I Am a Hotel

I Am a Hotel (1983)

*** (out of 4)

This twenty-five minute television special is basically a short film that was shot at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto. It features singer- songwriter Leonard Cohen doing five of his songs and while we hear them there's a story playing out for us to watch. You could argue that this here is a music video, or five of them, but it's actually a lot better made and much more entertaining than your typical video. The songs deal with love as the main focus and I found all of them to be highly entertaining in their own way. I watched this special shortly after Cohen's death and it was the first time I had heard any of the songs and I really thought they were quite good and they certainly made me interested in hearing them a second time. The video was well- produced and certainly worth watching for fans of Cohen.

We located this film in a small video store in French Canada......It seems to have been videotaped for Toronto Television.........LEONARD COHEN in this 1984 Music Film....... I'M A HOTEL English........Leonard Cohen performs 5 of his songs on this rare award winning video filmed at the legendary King Edward Hotel in Toronto in 1984..Taken together they tell a story of love lost and love regained.. Leonard haunts the halls of the hotel, monitoring the loves and lives of its patrons and keepers, while he reminisces about his own tortured past....Some wonderful dance performances.......The version we found is only 25 Minutes long but is well worth watching..........

Written by Leonard Cohen and Mark Shekter, this 25 min video is based on the reminiscences of a hotel - and filmed in some rooms of the King Edward Hotel, Toronto......This NTSC VHS video was released in 1996 in Canada and we can only find it in Montreal...... Leonard Cohen plays a (long term) resident of the hotel. Each song is depicted by a little visual story involving some of the guests. There are no words other than those in the songs. "Memories" is set to a dance (like a prom) with Cohen up on stage leading the band. The two dancers that are featured in this vignette are very good (the bellboy and a hotel maid in the film). Choreography by Ann Ditchburn. The video won the Golden Rose international television award in Montreux, Switzerland. English Language Songs include The Guests....Memories.....The Gypsy's wife.....Chelsea Hotel # 2....Suzanne...The jacket is English......We stopped buying ex-rentals of this in 2002.....most have been tampered with.....