Reviews (1)

Roxy roller
By turns outrageously funny and reflectively sad, this fascinating look at the life of L.A. music scene fixture Rodney Bingenheimer is a must-see for anyone claiming to be a serious rock fan. The diminutive, skittish and soft-spoken Bingenheimer comes off as Andy Warhol's West coast twin, or perhaps the Forrest Gump of rock and roll-somehow he has been in the hurricane's eye of every major music "scene" since the mid 60's, from Monkeemania (working as Davey Jones' double!) to becoming the first DJ to champion current superstars Coldplay. Although ostensibly "about" Rodney, the film is at its core a whirlwind timetrip through Rock's evolution, filtered through a coked-out L.A. haze. The ongoing photograph montages of Rodney posing with an A-Z roster of every major seminal rock figure in the genre's history began to remind me of Woody Allen's Alfred Zelig, a nondescript milquetoast who could morph his appearance to match whomever he was with at the time. Rodney himself remains a cypher; in one scene he fidgets nervously and begs the director to turn off the camera when the questions get too "close". There is also a sad irony; despite his ability to attract the company of the rich and famous (and they all appear to adore the man), the fruits of fame and success evade Rodney himself. He drives a "beater" to his DJ job at L.A.'s legendary KROQ; he lives alone in a cluttered little hovel, where treasured memorabilia like Elvis Presely's first driver's license(!) collects dust next to the empty pizza boxes. Priceless commentary from the likes of music producer Kim Fowley (whose own wacked-out rock 'n' roll career contains enough fodder for a whole other documentary), Pamela Des Barres (legendary groupie; aka "Miss Pamela" of Frank Zappa proteges The G.T.O.'s)and her husband, musician Michael Des Barres. One of the best "rockumentaries" to date. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Should have been an added bonus to the movie DVD
Should have been an added bonus to the movie DVD, not a seperate DVD. Not really worth buying as it is almost the identical dialogue from the movie, except in black and white. This original short is interesting, maybe worth renting, but I think it should have been put on the movie's DVD as a bonus feature...

Some Folks Call it an Acting Reel
Director George Hickenlooper shows us his all, including a short film entitled Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade.

The film is a dark black & white depiction of Billy Bob Thorton's "Karl" whom Thorton developed while looking at his reflection with time on his hands, then later brought to life on stage with one-man shows.

In collaboration with Billy, Hickenlooper hoped to use this film as a springboard to making a feature film (which of course happened - Sling Blade). But that's where the off-stage drama begins.

Besides being a great short film and a "hoot," if you will, being the first incarnation of our beloved "Karl" (those whom have seen Sling Blade know what I mean, those whom haven't, order both films), This DVD contains an extensive director-ography of Hickenlooper, and the reason he ultimately declined to work on the feature film Sling Blade.

It shows a different side of Thorton - albeit hearsay, but interesting at any rate. I still love the man because he has a band.

But one thing struck me as quite ironic - while filming Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade, Hickenlooper didn't like the idea of doing Thorton doing his monologue as a close-up, and felt Thorton wanted it that way so he could use the film as an 'acting reel' to get more film parts.

But amidst the DVD segment where he says this - "The Evolution of Sling Blade," Hickenlooper showcases his own material, citing every film he's directed (involving Billy Bob or not), with very extensive clips.

Who's acting reel?

But ironic or not, this is a great short film that stands on its own. I just wish I saw it before I saw Sling Blade. Not so much the same impact, I reckon.

Short but Expensive
This independent short is essentially a b&w of the opening sequence of Sling Blade. The late JT Walsh is here, and Molly Ringwold will be recognized as the reporter interviewing Billy Bob Thorton's Karl in this version. Very good except for the price. Director George Hickenlooper takes potshots at Thorton in the Bonus Features. Recommended for people who really like Sling Blade, but again, they are selling it at full price.

a real thinker with a great twist at the end
i love this movie if you like any of billy bobs work this is one you have got to see. billy goes beyond acting in this role. youll be surprised by at how many celebs make an apperance in this film. all of them in roles you will not believe! its a strange and almost comical drama. i think you will enjoy this movie over and over again.

Exquisitely dark...
This original version is far superior to the full length release. Thornton is exceptional in both...but the real suprise in this release is the exceptional performance by Molly Ringwald...someone I had written off as just so much fluff. A dark room...and Karl Childers...will scare the hell out of you. You just know he is out there... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Add The Man from Elysian Fields to the list of essential movies about the pains of writing. This wry comedy-drama charts the frustrations of a financially strapped novelist (Andy Garcia) as he desperately and secretly agrees to be an "escort" for ladies who need, ah, escorting. This leads him into a Faustian bargain to help a beautiful client (Olivia Williams) whose husband, a once-great, now-dying writer (a mighty James Coburn), is struggling with a final work. Of course the fact that the men are sharing a project and a woman complicates matters--and Garcia's loyal wife (Julianna Margulies) is curious about all these nights spent away. The movie explores different levels of compromise and betrayal, yet it remains tartly amusing throughout. And it has a glorious casting inspiration: the director of the mysterious escort service is played by Mick Jagger, looking decadently elegant and purring like a vaguely satanic Siamese cat. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Writer's Blockhead
Well, let's see. When his first novel (entitled "Hitler's Child") fails to generate sales and his publisher refuses to print his second book, what is a starving writer to do?

Work for a male escort service, of course!

