Tommy
by Ken Russell
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Product details
Actor: Ann-Margret, Arthur Brown, Ben Aris, Dick Allan, Eric ClaptonDirector: Ken Russell
Primary Contributor: Ann-Margret
Primary Contributor: Roger Daltrey
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, NTSC
Running Time: 111 minutes
Published: 1992-06
Release Date: 1996-02-06
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Studio: Sony Pictures
VHS Movie Reviews of Tommy
Movie Review: Visionary !
Summary: 5 Stars
Jack Nicholson singing ? What could possibly go wrong ? I felt like I took a tab of acid in post-war London. Ken Russell is one of those insane visionaries that goes waaaaaayyyyyy beyond conventional film making. There are some artsy-fartsy themes to it, but, then again, Ann Margret is covered in baked beans. DON'T UNDERESTIMATE KEITH MOON'S PERFORMANCE !Movie Review: Our Search for "Tommy"
Summary: 5 Stars
We chose a dealer from Amazon to purchase this DVD - and as we expected - all went well. The product itself, price, shipping - all excellent.Movie Review: Not Just For WHO Fans!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not the biggest WHO fan. But there is no denying that "Tommy" is a phenomenal masterpiece. Much of what makes this rock opera so great is the different guest appearances, the phenomenal music, the artistic images, the touching story, and characters who are not just good or bad. Tommy himself is kind of a Hamlet type. At the risk of oversimplifying, Tommy's father Robert Powell (probably best known for doing Jesus in "Jesus of Nazareth"), disappears in the war; Tommy's mother Ann Margret falls in love with Oliver Reed, and they kill Tommy's father, unknowingly in front of Tommy. (Reverses the story on the record where the father kills the lover) As a result of this trauma, Tommy loses his ability to speak, hear, and see. Oliver Reed is an interesting 'Claudius' to Tommy's 'Hamlet.' (We can also suspect that while Margret loved her 1st husband Robert Powell, that she loves Oliver Reed more.) Yes; Reed killed Tommy's father and stole a willing Margret; but throughout, we see that despite Reed's crimes, he DOES have a conscience. Even though he is lecherous and drinks heavily, he DOES try to help Tommy regain his senses. From here, we have an interesting set of musical numbers by notable guests. (Eric Clapton and Tina Turner to name 2.) Margret and Reed's attempts to help Tommy (Roger Daltrey) fail. Tommy goes through some tragic abuse in the absence of his mother and stepfather, but Reed shows a redeeming moment when he saves Tommy from 'Wicked Uncle Ernie.' Tommy runs off, Reed discovers that Tommy (despite his disabilities) can play pinball very well, and this is when Tommy suddenly gains fame. (The movie's most famous moment is undoubtedly Tommy's pinball showdown with the great Elton John.) Despite their rise to riches and fame, Margret and Reed still want to cure Tommy. (And in all fairness, this shows that they know that there is more to life than fame and riches.) We then have a cameo with Jack Nicholson ( a doctor) who explains that the deafness and blindness is psychological and not physical. Through a very artful sequence, that hints at Baptism, Tommy suddenly regains his senses, and we finally have some real vocals by the lead singer Daltrey. He comes through magnanimously in that he has apparently forgiven Margret and Reed for their crimes. (Even 'Wicked Uncle Ernie' is forgiven.) Tommy's popularity seems to grow at an alarming rate, but will they be able to manage his rise to fame where some start to see him as a new Messiah? I can not help but feel another reason this musical has done so well (besides the great music, the numerous appearances, and the touching story) is that it takes realistic aspects of the human condition and puts it to energetic music and uses strange but interesting images. Obviously, you will like this more if you are a WHO fan. But this is not only for WHO fans. It is a real masterpiece. (Not just for 70s nights!) Movie Review: Fast delivery, excellent condition
Summary: 5 Stars
The DVD arrived well ahead of the scheduled delivery date, and in perfect condition. I have no concerns about ordering New & Used when I get service and products like this.Movie Review: Made Me Wish I Was At Least Deaf And Blind
Summary: 1 Stars
With so much talent invested in this movie, how could things have gone so horribly wrong? Roger Daltrey prances around with a blank look on his face, vaguely giving the impression he is either in a shampoo or tampon commercial. Ann-Margaret writhes on the floor with a giant sausage-shaped pillow, while covered in beans that spray out from a television set. Eric Clapton, appearing to be in a heroin-induced coma, portrays a singing preacher with all the charisma of a dead turtle. Elton John, Tina Turner, Oliver Reed, and even Jack Nicholson all attempt career suicide with their zany and misguided contributions to this catastrophe. To top it all off, the ludicrous premise of the album (vegetable-like pinball champion becomes messiah) is kept intact, while the great music has been replaced with the sort of noise the CIA would play to torture prisoners. Consider yourself warned.
Summary of Tommy
If you've ever wanted to hear Jack Nicholson sing (or try to) or marvel at the sight of Ann-Margret drunkenly cavorting in a cascade of baked beans, Tommy is the movie you've been waiting for. As it turns out, the Who's brilliant rock opera is sublimely matched to director Ken Russell's penchant for cinematic excess, and this 1975 production finds Russell at the peak of his filmmaking audacity. It's a fever-dream of musical bombast, custom-fit to the thematic ambition of Pete Townshend's epic rock drama, revolving around the titular "deaf, dumb, and blind kid" (played by Who vocalist Roger Daltrey) who survives the childhood trauma that stole his senses to become a Pinball Wizard messiah in Townshend's grandiose attack on the hypocrisy of organized religion.The story is remarkably coherent considering the hypnotic dream-state induced by Russell's visuals. Tommy's odyssey is rendered through wall-to-wall music, each song representing a pivotal chapter in Tommy's chronology, from the bloodstream shock of "The Acid Queen" (performed to the hilt by Tina Turner) to Nicholson's turn as a well-intentioned physician, Elton John's towering rendition of "Pinball Wizard," and Daltrey's epiphanous rendition of "I'm Free." Other performers include Eric Clapton and (most outrageously) the Who's drummer Keith Moon, and through it all Russell is almost religiously faithful to Townshend's artistic vision. Although it divided critics when first released, Tommy now looks likes a minor classic of gonzo cinema, worthy of the musical genius that fueled its creation. --Jeff Shannon
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