Looking For Mr. Goodbar

[nrgbeat]

I just watched this movie over the weekend. I was not impressed, but I did enjoy the disco soundtrack.

I thought Tuesday Weld gave a better performance than Diane Keaton did.

You would think that Diane's character being an educated,intelligent woman would have more sense than to pick up the trash that she did. I could understand making one mistake, but this woman continually hooked up with losers and then become a cocaine addict to boot.

and that ending.....

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nrgbeat on 2002-07-14 18:45 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nrgbeat on 2002-07-14 18:47 ]</font>

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[markydefad]

Well, Tuesday Weld (I worship HER) received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for "Goodbar" BUT Diane Keaton WON that same year for "Annie Hall". Conventional thinking at the time was the the contrast of "Goodbar" with "Annie" cinched her that Oscar.

I enjoyed this movie--it was sorta like my life at the time Respectable goody-goody by day-- wannabe Sleazeball by night. Although I NEVER had an apartment as disgustingly dreary as Diane's. :lol: I have SOME PRIDE!!!

Richard Gere was so sexy and dangerous that I certainly saw the appeal there. William Atherton was appropriately drippy and dreary, so I saw what turned her off there. (Interestingly, Atherton was living the GAY life at the time this was filmed--BUT later renounced that "lifestyle" AND MARRIED A WOMAN. I occasionally see him on TV and I spotted him once at a screening at the Academy. Don't know, or really care, if he stayed hetero. Boodi, any insight?)

BUT, back to the subject matter, I totally understood that desire to hang with the "Bad" boys--especially as you were perceived to be "clean cut" and wholesome. That was sexy as hell at the time. And remains so, today, I might add.

I haven't seen the movie in a long time--so I don't know how I'd feel today. BUT, movies like this and "Cruising" (although I knew they weren't great movies--held a special fascination for me). I watch "Cruising" to it's awful ending every time it's on cable. Nostalgia, I guess. The "way we were" or, more accurately in my case, wanted to be.

Anyone else remember their reactions to "Goodbar" or "Cruising"??????

[nrgbeat]

Marky, the more I read about you the more fascinated I become.

It's interesting to hear your take on the movie and it sheds some light on why her character behaved the way she did.

It's funny you should mention William Atherton being gay or ex-gay. I was wondering that myself while watching the movie.

Did you ever know anyone who led a gay lifestyle back in the day and later went straight, got married, became a soccer dad and drove an SUV?

[markydefad]

nrgbeat,

I'm NOT that fascinating, believe me. :lol:

AND, IF I'd really been a total sleazeball, I'd be buried right now.

I just found that lifestyle sexy and was drawn to it--
BUT, as more of an observer than a full-throttle participant. Although I DO have lotsa fun memories.

[HustleBaby]

I saw Mr.Goodbar on cable about three months ago. The soundtrack is great as far as the movie goes, I thought it was interesting. From what was told to me years ago about this movie, it was supposed to be about a sexually liberated woman living in the city during post Gloria Steinheim/disco era. It brought out the "single bars" which was also popular back then. Richard Gere was gorgeous and a JERK as you can see when Levar Burton had to beat him up in the schoolyard. Did any of you notice The Godfather novel that Diane was reading at the bar? Funny how the directors added that in considering that she was in the movie. Another up & coming actor at that time (other than Levar) was Tom Berenger (Diane's killer). I just couldn't understand all of those lowlifes that she was bringing home which led to her death! Tuesday Weld's performance was great..what ever happened to her?

*DISCO DELIGHT*

[markydefad]

Tuesday Weld still acts occasionally. She was Keanu ("whoa, dude") Reeves's mom in "Feeling Minnesota" and was recently in that movie that Ethan Hawke directed last year.

Apparently, she had a tough menopause, or so I read director Joel Schumacher state after he directed her in that Michael Douglas movie "Falling Down" (she was Robert Duvall's cranky? wife) It was a shock to see her in that film since she had gained a lot of weight (the menopause issue). Previously she had appeared soooo youthful and sexy and gorgeous (think "Once Upon a Time In America" (1984)--where she was a number of years older than DeNiro and James Woods--yet played the sexpot to the hilt. Rare in Hollywood, considering the other leading lady was Elizabeth McGovern, a few years after "Ordinary People". Tuesday starred in films released in the late 1950's!!!!!!!

_________________
Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-07-14 20:35 ]</font>

[Nano]

On 2002-07-14 19:38, nrgbeat wrote:
Did you ever know anyone who led a gay lifestyle back in the day and later went straight, got married, became a soccer dad and drove an SUV?

Lou Reed did a whole makeover at the time of his "The blue mask" (1982). The album is dedicated to his then-new wife, and she's mentioned in one of the songs. Later they divorced and Lou is now living with Laurie Anderson, who I supposed to be "one of the girls". Maybe Boodi has seen Laurie (like her face, BTW) in those nasty NYC clubs...

