angelsunchained
I saw the Grasshopper as an 11 year old back in 1969. All I really remembered was the skywriting scene at the end. Now, some 30 years later, I just bought the DVD. Boy, what a depressing movie. Of course the acting was impressive, and it was fun to see Vegas of the 1960s. However, seeing how a young soul is corrupted by life is not a pleasant thing to watch. Somewhat shocking for its time, the Grasshopper seems to have predicted the future for the youth of America....sex, drugs, and rock and roll. When there's no love, no dreams, or hopes, just a good time, the end results are self-destruction and depression. A bleak film with a symbolic ending, the Grasshopper is worth a look, but it leaves the viewer less then entertained.
moonspinner55
Well-scrubbed Canadian girl leaves home for Los Angeles, but gets sidetracked and ends up working as a topless dancer in Las Vegas. Both a cynical and sentimental take on the old she-went-down-the-wrong-path scenario. If it were more of a character study instead of a bad example picture it may have been more interesting and memorable. Still, there are insightful scenes and Jacqueline Bisset does a fine job in the difficult lead (she's playing a woman who is never allowed to be happy, so it's to Bisset's credit that we never tire of her). Directed by future sitcom maven Jerry Paris, who actually does wonders with the spotty screenplay (by comedy writers Jerry Belson and Garry Marshall, from the book "The Passing of Evil" by Mark McShane). Penny Marshall has a tiny role as a groupie, and Jim Brown is terrific in an unusual love-interest role. **1/2 from ****
vyto34
This badly-done movie comes across as a 1970s porn film--without porn! It has the same 1-dimensional, slimy characters that populated porn films of that era, and it is very hard to believe that this was actually a Hollywood production. The story is insulting to adults--everything is predictable and trite. Jacqueline Bisset is gorgeous, but she does not get to show the front of her body off, despite a bunch of teasing scenes that suggest she might.
NickD
This is undoubtedly the best performance of Jacqueline Bisset's career. Unfortunately, it's in an over-the-top trash-fest that is so audaciously (and probably tongue-in-cheek) cheesy that it's pretty damn good. I saw this thing about a hundred times working as a movie usher in the early 70s, and practically any other film would have become dull after that many viewings -- not "The Grasshopper"!The plot is completely implausible, but in a nutshell it has Jackie starting out as a fresh-faced farmgirl and, after being used and betrayed by gigolo boyfriends, horny old businessmen and the Mob, ending up an embittered prostitute. And all within the space of one year! The final skywriting scene would have become a classic had an audience of any size actually seen this film. Definitely worth a look!
AD
