Rating: 
Summary: Important NOW more than ever, and Funnier than ever too!
Review: Kurt V's film was a one part of a trilogy (unofficial, MY words..)one of the greatest, most subtle Anti-War 'protestations" produced in the "mainstream" of filmmaking.
Hollywood is usually more enthusiastic t promote the "glories" of war, and really IMO, I quote Erasmus in that "those who have never experienced war are the most enthusiastic for it." (these words of Erasmus, the Dutch philosopher were written in the 15th century, by the way).
(For all interested, the other two films from the same period in time, J Heller's "Catch-22" and the legendary Kubrick farce "Dr Strangelove"!)
KV's rage is well founded, he was IN Dresden when the Allied planes bombed this non -strategic city back to the Stone Age in WWII.(This , along w Hiroshima a stain on the defeat of Fascism, and "haunts" us this very day.
Aside from the VERY low key presentation of his outrage at War in general, there are TOO many side splitting moments of laughter.
My favorite especially , is the well over the top performance from Ron Leibman as the revenge-minded crazylouco "Paul Lazzaro", and the odd look and demeanor of Michael Sacks as the hero, Billy Pilgrim is one performance so well done, hard to imagine anyone else could have been so appropriate for the role.
It does not hurt to see the lovely vision of Valerie Perrine in the classic "sexy kitten" role, a pleasure for the eyes.
The artist (KV) transcends the majority "sheep-like" knee jerk approval/ambivalence to the horrors of war, hopefully the message is not lost. In both the book and the film, paradox is that the message is delivered with such grand humor!
Over the moon, a million stars, a must see film , my cliché for the day!
Rating:
Summary: FYI, The "mock-Bach music"...
Review: ...during the bombing is Glenn Gould playing one of Bach's Goldberg Variations.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Betty Boop again...
Review: ...I did enjoy it. It was a good translation from the book to screen. Very few of Vonngeut's works end up good as films. This made the cut. Any Vonnegut fan will enjoy. Peace.
Rating:
Summary: Billy Pilgrim Lives...from Time to Time
Review: A faithful adaptation of the novel by celebrated American author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE (1972) is about the life of one Billy Pilgrim, a milquetoast of a man who has somehow become "unstuck" in time and therefore randomly ping-pongs back and forth to relive various events in his life. Although the film does depict instances when Billy re-experiences a few snippets from both his childhood and the moments immediately preceding his death, most of the time he is relegated to three major periods of his life: His tour of duty in WWII, during which he is a POW in Dresden, Germany, as it is bombed by Allied forces; his mid-life era, in which he suffers from suburban ennui while he labors in an unsatisfying career and contends with his overbearing, overweight wife; and the time he spends as a captive of extraterrestrials on the distant planet Tralfamadore, where he is kept in a dome-like cage and "forced" to mate with a beautiful soft-core porn starlet.As bizarre and confusing as this summarization may sound, the unusually structured plot is not all that difficult to follow, and the film is actually quite excellent. This cinematic success can be primarily attributed to the skills of screenwriter Stephen Geller, director George Roy Hill, and film editor Dede Allen. Due to their strong understanding of the novel and a good sense of aesthetics, they are able to seamlessly shift the story from one era or event to an ostensibly disparate one by intercutting one scene with another while attention is focused on some detail common to both. This circular narrative better serves the message of the film than the more common linear (i.e., natural moment-to-moment flow of time) plotting, as it makes it possible to juxtapose events that, while separated by years or even decades chronologically, are similar in theme. And just what is the message this surreal film is trying to convey? As with the novel upon which it is based, the primary message is a nihilistic one, to wit, that life and the absurd events of which it is comprised are meaningful only because humans impute meaning to them. However, the film also has a subtle but complex existentialist and ontological subtext. Just below the nihilistic façade is the suggestion that humans should be willing to assume ultimate responsibility for the consequences of their actions. In addition, the non-linear plotting suggests that living beings are not disconnected entities WITH a history, but are, instead, comprised OF their history. In other words, a being is not an objective, corporeal identity existing in a state of temporal flux; a being is an abstract entity that is simultaneously all the different things he has done, is doing, and will do. Heady stuff, that. The acting in SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE is top-notch. As Billy Pilgrim, Michael Sacks epitomizes the naïve, baby-faced child-soldier Billy in the WWII sequences, but he also gives very believable performances when portraying the listless middle-aged Billy and the Billy living as a zoo specimen on Tralfamadore. Sexy Valerie Perrine plays soft-core porn actress Montana Wildhack, Billy's "mate" in the Tralfamadorian zoo. A one-time topless dancer herself, Perrine infuses her character with genuine emotional depth and complexity rather than playing it as the stereotypical porn bimbo. Ron Leibman chews the scenery in the supporting role of Lazzaro, Billy's comrade-in-arms-cum-assassin, and Eugene Roche gives a very affecting performance as Billy's wartime mentor, Edgar Derby. There are also cameos by very notable thespians such as Sorrell Booke, Roberts Blossom, John Dehner, Lucille Benson, and British actor John Wood. The new DVD release from MCA/Universal is a no-frills disc offering only the theatrical trailer as bonus material. However, unlike previous DVD releases of the film, the widescreen presentation is anamorphically enhanced for 16x9 televisions. The digital transfer is good, but there are noticeable filmic and digital artifacts. Nonetheless, the disc is offered at a very reasonable price, and the film itself should have a spot in the collection of any serious film lover.
