Tommy - The Movie*

It used to be my favorite movie in my teens. I remember staying in the theater to watch it twice in a row (when Brazilian theaters allowed you to do it). Even if the entire Clapton segment was censored. Now that I have an autistic son, I can't watch it anymore. The scenes of Tommy as a child are too intense for me. I still love Elton John's rendition of "Pinball Wizard", though.

 

I like it the way I like Showgirls...it's just so bad it's good. I guess Gina Gershon is also a huge plus.

Rick

 

As a vintage pinball/arcade game enthusiast, it hurts to see all of those pinball machines getting smashed and burned at the end !

 

First movie I ever walked out of (at age 16).

 

Deserved two

 

I think it boils down to the director. If you like Ken Russell's style of film making, you'll like Tommy. If you don't, you won't like it.

I like a lot of Russell's movies but I wish somebody else had directed Tommy.

 

I used to loathe the movie.

However these days I always seem to watch bits of it when I get a chance (it seems to be on VH1 classic all the time).

It's just so over the top in every conceivable way that it's almost hilarious for me to watch now. I find myself laughing at Oliver Reed in the way I would reserve for William Shatner!

Yeah the Eric Clapton scene is cool too-in the way that he looks drugged out of his mind trying to keep it together. Although it's clear from the old Cream video's that Clapton was never one to come across well with lip synching his vocal and guitar parts.

I now think this is the only way they could have made Tommy. If they had tried to use a more a "sensitive" director the somewhat clumsy story would have probably come off a lot worse.

 

I remember my mother watching it once. She loved musicals and musical theater and this was after Tommy hit Broadway. She was relived when I explained to her that the movie was horrible and that's why she couldn't get it. I gave her a copy of the Broadway Cast Recording.

 

As a Ken Russell movie, it's great. What do you expect? He inserts all of his various obsessions into the film. Some work, some don't. I personally love it.

However, I was thinking as I was watching it last night that "This could be remade and still be relevant in many ways" -- especially the last third, with the manipulation of Tommy and his commercialization. It could make all sorts of relevant comments on spirituality, organized religion, psychology, mass media, commercial co-opting of youth culture. "Tommy" is a real grab-bag that offers more and more every time I listen to it or see it. It's a very provocative work.

 

I love The Who album but I have never watched this movie. I need to watch it sometime, I usually like bad films and often liked Ken Russell's films. I have never seen Stigwood's Pepper and plan to keep that record intact.

By the way, I don't think anybody in this thread actually typed Ann-Margret correctly but there were several different incorrect spellings (Ann Margaret, Ann-Margaret, Ann Margret). Her actual birth name is Ann-Margret Olsson and stage name just Ann-Margret.

 

It's not that it's a bad film. It's just really out there and disjointed.

 

I really like this film, but I have to be in the mood. It's just so over the top!

 

What killed this film was having actors that couldn't sing, sing. Even Ann-Margret, who could sing was ill cast, as her Vegas style of singing was a terrible fit with The Who's bombastic rock style. And as mentioned before, the musical acts themselves fall short, most notably Clapton, who was in geosynchronous orbit around Planet Heroin at the time. A lot people like Tina Turner's Acid Queen, but it never did much for me. About the only one that comes off any good in this mess is Elton John. It also didn't help that the new material Pete added sucked as well.

About the only thing the film got right was in changing the time frame, as 1951 makes a heck of a whole lot more sense than 1921 ever did (especially considering that there were no pinball machines with flippers until 1947).

 

Tina Turner ruined the movie for me I just hate her performance in this. And as others have pointed there is just something off and disturbing about Clapton.

 

In 1974? I thought he was off it by then.

 

never cared for this...

 

I LOVE this movie & can't wait to see it on Bluray if the audio's good!

 

Love the movie (I'm a big Who fan). Saw it at the movies in 1975 and it was wild back then as it is now on Blu-ray (where it does look fantastic) and sounds great.



A real rock film in its audacity.

 

I've always liked it.


So when is the poll about the Greatest Ken Russell movie or the weakest link: Ken Russell going to happen?

 

No one mentioned Jack Nicholson's singing, too.

 

Such a weird movie. I need to rewatch it.

I don't love it. I don't hate it. I just... accept it.

I must admit that, when I was about 17, it helped me understand the story of the album a lot better. For a time, I absolutely loved Tommy (the album), and that came about after seeing the film.

For what it's worth, I'm now the singer for a Who tribute band... and I guess, through its assistance in my understanding of one of their most iconic albums, this film contributed to that.

 

Wow, that's my favourite song in the movie. "Acid Queen" and "I'm Free" are way more kickass than the original versions.

 

I think I was around 12 or so when I caught this on HBO, it was the early/mid 80s. I remember being especially freaked out by the "Acid Queen" and "Cousin Kevin" sequences. Of course, I knew nothing about the story before then, and the only song I knew was "Pinball Wizard".

I enjoy the movie quite a bit. It's big, ballsy, decadent, absurd, and over-the-top. Plus with some great music. What's not to love?

 

Oliver Reed's singing should be used as a torture device.