Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-16 11:14:10

Carny

This review is from: Carny (DVD) I used to love this movie when I watched it on VHS. Now it is avaialbe on DVD and it looked good till the ending. It seems the studio decided to cut out the part about the townsfolk getting their just deserts for trying to take advantage of the Carny people. It made a much better ending. The movie is still good but it used to be great. A note to the peopel who released that, leave the original; alone that's the way it should be. Some times they add extra footage, this tiem they took footage away.

pljewkes 2013-05-16 00:57:46

Jody Foster joins the carnival...

A real unsung movie from the early 80s. Jodie Foster literally runsaway and joins the carnival where she hooks up with smooth RobbieRobertson and his crony...carny clown Gary Busey. They're bothwomanizing cads who nonetheless give Foster an education she may verywell not want. CARNY is a depressing, enthralling, and extremelywell-made film. Director Robert Kaylor infuses the film with a lot ofmelancholy touches...from the desperate fights with local politicos tothe desperate lives the carnies lead. The story is perhaps a bit toodepressing, but it is still great movie making. Meg Foster (creepy eyesand all) appears as one of the carnival barkers. The great Bert Remsenand Elisha Cook are in it too as is Craig Wasson in an early role as ajock who gets his comeuppance. Whatever happened to Robert Kaylor?

shepardjessica-1 2013-05-14 10:16:12

Torcy Love Song of The Night!

Hopefully a cult-classic by now, this '80 beautiful little gem passesmuster. Robbie Robertson (who I think produced it) gives a fathomable,realistic performance for a GREAT MUSICIAN, Jodi Foster is wonderful asusual (the main character), and Gary Busey, a couple of years after THEBUDDY HOLLY STORY wipes the floor of the sideshow. A fascinatingdelving-into slice of "somebody's life" on the road with greatsupporting characters. An 8 out of 10. Best performance = Gary Busey.Little-known then, it courses the veins without trapping you intobog-ville for a small flick. Find this one for sure and you won't bedisappointed. A jewel!

Matt James 2013-05-14 00:27:39

Thick and thin

An unusual low-budget film about the carnival circuit and the peoplewho run them.Knowing nothing about Carnies beyond them tending to be associated withhard work, light crookedness and putting local girls up the duff andthen leaving town, I can't say the film really gripped me or helped meunderstand them better. More story and character development would havebeen a big help. I wanted particularly to know more about thebackgrounds of the principle trio to understand what drove them andwhere they thought they were going, if anywhere.That said it's an entertaining film with a solid cast. If you like 70'sera films this won't disappoint. I was unsure what to make of Donna(Jodie Foster). Her character seemed to be an odd mixture of conflictsand innocence (soon lost) wrapped around an ambition that would hurtthose around her if allowed to go on. Fortunately her two mainstaysPatch (Robbie Robertson) and Frankie (Gary Busey) are fairly worldlywise, particularly Patch who oversees the midway and pays off localofficials to keep things uncomplicated.Donna tries her (very green) hand in the burlesque tent withpredictably bad results, no thanks to Patch. She finally teams up withGerta (Meg Foster), she of the startlingly pale irises, in thestring-pull booth. It could have gone interesting places from there butit ended unsatisfactorily to me and the carnies were portrayed asrogues who were a little too likable. Frankie had his demons but heseemed, at core, a decent guy and his relationship with Donna had realpromise that was overlooked.If you're a fan of the principle players or just think that an 18-yearold Jodie would be very easy on the eye (as indeed she has always been)then it is worth a look.

2013-05-11 16:20:10

Crush on Robbie

This review is from: Carny (DVD) I ordered this movie for my 45 year old daughter who only recently discoved Robbie Robertson and The Band. She has a major crush on him and even though I keep telling her that's the thirty something Robbie and he's older than me It doesn't matter Not. a bad movie though, and I must admit that's the Robbie I first crushed on..

2013-05-11 04:05:44

5 Stars

This review is from: Carny (DVD) When my dad received this movie he was over the moon. This is his favorite movie and he has been looking for it for so long. The movie played great and was in perfect condition : )

TonyJohnson 2013-05-02 07:13:14

Interesting sleeper

This is a really good entertaining movie. This is a dark comedy/drama thatlooks great on the screen. Not the average fare. Great cast with goodactingand direction. Pretty bizarre and a good role for Jodie Foster. A realsleeper worth viewing.

