Mesmer

Starring:Donal Donnelly, David Burke (II), Peter Dvorsky, Alan Rickman, Anna Thalbach, David Hemblen, Simon McBurney, Gillian Barge, IstvÃ¡n SzilÃ¡gyi, JÃ¡nos Gosztonyi, Heinz Trixner, Petra Koberl, Peter Janisch, Caroline Holdaway, Amanda Ooms, Jan Rubes, Martin Schwab, Dorothea Parton, Bence KertÃ©sz, Herbert Prikopa
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Description

Once upon a time, when you were six years old, and your parents used to tell you "bedtime stories." Somehow those stories became twisted in your dreams, and you sometimes had the worst nightmares about haunted heroes, fire-eating witches and bloodsucking werewolves who ate children for breakfast. Remember? Well, hold on to your popcorn, because your favorite nightmares come to life in a horror/fantasy salute to the age-old bedtime story ritual. Travel on a mysterious journey to a medieval world populated by blood-crazed witches, evil experiments and captive maidens. Then from the catacombs and dark caverns of medieval Europe you plunge into modern suburbia and the frolicsome adventures of a nubile lady jogger tracked by a savage werewolf. Finally, sensuality becomes macabre black comedy on the trail of three escaped mental patients who share a country house with a daffy murderess. Pray you can sleep again!

Average customer rating:

Yes, this film may be viewed as weird, BUT the information is accurate and fascinating!!!
I'm gonna get crucified for this
Great film! Bad Sound Mix!
What was that?
Charlaton, fraud, or genius?

Mesmer
Starring: Donal Donnelly , David Burke , Peter Dvorsky , Alan Rickman , and Anna Thalbach
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305835551
Release Date: 2000-05-23

Description

Charlatan, fraud...or genius? To some he was a wizard, a miracle man; to others he was a charlatan and a fraud. His theories of hypnotism were revolutionary, but he was reviled by his contemporaries and exiled from his native Vienna. He became the toast of Paris, a visionary, a Svengali--and the disgrace of the medical profession. He was Franz Anton Mesmer and this was eighteenth century Vienna. Written by Dennis Potter (Pennies from Heaven).

Customer Reviews:

Yes, this film may be viewed as weird, BUT the information is accurate and fascinating!!!.......2007-06-16

Have you ever gone for an MRI? Have you ever felt the needles of an acupuncturist? What about seances,crystal therapy,faith healings, chiropractic and primal scream therapy? There are numerous avenues to healing out there and some, along with their adherers may be considered a little wacky by some! Well.. If you have ever wondered where the phrase "you've got animal magnetism" gets it's origin you will learn it here in this very different film MESMER starring the enigmatic and creepy Alan Rickman.

In 1774,Franz Anton Mesmer produced what he called "the artificial tide".The patient swallowed a liquid containing iron and then had magnets to their body. Mesmer believed that the "animal magnetism" that accululated in his body controlled the liquid flow in the patient thus curing all ills. Thus we get the term "mesmerized."Patients would seem in trance states for hours. Multitudes watched as these "cures" were performed.They were "high drama" and frankly curious entertainment for the wealthy of the time!

This film, though, particularly follows the scandal that resulted from Mesmer's unsuccessful attempt at curing the blindness of Maria Paradis, and teenage musician in Vienna.This debacle resulted in Mesmer's fleeing to Paris where he continued his work with one physician of high standing, Charles d'Eslon.

