| Author | Message | ||
     Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.5.1.44 |
I've rediscovered this after many many years, and find it still holds up nicely - wonderful and funny, a bit static (as any of these old filmed plays often are); but mostly, very peculiar. Except for it being funny, in fact, it's got all the beats of pure horror: "hilarious horror for the whole family," one could describe it. Clearly "Harvey" is at the very least, ambiguous - he's not pure evil, but nor is he purely good (and this is actually stated as such, later). He's latched on to Jimmy Stewart like a companion demon, and he is a bad influence of sorts: his and Harvey's main delight in life, is drinking, spending time in seedy bars, and hanging out with the riff-raff of life. Harvey is clearly not doing anything terribly good for Jimmy Stewart's mental state - Stewart is a permanently "mad" individual, even if he is pleasantly mad. When Harvey dogs the head psychiatrist, we indeed have lapsed into the realm of horror - but because it has been so comedic up unto this point, our only reaction is laughter, when really, it should be dread and terror. When Harvey reconnects with Stewart (the closing shot), we wonder - how exactly, where exactly, did Harvey leave the head doctor?... (The artistry by which the movie sets us up to believe Harvey is imaginary, then leads us to doubt, then to believe, and then to witness PROOF of our belief, is masterful.) In HARVEY, Stewart implies Harvey's face is so hideous, it stops clocks, and by extension, time itself. I can't remember now (or I've pushed out the memories): does DONNIE DARKO make overt references to this film? Most surprising, I found, is the final, subtle reveal (as I read it): Stewart's long-suffering Aunt has wanted Stewart out of the house because he and Harvey are creating such turmoil in her life... but she believes in Harvey, and has always believed in him - she accepts his presence, she doesn't think Stewart is mad at all - and that's why she felt so bad, because she realizes others don't see Harvey; whereas Stewart either doesn't, or pretends he doesn't (the movie is mute on this), so unlike her he doesn't know how to "play along" in this world: and so, her desire to institutionalize Stewart all along was a purely malicious act, just to get rid of him. She knows: he's not mad. Anyway, a movie that's gotta be unique: a horror template through-and-through, one that only elicits laughter. I actually hope they remake this someday... I'd love to see what a current (quality!) envisioning could produce.... | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.156.233.165 |
They are! Spielberg's doing it - it's nearly done, I think. You like Hal Ashby, Craig? | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.156.233.165 |
Oh D'oh he isn't; http://www.collider.com/2009/12/03/steven-spielbergs-harvey-remake-wont-become-a -reality/ | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.156.233.165 |
I hated the Stewart character. He sort of creeped me out. | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 109.79.195.75 |
Stewart is the one weakness in VERTIGO, isn't he? Not that he's bad at all, just miscast. Someone like Victor Mature (who currently seems to be playing Mr. Big in Sex and the City) could have better convinced us that he had darker strata beneath his exterior. | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 109.79.195.75 |
A tenuous connection to VERTIGO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKZWZeo8Id8 The woman playing the secretary is very good! | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 109.79.195.75 |
More Gelliant Gutfright. Hugh Laurie's homecoming had me crying with laughter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juFTWhyC_Lc&feature=related | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.177.181.73 |
Excellent stuff, Proto - don't recall seeing those even though I always made a point of watching Fry & Laurie. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.4.240.69 |
Those are funny. Alas, no remade HARVEY. And Spielberg was going to do it too! | ||
| Darren O. Godfrey (Darren_o_godfrey) Username: Darren_o_godfrey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 207.200.116.133 |
I thought Donnie Darko WAS a remake of Harvey. Of sorts. | ||
| Skunsworth (Skunsworth) Username: Skunsworth Registered: 05-2009 Posted From: 78.149.54.191 |
Harvey was already remade, wasn't it? As an 80s (or possibly 70s) TV movie? I haven't watched the remake, but I'm sure my dad has it in a stack of DVDs he's always trying to foist on me that I keep refusing! S | ||
| Clive (Clive) Username: Clive Registered: 10-2009 Posted From: 81.104.165.168 |
>>Harvey was already remade, wasn't it? As an 80s (or possibly 70s) TV movie? I haven't watched the remake, but I'm sure my dad has it in a stack of DVDs he's always trying to foist on me that I keep refusing! << I have a weird notion that it was remade with Bruce Willis but i'm not sure where that came from. To be honest, i think Willis broke part of my brain with his filming of Vonnegut's 'Breakfast of Champions' | ||
| Skunsworth (Skunsworth) Username: Skunsworth Registered: 05-2009 Posted From: 78.149.54.191 |
I'll check my dad's collection, but Im sure the one he has doesn't have Bruce Willis in it... S | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.177.181.73 |
From IMDB it would appear that two tv versions have been made - '72 and '98, neither with Willis... | ||
| Clive (Clive) Username: Clive Registered: 10-2009 Posted From: 81.104.165.168 |
Perhaps it was a horrible nightmare then. | ||
| Nathaniel Tapley (Natt) Username: Natt Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 78.149.238.109 |
I think you're thinking of 'North', the cover of which had Bruce Willis in a rabbit's outfit. According to IMDB, Bruce Willis plays The Easter Bunny in it... | ||
| Clive (Clive) Username: Clive Registered: 10-2009 Posted From: 81.104.165.168 |
'I think you're thinking of 'North', the cover of which had Bruce Willis in a rabbit's outfit. According to IMDB, Bruce Willis plays The Easter Bunny in it...' Ah, that must be it. I haven't seen it but there was some distant connection swimming in the back of my mind. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.4.252.180 |
I'll have to seek out both those HARVEYs now. And NORTH... my god, I totally forgot that movie even existed... supposedly utter excrement... I really must see it now, then.... | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.156.233.165 |
Craig - You seen any Hal Ashby movies? I just bought two that I've not seen in a long, long while - Harold and Maude and Being There. Apparently he was such a methodical chap he bugged himself out of the business. I've seen North! Well, half of it. Yeah, it's quite bad. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.4.252.180 |
Tony - I LOVE Hal Ashby! And you've just bought two of my faves! (And arguably his best.) HAROLD & MAUDE, wow... I've seen that many times, never gets old. Soundtrack: perfect. Open credits sequence: in the top 5 ever, surely. BEING THERE is a grand, often laugh-out-loud still - surely you must have brought up Ashby, because of BEING THERE's echoes, actually, of HARVEY, now that I think on it - in the main character, in some ways. BEING THERE is just a brilliant movie. So is BOUND FOR GLORY and COMING HOME and SHAMPOO - all giants of the 70's. THE LAST DETAIL is another excellent one, thought it left me a bit dissatisfied... I should see it again.... I've not ventured into his 80's movies... are they any good, anyone?... | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.4.252.180 |
Whoops - you have seen them, Tony, as I reread your post. Sorry. Got all leg-humpy there on you....  | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.156.233.165 |
I've only seen those two. I heard he started making a film for that jewish guy who made Biloxi Blues and stuff, but the writer hated what he was doing with it; apparently he cut the dialogue to nearly zip and just concentrated on mood and atmosphere. He got kicked off the project. I bet he would have thrived in todays business, what with all the quirky indy types. I just watched the beginning of Harold and Maude the other day; yes, absolutely beautiful. I brought him up for no reason, but now I see I probably did. You know what stupid thing made me cry at a bus stop the other day btw? Remembering the mouse at the end of Green Mile. Nothing to do with anything we've talked about. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.156.233.165 |
I've just ordered a Truffaut - Pocket Money. Sounds very good. |