it's been edited. "Miss You" is bland despite some great sax work, and "Let It Bleed" (a song I was intially looking forward to) doesn't work live. If you want to see a great live performance of this song, buy the "4 Flicks" boxed set, watch the Madison Square Garden concert (which I happened to attend). See how well they do this song in an indoor venue rather than an outdoor stadium.

The only redeeming momenst in this film are "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" and the models on "Honky Tonk Women". Otherwise, this dvd is a total waste of time and money. Also, I advise to stay away from "Still Life", the 1982 live album that was culled from the same tour.

Not the greatest of Stones' performances
The Stones seemed burnt out during the 1981 tour. I've seen better Stones performances in more recent years. I remember watching this video years ago on HBO. Good dvd to have if you are a Stones fan, but knowing what was going on behind the scenes at the time. It isn't the best depiction of the greatest rock 'n roll band in the world. I felt the band was just going through the motions, and I don't feel the energy that I felt when I was the Stones in 1999 and 2002.

Storm clouds on the horizon
This is director Hal Ashby's (RIP)take on the 1981 Stones' tour. The colors are bright, the sound is perfect, and the selections are varied. BUT...they look and sound like they're just...not..."rolling." This is indicative of the fact that Mick and Keith weren't getting along at the time; indeed, by the time the Stones should have toured behind "Dirty Work," Mick was out on his own, making an idiot of himself with material like "Just Another Night." Still, he was correct about his choice, though; "Dirty Work" was an abomination. But, yeah, that's skipping ahead. "Let's Spend The Night Together" is quite redeemable with the inclusion of Ian Stewart, on what was, sadly, to be his last tour. It's funny, watching Mick cuss Ron Wood out (this seems to be a running gag during the first ten songs), and "Honky Tonk Women" is a hoot: the stage curtains open, and out comes a line of - whew! - scantily clad women, led by Jerry Hall who was Mick's main squeeze at the time. "Honky Tonk," I'll leave that up to you to discern, because Shirley, the great Charlie Watts' wife, makes a very brief, ephemeral cameo, flirting with her man, and Ron Wood's young daughter runs out onstage. But really...it was time that the Stones took some off, and if you don't agree, compare this with "At The Max," the movie about the 1989 tour.

A great documentary about the 1982 Rolling Stones Tour
This movie is a fabulouos view of the first huge, modern and high scale tour of the Rolling Stones: the 1981-1982 tour.

In 1981 and 1982 they performed in two different stages: stadiums and pavilions. The movie is like a documentary and shows in a very sober way how was that tour. You can see the band performing in the two kind of stages. I think that the gigs were in the States.

I definitively recommend this movie! But the problem is to find it. ... Read more