|
Customer Reviews:- The Best Film of The 1970s
Some of these reviewers (the negative ones) are rather simple-minded as to the entire concept of the film. The one reviewer who mentioned the "cheapness" of the film simply did not get it. The "cheapness" was the entire point of the atmosphere as the allure of Terry's life and how she felt about herself. I watched the film three times and I am not grasping why a few of the reviewers mention how "slow" the film was. There was nothing "slow" about it at all. The point of the beginning was included for the audience to get to know and to care about the character. I am sure that the very same "reviewers" who complained about the "slowness" of the film would have just as well complained if the beginning scenes had not explained the character's story. Some of the reviewers are very mature (and that helps others to decide logically as to whether or not to purchase this film) and some are very childish (which really doesn't help at all in the selection process!).
If you want slasher garbage, rent slasher garbage. This film is for the "thinker" not the "loafer". It is amazing that the negative commentaries are from those who have never really become a screenplay writer or a director of any kind. Most viewers have no idea of what it takes to organize and shoot a film of quality.
Grow up America!!! Not ALL films will be to your liking and they cannot be. It's impossible to please everyone with regards to writing or filmmaking. And to the one reviewer who felt that this film was a "downer": Hello! It was meant to be! It wasn't written for the comedic driven audience. That's why it's called a "Drama". It does not suppose to make you "feel good". Rent 'Sabrina' if you want to "feel good". If you are moody and intense, then, this movie is for audience-types who truly appreciate realistic themes with drama based momentum. It's not called "Looking for Disney's Magic Kingdom" for Pete's sake!! It's not the garbage which is portrayed in the typical mainstream stupidity like "13 going on 30" or anything with J.Lo or the typical Lindsey Lohan/Jennifer Aniston variety~ or anything with those damned twins~ (whom which many of us cannot at all relate to anyway thus the reason that not all films are made for everyone~ I personally wish that there were more films directed and written with a deliberate and thought-provoking style as "Goodbar". I personally am tired of un- original, dull, and silly remakes and rip-offs of other films. It's time to bring back older quality actors and quality story telling as this film demonstrates in very fine realistic style.
What happened to the quality in filmmaking? It's time to bring this back and it's time to stop catering to the simpleton plot crowd. We need better story development writers (like 'Veronica Guerin') and talented actors who are willing to risk the criticism. Cautionary tales are great for the mind. This country needs to be challenged to learn to think more than to be cheaply entertained ALL OF THE TIME.
You will not find another Keaton or another Richard Brooks (director). The gritty reality of loneliness and bedraggled low-self-esteem of the character is part of an art form in this film and in its own way life is imitating art and even vice- versa. This movie is for grown-ups and not for grown adolescents who must have the visual action force at every single moment. The build-up from beginning to end is what brings superiority to this film. If you want a "pick me up" try "comedy"(plenty of it) and if you want an action movie try "action-adventure"(too much of it); if you want to grow up, check this film out!!
...more info - sad but good
my obsession with Diane Keaton has to pretty much come from this movie! I consider this movie a classic from the 70's period. yes, it's very dark I can't remember a film now that is this dark. thats because it's very truthful. I suppose the fact that keatons caracter picks up men from bar's does drugs is a big part of the story. but it's more to me about the paths we choose in life. all these things hit her at once. being a free woman with a career and no oblagations to anyone. when I see this film now I don't really think about some of the bad things that happen. I think more about what makes up a caracter like this and what does she not want? why does something bad have to happen to good people? this movie really speaks to me on many diffrent levels. ...more info - '70's Flashback
I am a tail-end boomer who first saw this movie in the early '90's and thought it captured a particular place and time perfectly. The dark creepy undertow of the '70's singles bar came back to me - and believe me, I was not nearly as "adventureous" as the Diane Keaton character..
