All That Jazz | | Cast : | Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange | | Director : | Bob Fosse | | Studio : | Twentieth Century Fox Home Video | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | December 20, 1979 | | DVD Released Date : | April 19, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 28, 2005 | | Summary | Dazzling | Content
 | Really really good. Meet Joe Gideon; choreographer, perfectionist, drug addict, sleazy, and extraordinarly talented. It really holds your attention. The music, dance, and imagery are creative and obviously inspired. The special magical sequences are incredible. A man victimized by his own narrow lust, now faceing lifes end. The weird life of a weird dude, shortened by his denial of mortality. He tries to enlist the aid of strangers to supply him with alcohol and cigarettes and drugs while in the hospital. "Bye bye life. Bye bye sweet caress. Bye bye lonliness. I think I'm gonna die. I think I'm about to die..". There is NO curtain call. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 04, 2005 | | Summary | A challenging but classic melding of two genres | Content
| Brilliant and reckless, self indulgent and obsessive, Bob Fosse's self destructive masterpiece of a semi-autobiography fuses the genres of the musical and the horror film in a flame of black magic. ALL THAT JAZZ, while far from perfect, demands viewing if for no other reason than it holds no punches while it stares its subject bluntly in the face. And the face in this case is none other than one of the maddest geniuses the American Theatre ever produced- the choreographer enfant terrible- Bob Fosse.
Webster's Dictionary presents these definitions of the word "horror:
- intense aversion or repugnance
-a state of extreme depression or apprehension
- and as an adjective- calculated to inspire feelings of dread
ALL THAT JAZZ inspires all those feelings as it intoxicates, infuriates (the steaming and sexy airline number is so overlong- but that is the point!) and wallows in the grotesque, while offering not a single apology along the way.
Fosse dares to take his audience deep into his soul and stare it down with unstinting rage against Dylan Thomas' "dying of the light". His cinematic alter-ego "Joe Gideon" (expertly played by Roy Schieder- a good actor absolutely brilliant here) is a egomaniacal pig. He uses, abuses and discards all around him- including his very soul. His devotion to "show business" and art is singular. Fosse captures the Everests and Canyons of the creative mind. But he does not romanticize or glorify the mercurial creative muse. He is too intelligent an artist for that. The creative genius can be a deal with the devil and Gideon (and Fosse?) eagerly signs his life away.
The dance numbers are magnificent- filled with Fosse's unique style of movement. The much vaunted opening "Cattle Call" sequence is a brilliant example of editing and color. The climatic "Bye-Bye Life" number in which Fosse morbidly films his own death deftly induces both euphoria and repulsion. Fosse's perfection and sense of rhythm intoxicates and seduces as we weaves beautiful bodies in and out of the frame. His choreography celebrates the venal and the holy in a marriage between the organic and the technically precise. There will never be another like him.
Yes, the film is dark. A cautionary tale to be sure. This a unique film that is not only a musical drama, but a horror film- a horror film where the monster is the creator himself.
Historically speaking, it is fascinating that ALL THAT JAZZ came out the same year as that other mad masterpiece- APOCALYPSE NOW (also a true horror film). In man ways ALL THAT JAZZ is the musical version of APOCALYPSE NOW.
Maybe not for all tastes, but a genuine work of art worthy of repeated viewings and analysis.
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| Rating | | | Date | November 23, 2004 | | Summary | A treasure of a soundtrack - A toilet flush of a recording | Content
| Finally this soundtrack is released, but the mastering of the tracks is so horrible, I had to turn it off. Between the fallen voices and overly pumped flat drum beats, the non existing bass and the muddy quality - you might as well play your old beaten VHS copy through your old mono speaker tv and be happier. Too bad. |
| Rating | | | Date | October 28, 2004 | | Summary | all that jazz | Content
| While I would recommend this item...the music was wonderful the dealer sucked big time. First they sent me the wrond CD. Then at my own cost I had to return it. In the interim I was able to purchase the same item at the same cost locally. I e-mailed the company to cancel the order but they ignored me. I would never, ever order thru this company again....they aren't worth it!!!! |
| Rating | | | Date | August 27, 2004 | | Summary | My most watched film | Content
| This is probably one of my most often watched movies. I had skipped this movie for the longest time, thinking it was all about dance. It's not. Those in Theater tell me this is a good look at what goes on behind a big Broadway production. Those who knew Bob Fosse think it's a narcissistic self-serving film. I didn't think so. In my opinion, this is a movie about life, using an unfinished Broadway musical as a metaphor for all the loose ends we leave behind us when we leave this world behind. The movie is quite a roller-coaster ride of funny, sad, dramatic, and light-hearted scenes. Such is life. |
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