Rating:
Summary: I Couldn't have expected anything more
Review: A lot of reviews may say that the movie seemed strange, and they had no idea what was going on. In my opinion you shouldn't see this movie until you've read the book by Kurt Vonnegut. It's one of the best books ever written, and it will be worth your time and money. Afterwards, I highly recommend you watch this movie and see Vonnegut's masterpiece come to life.
Rating:
Summary: A Job Well Done
Review: After seeing the mess that was "Breakfast of Champions," I was really skeptical about how the film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's masterpiece, "Slaughterhouse-Five" would turn out. It isn't the easiest book to translate into film, after all. So, I think it's fair to say that I had my doubts at first. I finally found this available on DVD, and to my surprise it was a faithful and well done adaptation. While it may not be absolutely flawless or spectacular, it does its best to stay true to the source. Billy Pilgrim is unstuck in time. This meaning that he relives certain parts of his life in random order. There is no beginning, no middle, and no ending for Pilgrim. His life plays in scrambled portions in a continuous loop. This is something that Billy has no control over and he never knows what part of his life he will revisit next. Sometimes he relives the time he was in WW2 and was a P.O.W. in Dresden. Other times it's to his life shortly after the war where he is married and has children. Then there are times when he relives the moment where he is taken to the planet Tralfamadore. Filled with humorous and heartbreaking moments, Billy is forced to live his life like a scrambled puzzle that is never-ending. Directed by George Roy Hill, this is a pretty powerful and smart adaptation of a true literary classic, which isn't the easiest task in the world. While it's not word-for-word and things are changed around, the film does a more than decent job of staying true to the book for the most part. The only thing that bugs me a little about it is that the film plays more like a drama rather than the satire that is the book. Still, I have to applaud the director for doing a very good job of bringing to life a marvelous book. Michael Sacks is great as "Billy Pilgrim" and really becomes the character. If the wrong actor was used for that part, this movie would be a complete disaster. As with any film that is based on a book, it is always sad to see things that didn't make it in the movie. There were a lot of things that happened in the book that didn't make it on screen. While I understand that this is necessary, it still makes a little sad. The stuff that does make it onto film plays out very well. People may be confused with the movie if they haven't read the book beforehand, but it is not impossible to enjoy it without reading the actual book. I think the people who have read the book will possibly enjoy this more, however. The only thing that sort of disappointed me was the ending. I know that it probably wouldn't had translated well on film had it ended the exact same way the book does, but I found the movie's ending to be a little corny. Despite that, I think this was a very valid and successful effort, even if it isn't perfect. Other than the theatrical trailer, this DVD offers no special features whatsoever. The picture is pretty good, considering how old the movie is. The newest version that has come out on DVD is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen, which really does help bring clarity to the picture. I wasn't really expecting too many features to be included on this DVD, but it would've been nice if a few were added in. I'm sure something could have been done to make this DVD release better. So, does "Slaughterhouse-Five" provide a faithful and true depiction of Vonnegut's classic novel? In my opinion, yes. It may not be flawless, but it's definitely a great achievement. Despite some of my minor--and they are minor--problems with the film, I found it to be surprisingly good. If you have read the book, then I encourage you to check it out, of course keeping in mind that it won't be a complete replica of the book. If you have seen the movie and have yet to read the book, then I encourage you to check out the book, which will definitely answer some of your questions about the film and fill in some of those blanks. It was a treat to watch a movie that did its absolute best to never tread away from the written word. -Michael Crane
Rating:
Summary: A Job Well Done
Review: After seeing the mess that was "Breakfast of Champions," I was really skeptical about how the film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's masterpiece, "Slaughterhouse-Five" would turn out. It isn't the easiest book to translate into film, after all. So, I think it's fair to say that I had my doubts at first. I finally found this available on DVD, and to my surprise it was a faithful and well done adaptation. While it may not be absolutely flawless or spectacular, it does its best to stay true to the source. Billy Pilgrim is unstuck in time. This meaning that he relives certain parts of his life in random order. There is no beginning, no middle, and no ending for Pilgrim. His life plays in scrambled portions in a continuous loop. This is something that Billy has no control over and he never knows what part of his life he will revisit