As goofy as this premise is, THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS actually delivers a compelling story that is both fun and painful to watch. Unable to get his old job back and desperately strapped for cash, hard luck novelist Byron Tiller (Andy Garcia) is lured by the seductive enticement of "easy money" as an escort for Elysian Fields, a playground for rich, neglected housewives. Problem is, there's nothing "easy" about Byron's new career, and this character learns lesson after lesson--about himself, about the importance of his marriage--via a very unforgiving school of hard knocks.

The tragic irony of this film manifests itself over and over. By trying to provide for and protect his family, Byron's poor decision to join Elysian only serves to destroy it. And naturally--irony of ironies--Byron's best client is the exotic, beautiful Andrea Alcott (Olivia Williams), who just happens to be married to Pulitzer-prize winning novelist Tobias Alcott (played wonderfully by James Coburn). The ailing Tobias seeks Byron's aid to rewrite his last novel; the young writer eagerly agrees; the stage is set for dismal, heartbreaking disappointment (should have insisted on a written contract, dude).

Garcia is so soft-spoken and restrained in this role, even after getting knocked down again and again, that I--unlike some of the reviewers here--actually was relieved when he finally unleashed some anger and frustration by trashing the wardrobe room at Elysian Fields. I'll bet the character felt better; I know I did.

Mick Jagger as the articulate, whiskey-sipping proprietor of Elysian Fields was an unexpected and delightful surprise. The ending was a bit uneven and sappy, but entirely predictable. For all you struggling writers out there, I would recommend you forego becoming an escort and pick something safer. Sword swallowing comes to mind.
--D. Mikels

If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
In the film, "The Man from Elysian Fields," Andy Garcia plays the morose married writer, Byron Tiller. Tiller's one book "Hitler's Child, " isn't exactly a best-seller, and now he's almost finished book number two. Tiller's publisher won't even publish this second book. Tiller's wife, Dena (Julianna Margulies) is so unshakeable in her belief that both the book and her husband will be whoopingly successful, that Byron can't break the news that there will be no second book--no advance--no great writing career.

Desperation leads Byron to Elysian Fields--an elite male escort agency that just happens to be conveniently located next to his drab little office. The owner of the agency, the fascinating Luther Fox (Mick Jagger) offers to provide Byron with work, and so Byron accepts. His first assignment, as luck and Hollywood would have it, is to accompany porcelain beauty, Andrea Alcott, for a night on the town. Now Andrea is married to Byron's idol--popular author Tobias Alcott. Byron finds the situation intriguing and delectable enough to leave moral scruples behind as he fills in for Tobias in the bedroom too, but things are not quite as they seem, and Byron has a nasty illogical lesson waiting for him.

The film possessed many allegorical elements--Elysian Fields is, of course, in mythology, the place where souls go after death. Luther Fox is certainly a believable satiny evil Satan--by offering Byron an evening with the wife of a literary giant, he tempts him into selling his soul. Supernatural elements are weaved into the story and the set designs, but the film doesn't seem to know quite what to do with the layers of meaning created in the plot. So instead, the film disintergrates nonsensically into codswallop--sarcastic, world-weary, elegant Luther Fox turns into a pathetic love-lorn reject, and Byron's hell is laced with the promise of Hollywood happy endings. A sad disappointment indeed--why bother to lace the story with allegory and then suddenly switch gears half way through? Splendid performance from Mick Jagger--he redeemed this film for me--displacedhuman--Amazon Reviewer.

Very Poorly Written
It is ironic that this movie should pertain to the subject of writing, as it is very poorly written.
A MICROCOSM of this can be seen at the end, where the author reads his supposedly "breakthrough" novel: anybody over an amateur level readily recognizes what he is reading as extremely poor, extremely amateurish writing. It is also interesting that John Grisham is referred to once in the movie as a paragon of good writing--as though "fast food" writing ever qualified as very good intellectual reading meat.
The stupidity of the protagonist in not procuring a contract for his services strains credulity.
The likelihood that a well-known author would acquiesce to co-author his last book strains credulity.
The very stilted dialogue of this movie strains credulity.
Mick Jagger did a great job acting, but it's not enough to save this stinker.
The guy who wrote this movie neither understands good writing nor was capable of it.

The Man From Elysian Fields
My husband and I enjoyed this movie very much. Even though the story line was a bit of a downer at times, it was still very entertaining and kept our interest throughout the entire movie. Andy Garcia and Mick Jagger did an excellent job in conveying the desperation they each felt during critical moments in their lives. James Corburn and the actress who played his wife were good in their roles, as well.

a 10 star movie-must see!!!
Husband and I loved everything about this movie. Don't need to elaborate-read the previous reviews. Please rent, won't be disappointed ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hickenlooper delivers another nice movie documentary
Picture this is a generally interesting documentary about the making of THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. The movie footage from the PICTURE SHOW and asks the townspeople about the experience of having a movie made in their small town, which is also the hometown of LAST PICTURE SHOW writer Larry McMurtury. It then interviews the cast and director, Peter Bogdanovich, about their experiences. It all happens during the making of the sequel, TEXASVILLE.

The movie only lasts about an hour, but there are some interesting moments. It was interesting that Timothy Bottoms admitted that he was in love with Cybil Shepherd during the first movie, and hasn't seen her since. It's also interesting to hear Bogdanovich and Set Designer Polly Platt talk about their marriage crumbling during the making of the first film. Bogdanovich got involved with Cybil, but Peter and Polly still had to work with one another to finish the film. Another interesting thing was the story of how Larry McMurtury was a loner and geek in high school and used his experiences to get back at his hometown in his novel.

It's not as good Hickenlooper's HEARTS OF DARKNESS, but no documentary on a movie is. ... Read more