Rating: 
Summary: But how did they shoot "Horses" ?
Review:
Movie: ***** DVD Transfer: ***** DVD Extras: **
Impeccable performances distinguish this penetrating examination of Depression-era America in which a dance marathon acts as a microcosm of the world for the desperate contestants and the calculating producers of the event. Jane Fonda's breakthrough performance as the cynical and embittered Gloria is the centerpiece of the film; the actress is nothing short of brilliant as she creates a character who is completely unsentimental and largely unsympathetic, but nonetheless humanly understandable. Fonda's wrenching tour de force is ably supported by a great cast of professionals all performing at the peak of their abilities, including Susannah York as a would-be starlet desperate to be discovered (her final scene is gut-wrenching); Michael Sarrazin as the drifter who becomes Fonda's dancing partner through a twist of fate; Bonnie Bedelia and Bruce Dern as a hard-luck couple trying to beat the odds; Michael Conrad and Al ("Grandpa Munster") Lewis as employees of the marathon; and especially, Gig Young in his Oscar-winning turn as the marathon's sardonic and manipulative emcee.
Also of note are the film's remarkable achievements in makeup and editing. The majority of the action takes place in one location over a period of several weeks, with the characters slowly losing their vitality and letting their appearances go as exhaustion and numbness set in. The makeup artists and wardrobe team did a fantastic job of providing visual continuity for the stars and many extras over the film's nearly two-hour running time; no small feat there! And the razor-sharp editing contributes enormously to the film's pace, alternating lengthy stretches of dialogue and inaction with bravura, manic sequences in which rapid cuts create the impression of a society run amok.
The new MGM Home Video of this neglected gem offers clean, sharp video and crisp sound. Viewed on a 57" widescreen monitor, my copy looked and sounded perfect; especially effective were the scenes at the beginning of the film when a series of startling reports resembled the sound of a gun being fired. The extras include only the Original Theatrical Trailer - which is a treat - but leaves the curious viewer wanting more. I would have really loved an audio commentary by the surviving cast members and the director, or at least some filmed interview clips. This is a fascinating film that deserves the deluxe treatment, but until that happens, this edition is well worth adding to your collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Jane Fonda's Performance was Overlooked!
Review: Horace McCoy's depression era play, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is tragically brought to life through the performances of an ensemble cast. Jane Fonda delivers her greatest performance, as Gloria, a loner trying to cope with an everyday painful existence.
Be prepared for a shocking ending, if that's possible. There arises a glimmer of hope that life is better.
Sydney Pollack directs a masterpiece in the exploration of the human condition under the throngs of depression. The utter despair, agony, and suffering of each character is felt, heard, seen, and endured by the viewer. It becomes so intense that you want to scream, "Enough, I can't watch any more." There's no need to scream out. Horace McCoy solves the problem for the viewer, and for Gloria.
Rating:
Summary: A MASTERPIECE RESTORED
Review: I was overjoyed to receive a gift of the reissue of this video in 1995, that is until I watched it in all its "pan & scan" desecration. It is truly a joy to watch this DVD (VHS is now available in widescreen as well) in the right format with all the extras. But all that aside, this is a towering, neglected masterpiece of American cinema that virtually put director Sydney Pollack on the map and established Jane Fonda as the premier American actress of the Sixties and Seventies. Who else could have captured the tragic essence of the bitter, beaten Gloria but Fonda? Watch her especially in the final elimination round as she desperately (and literally) carries her ailing partner around the floor in a final attempt to win the big prize and (symbolically) maybe give life one more try. Fonda never sentimalizes this great character as a lesser actress would have been tempted to; no simple answers or easy forgiveness will do for Gloria--she is too important to be trivialized. Red Buttons, Susannah York, and Gig Young are also superb in supporting roles; the cinematography and music also deserve kudos. If you haven't seen it, do not miss this American classic and one of the century's greatest actresses just entering her prime. How we do miss Jane.
Rating: 
Summary: The new DVD: What's the point???
