Wonderwall

Every scene could have been cut much shorter with no loss of content or story development. It seemed like they were simply trying to fill a 92 minute time slot.

I hope the Quality Control office of the Water Authority replaced the Professor with automated equipment. I would not trust his analyses.

for me, the psychedelic equivalent of Citizen Kane must either be Wonderwall or else Conrad Rooks' Chappaqua. this film must be THE psychedelic masterpiece. it comes with incredible credentials. just check the credits. i was recently watching it with james t. rao (from the band Orange Cake Mix) & he said, "wow, this must be the BEST psychedelic film!" & we've watched almost EVERY film of this genre. don't take LSD & watch the film. or DO take LSD & watch the film. you'll find very little difference. the plot is touching & sentimental but with an edge. the "message" of this wonderful art film is complex & multi-layered & manifold. watch it a few times & see new things each time. "it's the lanolin that does it." the color is gorgeous. the DVD extras are incredible & include the director's first film (a short).

-bobby cormier

Any movie that is defended with the idea that it can only be enjoyed by viewing after taking drugs... well, c'mon, you know it's got to be pretty bad. And this is bad, no mistake about it. Sure, it's very colorful, and for the drug-inclined it's an eye-popping visual "overdose" of nostalgic psychedelia...

But at the the heart of this foolish fruity farrago is an offensive story of a geeky middle-aged man obsessing pervertedly over a pretty young woman living next door -- that obsession fueled by non-stop Peeping Tom activity. This sick invasion of privacy is treated as an excitable, joyous, comical diversion. It leads the geek professor to wild flights of fancy and lunatic dreams, giving us plenty of bizarre sequences filmed in full 60's psychedelic-meets-Richard Lester glory. But, wacky comedy-wise, it's weak tea in comparison to Lester's 'The Knack' or 'Help!' And considering the obvious Lester-Beatles influence (including the actor playing Birkin's boyfriend having a distinct Liverpudlian accent) it's no surprise that George Harrison provides the score.

Too bad that the score is awful. Whole scenes go by with virtually no dialogue, thus a catchy pop score from Harrison would be welcome, and add to the nostalgic value of the film beyond the psychedelia. Unfortunately we get the Shankar-sauce sitar-period Harrison. Only those finding a nostalgic trip from Indian music that sounds like the wailing of out-of-tune violins (or worse, the sound of a cat trapped inside bagpipes) will be pleased. Otherwise, it's an ear-offending slog.

And otherwise, filmically, you get a frantic but professional performance from Jack Macgowran, a lot of eye-catching shots of pretty cult-figure Jane Birkin, and a few comic bits that work.

Wonderwall is certainly a period piece from 1968. The plot concerns a lonely old college professor,played by Jack McGowan, who periodically spies on his attractive,young fashion model,played by Jane Berkin (star of many a French film),thru a hole in the wall. The professor starts to drill more holes in his wall,so he can view her from various perspectives. The film earns it's kudos from it's production values,it's use of colour (the professor's flat is a dreary,colourless one,while the model's flat is a burst of psychedelic colours). This little seen film fared poorly in the U.K. & even worse in the U.S.,before it was promptly forgotten in the dustbin of ignored films. Pity....it would have made for a most fitting addition to the rank of midnight movies in the early to mid 1970's. One didn't have to partake of various mind expanding drugs to enjoy this odd little film, but it sure didn't hurt. The film's director was Joe Massot,who would be more recognized nearly a decade later as the co-director of 'Led Zepplin:The Song Remains The Same' (he directed the "fantasy" sequences featuring the members of Led Zepplin,as well as their then manager,Peter Grant, that for some managed to pad the film out way beyond it's two hour,plus running time). The most notable aspect of this film is the musical score,which was composed by George Harrison,who wanted it to sound as much anti Beatle as possible (and succeeded). A brand new print of this forgotten film was re-discovered a few years back,restored with a punchy sounding soundtrack & re-released. Worth seeking out. No MPAA rating here,but contains a bit of peek-a-boo nudity & adult situations which could have earned it an 'R' rating back in 1968

This "wild" 60's romp is now available on DVD from Rhino. It looks to me like they rushed it out after George Harrison's death. The extras are pretty lousy, but the disc is worth it for the movie alone. The soundtrack seems to have been remastered, but the film seems to be an old beaten up print. Still it isn't too shabby. I would recommend this film to fans of psychedelic movies and Beatles completists. Others may be bored.