This film is odd to say the least, and frankly some are going to think "What was Alan Rickman (Mesmer) thinking???" Well, frankly no one could have played the bizarre Mesmer any more compellingly than Mr. Rickman. Mesmer's ideas in the studies of the body and health are not at all unlike many of the more esoteric means of curing ills that exist today! Rickman plays Mesmer with complete abandon and mysteriousness that WAS Anton Mesmer. One scene that depicts Mesmer's group cure called "the baquet" still stays in my mind to this day! Twenty people sat connected to each other and to metal rods that were attached to a large round vessel. As Mesmer would pass by each person, his animal magnetism would pass to the participants producing all kinds of fits and convulsing! FASCINATING and FASCINATINGLY FILMED!!!!Yes, his techniques were of such high drama and SO unorthodox that one might be tempted to write this film off as folly. IT IS NOT! Anyone revolutionary thinker/charlatan/crack-pot/genius has his or hers believers and detractors. This film shows what extents the wealthy of the time were willing to go in order to seek cure...and it does it well!

Great companion films that also show unorthodox methods of healers/physicians/mystics are AIMEE SEMPLE McPHERSON, THE ROAD TO WELLVILLE, BEAUTIFUL DREAMERS,THE APOSTLE,HOUDINI,THE CHANGELING and THE OTHERS.

For Alan Rickman fans, another film where he plays a "crazy" is RASPUTIN. EXCELLENT!

I'm gonna get crucified for this.......2006-06-14

I've extolled how amazing Alan Rickman is in just about everything he's ever been in. He can take a bad script and turn it into gold just with his delivery. But in this movie, he went WAY over the top, and not in a good Sheriff of Nottingham way. There were times when I felt he wasn't chewing scenery, he was swallowing it whole!

Great film! Bad Sound Mix!.......2005-08-30

While truly a great film the DVD version has little to offer beyond the VHS. Alan Rickman is, as always, at his uncomparable best and perfectly cast with Amanda Ooms. Hopefully, there will be a remastered version with an updated state of the art sound mix and more to offer as far as cast interviews(?) and/or deleted scenes. A film such as this deserves better technical updates as it is really important in the annals of film history and cast repertoire.

What was that?.......2005-08-25

Even Alan Rickman couldn't save this conglomeration of images which attempted to depict the life and times of Franz Anton Mesmer. Truly an interesting story, Mesmer's life is not well portrayed by this movie. Unless you are already well acquainted with Mesmer and his theories, watching this movie will not explain any of the man's intriguing ideas. In fact, I found myself more confused by the end of the movie than before I'd begun watching it!

The sound was not good at all for a portion of the movie and it was very hard to hear some of the dialogue adding to the overall confusion. There were some exquisite uses of light and shadow- very artistic. But alas, the movie ends very suddenly without explanation of any sort and left me sitting there with open mouth and a blank expression. Maybe I had been mesmerized. I often am mesmerized by Alan Rickman!

Charlaton, fraud, or genius?.......2005-07-27

I'd say moron, based on this movie. This character was a joke, as was the whole film. I might reccomend it as being so bad it's funny, but most of it is just boring as all get out and badly acted. Rickman makes Mesmer seem ridiculous, it's like a parody of his role as Rasputin (which is much, much better). The few scenes that are entertaining are that way because they're (unintentionally?) funny, such as the mass-hypnosis scene towards the end which is totally absurd. This is a weak, craptastic movie.

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Mesmer
Starring: Mesmer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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An Awfully Big Adventure
Dogma (Special Edition)

ASIN: B000GLL1Y2
Release Date: 2006-05-17

Average customer rating:

More than good acting... A good actor-director work
How come "no stars" isn't an option?
Surprisingly brilliant!
The Jim Kirkwood Post-Mortem Adaptation Jinx Strikes Again!
"I suddenly realized I'm probably in the wrong profession"

P.S. Your Cat Is Dead
Starring: A.J. Benza , Lombardo Boyar , Paul Dillon , Patsy Fitzgerald , and Ann Guttenberg
Manufacturer: TLA Releasing
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ASIN: B0000A2ZPZ
Release Date: 2003-08-19

Description

It's New Year's Eve and Jimmy Zoole is having a bad day. He's been robbed twice, his girlfriend is leaving, he just lost his job and the only one left to talk to is a burglar who he has tied to the kitchen counter!