2013-05-01 19:24:36

Carny, a ride to remember

Carnivals are among my pleasures, and films about carnivals are all I have left in this politically correct world. The difference between a circus and and a carnival, IMHO, is that carnivals do not have clowns. If you have not read Confessions of a Sword Swallower or Step Right Up by Daniel P Mannix III, or seen Freaks, or She Freak, you might want to view this, or the cable TV show Carnival. Carny has what it takes to make the big man laugh, and cry, every time sofar. I purchased this one from Warner Brothers directly, and am entirely pleased. To play it on a DVR hit the functions button and choose Play DVD on the menu. It is a nice clean print of a dark, dark movie. I challenge anyone to name a better Jodie Foster or Gary Busey movie. Busey won my deepest respect before the credits were over. Foster is hotter than a two dollar pistol. Buy this one, you will not be seeing it on TV.

2013-04-25 13:20:04

have always loved this movie.

This review is from: Carny (DVD) I was so pleased to find it . Back when i loved Busey. Im a jody foster fan. it got it fast

2013-04-25 02:43:01

excellent classic

This review is from: Carny (DVD) this feature has alot of classic elements , a child actress turned adult jodie foster , a rocker turned actor robbie robertson and the very funny and pecular gary busey , takes you to the circus .

Jugu Abraham 2013-04-13 23:08:18

Great cast with strong isolated performances

This is not a great movie but it could have been one.The casting is top notch (I am impressed by Meg Foster with herunforgettable eyes even though her screen time in the movie wasinsignificant). Jodie Foster is young, attractive and impulsive; sodifferent from the later day mature Jodie Foster, who exudes confidenceand intelligence.Yet the film that starts off like a European film with the lead actorpainting his face to play a clown. The sequence readies you for greatmoments of clowning/tragedy. This never happens. If it does it happensin isolated moments of the film.The problem lies with the screenplay and direction. You expect cinemaof a Istvan Szabo or a Marcel Carne, instead you are dished outdisconnected sequences that appeal to you merely due to the richpotential of the performers. Gary Busey's and Robbie Richardson'scharacters strike you, not Jodie Foster's. They strike you because theyadded some depth and feeling to their roles. Jodie Foster does not doso in comparison. I liked her in the movie because she looked good, notbecause of the quality of her performance.Just imagine if this cast and story were in the hands of Robert Altmanor Marcel Carne or Istvan Szabo. We would have had a great film!

2013-04-13 15:32:28

Nearly 30 Years Later

This review is from: Carny (DVD) I remember renting this on VHS when it was first released and, at the time, it was apparently so bad I couldn't remember hardly a thing about it. What a difference a few decades make. I was glued to the screen watching this. I had totally forgotten how bizarre the ending was: the tranny/hermaphrodite scene, the trickery involved (that you probably have to see to believe) during a gruesome horror show scene.What I do remember from years back - and still find baffling today - was how fake and forced Jodie Foster's scene was during the 'pull-my-string' lesbian encounter. I got the impression she didn't feel entirely comfortable filming this scene. I give this a 3-star rating (it would be five) because there was no commentary and no extras included, especially when you factor in the high price. That was a disappointment to say the least, but the movie was actually 5-star excellent.

2013-04-08 23:59:28

Carny, a ride to remember

Gary Busey and Robbie Robertson hit the nail square on the head in their performance of Carny. Toss in Jodie Foster and you have a real tilt-a-whirl of a ride through the scenes in this movie. I now rate it 5 stars since it came out on DVD. I worked several years in a stick joint pulling in quarters with one of the smaller shows. There is a lot of facts based on the carnival life and I was glad to have played a part. You don't see much of the mobster type which was big business several years ago. What you do get is a peek into a life that everyone would like a taste of. This movie is very real for the times it was defining. I've met the real person that the Bozo who Gary played after and he was a total riot. Gary Busey plays him to perfection. You always have to have a straight man and Robbie has that nailed too. Toss in sexy Jody and heads will turn from all directions. It would be hard to not fall in love with her performance as Baby Madona. After things get rough and friendships fall to the wayside, things get " Patched " up when the mob tries to make things bad for our hero's. There are lots of Very Special People in the movie to give it a bit of reality. Me, I'm tickled that it is now availible on DVD.