Review: I was thrilled to hear they were re-releasing this 1969 classic on DVD but so disappointed with the final result. Why no extras? THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY? is being re-released at a great time given the current intense political heat and sickening reality/survivor shows in today's culture; it was given a brief salute in A DECADE UNDER THE INFLUENCE; Paul Thomas Anderson (BOOGIE NIGHTS, MAGNOLIA, HARD EIGHT) has singled it out as being an overlooked classic; the film has even been transformed into a play, has a cult following, is consistantly being rediscovered by film buffs and critics, and has even been acknowledged as holding up far more effectively than EASY RIDER (another 1969 film celebrating its 35th anniversary in a special edition DVD). The laserdisc edition includes a full-length commentary -with director Sidney Pollack, Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Red Buttons, Bonnie Bedelia, Irwin Winkler, and Sydney Guillerhoff- that could have been easily included. (They did use the laserdisc commentary track for the DVD re-release of HALLOWEEN and CLERKS and SOPHIE'S CHOICE, I believe.) THE CHINA SYNDROME DVD is being re-released tomorrow as a special edition complete with deleted scenes and new interviews with Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas. Even BOB AND CAROL AND TED AND ALICE -another great film from the same year- has been given a special treatment and will be out in November. THEY SHOOT... cries out for a special editon treatment and it's a shame it looks as though it will be another couple of years.
Rating:
Summary: ACTING
Review: I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT FILMS FROM THE LATE 60'S - EARLY 70'S. MOVIEGOERS AT THE TIME OF THE RELEASE
SAW IT AS A METAPHOR FOR THE VIETNAM WAR BUT EVERY OTHER "SERIOUS" FILM AT THE TIME WAS SEEN IN THE SAME PERSPECTIVE.
JUST TO CORRECT ONE ITEM. THIS IS JANE FONDA'S FIRST ROLE WHERE SHE WAS SEEN AS A SERIOUS ACTRESS. SHE WON THE NY FILM CRITICS AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS.
KLUTE WAS RELEASED TWO YEARS LATER IN 1971. IT HAD NO AFFECT ON HER NOT WINNING THE OSCAR FOR THIS ROLE.
Rating:
Summary: gloom, despair, agony, bleak, depressing...I LOVE IT !
Review: Jane Fonda left her fluff pieces behind her and became a REAL actress after her Oscar-nominated performance here as Gloria, the bitter and hopeless woman who joins a grueling dance marathon (a craze of the Depression '30s) with Michael Sarrazin as her partner. She leaves nothing behind and throws herself into this bleak role taking huge risks that 'STAR' actresses don't do anymore. The film also put Sydney Pollack on the map as a director to be reckoned with. Finding an audience for this film may be tough because of its unrelenting gloom, but if you watch it and don't find yourself thinking about it for weeks after you have seen it, you don't know what movies are about. The message here is that there are no winners in life....only survivors. These are the kinds of films I favor (bleak and depressing) as that is what real life is about....it's a struggle. If you're looking for a diversion from real life, don't come here. The film also contains an Oscar-winning turn by Gig Young as the dance marathon's promoter and emcee and an Oscar-nominated performance by Susannah York as a Garboesque wannabe actress looking for a break. Horses is more a disaster film than anything else. No ship hits an iceberg and no building catches fire, but everyone involved experiences disaster. Don't pass this up.
Rating:
Summary: School of Hardest Knocks!
