Producer Don Boyd gathers together the talents of John Hurt, Jean-Luc Godard, Lenzi Drew, Nicolas Roeg, Theresa Russell, Robert Altman, Elizabeth Hurley, Julien Temple, Buck Henry, Beverly D’Angelo, Anita Morris, Ken Russell, Bridget Fonda and Franc Roddam to make this near- speechless anthology film set to classical music.

What a mixed bag. This is quite derided but actually only a few sequences outstay their welcome. Robert Altman’s bedlam theatre audience doesn’t have much more to say after the first shot. There were tidbits I really enjoyed. Roeg and Russell are the most formally accomplished in a gender bending period intrigue. Roddam and Fonda drive through Las Vegas in a simple but sincere rock n roll, sex and death road movie. Julien Temple’s high camp adultery farce is memorable. Ken Russell and Jean-Luc Godard compete for the most bonkers entry, our Ken pips the Nouvelle Vague disruptor to the post via sheer opulent excess but it is a close run race. And amongst loads of gleeful gratuitous nudity we get to see young Elizabeth Hurley completely starkers. 10 out of 10. The whole thing works less well as a cinematic art installation and far better as pretentious soft core erotica.

6

Perfect Double Bill: The Magic Flute (1975)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/ and my own Substack https://substack.com/@edinburghlaughterbulletin