Review by Vinoo
Language : English
Director : Rip Torn
‘The Telephone’ is what could have been a fab movie. It has an out of work actor, Vashti Blue (Whoopi Goldberg), whose only companions are a Telephone, an Owl and a Gold fish. She spends her life in her apartment and the only connection with the outside world is her telephone and of course her next-door neighbour who is forever abusing her for being loud and threatens to have her thrown out. Vashti Blue would use the Telephone to vent her frustrations, order a DVD, complain about an incomplete version of a Frank Capra film ‘Christmas in July‘ (which is actually a Preston sturges film), keep herself occupied, do some girl-talk, abuse somebody, and just about everything. Very simply put, her Telephone is her world (I know some people like that and I also know people like in the ‘Phone Booth’ holding onto the telephone for dear life J). Is she losing it since she has no work coming her way or is it the way she is, talkative. She will have an unlikely visitor from the Telephone Department. Is he there to bill her on her huge phone bill or to take a complaint from her neighbours and disconnect her telephone. The film has an interesting ending. The entire film is just conversation in the course of one day/night. Whoopi Goldberg certainly not at her best. Material for a play for sure. Any takers?
For those who want to watch it I will let the end stay. The script is supposedly inspired by Jean Cocteau’s ‘The Human Voice’, about a woman talking to her ex-lover. ‘Kaun’ surely is inspired from ‘The Telephone’ at least at the idea level. I was surprised to see Anurag Kashyap in the writer credits. Sure hope to watch his ‘That girl in Yellow Boots’.
Useless trivia : ‘The Telephone’ was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Awards, or the Razzies, that celebrates the worst films. The Awards cost $4.79 a piece. Do read this link for interesting trivia on the film.
Whoopi Goldberg took Rip Torn and the Producer’s to court to try and stop release of the film citing poor quality. She lost the case.
While filming ‘Maidstone’, Rip Torn was upset with Norman mailer’s handling of the film. He struck him on the head, with a hammer. Normail Mailer in turn bit off Rip Torn’s ear and they wrestled. The scene is apparently included in the film. Here goes the clip from the film. it is hilarious methinx.
And then there is Rip Torn’s case against Dennis Hopper. Dennis Hopper apparently replaced Rip Torn with Jack Nicholson in ‘Easy Rider’.
For those in Bengalooru catch the ten-day Theatre Fest at Ranga Sankara
Also catch my debut film ‘Where the gods give up caste’ on 25th
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