[markydefad]

Tony Perkins, in his early 40's and after extensive therapy, married Berry Berenson (Marisa's sister) and had two sons--BUT was still fooling around with the guys. I once mentioned my "close encounter" with him in the lobby of a theater on Hollywood Blvd. in the mid-80's.

Nothing really happened, BUT he did come on real strong. What I didn't mention was that he was at that matinee of "Vision Quest" with one of his sons!!!! I only noticed that when I got inside the nearly empty, cavernous movie theater. What was he thinking????? :roll:

[nrgbeat]

Consider yourself lucky that nothing happened with Mr. Norman Bates.

In my comment about did you ever know someone that was gay back in the day, I was wondering if you knew anyone personally (not a celebrity) who was gay but quit the lifestyle got married, had kids, the whole bit. The Tauntress perhaps??

[Nano]

On 2002-07-14 21:20, nrgbeat wrote:
Consider yourself lucky that nothing happened with Mr. Norman Bates.

Hey! Don't forget Anthony Perkins also married and had kids (yes, I know, this means nothing ). According to a posthumous Premiere story, his first time with a lady was with Victoria Principal (what a waste!) on location around 1971.

[markydefad]

The Tauntress is deceased, as are most of the other folks Keefe and I worked with at Aloha Records. I can only verify that 4 of us are still alive--NOT that I have documentation on everyone that worked there.

BUT, that's the sad truth.

I don't know anyone who went from being gay to straight--oh wait. I know a girl I lived with in SF who moved to Minneapolis and met a guy in a gay bar and they got married and had kids. Now, they are ULTRA religious and home school their children and seem to be living a lie, if ya ask me. I lost contact with her--only met HIM once and was shocked at what a lady he was.

I wish them no ill will, don't get me wrong. BUT, their life seemed to about praying the LORD wouldn't lead the husband off the hetero path. NOT that I know he hasn't strayed. BUT, SHE was NO FUN anymore. I stopped communicating.

[paul]

On 2002-07-14 18:43, nrgbeat wrote:
I just watched this movie over the weekend. I was not impressed, but I did enjoy the disco soundtrack.

I thought Tuesday Weld gave a better performance than Diane Keaton did.

You would think that Diane's character being an educated,intelligent woman would have more sense than to pick up the trash that she did. I could understand making one mistake, but this woman continually hooked up with losers and then become a cocaine addict to boot.

and that ending.....

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nrgbeat on 2002-07-14 18:45 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nrgbeat on 2002-07-14 18:47 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nrgbeat on 2002-07-14 19:29 ]</font>

Well nrgbeat, it's a matter of context. I saw it when came out. At that time it wasn't unusual for women to meet men at clubs for one night stands. I thought it was good though but not great. I didn't like what I took as the message being sent. Disco one nighters are deadly. I did like the music and the grit that a lot of movies of that period had. I always loved the line about being alone, not lonely.

[Boodikka]

Parkway Theatre, Mount Vernon, NY, November 1977: I remember seeing GOODBAR for the first time. I hadn't read the book yet, but I knew it was based on a true story. I remember waiting for the audience for the previous screening to be let out. The doors open, and NO ONE is smiling or laughing.....everyone looked sort of ashen.
I've always thought of GOODBAR as Richard Brooks' hate letter to humanity, and to Irish Catholics in particular: almost every character is seriously fucked up. It is a downer of a film, to be sure.
As for the query about anyone jumping back deep into a closet, the best example to me was always Kelly McGillis, who had herself in "deep cover" for years, then came to NY to do a play, went to Henrietta's and made out with one of the bartenders.....that closet door opened back up WIDE!
I've never seen Laurie Anderson out (and I don't go to dirty clubs, whatever that means) but I did see Lou "Frankenstein Monster" Reed several times publicly making out with his beard...ummmm...his wife in the Village when he first got married. It was SO convincing....he also tried to pick up one of my old (male)supervisors at the gym some time later.
The whole "beard and merkin" thing is so tired and silly. I hope that one day we'll get past it. The silliest new example: Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. Janet has been on-and-off with one of her female dancers for years, and Justin is a bigger girl than his "ex" Britney. Absolutely preposterous.

[nrgbeat]

Marky, mentioned the movie "Cruising" with Al Pacino.

I saw the video several years ago. I remember a line from the film that went something like "how big are you?" and the guy responded "party size"

[Jeff H]

Yeah, nrg, that IS a memorable line! Maybe because "party size" is open to all kinds of interpretations!