Review: Not for the squeamish or those looking for "a good time" in movie entertainment. Set in depression era L.A. at an endless dance marathon, Jane Fonda and Michael Sarrazin play variations on down-&-outers of the period. Jane's a would-be acrtress who's done a little extra work & now wants more; Michael is just a farmboy cajoled into the dance marathon by emcee Gig Young. Young gives a wonderful performance as the sardonic, wicked emcee -- more vocal & abrasive than any other character in the movie! Young won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his job handling the mike & the dancers. There isn't much real dancing -- the characters are endlessly exhausted and weary from staying on their feet trying to win measly prizes along the way & wishing to win the big final prize. Big climactic scenes: the heal-and-toe race to eliminate dancers & what drives Suzannah York's character over the edge! Other standout performances are by Red Buttons, as an old-time sailor who's tough as nails; Suzannah York, as a fey British high-society actress who gets taken down quite a few notches; also, look for Al Lewis, the grandfather from the ol' Munsters TV show, as assistant emcee at the dance marathon. More actor trivia: the actor who played the Sargent on the first years of Hill Street Blues is also a dance floor bouncer. Other miniscule roles with big actors: Allyn Ann McClearie as Buttons's girlfriend/partner; Bonnie Bedalia & Bruce Dern as the expectant couple struggling to stay afoot against all odds. For serious trivia nuts, anyone who knows who Paul Mantee is will recognize him as one of the other dance floor bouncers! The movie was made in 1969/70 and it's full of sixties angst and morbid ideologies about the plight of man & "man's inhumanity to man" (vis-a-vis the Vietnam War period). On its own, "Horses" has stood the test of time & looks tough & coarse today with outstanding performances all around. If you can take all the heartache, you'll find a strong metaphorical film here! I remember how controversial this movie was when it came out. It's still abrasive, but see if our society has changed at all in it's view of the subject matter. This is for people who don't mind a depressing dose of reality drama. Oh, almost forgot: there's the film's theme song "Easy Come & Easy Go" which languishes around the background and adds eerie resonance to the whole film! When will REM record this & crank up more sixties ennui! Peace, brothers & sisters!
Rating:
Summary: One of the most overlooked classics from the 60's.
Review: Sydney Pollack has given the world some of most memorable and engrossing films ever such as "The Way We Were," "Out of Africa," "Tootsie", and "The Firm." However, most seem to forget about this little masterpiece he helmed back in 1969, about a dance marathon that causes more disillusionment that being told your life is a worthless shame. Jane Fonda heads out the cast as a struggling actress who seeks out the dance marathon as a means of survival during the Great Depression. Marathons of this type were popular, luring in poor folks to see who would be willing to go so far to win a cash prize. Susannah York is another actress from Hollywood who has had her share of bad luck and it gets worse and worse as the marathon wears on. Red Buttons is a sailor who has seen his share of human loss and heartache but matters to almost nothing when he sees what this marathon will do to its contestants. Gig Young is well-cast as the scheming marathon promoter who loves to sit back and watch the people collapse and give up. He puts the show on soley for human spectacle and idiotic display. What he does to select contestants will have you loathing and seething with hatred for his character. He is so convincing in the role it won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Young, who was a major comedy star back in the 1940-50's, was sinking into deep melancholy over life and his work and the Oscar did little to nothing to help him. In 1978 he shot his wife and then himself, always convinced that he was the result of an accidental pregnancy. However, despite this pitiful knowledge, he has given the entertainment world some of the best work we've ever seen, including his own TV show in the 50's in which he went behind the scenes of movies in production. This film was shot entirely in sequence and Pollack had his cast rehearse and dance for 12 straight hours before he put them in front of the camera, so you are basically seeing it as it was filmed. The editing makes it look more frenzied and more grueling to watch, especially those derby scenes. Human cruelty never looked more artistic or more disheartening. Dance marathons were eventually banned by law and this film shows just why that happened. Nominated for nine Academy Awards---Best Director (Pollack), Actress (Fonda), Supporting Actor (Gig Young, who won the Oscar), Supporting Actress (York), Screenplay Adaptation from the novel by Horace McCoy, Art Direction, Costume Design, Music Score Adaptation, and Film Editing. It is a travesty that it was not nominated for Best Picture. This is one of those little known films from the dusk of Hollywood's Golden Age and should not be missed. It should be revived for a whole new generation to discover and be mesmerized by.
Rating:
Summary: Soul shattering
Review: The Great Depression, always written with capital letters to denote the seriousness of the event, led to great problems far beyond our borders. One of the causes of the Second World War originated in a Germany plagued by economic problems far worse than what America went through. But things were bad here, too. Although far more people kept their jobs than ones who didn't, millions of Americans queued up in soup lines, wandered the country in search of work, and couldn't pay their bills. The New Deal, despite the fawning adoration these policies receive today, did little to alleviate economic woes in the long term. Some turned to crime to make ends meet, hence the rise of Dillinger and the other famous bank robbers, but some resorted to competing in particularly grotesque public spectacles referred to as dance marathons. A grinding trial of endurance for participants, dance marathons saw couples signing up to dance for extended periods of time, sometimes up to a month or longer with only short breaks for food and sleep, in order to win a bundle of money. Audiences showed up to watch, bet on, and cheer these unfortunate wretches. Fortunately, states eventually passed laws banning these scurrilous events.
