Some Call It Loving

source: Sleeping Beauty

It happened that i have seen this film just tonight at the "Etrange Festival" in Paris, an annual festival of strange, odd and weird films. It is its thirteen edition and Some call it Loving (or Sleeping Beauty as it is called in France) fits perfectly in the usual tone of the festival. Its weirdness stems from its incoherent and incomprehensible plot, fantastic tone and incredible casting: Zalman King as the lover, acting worse than even the producer Robert Evans when actor, Richard Pryor an alcoholic/drug addict/mad man, the sister of Mia Farrow (Tisa Farrow). The film is supposed to be a distorted story of sleeping beauty. And it is true: it is not a good film but its quality resides in its ability to dare nearly every thing with absolute seriousness: A pair of (tap) dancing nuns for example, and also a nearly gratuitous strip tease scene The film is filled with wooden dialog which resonates strangely in the often rich in-house set with a mawkish romantic music in the background. A film to be seen and appreciated with a second degree state of mind .

It has been more than a quarter century since I saw this movie. it is not a good movie. It is, however, one of the more bizarre films you will ever see. It has stayed in my memory all these years while other clunkers are gone. Richard Pryor's turn as a wino-philosopher and Zalman King as a jazz musician-prince defy description. And its has a nuns dancing scene with Carol White. Because of the cast and treatment, this truly may be a one of a kind experience.

SOME CALL IT LOVING is a weirdly arty, '70s-set updating of the Sleeping Beauty storyline, featuring 'erotic romance' proponent Zalman King in the main role. He plays a mildly creepy guy who gets hold of an ever-slumbering woman from a fairground (she's played by Tisa Farrow, of ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS fame) and engages in a kind of slow-burning romance with her. This is a stately and dialogue-focused film which, truth be told, simply isn't very interesting despite some thematic depth. Farrow sleepwalks through her role - apologies for the pun - and King creeped me out. Richard Pryor and Carol White also appear in support.

Wealthy, but jaded and disillusioned jazz musician Robert Troy (a solid and subdued performance by Zalman King) purchases pure and guileless sleeping beauty Jennifer (sweetly played with charming wide-eyed naiveté by Tisa Farrow) from a carnival sideshow. However, Robert's attempts to shape Jennifer into the ideal girl of his dreams don't work out quite as planned. Writer/director James B. Harris relates the unusual and absorbing story at a deliberate pace, offers a compelling and provocative cinematic meditation on the fine line between fantasy and reality as well as the impossibility of preserving innocence for perpetuity, comes up with several inspired moments of beguiling whimsy (for example, a dance set piece involving two women dressed up in nun's habits), and does an expert job of crafting a strangely haunting dreamlike atmosphere. The fine acting from the able cast keeps this picture on track: Carol White excels as Troy's sly and scheming distaff companion Scarlett, Richard Pryor contributes a touching turn as Troy's drug-addled struggling artist best friend Jeff, Logan Ramsey has a colorful bit as a seedy carnival doctor, and Brandy Herrod burns up the screen as a foxy * cheerleader. Mario Tosi's sumptuous cinematography and Richard Hazard's gracefully elegiac score further enhance this movie's singular melancholy mood. Recommended viewing for aficionados of original and esoteric way out of the mainstream fare.

Much maligned in the US, "Some Call It Loving"is a film that's not going to be for everyone...or suite everyone's tastes. But that doesn't mean it should be ignored, because at its core lies a well- made, deliberately told film about loneliness, love and dark desire. As with most of director James B. Harris's films, the pic is centered around a disillusioned loner who wants to change the status quo. In this case, a jazz musician who wants more from his relationships than the kinky game play that has become the norm in his mansion. Although our "hero" is surrounded by comely women who want to throw themselves at him, he wants more. He wants love. Companionship. He think he's found it in a mysterious girl who he has awakened from a long sleep, but the girl may be more of a puzzle than he can handle. This is a film more about style than story. And on that level, it succeeds well, with gorgeous cinematography and a haunting theme melody by the director's brother Bob Harris. Overall, it's great that this lost little film has finally been given a significant release after spending 40 years in obscurity. For cinema lovers, it's worth checking out. For those who already admire in its renegade spirit and minimalist approach, enjoy the new release by Etiquette Pictures. It's everything we could have hoped for. Maybe one day Hollywood will wake up, and realize what a wonderful director James B. Harris is. We can only hope.

This is a magical film with intriguing iconography, engaging narrative, and solid performances. Carol White is splendid. Tisa Farrow also performs well. James Harris directs with great control and vision. Some commentators find the film bizarre; however, I do not find it weird. Instead, the film is mysterious with the haunting Nate King Cole song framing the narrative. I found myself opening to new ways of thinking about what being a human being is. The dialogue is formal, however. It sounds like a bad translation from Swedish and thus sounds pretentious, but it not pretentious, just a tad wooden. And that makes the film, in a way, seem more formal than realistic.

An obscure oddity, chastised and forgotten in its time. A different take on the Sleeping Beauty story which is complimented with interestingly composed shots, surreal characters, narrative peculiarities and great music. It's a warm piece of Americana that invokes weird nuns, freak carnivals and a rambling Richard Pryor. Basically all the stuff that makes America great. Despite the strange elements inherent in the movie, it still comes off as artfully dramatic. Love cannot be forced and no one is perfect for one another, the film explores how futile it is to make this happen when a man has the perfect opportunity to mold a sleeping beauty into his ultimate love. It is somewhat a shame that the film hasn't found an audience outside of Rosenbaum's essential 1000 and some Cinemageddon weirdos as it could easily slot itself into the fanbase cult of Harmony Korine and beyond. Watch it at 3am and let it mesmerize and sedate you.

Truly an awful movie in every sense of the word. The story had no meaning beyond some high school type vapid comments. And the best one word description would be pretentious. In fact they even quoted Hamlet's Polonius but, in the incorrect context. But I can forgive all of that. I have a fondness for weird, experimental films. But, the one thing I can't forgive is boredom. The characters move at the speed of a glacier. They walk to one room then back for no reason. "Just get bloody on with it" I hollered at the screen. Boring boring boring. And don't figure you can throw in one line from my beloved Hamlet and figure that makes you 'artistic'! Skip this slow placed clunker and go watch eraserhead .

For those who would trash this film as so much convoluted garbage--Freudian or otherwise--I have only these words: The Very Thought of You. The scene in which this song is included is the only thing which makes this film worth watching. Of course, the inclusion of the song, good as it is, cannot save this film from the trash heap. The concept is imaginative enough. The story concerns what appears prima facie to be a familiar theme, but which incorporates the kind of surrealistic realism that was characteristic of John Collier. His characters are dreamers with noble ideals and high expectations. Only to find that the real thing, once encountered, is nowhere near what they had imagined. Another story by Collier in this same mold, by the bye, is "The Chaser," which did become a Twilight Zone episode. The well-read viewer will probably be able to overlook the bizarre elements which clutter this film for just a moment and appreciate its sublime theme. In the end, however, the bizarre elements drown out any attempt at profundity. The viewer, like the characters in the film, is left feeling vaguely disillusioned, if not outright cheated. The song deserves mention immediately because I believe that the sentimental romanticism of The Very Thought of You expresses very well the intention of the film's director. As envisioned by him, the song lingers in memory. Unfortunately, the director's intention is out of step with the writer Collier's original intention and it shows. The whole production is out of sync with its purpose. This is not a good film. I'd give it one and a half stars, and that's for the song.