Popeye (1980)

[GreenLantern9999]

as a kid this was my favorite movie we rented it from Blockbuster every other weekend and to this day I still pull it out and give it a watching. I really enjoy the heck out of it and yeah it's bad but in such a wonderful way, as far as I am concerned any how. after all I yam what I yam.

I ain't no Doctor but I knows when I'm loosin me patients! lol Love it.

[AAAAA]

you know i like it, saying that, it could been better, no singing and better fighting scenes.

[PNGwynne]

I'm so suggestible--all this has me mulling Popeye customs! lol

[PNGwynne]

I liked the simplicity of the music as well. Did you know some prints of the movie take out "I'm Mean" and just have Bluto trashing the house with the sounds of his heavy breathing?

What!? Good grief!

[Earth 2 Chris]

I will say Popeye has Shelly Duvall's best performance. I never could stand her in anything else. I was actually rooting for Jack to hack her up in The Shining.

Chris

[mego73]

Really? Never knew that was done! I can see that working, but what a shame that some people missed out on "I'm Mean"!

You know what I mean.

I know. I mention it because I live near the Eastman (founder of Kodak) House, which has a regular schedule of classic movies on the big screen (sometimes bringing out celebrities for it).

A couple years ago, they showed Popeye and my jaw dropped when that scene came and there was no "I'm Mean". It was funny because the closing credits still had some of the tune of that song, even though it was eliminated.

[Brazoo]

So funny--I was going to single out Ray Walston as well! He was great in the movie. Looked the part, acted the part, had the heart of the part.

Let's also give a shoutout to Richard Libertini (George W. Geezil), another amazing actor. He was also brilliant as General Garcia in the original "The In-Laws" (1978).

Oh wow - "The In-laws" really takes me back! Yeah, that actor is funny too - I always think of him as Fletch's boss.

[Van Hammersly]

Totally - and Wimpy is one of my favorite comic characters ever! Ray Walston was great too.

So funny--I was going to single out Ray Walston as well! He was great in the movie. Looked the part, acted the part, had the heart of the part.

Let's also give a shoutout to Richard Libertini (George W. Geezil), another amazing actor. He was also brilliant as General Garcia in the original "The In-Laws" (1978).

[Brazoo]

Anyone ever see "Punch Drunk Love"? I was so happy when "He Needs Me" was played on the soundtrack - it's just perfect (to me).

[Brazoo]

(any chance to see Paul Dooley in action is a treat)

Totally - and Wimpy is one of my favorite comic characters ever! Ray Walston was great too.

[Brazoo]

Have to admit I like it--it's not perfect, it's not Sondheim, but it has this quirky charm. The casting & some of the songs carry it through imo.

"Sweet Sweet Haven" is terrific...

Would've been neat to see Sea Hag or Alice the Goon somehow.

I read a Comic Book Journal interview with Jules Feiffer where he explained that his original script had the Jeep in it - but due to the technological constraints they just combined the characters and made Swee'pea clairvoyant.

[Van Hammersly]

I liked the simplicity of the music as well. Did you know some prints of the movie take out "I'm Mean" and just have Bluto trashing the house with the sounds of his heavy breathing?

Really? Never knew that was done! I can see that working, but what a shame that some people missed out on "I'm Mean"!

You know what I mean.

[mego73]

I liked the simplicity of the music as well. Did you know some prints of the movie take out "I'm Mean" and just have Bluto trashing the house with the sounds of his heavy breathing?

[Van Hammersly]

A great thread, and I completely see the argument for both POVs. I fall on the side of those who like the movie. I think the film is visually brilliant, the casting dead-on (any chance to see Paul Dooley in action is a treat), but for me what sells the whole shebang are...

...the songs.

I think what Robert Altman and Harry Nilsson produced is something amazingly subversive--an anti-musical. The music and lyrics seem to go against most popular musicals (granted, a genre that hadn't had a mass audience in more than a decade when the film came out in 1980), and given the talent involved, this was clearly a conscious choice. Songs like, "He's Large," "I'm Mean," "He Needs Me," "Everything is Food"...all of these have deliberately repetitive lyrics, and incredibly deliberate performances.

I do think this all comes down to a matter of taste. Some people love sauerkraut, some don't.* Both are right!


*I love sauerkraut. And POPEYE.

[PNGwynne]

Have to admit I like it--it's not perfect, it's not Sondheim, but it has this quirky charm. The casting & some of the songs carry it through imo.

"Sweet Sweet Haven" is terrific...

Would've been neat to see Sea Hag or Alice the Goon somehow.