Besides the terrifying ending, another scene stayed with me for days- the one in which Keaton's nice guy boyfriend pulls out the condom and she cruelly makes fun of him. Yeah, condoms really were funny in the late '70's, weren't they? As uncool and dorky in '78 as Brylcream and Rudy Valee. They sure made a big comeback through....more info - You've got to read the book or you won't get the movie
The movie leaves out a lot of explanation as far as what's going on and why the characters do the things they do. You really can't "get it" without knowing the story. She's not just an immature barfly--she's really got problems! I think the movie visually captures the mood of the book, but it leaves out way too much detail....more info - Glad I missed the 70's
I haven't read the book, although I intend to. I stayed up late the other night to watch this movie on encore. I kept watching, waiting for something to happen that would make it all make sense. Then the heroine is brutally murdered in the end--and I realized that was the point. I disagree with those who say that this is not a cautionary tale. What else could it be?...more info - looking for mr good bar
This is a riviting caultion tail for the yong club goer or bar drinker.
I hope every one has seen it....more info - An excellent, politically incorrect horror movie...
If you're looking for a serious take on the sex and drugs culture of the '70s don't get this film. However, if you want to see what scared America in the '70s, Goodbar is an eerie time capsule of conservative paranoia. In classic old testament style, things start out fine, but spiral out of control until the sinners are punished the world collapses and everything turns black. There is still danger in a world before AIDS....more info - Good Goodbar
I saw this film when it first came out in 1977 with my partner at the time who chastised me for taking him to something so shocking...or shocking at that time. I saw it twice because I thought it was a very solid story line with intriguing characters. I was actually hoping Diane Keaton win for this film rather than "Annie Hall", which I thought was just ok (although I loved the lobster scene). Yes, the ending is haunting and I still remember it after all the years. It was photographed very cleverly, with the strobe light in particular. I think many of us who were experiencing, or had the pleasure to experience, the sexual revolution at the time could relate to Theresa's antics, and most of us who have brought home a stranger share her fears. I want to be sure to comment on the wonderful soundtrack...Thelma Houston, the OJ's, Donna Summer, all the disco music lent credence to the story line and really added a nice dimension to it all. It is a movie to be seen at least once. ...more info - Very disturbing movie...
Flawed yet nonetheless powerful movie. Diane Keaton's acting is humanely touching. She portrays the characters imperfections with such vulnerability, which makes the ending all the more powerful and chilling... The last scene is cinematography at its finest (got an oscar for it) And the last image left me very disturbed........more info - Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places
I don't see why Paramount is taking so long to put this movie on DVD, since most classic movies were already released on DVD a long time ago, since most people use DVD's nowadays instead of VCR's since DVD's have been in style since at least 2003 and VCR's have been out of style for the longest time as well as practically obsolete.
Additionally, LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR is a bitter sweet touching kinda movie that launched Diane Keaton's acting career and was probably Diane Keatons sexiest movie of all time too, since LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR shows Diane Keaton like I've never seen her before along with the fact that Diane Keaton plays a lonely slutty drug addict school teacher down on her luck trying to find Mr. Right by hanging out in bars, humping around, hanging around the wrong kinds of people and sleeping around with the wrong kind of guys, which lead to nothing, but trouble, grief, anguish, and heartache, resulting in a very tragic ending that even made me cry when I saw this movie for the first time when I was little, since LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR obviously didn't have a happy ending to it at all.
On the other hand, LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR had some interesting action and dialogues in it by playing popular hit songs from the 1970's like "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston and showing us life in the 70's, which was sex, drugs, & Rock & Roll, disco, etc.
Unfortunately as this movie progressed, I noticed that things continued to go more and more downhill for the plot, climax, and conclusion to this flick since things & problems had continuosly getting worse and worse for Diane Keaton's character, which is part of what resulted in such a tragic wasteful ending of LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR, but anyone who has been lonely while trying to find Mr. or Miss Right may have had very similar experiences before finally finding the right soul mate.
This movie also had co-stars like Richard Gere and Tom Berenger, which was during their earlier days of their acting career before they were even famous. ...more info - A glimpse of what cinema can be.
