Candy

Rating:
Summary: Not quite mindless
Review: I actually saw this movie in a theater when I was young enough to be considered fit for active duty in the U.S. Army. In fact, I was in active duty in the U.S. Army. Most of my weekends were spent at Fort Knox, Kentucky, for my first several months of basic training, but I finally had the opportunity to go into Louisville on a Saturday night. I was old enough to buy hard liquor, and I was old enough to see this movie, and I did both in the same weekend. This was before I heard the "Thinks he's Audie Murphy" joke which made my experiences in the army so enjoyable, now that I have survived. The thing about Audie Murphy that was funny was that he got to play his own part in a movie, "To Hell and Back," after World War II, an event that was considered worthy of inclusion in history books in the 20th century, when most things didn't make any more sense than the movie, "Candy." Honestly, if you tried to tell the world that the United States hardly did anything in the big one until it had secretly built a couple atom bombs, and wouldn't even declare war officially on anyone until it was sure it would have a chance to incinerate a few cities before the ceasefire would end the opportunity to blow people away, hardly anyone would know that you were leaving anything out.
Back to Audi Murphy: the stars in this movie (would you believe that one is named Ringo Starr?) were given the opportunity to play themselves as somebody else, but there is something about the roles these people play that hyperbolically exceeds what anyone else could say about them. Like, who could imagine Richard Burton as a drunk lush, acting the part of stuporous impotence in the presence of young willingness? James Coburn overstating everything with exuberant pride might be expected, but how could such a clown, Walter Matthau, be the perfect caricature of what everyone thinks in the U.S. Army? Maybe it was such a shock to me because Walter Matthau seemed to be thinking what I was thinking, back in that theater in Louisville, Kentucky, when I was really in the U.S. Army, in training for a mission to hell.
Audie Murphy is not in this movie, but that might be because everybody said that after he went to Hollywood, he was nibbled to death by a bunch of ducks. I'm glad that DVD is the technology that finally made this movie available to historically minded people like myself, who need opportunities like this to see what everybody was thinking when we should have been growing up.

Rating:
Summary: It's about time!
Review: I first saw this film about 20 years ago on some pay channel, and have been waiting to see it again ever since. Okay, so it is far from the best film ever made, but does that always matter? Not to me. This is simply a fun movie. Overloaded with an amazing 'who's who' cast, a gorgeous heroine and an outstanding soundtrack (which I searched for at record shows and finally found) this film is the 60's incarnate. A silly, sexy, swinging good time. The limited edition DVD comes in a cool tin case and has a set of cards with comments and rememberances from most of the major cast members. It's a treat!

Rating:
Summary: Rare role for Brando
Review: I give five stars to this hilarious movie because of two reasons:
the beauty of Ewa Aulin and the role of Marlon Brando as the guru, really something rare and another demonstration of the versatility of the greatest American actor.

Rating:
Summary: The Centipede Has a Thousand Legs, But Cannot Tap Dance
Review: I have never in my life been more confused by a movie. The title I selected for this review was intoned somberly by mystical guru Marlon Brando. As I couldn't sum the movie up better myself, I therefore selected the quote as representative of the quality dialogue found in 'Candy.' If you watch this movie, you will know what I mean.

I am actually quite a fan of campy and strange films, and enjoy plotlines gone wildly astray (think 'Red Zone Cuba' here, for instance), but this takes it to a whole new level, that being the level of having no identifiable plot whatsoever to begin with. I watched this movie twice, and was still trying to figure it out when it was done the second time. It is, evidently, a coming of age fable/parable about Candy, a lovely young woman played by Ewa Aulin.

The general operating concept here seems to be pitting Candy against any number of totally unsuitable middle age suitors, and hilarity (in theory) ensues. First there is the John Astin father figure with an electrical outlet in his head (into which a radio playing Steppenwolf is often plugged) who desperately needs a complex surgery performed by James Coburn, who is quite mad. Other potential trysting partners include Walter Matthau as an insane paratrooper, Ringo Starr as a Mexican Gardner, and my personal favorite, Richard Burton, as a scenery chewing poet who has lines like this: "The wind whipped strawberry passion of my fractured spleens."

Two stars for the supporting cast alone. The execution here is quite dismal courtesy of director Christian Marquand. If you want to have a rather bad headache or are possibly under the influence of hallucinogenic substances, this movie is perfect for you.

Rating:
Summary: Almost Sugar Free
Review: I have to be honest here, this movie is, well, bad. It's absurd, hammy to a fault, over-long, and I'm being nice. There really isn't a plot. If there is, it's: bunch of Hollywood heavies try to cheese their way into young unknown's, um, affections. I read about this film, but if I hadn't it would seem more like an excuse for some middle aged stars to get together and try to tassel with a hot young vixen, than a collection of good talent trying to make a comedic film. Well, I'm sure Buck Henry and Christian Marquand said they were making an art film and everybody bought it. I can't believe it got made (with this cast though, who wouldn't make it?). But hey, good for them.