"They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" is a cinematic adaptation of a Horace McCoy novella of the same name. The star of the picture is Gloria (Jane Fonda), a world-weary young lady who signs up for the latest contest because she has nothing left to live for. Needing a partner, she spies a shy young fellow named Robert (Michael Sarrazin) watching the proceedings from a distance and convinces him to join up as her dance mate. Competition looks fierce, though. Sailor (Red Buttons) and his partner Shirl (Allyn Ann McLerie) look like they might put out some effort despite their advanced age. So do James (Bruce Dern) and his wife Ruby (Bonnie Bedelia) who, although pregnant, helped her man win a contest in another state. One individual who definitely looks like she won't make it is glamour girl Alice (Susannah York), whose interest lies in dolling herself up like a movie star in order to draw attention from any potential talent agents in the audience. Presiding over this gladiatorial madness is the cynical emcee Rocky (Gig Young). He stands at a microphone on the stage belting out hour after hour of running commentary on the contestants, inventing wild stories about their backgrounds in order to pump up the audience. His sole purpose in life is to put on a good show, and he won't allow any of the dancers to do anything that jeopardizes that goal.
Once the contest begins, what follows is an experience that leaves the viewer as emotionally and physically drained as the contestants. Hours turn into days, days into weeks as the participants grind away on the dance floor. Couples start to slip away, either quitting and walking off voluntarily or collapsing in a heap on the floor. Tensions pull the dancers apart, with new couplings made, broken, and reformed as time goes by. When attendance starts to lag, Rocky and his cohorts, including Al Lewis and Michael Conrad as Turkey and Rollo respectively, institute a fun new game, the Derby. This barbaric ritual requires the surviving contenders to trot madly around the outer edge of the dance floor, with the woman holding on to the man's belt, in a heel and toe race of exhausting dimensions. It's a nifty way to fire up the crowds as well as pare down the number of couples. It's also one of the sickest things you're likely to see in a film. No wonder that Gloria begins to lose all hope of ever emerging from the hole that constitutes her existence. Her exchanges with Rocky take on unsavory aspects as she fervently attempts to stay in the game. It's almost as though she senses what her fate must be if she fails to win the prize. When she finally learns the truth behind the dance contest, she must make a decision of life and death importance for both her and Robert.
Every performer with significant screen time turns in a stellar performance. It's Hanoi Jane and Gig Young that steal the show, though. I hate to admit it considering her unofficial status as a traitor to the country that allowed her to live in comfort her entire life, but Fonda really drives it home with her portrayal of the exhausted Gloria. The bitterness in her eyes and her icy tones convincingly convey the impression of a human being dangling at the end of her shattered life. Just as good, if not better, is Gig Young. His is a more challenging part in that he must simultaneously express the mentality of a ruthless self-promoter while occasionally showing us his concern for the contestants, and even then you're never quite sure whether he provides comfort because of a kind heart or whether it's just another ploy to keep the show going. Whatever the case his scene with a delusional Alice ranks as among the best in a movie loaded with unforgettable moments. The talent aside, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" works so well because the film uses the cruelty of the dance marathon as a metaphor for the callous disregard people show for the less fortunate.
I'm slightly disappointed with the MGM DVD version. The only extra on the disc is a trailer, surprising considering how many Academy Awards this film won the year it came out. I've heard of an earlier Anchor Bay release with better audio and better extras, so hopefully that disc or a similar version will receive a reissue at some point in the future. I find it difficult to believe Hanoi Jane wouldn't want to do a commentary for the film, unless she's one of those people who refuse to comment about her work. I recommend both the film and McCoy's searing novella.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the worst movie of all time!
Review: The only movies that may be worse would be Accidental Tourist or maybe Blair Witch Project. It's tough to pin down what exactly made this movie so bad. Thats probably because every facet of it STUNK SO BAD! All I know is that I wasted 2 hours of my life of this tripe, 2 hours that I'll never get back. Go ahead and rate my review as unhelpful if you must, but DON'T SPEND MONEY ON THIS FILM!
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