next. Sometimes he relives the time he was in WW2 and was a P.O.W. in Dresden. Other times it's to his life shortly after the war where he is married and has children. Then there are times when he relives the moment where he is taken to the planet Tralfamadore. Filled with humorous and heartbreaking moments, Billy is forced to live his life like a scrambled puzzle that is never-ending. Directed by George Roy Hill, this is a pretty powerful and smart adaptation of a true literary classic, which isn't the easiest task in the world. While it's not word-for-word and things are changed around, the film does a more than decent job of staying true to the book for the most part. The only thing that bugs me a little about it is that the film plays more like a drama rather than the satire that is the book. Still, I have to applaud the director for doing a very good job of bringing to life a marvelous book. Michael Sacks is great as "Billy Pilgrim" and really becomes the character. If the wrong actor was used for that part, this movie would be a complete disaster. As with any film that is based on a book, it is always sad to see things that didn't make it in the movie. There were a lot of things that happened in the book that didn't make it on screen. While I understand that this is necessary, it still makes a little sad. The stuff that does make it onto film plays out very well. People may be confused with the movie if they haven't read the book beforehand, but it is not impossible to enjoy it without reading the actual book. I think the people who have read the book will possibly enjoy this more, however. The only thing that sort of disappointed me was the ending. I know that it probably wouldn't had translated well on film had it ended the exact same way the book does, but I found the movie's ending to be a little corny. Despite that, I think this was a very valid and successful effort, even if it isn't perfect. Other than the theatrical trailer, this DVD offers no special features whatsoever. The picture is pretty good, considering how old the movie is. The newest version that has come out on DVD is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen, which really does help bring clarity to the picture. I wasn't really expecting too many features to be included on this DVD, but it would've been nice if a few were added in. I'm sure something could have been done to make this DVD release better. So, does "Slaughterhouse-Five" provide a faithful and true depiction of Vonnegut's classic novel? In my opinion, yes. It may not be flawless, but it's definitely a great achievement. Despite some of my minor--and they are minor--problems with the film, I found it to be surprisingly good. If you have read the book, then I encourage you to check it out, of course keeping in mind that it won't be a complete replica of the book. If you have seen the movie and have yet to read the book, then I encourage you to check out the book, which will definitely answer some of your questions about the film and fill in some of those blanks. It was a treat to watch a movie that did its absolute best to never tread away from the written word. -Michael Crane
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Movie--Honestly!
Review: Contrary to popular understanding, this movie is not about a man unstuck in time. It's a movie about a man at home alone recovering from an airplane wreck in which he has suffered a head wound. A man who is trying to make sense of his life experience while convincing himself that he has become unstuck in time. Except for two short episodes where the man's daughter and son-in-law confront him, the camera is first person, his person, seeing what he sees in his now somewhat deranged mind. Everything that takes place before the confrontation with his daughter is memory; everything after is fantasy. The memories construct a miserable, depressing existence; the fantasies a comedic, hopeful counterbalance. In this film, the camera literally is the mind's eye. Have a nice dialectic!
Rating:
Summary: A real gem.
Review: George Roy Hill followed up Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with this sci-fi mind twister. It's about a man who becomes "unstuck in time." Confused? He unwittingly travels back and forth throughout his lifetime, revisiting moments in his life. The movie is always ahead of you, and maintains a sarcastic wit to it. This is one of the best Kurt Vonnegut novels made into film. Another excellent choice is Mother Night. Slaughterhouse-Five will surprise you with its intelligence and absurdity, and the ending is utterly unpredictable. Treat yourself to something special and unusual with this gem!
Rating:
Summary: A real gem.
Review: George Roy Hill followed up Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with this sci-fi mind twister. It's about a man who becomes "unstuck in time." Confused? He unwittingly travels back and forth throughout his lifetime, revisiting moments in his life. The movie is always ahead of you, and maintains a sarcastic wit to it. This is one of the best Kurt Vonnegut novels made into film. Another excellent choice is Mother Night. Slaughterhouse-Five will surprise you with its intelligence and absurdity, and the ending is utterly unpredictable. Treat yourself to something special and unusual with this gem!
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