karmacoupe 2013-04-08 15:02:18

The Last Waltz meets Paper Moon

I saw this in the theater in winter/spring on 1980 -- haven't seen itsince (geez, 25 years!) until these showings on the Canadian moviestation. a lot more risqué than i remembered it! it's sure captivating,engrossing, hypnotic, alluring, inviting. jodie'sin her young hottie period, and robbie's the eye candy for the girls.he's sort of playing a sequel to The Last Waltz's "it's a god-damnimpossible way of life." busey's fabulously enraged and possessed --pre-wacko period. the music and soundtrack is superb. and GREATcasting. Fred Ward's a great surprise! never seen him give a badperformance.seems like the most real circus movie i've even. i remember thesetraveling ferris-wheel freak-show ball-toss circus from my childhood,and it looks exactly as i remember it. (also, Movie Connection! thisreal traveling midwestern circus is captured briefly in FestivalExpress, a documentary about a 1970 train trip across Canada with JanisJoplin as Jodie Foster, Rick Danko as Gary Busey, and Robbie Robertsonin his other role as a band-leader! :-) i'm certainly not bothered bythe "lack of a plot" or whatever people seem to complain about -- a lotof my favorite art is not plot driven. say, Catcher in The Rye, foranother young runaway story.Pull a string! Enjoy the ride!

2013-04-01 00:40:17

Carny

This review is from: Carny (DVD) Love the movie, watched it a long time ago and could never find it. Always looking for hard to find movies.

2013-03-31 15:51:17

Carny life

This review is from: Carny (DVD) Robbie Robertson was a CARNY at one time so he had some insight to this lifestyle. Gary Busey did a good role as his sidekick in the "DUNK THE CLOWN" and partner in crime. Though it did not get a lot of hoopla at the theaters , do remember seeing it on cable a few years later. LIFE IS A CARNIVAL,, by the Band also had to be part of the inspiration for this, and with a all the deals both on and off the fairway it could as easily be viewed as a day in Washington D.C. with the Congress. This shows a view of American life that can be seen by many as a true "GYPSY" life, the prejudices and the brotherhood both walk hand in hand with the "Life of a Carny" in this film. Not sure how accurate a portrayal it is but on the surface it sure looks like it is "on the mark." The supporting cast, Elisha Cook Jr. and Kenneth McMillan give good roles as do all the others, and Jodie Foster in one of her roles on the way to be a star.

udar55 2013-03-27 23:46:08

Prime Busey

Frankie (Gary Busey) and Patch (Robbie Robertson of The Band) are twocarnival hustlers traveling from town to town in the South. In one spotFrankie picks up Donna (Jodie Foster), an 18-year old who literallyruns away with the circus. Naturally, things tense up between Frankieand Patch as Donna tries to learn the carny lifestyle. Man, back in theday one could make a movie about the life of carnival workers and itdidn't have to be profound or condescending. CARNY just tells it likeit is, showcasing the carnival folk and their life. What is sointeresting about the film (outside of Busey's maniac performance) ishow Robert Kaylor deviates from expectations. One would expect Buseyand Robertson to fight over who gets the girl but they don't. Instead,they act normal as Foster is the one who gets emotional over it. Thesupporting cast is incredible and features Tim Thomerson, KennethMcMillan, Elisha Cook, Jr., Meg Foster and Teddy Wilson.

2013-03-27 09:25:46

I was disappointed that it was a bootleg (copy)

This review is from: Carny (DVD) Quality was good though. Probably wouldnt have spent so much money if I knew it was a copy not an original.

2013-03-26 07:48:22

a delightfully quirky trip off the beaten path

This is a highly atmospheric trip through Carnival life. I wish that the relationship between Frankie and Patch had been fleshed out more to show how they entered their peculiar double-act, but a fascinating double-act it is. Robbie Robertson isn't so much an actor, more he is a tantalising presence - broodingly sexual in contrast with Busey's lecherous attitude. Jodie Foster gave a surprisingly mature performance. I've never seen Taxi Driver, so for me the effect of seeing Donna's Baptism by Fire into Carny life was chilling and powerful. This VHS is let down by the muddy audio - the DVD issue can't come soon enough! But overall, this movie is watchable. It's heartening that Robbie Robertson brought some real knowledge of Carny life from his teens. It's hard not to swoon at him though! Good film.

2013-03-25 15:51:43

I loved the movie, however the DVD was very poor quality, not re-qound and jumpy. It obv

This review is from: Carny (DVD) I loved the movie, all my favorate cast. however, the video was in bad shepe. It had not been re-wound for so long it was stuck and took some work to get it backed up. It was clear that it had not been checked out by the seller.It was jumpy through-out. Too bad as it is shuch a classic.