R Norman
I'm a big fan of Alan Rudolph's. There's something "real" about his movies. I haven't seen this movie in a long time (where do you find it?), but I loved it.There is one scene in which Tony Perkins and Geraldine Chaplin go into a bar. They decide to drink their way through the "menu," and hours later, they are pictured sitting at a table covered with empty glasses of all shapes and sizes, quite inebriated. For some reason, I have never forgotten that scene. (Perhaps because I thought it would be an interesting thing to try.) The movie also introduced me to the blues of Alberta Hunter, which I still love.
footsperry
This movie is about sweet revenge for a betrayal.Chaplin's character was once a trusting innocent and was used; now she gives him his fair due. Perkins and Chaplin and Gunn are all so right in their characters (though Chaplin's accent is "off," as it was again in "Nashville"), but they each gave real humanity to their characters. And the haunting music is for me the best part of the show. This film introduced me to Alberta Hunter, and in the years following this film I searched out five more albums by her. Bravo! And when shall we EVER get a DVD publication of the full film? Evidently Ms. Hunter died before signing a release for a commercial VHS (or DVD), so it's legal wrangling that prevents us from having our own copies of this powerful character study.
Marnielover
From the comments I've read here, I don't think the reviewers saw the version I did, and I can say that now since I've viewed a video of the film. The ending of the film in my version (and I suspect theirs) was nothing like what I saw on the screen and blew the entire integrity of a film that built its suspense and imagery bit by bit to lead up to a shocking conclusion. All of the things Emily asked for in her apartment are tools of her revenge on her ex-husband, but you'd never know it. It looks like she just beds him and leaves him. She does way more than that. SPOILER She chains him to the bed and abandons him. No one will know where he is or come to his rescue. He might find a way out, but it's not a sure thing. END SPOILERAnd tht git who didn't like the Alberta Hunter soundtrack--the words of the songs tell the story of the film beautifully--must be deaf. It's an amazingly beautiful soundtrack.
Moldie
Geraldine Chaplin was so believable. It made such an impact on me that I can still remember it. Especially wonderful for me was the background music and singing of Alberta Hunter. It was not a movie of violent revenge. It was sweet revenge. Sure, it would be called stalking today, but she was just checking out that ratty ex-husband.
AD