This is raw, risk-taking cinema--from the no-holds-barred performance of a lifetime by Dianne Keaton to the bold and imaginative direction of Richard Brooks. Moreover, it captures the woman's point of view more convincingly than any other film that comes to mind. As spectators we remain inside Keaton's head as well as capable of judging her in her obsessive, doomed quest for personal fulfillment at all costs. The sordid climax (no wonder profit-dependent Hollywood swore off such films) is all the more remarkable because we see it through the eyes of the victim. When Dianne Keaton's desire and death wish converge and she loses the capacity to see, the movie necessarily fades to black as well.
I was so blown away by the film that I immediately read its literary source. This is one of the few times the book has proved a disappointment compared to the movie. As a prose stylist, Judy Rossner doesn't begin to match the artistry of Keaton and Brooks not to mention the psychological depth that is normally off limits to a medium as surface-bound as film....more info - Great acting - terrible story!
This is really a very sad, sad story. I remember watching it and thinking at the end, "This really sucks!" I won't give away the entire plot, but if you can think of a woman in her 20's, with a job at a school (so she should be leading a somewhat low key life) and tons of men that treated her like crap, then this is your flick! The worst part must be the ending. Some movies, you suffer through the whole thing, and then you get a really good ending .... but this one, you just get a crappy story with an even crappier ending. As much as I love Diane Keaton, and her acting is great by the way, this movie is a real downer. If you are in the mood to get depressed, watch this one!...more info - WOMEN'S MOVIES ARE BEING WITHHELD - WHY????
This is the second older movie I went to order in dvd format this afternoon. IT DOES NOT EXIST and neither does the truly significant _Love With a Proper Stranger_. The latter is the only movie made by Steve McQueen that has not been put onto dvd format. Why? It can't be because it was a dog of a movie because it wasn't: Steve McQueen received an Academy Award as Best Actor for this performance and Natalie Wood was nominated as Best Actress.
The movie's ending fits right into with today's ultra right view of the world so that can't be the problem. What I believe is holding this out of circulation is the fear by some that young people of the several post Roe v. Wade generations might see for themselves the absolute terror women of all races and clases went through when they sought out illegal abortions. The Bronx shown in the movie is where the richest to the poorest in the greater NYC area traveled.
This movie is a wonderful example of a black and white movie treasure and it would seem of critical importance to keep it alive so that people can see for themselves just what went on back in those truly horrendous days. Certainly if one's personal views are ultra conservative I imagine you don't want to know about what was reality way back then. Folks, however, who are trying to impose this on our society once again -- and for those who haven't made up their minds -- this is must seeing.
And no, I am absolutely not a left wing femi-nazi but I saw too many young friends edge very close to death because our male WASP controlled society wouldn't come to terms with abortion.
Mr. Goodbar brings women of the ensuing generation forward and it would seem vital for all young people to see today. Right now our nation is searching for a probably dead Natalee Holloway. Had she seen this and would that others now would do so, safer decisions might have and could be made.
_Looking for Mr. Goodbar_ was a huge box office hit so a lack of popularity can't explain why we can't see it in DVD format. The gist of the movie is as contemporary as hell.
And those of us who are older and who have lived through so much change ought to do what we can to ensure that the polarized views of the politically correct and the ultra right are not permitted to stifle all the inbetweens. It feels that way this afternoon and underscores how vital an outlet Amazon's review process is. ...more info - Very dark seedy film
A very dark film and shocking for the time period 1977 actually it would qualify today as well. Diane Keaton stars as a sexually adventurous teacher from a strict catholic family who escapes the normality in her life by retreating into the sordid vacuous world of New York City's singles bars. She has an affair with her older college professor but that doesn't turn out good so she spends her nights doing cocaine and picking up random guys until one night she picks up the wrong cowboy. Tom Berenger plays a bar hopping drifter and is the final man she brings home. The ending is quite shocking & disturbing, the cinematography and use of light/sound. It would hold up to todays shock value easily. Keep in mind this movie came out in 1977. A story about an insecure woman constantly rebelling, misguided search for love & acceptance who could not come to grips with her estranged relationship with father. In a sense looking for a father figure. One of my favorite dark genre films....more info - Please release on DVD or BluRay soon!!!
I have a handful of films I am still waiting to come out on digital format. This is high on the list! ...more info - Intriguing little film...
