I loved Toros & Torsos as well. And ditto for Dominguin.
jpj
On Mar 2, 2009, at 7:18 PM, Steve Novak wrote:
> Sorry to say that the Stephan Elliott (99) version of the film is
> absolutely
> abysmal and useless...it lasted no more than 1/2 hr on our DVD
> player...and
> making it an ‘intelligence’ story was totally idiotic...and the
> whole thing
> is pitiful...Ms Judd is appalling...nothing new from this pseudo
> actress who
> tends to wear white hats on racing days...
> Here’s a sample review, from Uk I think:
>
> Eye Of The Beholder
> Reviewed By: Angus Wolfe Murray
> Whether it is director Stephan (The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen
> Of The
> Desert) Elliot's fault, or Ewan McGregor's lobotomy, the character
> of The
> Eye, an intelligence agent stationed in Washington, has as much
> charisma as
> a dish of sick.
> The fact that he hasn't got a name adds to the feeling of phoniness.
> He
> works on voyeuristic assignments, using state-of-the-art surveillance
> equipment, and never goes near the office. He has a little girl with
> him,
> who calls him Daddy. This little girl doesn't exist. Either she's
> dead, or
> living in another place with mom. The Eye imagines she's there.
> If that isn't enough to send you screaming from the cinema, how
> about the
> plot? The Eye has to keep tabs on a suspect blackmailer (Ashley
> Judd), who
> becomes a serial killer. Rather than do something, like call the
> cops, he
> falls in love with her.
> Elliot's script is pretentious and preposterous. Judd changes wigs
> every
> five minutes and gives no indication that she understands what is
> going on.
> McGregor, meanwhile, has passed away.
>
> The Claude Miller film is worth it...but it is nowhere near the
> relentless
> tension of the book...and Adjani’s ham’s it up instead of coolin’
> it...and
> thus kills her character (in the film)...rent it and only watch
> Serrault...he’s the Eye of/from/near/about....the book...very much...
> I can’t tell if Miller lost Adjani, or if she was the wrong
> cast...maybe
> somebody here will say...I keep thinking she was right but something
> happened and Miller lost her....and with her it’s very easy to loose
> ‘it’ as
> we all know....sad...
> I think the perfect cast would have been Italian actress Lucia Bosé.
> Check
> Lucia Bosé for those of you who have not seen her...
>
> Montois...eating foie gras with nice Jurançon wine...
>
> PS1: Bosé was married to divine torero Luis Miguel Dominguin, that I
> saw
> many times in my youth in SW France. (sorry for the unpolitically
> correct
> mention of nasty cruelty to 450kgs animals) ....
>
> PS2: I raise my glass again to whoever mentioned Toros & Torsos on
> Rara
> (maybe Craig himself...since I now have his website too...). It is a
> magnificent book and I have bought six copies that became my main X-
> Mas
> present to friends from Michigan to NY, to Brazil, UK and SW France (
> although I suspect greatly the frogs will wait for the frogtalk
> translation
> )...
>
> On 3/2/09 6:07 PM, "Mark Sullivan" <DJ-Anonyme@webtv.net> wrote:
>
> > Montois responded to me:
> >
> > "I'm very glad you mention Arjouni, I bought two of his while in
> UK (Happy
> > Birthday Turk and More Beer) and they were excellent..."
> >
> > It was the first that I enjoyed. Just recently found the second in
> a used
> > bookstore.
> >
> > "Marc Behm’s is
> > hauting and very beautiful...unfortunately the movie (Mortelle
> Randonnée –
> > Claude Miller – 83) is not as good except for the performance of
> Michel
> > Serrault."
> >
> > I was referring to the US movie as getting such horrible reviews I
> passed on
> > it, but I haven't seen the French version, either. Guess it's not
> much
> > better.
> >
> > The book, though, is great. I keep meaning to read more of Behm's
> work.
> > Didn't Serpent's Tail publish a book of his a few years ago that
> was supposed
> > to have some connection to Eye of the Beholder?
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> Steve Novak
> Cinefrog@comcast.net
> 734 429 4997 - off
> 313 300 0770 - cell
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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