Amazon.com: If you've ever wanted to hear Jack Nicholson sing (or try to) or marvel at the sight of Ann-Margret drunkenly cavorting in a cascade of baked beans, Tommy is the movie you've been waiting for. As it turns out, the Who's brilliant rock opera is sublimely matched to director Ken Russell's penchant for cinematic excess, and this 1975 production finds Russell at the peak of his filmmaking audacity. It's a fever-dream of musical bombast, custom-fit to the thematic ambition of Pete Townshend's epic rock drama, revolving around the titular 'deaf, dumb, and blind kid' (played by Who vocalist Roger Daltrey) who survives the childhood trauma that stole his senses to become a Pinball Wizard messiah in Townshend's grandiose attack on the hypocrisy of organized religion.
The story is remarkably coherent considering the hypnotic dream-state induced by Russell's visuals. Tommy's odyssey is rendered through wall-to-wall music, each song representing a pivotal chapter in Tommy's chronology, from the bloodstream shock of 'The Acid Queen' (performed to the hilt by Tina Turner) to Nicholson's turn as a well-intentioned physician, Elton John's towering rendition of 'Pinball Wizard,' and Daltrey's epiphanous rendition of 'I'm Free.' Other performers include Eric Clapton and (most outrageously) the Who's drummer Keith Moon, and through it all Russell is almost religiously faithful to Townshend's artistic vision. Although it divided critics when first released, Tommy now looks likes a minor classic of gonzo cinema, worthy of the musical genius that fueled its creation. --Jeff Shannon
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Average Rating:
Rating: - Not Just For WHO Fans!
I'm not the biggest WHO fan. But there is no denying that "Tommy" is a phenomenal masterpiece. What help makes this so great is the different guest appearances, the phenomenal music, the artistic images, the touching story, and characters who are not just good or bad. Tommy himself is kind of a Hamlet type. At the risk of oversimplifying, Tommy's father (Robert Powell, probably best know for doing Jesus in "Jesus of Nazareth") disappears in the war; Tommy's mother Ann Margret falls in love with Oliver Reed, and they kill Tommy's father, unknowingly in front of Tommy. (Reverses the story on the record where the father kills the lover) As a result of this trauma, Tommy loses his ability to speak, hear, and see. Oliver Reed is an interesting 'Claudius' to Tommy's 'Hamlet.' (We can also suspect that while Margret loved her 1st husband Robert Powell, that she loves Oliver Reed more.) Yes; Reed killed Tommy's father and ... Read More
Rating: - Fast delivery, excellent condition
The DVD arrived well ahead of the scheduled delivery date, and in perfect condition. I have no concerns about ordering New & Used when I get service and products like this.
Rating: - Made Me Wish I Was At Least Deaf And Blind
With so much talent invested in this movie, how could things have gone so horribly wrong? Roger Daltrey prances around with a blank look on his face, vaguely giving the impression he is either in a shampoo or tampon commercial. Ann-Margaret writhes on the floor with a giant sausage-shaped pillow, while covered in beans that spray out from a television set. Eric Clapton, appearing to be in a heroin-induced coma, portrays a singing preacher with all the charisma of a dead turtle. Elton John, Tina Turner, Oliver Reed, and even Jack Nicholson all attempt career suicide with their zany and misguided contributions to this catastrophe. To top it all off, the ludicrous premise of the album (vegetable-like pinball champion becomes messiah) is kept intact, while the great music has been replaced with the sort of noise the CIA would play to torture prisoners. Consider yourself warned.
Rating: - Strange! (and watchable!)
Hard to sum up or interpret the meaning of this film or the motivations of the story composer/writer Pete Townsend, but it's recommended for a look even if not a fan/familiar with the famed rock opera.
Another star would have been awarded had the movie not featured the unwatchable and less than listenable Oliver Reed in the role of Tommy's(Roger Daltrey)stepfather. Mother Ann-Margaret is a little easier on the ears and eyes and shines in a don't-miss scene with beans and soap suds that must have been conceived on strong hallucinogenics.Be warned however that with the exception of "Eyesight to the Blind" "Acid Queen" and maybe another, the majority of songs here are far inferior to the 1969 album versions.
Frankly the music is not as good as the album, even for the all-star cast of Tina Turner, eric Clapton and Elton somebody. First 15 minutes or so are weak and show-tuney, but starts to rock when Clapton ... Read More
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- Not Just For WHO Fans! 
- Made Me Wish I Was At Least Deaf And Blind
- Strange! (and watchable!)