"Looking for Mr. Goodbar" could have been a better movie. It's still really good, but there are a few things that could've improved it. The three rotating elements (Teaching the deaf kids, relating with her over bearing father, and her new swinging life-style) didn't really seem to "fit" with one another. I have not read the novel, but movie adaptations usually leave out details that may not seem important but really are. Now for the praise: The cast was extremely well chosen, especially Keaton in a stand-out performance. The director also had a feel for atmosphere and emotion (especially that of the lead, seeing as it was told from her perspective) that was uncanny. The sex scenes felt right and expressed Theresa's yearning that would not be fulfilled, not just added for thrills. The final scene was simply amazing. It was just so fantastically done, I can't praise it enough. It was chilling and a morality lesson at the same time. On another note, the soundtrack was AWESOME (Diana Ross, Thelma Houston...) See this movie if you like film that makes you think twice....more info - Intelligent twist of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!
In the body, soul and mind of a woman with serious affective lacks many things will develop and occur .The sinister metaphor of nation so afected for those hard days is brutaly reflected in the picture with all the possible cruelty and merciless .
The bitter vision of the world, the hopeless, the absence of sense and savir vivre surrounds all the characters . People without no traces , homeless , alcoholic , junkies , sex for the sex itself.
The esclerosis is the dramatic device for Miss Dunn who is terrified for he idea of having children and being the main cause of his troubled life . Since she knows the heritage of esclerosis is a real fact she doesn't want to feel any trouble about the possible consequence of being guilty for transfer the terrible nightmare.
Watch for two raising and young actors ; Richard Gere and Tom Berenger .
Mrs. Diane Keaton made the best performance of her career .
...more info - Dated, heavy handed...BUT...great music & SHATTERING ENDING!
I snuck into the theater when I was a wee 10 years old to see this 70s downer since I was a big DONNA SUMMER fan and the cool disco soundtrack featured several DS cuts, along with Thelma Houston, and more - and while the movie itself is very preachy and somewhat heavy-handed, with a pat moral message and dated, almost histrionic family drama, it still has many things going for it: a brave, ground-breaking (for 1977) lead performance by Diane Keaten (a million miles from her "Annie Hall" persona), seedy sordid realistic 70s NYC atmosphere, go-for-broke debut supporting roles by Richard Gere (jockstrap alert! and Tom Berenger (hot, ripped psychopath!) in their prime, and, of course, one of the most DISTURBING, SHATTERING ENDINGS in film history! In fact, the sudden, tragic ending (just like Rossner's book) is SO effective that it risks putting the rest of the movie to shame - when it arrives out of nowhere, you will be GASPING along with Keaton herself - director Brooks' deft use of strobe lights, sound, and editing really drives the finale home, ending on a truly bleak, haunting note just before the end credits. when it's over, you are left alone, silent, wondering what just hit you?! I am surprised some young director circa 2004 hasn't ripped it off yet? Still not on DVD, and I can see why - you won't want to watch this film twice. It's a big bummer that douses the flames of the hedonistic disco daze. They sure don't make 'em like they used to....more info - "I found this DVD!! "Looking for Mr Goodbar" (Finally)!!
I found "Looking for Mr Goodbar" on DVD, on this site below!
www.Films-Classic.com
Good luck getting your copy!! This movie is worth waiting for on DVD!!...more info - Looking for Mr. Goodbar
I felt this movie was very scary. "Goodbar" recently came on cable, so I decided to watch it. The ending was so sad. I decided to buy the book because I knew that it would be more detail about Terry's life. In the process of looking for the book, I found out that this story did happen to a young lady in New York City on New Years in 1973. Her real name was Roseann Quinn.
The book is detailed more about Terry and other relations that she was involved in. The only problem I had was that the book starts off telling you what happened at the end of the movie. However, I would recommend the book and movie to anyone. Knowing that there is some truth to the story "Looking for Mr.Goodbar", it makes you think more than once about just bringing anyone home. I give "Looking for Mr.Goodar", four stars only because the beginning is a little slow, but the ending will shock the heck out of you....more info
|
