RIP Milos Forman, and an appreciation of HAIR

Recently on his site HOLLYWOOD ELSEWHERE, Jeffrey Wells confessed, in tribute to the landmark filmmaker who died this past week at age 86, that his most highly treasured Milos Forman film was a frankly unconventional and bravely accurate choice. I would expect nothing less from Mr. Wells, my very favorite movie blogger out there. And so I had to leave a comment: 

"Jeff, I love that you paid your ultimate tribute to HAIR, which I always felt was critically maligned for not being made in 1968. The fact is, it's a brilliantly realized, stunningly emotional film from Mr. Forman and his massive cast and crew. From its quietly rural then urbanely explosive opening "The Age of Aquarius" (performed dynamically by Renn Woods, in a dizzying, equally showy 360-degree pan shot) to the hilariously bawdy "White Boys/Black Boys" (led by Nell Carter and Ellen Foley), John Savage's moving "Where Do I Go" set against a miraculously deserted then instantly bustling Wall Street, Treat Williams' many exuberant numbers like "I Got Life," and most especially, Cheryl Barnes' stunning rendition of "Easy to Be Hard" after she's bawled out by her wandering husband (Dorsey Wright) who's abandoned her and their young son. In the long history of my movie watching career / avocation--upwards of 25,000 titles (more if we're including shorts and TV films)--there are only a few scenes that get me in my copious gut EVERY TIME: for instance, the endings of E.T., A LITTLE ROMANCE and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and the entirety of PONETTE always do the trick. But this scene gets me weeping for a full five minutes, because the song is so intrinsically moving, because Barnes is absolute perfection in her short, closely-watched performance, and because Forman's intense visual orchestration of the sequence, which is so simultaneously alienated and intensely intimate. 

"I saw HAIR on the big screen only once in Brooklyn at a park showing--huge screen and massively well attended. While weeping during "Easy to Be Hard," I could hear a little child close to me saying "Mommy, that man is crying!" Well, I WAS a mess...a joyous mess. I could not hide it. Never could, never will. The only scenes in HAIR that cause me to bristle are the LSD-tinged wedding fantasy sequence (which I find embarrassingly hokey and clearly filmed by someone who has never taken the substance) and the joyous "Good Morning Starshine," set in a rushing convertible full of hippies (I wince at the brash, Vegas-y arrangement overtaking Beverly D'Angelo's sweet vocals; I much prefer the Broadway version or even the top 40 hit by Oliver). But, as with many scenes in HAIR, most of Forman's other movies reduce me to overwhelmed tears: his top masterwork ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, of course, and the also unfairly treated RAGTIME (which I guess won't get the director's cut it screams out for), and also AMADEUS (which I love but feel a little worn out by), the satirical TAKING OFF, the Czech films LOVES OF A BLONDE and THE FIREMAN'S BALL, and his last truly remarkable film THE PEOPLE VS LARRY FLYNT. As fantastic as all of these titles are, though, HAIR will always be closest to my heart. It just is simply magnificent. RIP, Mr. Forman, and thank you for your overwhelming vision." 

Side Orders #1

Side Orders is going to be a regular column devoted to three or four little scenes from various movies, with the occasional video, short, commercial, and trailer popping up. Unlike my reviews, which can be long, I will brief in these pieces. They're designed for me to write quickly so you can read 'em quickly. Anyway, here we go:

I first wanted to feature a series of trailers that I liked, but I couldn't think of one, really, that ever made want to see a movie more than than the preview for Francis Coppola's 1983 film of S.E. Hinton's Rumblefish. I was convinced that this was going to be one of the greatest things to hit the screen in a long time--and it so was not. This piece is a perfect example of trailer alchemy--when a trailer producer gets a so-so movie to promote and makes it look like a masterpiece. This one is exceedingly well-edited and benefits greatly from the movie's clattering Stewart Copeland score. Truth is, since it's completely reliant on sound and imagery alone (and is, of course, much shorter), the preview's quite a bit snappier than the often overbaked film.



This next item is instantly famous to anyone who grew up during the 1970s. In fact, I'd say that this is in the competition for most well-known TV commercial of all time, and certainly one of the most economically powerful. Its lead is Iron Eyes Cody, the Native American film and TV performer who was, in reality, of Italian decent. Cody adapted two Indian children with his wife and worked tirelessly for the rights of Native Americans before his 1999 death. The asshole in me sort of thinks it's funny that he's in this famous bit of "Indy" pop culture...


Ken Shapiro was the co-writer, director and star of 1974's pioneering skit film The Groove Tube. Without this spoof of television, complete with fake commericals and new shows, would there have been an SCTV or even a Saturday Night Live? Probably not for a while longer, at least. Anyway, this is the picture's final segment, and I just think Shapiro's impassioned and seemingly off-the-cuff performance makes it a guaranteed smile (especially that bit with the surprised cop).


And, finally, I was going to write about the movie Hair, but I think I just wanna put up, for right now, my most treasured moment from the movie. You don't need to know anything about the plot to enjoy this stand-alone scene commandeered by decisive performances from Dorsey Wright (as hippie "Lafeyette") and Cheryl Barnes as his abandoned wife who confronts him in Washington Square Park with their young son in tow. I saw this 1978 movie first on cable in 1979/80, and I remember even then breaking down crying at this part of the film. Barne's performance of the song, and her compelling acting, coupled with the extremely smart, restrained direction by Milos Forman, and the clean backing track production all still really get to me. I recently saw Hair play again under the Brooklyn Bridge here in NYC, and when "Easy to Be Hard" washed acoss the screen, I was again reduced to tears (so much so that a nearby kid voiced concern about me). It rightfully recieved a long ovation from the crowd, because it is subliminty in four minutes flat.