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Post by geode on Jan 9, 2018 14:36:26 GMT
I worked as a protectionist when this opened. We had a four channel magnetic stereo print which should have translated to a great, concert-like sound experience. The trouble was that the theater had recently been twinned by carving a third of the auditorium off to make a small house. The soundproofing in the dividing wall was inadequate. "Jaws" was playing on the small side, and it has quiet portions to build suspense. Playing "Tommy" at levels its audience wished conflicted with the other audience. Here a shark is in the quiet darkness and through the wall comes "And Tommy doesn't know what day it is..."
I had people on the "Tommy" side banging on one booth door to turn the sound up, and those on the "Jaws" side banging on my door to turn the same soundtrack down. For the last 20 minutes or so of the last show of "Tommy" the other side was done, and I cranked the volume up to where it should be for "I'm Free" and the end.
What was it about Ken Russell films...that no matter how high the budget they looked cheap and cheesy? I guess this aids its cult status.
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Post by Terrapin Station on Jan 9, 2018 14:39:40 GMT
I love that film (and soundtrack).
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Post by geode on Jan 24, 2018 15:41:46 GMT
I love that film (and soundtrack). I last watched it in 1975. Should I watch it again? |
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Lynx
Sophomore
@lynx0139
Posts: 345
Likes: 195
 
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Post by Lynx on Jan 24, 2018 18:34:49 GMT
Yes !.....and then watch "The Wall"....great for unwinding after a stressful day.  |
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Post by Larcen26 on Jan 24, 2018 18:44:17 GMT
It's an amazing film...
Though I will never understand the Ann Margaret Chocolate, suds and beans debacle...despite how good she looks for about half of it.
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Post by them1ghtyhumph on Jan 24, 2018 21:51:49 GMT
It's an amazing film... Though I will never understand the Ann Margaret Chocolate, suds and beans debacle...despite how good she looks for about half of it. That's a gift from Ken Russell |
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maxwellperfect
Junior Member
@maxwellperfect
Posts: 3,966
Likes: 1,683
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Post by maxwellperfect on Jan 25, 2018 17:14:40 GMT
So campy. I can't bear it.
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Post by Terrapin Station on Jan 26, 2018 18:42:17 GMT
Yes !.....and then watch "The Wall"....great for unwinding after a stressful day. Films like Zardoz go good with it too. |
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Post by Larcen26 on Jan 26, 2018 23:30:51 GMT
Yes !.....and then watch "The Wall"....great for unwinding after a stressful day. Films like Zardoz go good with it too. |
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Post by geode on Feb 5, 2018 16:47:33 GMT
Yes !.....and then watch "The Wall"....great for unwinding after a stressful day. Films like Zardoz go good with it too. I think I consider "Tommy" and "Zardoz" near polar opposites. |
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Post by geode on Jul 5, 2019 20:38:17 GMT
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Post by geode on Jul 6, 2019 7:27:52 GMT
It's an amazing film... Though I will never understand the Ann Margaret Chocolate, suds and beans debacle...despite how good she looks for about half of it.If you mean what it represents, Russell just told Margaret to go all out, as her character was having her breakdown. What she saw on t.v. of Tommy, who's exploitation had afforded her the lifestyle she was living, the intercutting advertisements on t.v which represented in Russell's imagery, (Black Beauty Chocs, baked beans and laundry detergent), her own guilt at her actions regarding Tommy's father, and her inebriated brain, it just went into a delirious overload. It wasn't subtle, but it was outrageous enough and bizarre enough to leave an impression.
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Post by Larcen26 on Jul 8, 2019 20:27:07 GMT
It's an amazing film... Though I will never understand the Ann Margaret Chocolate, suds and beans debacle...despite how good she looks for about half of it.If you mean what it represents, Russell just told Margaret to go all out, as her character was having her breakdown. What she saw on t.v. of Tommy, who's exploitation had afforded her the lifestyle she was living, the intercutting advertisements on t.v which represented in Russell's imagery, (Black Beauty Chocs, baked beans and laundry detergent), her own guilt at her actions regarding Tommy's father, and her inebriated brain, it just went into a delirious overload. It wasn't subtle, but it was outrageous enough and bizarre enough to leave an impression. No, I get the symbolism, it's not particularly subtle, but I don't see what it adds to the story at all. Smash the Mirror is Mrs. Walker's breakdown moment. Just seemed like out of place smush fetishism is all.
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Post by amyghost on Jul 8, 2019 21:25:21 GMT
Still have a soft spot for this film. Back in the day we thought it was one of the coolest things ever, everyone except the Who fanatics who thought it was a travesty of the original concept album. Which it probably was  . |
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Post by geode on Jul 10, 2019 5:08:46 GMT
No, I get the symbolism, it's not particularly subtle, but I don't see what it adds to the story at all. Smash the Mirror is Mrs. Walker's breakdown moment. Just seemed like out of place smush fetishism is all. Just put it down to Russell's excesses and I rather like the sequence. We are bombarded with media hype and consumerism and much of Tommy is also about this. I think in that context, the symbolism works quite well. But it is quite a cheese fest.
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Post by geode on Jul 21, 2019 14:32:33 GMT
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