Mark Reynolds
I tracked this movie down purely to watch Shel Silverstein performing. The first time I watched this movie I saw right away that it was the basis for Fight Club. Don't know why nobody else sees it... the Fight Club wiki doesn't reference this movie or the book it is based upon. I guess the first rule of Fight Club is: "Don't talk about 'Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying All Of Those Terrible Things About Me?'"! That's all. Give credit where credit is due!
JasparLamarCrabb
An existential comedy starring Dustin Hoffman as a phenomenally successful songwriter haunted by a man named Harry Kellerman, who seems bent on ruining him. Hoffman is free-falling through life despite having all the trappings of success, hallucinating scenes from his past while floating from one bad relationship to another. A great, unheralded movie from writer Herb Gardner and director Ulu Grosbard, this features one of Hoffman's best performances. It's melancholy but also very funny, surreal but also grounded very much in reality. The large supporting cast includes the excellent Barbara Harris, Jack Warden, David Burns and Dom DeLuise. Shel Silverstein, who plays Bernie, did the music. Harris earned an Oscar nomination for her stunning work, but the entire cast is first rate.
Lee Eisenberg
Georgie Soloway (Dustin Hoffman) is a Bob Dylan-esquire folk singer whose neurosis has sent him into drug addiction. He finds it hard to hold relationships for two reasons: 1) his own nature and 2) someone named Harry Kellerman keeps undermining his relationships."Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?" is one of those movies where you're never sure about what you're seeing on the screen. Is it real or is it his imagination? And what about Harry Kellerman? Either way, it's a good look at how a mixture of neurosis and drugs can drive a person over the edge. Georgie finds that out to the extreme. Not exactly a masterpiece, but worth seeing.
rwint
Potentially brilliant character study misses the mark as Hoffman plays a successful singer/songwriter who ends up badly tormented. Excessive smugness permeates a otherwise well crafted, well mounted production. Clearly the filmmakers thought they had a important "statement" picture. Unfortunately the statement becomes evasive and eventually muddled. Worth seeing just for Hoffman, who gives one of his best performances
AD
