Tuesday, March 08, 2016
Forgotten Movies: M*A*S*H
I was a bit disappointed in watching this a few weeks ago. Yes, I enjoyed seeing the familiar faces but it was almost more like a montage than a movie. I didn't really know the characters by the end. Sally Kellerman playing Hot Lips stood out for me. And Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland were fine if a bit underdeveloped.
I think Altman was so busy trying to create something new with overdubbing lines (or whatever you would call it) that we lost a bit. So all in all, I prefer the TV series. Yes, it did grow didactic over time but there are many great episodes.
My son always says look for the episodes before B.J. grows a mustache for the best scripts. I will.
What do you prefer? Movie or TV series?
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18 comments:
Oh, the original film really was great, Patti, wasn't it? So many people think of the TV series, but the film was terrific.
No question, the TV series by a wide margin, though I liked the movie when I first saw it.
I believe Gary Burghoff was the only regular to play the same character in the movie and television series.
As far as I could tell that was the case. And, of course, his role was bigger in the series.
I disagree. Movie theaters are more comfortable than ever. People need to get out of the house. Newer theaters have restaurants, bars, even bowling alleys. There has never been a film that I enjoyed half as much at home as I did in the theater. The only nail in the coffin might be that TV shows are so much better than movies. The film industry has to step up their game.
The TV series, especially the first few seasons.
On MASH – I am not a fan of either the movie or the TV show. But the book is a hoot. If you ever find a copy, grab it.
On Movie Theaters – As a child of television, I saw almost every great movie on the tube. But when I was a kid, they re-issued LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and DOCTOR ZHIVAGO and those were great on the big screen. Today’s TVs are so excellent that theaters ought to be worried. I agree with Patti, movie theaters will stick around, but the movies ought to step up their game.
Police Squad was just as funny (perhaps even funnier) than the Naked Gun movies.
Only Tarantino would have the nerve to film what is essentially 'a chamber piece' in 70mm ! ! !, admittedly its a format that does give a quite astonishing picture and sound quality but personally i think it should be reserved for science-fiction blockbusters rather than obscure semi-westerns.
I'm with Rick. The first couple seasons of M.A.S.H. were great. It tailed off at the end. They should have done what DOWNTON ABBY did: wrap things up after six years. And maybe make a movie.
Its astonishing that "My So-Called Life" (1994) only got one season, of the 19 episodes that were made i think 7 or 8 of them are literal masterpieces, it was one of those incredibly rare shows that had that indescribable magic and genius that cannot be summed up with mere words. They said that Claire Danes didn`t want to do another series but since when has the lead actress sniding off been a reason not to make great television ! ?, there should have been another 2 seasons at least (40 more episodes), but at least we`ll always have those 8 truly astounding episodes to watch over and over again (i watch them endlessly) featuring some of the most amazing scenes in the entire history of television.
"Land of the Giants" (1968-70) deserved a third season, OK it wasn`t as good as "Lost in Space" but it was still a terrific show that deserved more respect than it got.
I think of the TV MASH and the movie MASH as two separate tings, much as I do with books that are made into movies. Two different storytelling media with different ambitions. I'd be hard pressed to say which I liked more overall.
Altman's favorite trick was usually referred to as overlapping dialog. Certainly the Asperger's nature of sullen doctors is punched across in the film...I'd suggest the series never was consistently good again after losing Rogers and Stevenson, though it had some decent episodes...the self-congratulation of the later episodes, and their preciousness, was even more off-putting than the didacticism.
The first three/four seasons of the series mostly more engaging than the film. Haven't read the books.
Seen this film a good fifty times over the years. Though favorite Altman is still McCabe & Mrs. Miller.
Mine, too!
What about "Brewster McCloud" (1970) ! ! !, that is such a cult-item par-excellence.
I always liked the way that Warren Beatty snuffed it in "McCabe & Mrs. Miller", after he gets shot he falls down beside that barn and gradually gets covered by the snow, what a perfect way to snuff it!, so cosy.
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