As for "Cruising," I recall that I waited for several weeks after it opened to see it, once the bitching about it had died down. I even rented it again once (maybe twice) since then and my attitude about hadn't changed: a competent but unremarkable murder mystery that used the gay/leather angle for added cheap thrills, since at the time the movie was released these concepts were still shocking to a lot of people in the U.S. (and maybe still are).

I can see why gay people were worrried that the sleaze and the kink in "Cruising" might make us look bad, but the people who couldn't grasp that not all gay people were like that probably already hated us anyway.

As for gays who turned "straight," there was a guy who used to live in Pittsburgh who was a major stud--a leather titleholder even--who ended up on a religious show several years ago talking about the evils and perversion of homosexuality. I don't know what happened to him, but as so many straight girls have said over the years: "What a waste!"

Oh, and for anyone who didn't previously know of her, Anthony Perkins' beard Berry Berenson was aboard one of the jets that crashed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. :sad:

[keefelc]

On 2002-07-14 21:20, nrgbeat wrote:
The Tauntress perhaps??

Now how do you know about The Tauntress (who was one of my best friends)?

[nrgbeat]

On 2002-07-15 14:51, keefelc wrote:

On 2002-07-14 21:20, nrgbeat wrote:
The Tauntress perhaps??

Now how do you know about The Tauntress (who was one of my best friends)?

He was mentioned in some previous posts.

[Nano]

On 2002-07-15 07:09, Boodikka wrote:
I've never seen Laurie Anderson out (and I don't go to dirty clubs, whatever that means)

Goddess, it means those clubs we hetero men want to go in and watch.

but I did see Lou "Frankenstein Monster" Reed several times publicly making out with his beard...ummmm...his wife in the Village when he first got married. It was SO convincing....he also tried to pick up one of my old (male)supervisors at the gym some time later.

That's my Boodi... always with some dirty (sorry, I mean "not proper") first-hand gossip! Also didn't knew about Janet, this forum is really Pandora's box!
Now that you guys mention "Cruising", I wonder if "the boys" here remember that 1982 movie "Partners" with Ryan O'Neal and John Hurt. I saw it on TV several times and always laughed my ass off. Also thought Hurt's (one of my favorite actors) portrayal was kinda realistic, but of course I'm a chauvinist pig so my opinion doesn't count...
So I ask you guys, do you think that one was "sexually" or "politically correct" or something like that?

[Boodikka]

Nano, meu bem, you might be surprised.....many of the women's clubs in NYC are pretty damn boring. We ususally have more fun at mixed clubs like SOB's (Sound Of Brasil) when they have Samba nights on the weekends.

[JussiK]

Regarding the sleaze fave CRUISING, we're still holding our breath for the director's cut DVD - could that include the mythical scene with the stomach effect? A shot was rumoured to have been edited out from the fist **** sequence after studio board's appalled reactions. The missing morsel is supposedly a close-up of the fuckee's naked belly which is seen stretching and bulging upwards. Sounds entertaining for sure but could something like this be anatomically correct to begin with?

[Jeff H]

On 2002-07-16 04:14, JussiK wrote:
Sounds entertaining for sure but could something like this be anatomically correct to begin with?

"Entertaining," Jussi?! Ick ick ick! Not my scene at all.

But, gee, I wonder if there's anyone among us who might know the answer to your question...?

[NickNack]

Let me see if I can answer a some questions.

NRGBeat: Yes, I know someone who did that. The first manager of the Anvil who auditioned me on a dare but didn't hire me permanently. At the time he gave me my audition he was "a leather stud" --- chains and all. The weekend after I was hired full time (a year later, or so), he quit, started carrying a bible and, later, married. Who knew?"

Nano: I laughed like hell at "Partners". John Hurt was convincing and I'm sure he scared the hell out of Ryan O'Neal. Now, if only the bouncer who asked Ryan to dance was working when I was hanging out...

Oh, yeah --- "Cruising": Saw it once... couldn't care less. Picture caused more aggravation in The Village than it was worth.

Jussi: Saw this once on a porn flick The Anvil was running in their, at the time, downstaris backroom. You could see the handprint on the abdomen. Disgusting. Never, ever want to see anything like that again.

[Nano]

Guys, I always wondered myself about that fist-jelling scene... Always thought it was something of an exaggeration. Phew! Never heard this one! (Yeech!)
I checked a book called "The Cutting Room Floor" about Cruising's cutouts and it does not mention this one specifically, but it says most extras were recruited on the scene and that William Friedkin took great care in making the club scenes as realistic as he could. So, there was a lot of discarded shots of people making out, someone being fucked in the background... also mentioned a panning in which there's a black column somewhere. The film's editor says that was blacked out electronically, and that in the original shot there were a row of guys seated while others on their knees were giving them blowjobs. The shot was "cleaned" at MPAA's request.
Hey, these 70's filmmakers really wanted to pull all stops, huh?