Customer Reviews:

More than good acting... A good actor-director work.......2007-02-22

The movie hasw good rithym and interesting twist from what we see often.

How come "no stars" isn't an option?.......2006-03-17

As a gay friendly movie, this could be an excellent choice. If I had bought this movie for that reason, I think I might have been very happy... but I didn't.

I bought this film because I have enjoyed reading the book so many times that my old copy is completely worn out. I was hoping to have a good laugh after a bad day at work when I spied this flick at a local video store, but I wasn't prepared for this.

I expected a little modernization on the original story, which I was ready to be disapointed by, but I didn't expect the burglar's nationality to be changed. A bisexual italian burglar would have been a great character, but he has been changed to a latino in the film. The drug related scenes that always had me giggling in the book have been toned down (and changed as well) in a big way. Some of the good parts are still good, but not as many as they should have been.

To conclude this review... if the movie had been made in the 70's, it would have been great... but what the director felt that he had to do to keep up with current times was deplorable. This is a DVD that just collects dust in my collection now.

Surprisingly brilliant!.......2006-02-05

I must admit, I had low expectations of the film. After reading mixed reviews, many from purist fans having a good old lash-out, I bought the film hoping i'd find something in it to enjoy. Well, paint me green and call me Gumby - this turned out to be one of the most enjoyable films I have seen in years.

The onscreen chemistry between Steve Guttenberg and Lombardo Boyar is superb, and a vitally important element considering the homoerotic content. I do wonder why the writers chose not to place enough emphasis on their eventual relationship - they ended up in bed together in the play. Nonetheless, the film chugs on nicely without resorting to bedroom scenes...by the end of the film, the shift in their relationship is as clear as day. The foundations are there for the viewer to build on.

The script itself is well-written, punchy and poignant in just the right places. The first twenty minutes seemed a little slow, compared to the pace of everything that follows. Perhaps the introduction will seem slow only to first-time viewers, in which case I urge you to pay attention, as the information will keep popping up as the film progresses.

The supporting characters, namely Cynthia Watros as Kate and A.J. Benzo as Carmine, are smartly cast. Given their limited screen time and character development, they bring an undeniable spark to what easily could have been boring, almost loathsome roles.

I had a ball watching P.S. Your Cat Is Dead. It is definitely worth your time to find this film. Be sure to check out the commentary on the DVD, which had me in absolute stitches!

The Jim Kirkwood Post-Mortem Adaptation Jinx Strikes Again!.......2005-11-13

After having seen how three of Kirkwood's best works ("Some Kind of Hero", "A Chorus Line", and "P.S. Your Cat is Dead") have been so unkindly treated in their big screen adaptations--or perhaps I should say, their "straight to video" adaptations--I can only come to one conclusion: There must be a post-mortem cinematic adaptation jinx attached to him! I've been spared--up until now--a viewing of "There Must Be a Pony", which I can only assume is as dismal as the aforementioned three, and my hope is that another Steve Guttenburg (or Steve Guttenburg himself, for that matter) abstains from bringing the world his own particular vision of "Good Times/Bad Times". Maybe the things which we originally found so fresh and daring about Kirkwood have lost their bite; maybe filmmakers haven't had the correct sensibility when they have approached it. Whatever the reason, I've had it! The thought that his works will be most enduringly remembered by these mediocre films--because after all, who reads books anymore?--disgusts and depresses me. It's time for the Steve Guttenburgs of this planet to leave poor Jim Kirkwood rest in peace.

"I suddenly realized I'm probably in the wrong profession".......2005-08-27

Having never read James Kirkwood's 1972 novel, I've nothing to compare the film version of P.S. Your Cat Is Dead with. Most viewers and critics feel that this movie adaptation is a rather belated and stale affair, but I thought it was remarkably clever, original, and well acted. The story, about a straight man that traps a gay burglar in his house marks the competent directorial debut of Steve Guttenberg, who also co-scripted and stars as a failed actor Jimmy Zoole.