Now I said I thought it was bad, but it did have some redeeming qualities. Several of these guys are pretty funny, some are not. Brando's bit was good and I laughed at Coburn too. Burton was hillarious. Starr, Matthau, and Huston don't fair as well, but their material wasn't as good. And then there is the sweetness herself, Eva Aulin. Wow, she is hot. Oh the poor girl, she looks way too innocent to blame for no script. Anyone who didn't know better would have taken the part to act next to these guys. And lets be honest, she wasn't cast for her thespian intellect.

Hey if you like these stars, Candy may be worth the rent. By the way I think this film was worth seeing just to read what some of you internet movie maniacs wrote about it, so thanks.

Rating:
Summary: Almost Sugar Free
Review: I have to be honest here, this movie is, well, bad. It's absurd, hammy to a fault, over-long, and I'm being nice. There really isn't a plot. If there is, it's: bunch of Hollywood heavies try to cheese their way into young unknown's, um, affections. I read about this film, but if I hadn't it would seem more like an excuse for some middle aged stars to get together and try to tassel with a hot young vixen, than a collection of good talent trying to make a comedic film. Well, I'm sure Buck Henry and Christian Marquand said they were making an art film and everybody bought it. I can't believe it got made (with this cast though, who wouldn't make it?). But hey, good for them.

Now I said I thought it was bad, but it did have some redeeming qualities. Several of these guys are pretty funny, some are not. Brando's bit was good and I laughed at Coburn too. Burton was hillarious. Starr, Matthau, and Huston don't fair as well, but their material wasn't as good. And then there is the sweetness herself, Eva Aulin. Wow, she is hot. Oh the poor girl, she looks way too innocent to blame for no script. Anyone who didn't know better would have taken the part to act next to these guys. And lets be honest, she wasn't cast for her thespian intellect.

Hey if you like these stars, Candy may be worth the rent. By the way I think this film was worth seeing just to read what some of you internet movie maniacs wrote about it, so thanks.

Rating:
Summary: Swingin' 60s Eye Candy
Review: I love this movie. Candy is a georgeous blonde babe who goes on a wacked-out voyage of sexual discovery. Richard Burton, Ringo Starr, James Coburn, Walter Matthau, Marlon Brando and other dirty old men try to get into Candy's pants with varying degrees of success....and hilarious results. Especially Burton and Brando as, respectively, a boozey poet and a nutzoid guru. If you're a child of the 60s (like me) or you're into movies like "Dr. Strangelove", "Head", "The Magic Christian", etc. You'll dig this flick. Great soundtrack and psychedelic FX as well. The whole thing dosen't make much sense...it dosen't really have to...but I feel that if it did, it wouldn't be this much FUN.
The swingin' 60s, as I'd like to remember 'em....

Rating:
Summary: Like opening a time capsule
Review: I saw this movie in the theater when it first came out; I remember all the hype. (If you don't trust anyone over thirty, stop reading now!) This movie is a time capsule for the late 1960's. Non baby-boomers might simply enjoy spotting all the name stars in cameo (and fuller) roles. Ewa Aulin does a great job in playing an impossibly naive teenager. Walter Matthau as the horny General with his wacky paratroopers is a hoot. Even seeing Marlon Brando in a more svelte role may surprise some.

If full nudity is what you are seeking, go elsewhere. This was made in the 1960's, for commercial release and there is more tease than explictness, which can be a refreshing relief. There is a touch of fun, rather than flaunting it all and letting it all hang out.
Yes, the movie suffers from some unevenness, but is fairly faithful to the spirit of the book. I remember reading the book, and wondered how they could ever put it on the screen. I think they did a pretty good job for the times.

The music by the Byrds and Steppenwolf certainly opens up a lot of memories, especially how good some of the music of the late 1960's is.
The movie is certainly not Oscar material, but neither is it in the trash bin. It is somewhat innocent fun and if fans like performances with lechery without vulgarity, this movie will fill the bill.

Rating:
Summary: quite a trip
Review: I was dying to see this film for years (being the cult film fan that I am), but when I did it really messed with my mind. It's a typically enoyable Terry Southern farce (although I like THE MAGICA CHRISTIAN more) with some symbolism that you may -or may not- want to read into ...
The drugged out humor is quite dated but many of the jokes work well - Brando does a fabulous job as the guru and John Austin is a panic (as he always is). However the very ending will blow your mind and you'll have to think about it for a while.
As a previous reviewer had said, "they don't make them like this anymore" is a trusim - then again I don't think they would allow them to make one like this anymore (or no one would have the guts to do so).
If you like Southern's counter culture humor and cinematography like that of MYRA BRECKENRIDGE you may want to try some CANDY.
Cheers!

Rating:
Summary: I bought the DVD for the Starr power
Review: I'm a Beatles fan, and I also like collecting their solo efforts - this means many of Ringo Starr's films (e.g. Caveman, The Magic Christian etc). This film was horrendous. The ever-virgin Ewa Aulin (only 18 at the time of filming) goes from one scence to another molested by a different man each time - all just failing to get the goodies. It's got a big name cast Charles Aznavour, Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, James Coburn, and John Hustin but that's all I can say positive about this film Also, I checked out www.imdb.com which says it's based on Voltaire's "Candide", and having read the book I saw nothing in the film that relates to it.