indrasnet

I have no doubt that Conrad Veidt would have been phenomenal in this movie...had he actually had a substantial role in it. Granted, the version I viewed had been edited down to 60 minutes from the original 72 (and some of Connie's scenes may have been edited out). But out of the 60 min. I saw, barely over 2 minutes are devoted to Conrad's character. Needless to say, fans of Conrad Veidt will find this film a bit of a disappointment.

Fans of overwrought melodrama, however, can hardly find a better example than Bruno DeCarli's chest-clutching, flopping about the room in a paranoiac spasm, back-of-the-hand-to-the-forehead seizures...a perfect example of criticisms often aimed at silent film "overacting." This is not an unentertaining film, but it has more of a novelty value than an artistic one.

Since I collect Conrad Veidt films, I can honestly say that there are many more fine examples of his acting finesse than this one, including most of his talkies. In fact, a large part of what makes his films so compelling is his rich and expressive voice. He had few equals in his ability to convey a natural elegance and maturity in his roles.

In seeking to experience the full gamut of Connie's ability,"Furcht" has little to offer. Better examples of his talent and versatility may be found in "Jew Suss", "The Passing of the Third Floor Back", "The Spy In Black", and "The Last Performance", among others.

I've just finished viewing the 1st disc in a 4-disc (26 episodes) collection created in conjunction with the UCLA Film & Television Archive (S'More Entertainment, Inc.). So far (aside from the 1st episode), the image quality is quite good. The DVD box is shown on the title page here on IMDb.

"Mr. Peepers" is just as charming as when I first saw it (5-years old at the time) and Wally Cox is truly endearing in this role. If you're in the mood for quiet comedy that sneaks up on you, as opposed to hitting you over the head, you'll treasure this chance to experience all the wonderful characters you might remember from your childhood. Although some of the gags are a bit corny, most are ingenious and well-executed...and even the corny ones are fun. This is one TV series that lives up to my early childhood memories of it.

I love Mon Oncle and Mr. Hulot's Holiday. Thus, after weeks of searching for my very own copy of Playtime, I was finally settled in front of my TV, remote in hand, ready to enjoy what seemed to be universally reviewed as Tati's great masterwork. What then transpired can only be described as excruciating disappointment. Watching this "film" was very akin to witnessing the insides of a clock running amok. It was jaw-dropping, unfunny chaos, resembling the emperor's new clothes marching all by themselves down main street.

I felt embarrassment for all those folks who feel they must agree that this movie is anything more than a pretentious train wreck or be branded forever as uneducated, undiscerning rubes.

I forced myself to continue watching until the end, just in case there might be something miraculous that might explain all the glowing reviews...but there wasn't. In fact, for the entire last 1/2 hour, I was sitting there with the remote control poised to stop the damn thing as soon as I felt I had safely given it a fair chance to live up to its reputation.

Bottom line: A pretentious mess for pretentious people who are trying to seem unpretentious and, in the process, merely seeming more pretentious than ever.

Although I greatly admire Tati and his other films are among my favorites, I regret spending my time and money on this particular disaster.