Jimmy is having a hard time of it of late. He's an attractive, talented guy, but his one-man Hamlet stage project incorporating puppetry went bust. Kate, his girlfriend (Cynthia Watros) has just walked out on him, and his cat is in hospital near death from a urinary infection. On New Year's Eve, he returns home to his loft apartment to find his place being ransacked.

His rage at boiling point, he knocks out the intruder and ties him down to the kitchen counter. Overjoyed at the prospect of tormenting someone else for a change, he toys with the thief, a hunky gay Mexican named Eddie (Lombardo Boyar), by plying him with cat food. They trade lots of insults for a while, eventually bonding through mutual confessions and tales of woe.

Although an odd assortment of characters come and go, the movie is, for the most part, just Jimmy and his captive audience - Eddie and us. But Guttenberg proves to be a deft hand at direction and he is able to move the claustrophobic proceedings along at a brisk and snappy pace. The small cast also nicely acts the film, with Guttenberg, suitably playing Jimmy as a rumpled, neurotic mess who is just hanging on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

Boyar brings a bit of verve and sophistication to the role of burglar in bondage and Shirley Knight, and Cynthia Watros make the most of their small parts; Knight is especially acerbic as Jimmy's materialistic, and self-absorbed aunt who keeps pressuring him to come away with her, while constantly handing out money to him.

There are various soliloquies of hardship and teary-eyed confessionals, but Guttenberg proves he is more than capable of freshening up the generic proceedings; his framing is crisp, his pacing brisk, and his eye alert to telling detail. But it's Boyar who's the real find here; he has a gently magnetic presence that is all the more impressive for being thoroughly riveting, despite spending most of the movie face-down on a counter. Mike Leonard August 05.

Mesmer [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]

Average customer rating:

Mesmer [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), SYNOPSIS: This historical drama is based on the true story of controversial medical pioneer Franz Anton Mesmer. In 18th century Vienna, Mesmer (Alan Rickman) believes that many of the favored medical treatments of the day -- most notoriously the inducement of bleeding to remove harmful 'humors' from the body -- are both dangerous and ineffective to the patients they are intended to treat. Mesmer believes that gentler methods could have a more positive impact on his patients. Believing in what he calls 'animal magnetism,' Mesmer uses magnetic currents and the power of suggestion to treat patients; the medical establishment of the time regards him as a lunatic, so he performs most of his treatments on the poor, who cannot afford to pay a doctor, forcing Mesmer's well-to-do wife (Gillian Barge) to support the family. Mesmer receives a great deal of publicity when well-known pianist Maria Theresa Paradies (Amanda Ooms) suffers a severe seizure during a recital; while several physicians in attendance want to submit Paradies to an immediate bleeding, Mesmer applies his magnetism techniques, which prove to be effective in calming the young woman. Paradies was tremendously grateful to Mesmer and began seeing him regularly as a patient; she soon developed an emotional attachment to the doctor that became something of a public scandal. In time, the public's anger over Mesmer's unorthodox techniques and his perceived affair with Paradies forced him to leave Vienna for Paris, where he became the toast of the city's wealthy and privileged -- until the French medical community demanded that Mesmer prove the effectiveness of his techniques. Noted playwright Dennis Potter wrote the screenplay. SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu,

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Make Games with UnrealEd 2004: Volume 1
Starring: Lane Daughtry
Manufacturer: Mesmer Press
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007KX4B0
Release Date: 2004-06-30

Average customer rating:

More than good acting... A good actor-director work
How come "no stars" isn't an option?
Surprisingly brilliant!
The Jim Kirkwood Post-Mortem Adaptation Jinx Strikes Again!
"I suddenly realized I'm probably in the wrong profession"

P.S. Your Cat Is Dead!
Starring: A.J. Benza , Lombardo Boyar , Paul Dillon , Patsy Fitzgerald , and Ann Guttenberg
Director: Steve Guttenberg
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video