Customer Reviews

Candy [VHS]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This movie was made in the year I was born, so it's gotta be good right? Right. I must admit I was curious, not only because it starred Ewa Aulin, whom I'd first seen in Joe D'Amato's Death Smiles On A Murderer, but it co-starred John Astin, Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, James Coburn, Walter Matthau, and Charles Aznavour! What a lineup!

It turns out that those five all play exaggerated cariacatures of their roles, the uncle (Astin), a mystic who travels across the country in the back of a diesel truck (Brando), a drunken poet who struts like a rock star and whose hair blows constantly as if having a personal wind machine around him (Burton), a surgeon whose operating theatre is like an actual theatre, complete with audience looking down at his performance (Coburn), a general who has been airborne without the company of women for way too long, and a hunchback (Aznavour), all of them trying to score with Candy.

The opening scene is a true stunner--the appearance of a ball of heavenly light in outer space, the scene shifting to various galaxies, with the heavenly light coming to the familiar blue-green planet of Earth. The camera then pans along a desert, a stretch of cracked earth, and then the ball of light materializes into a covered white sheet. The sheet unfurls to reveal our beautiful heroine--Candy Christian, who gazes at the camera with a dazed but sensual look. She gives us the briefest glimmer of a smile, nothing more.

While the next scene revealed that she was in her father's class daydreaming and that she was an Earth girl, I kind of wonder if she was an extraterrestrial, and that scene told of her arrival to Earth. The Byrds' "Child Of The Universe" playing over the closing credits also lend credence to that theory.

The 60's rock guitar score provides a bit of nostalgia, of a style of music and movies that bely a period long gone. And Candy predates Star Wars by nine years in having only the opening titles without launching into the credits.

Standout scenes--In the hunchback's hideout, the hunchback's friends douse them with pillow feathers (ground shot looking up) while they are making love on a piano (ground shot), whose strings ring with a discordant sound provide a psychedelic moment. And the various of bogus mystic Grindle (Brando), as he and Candy bend themselves into awkward sexual yoga positions, with the sheets squirming amoeba-like inbetween each position change. His parable of the pig and the flower seems a cynical denunciation of the classic princess and frog fairy story.

Candy is the most decent of all the characters in that movie. If she isn't being accosted by all these males trying to get into her pants--including her own uncle (!!), she is arrested by a pair of Mutt and Jeff cops, verbally abused by other females (e.g. the doctor's mother, disguised as a cleaning lady, or the doctor's chief nurse and chief piece of skirt, who is jealous of her).

The sick twist ending in the book is diluted somewhat in the movie, but it's there nevertheless. Then there's the final scene of her walking among the people who took or tried to take advantage of her in the scene not unlike a convention held by the Society of Creative Anachronisms, with her pure white virginal robe gaining a flower print and her head gaining a crown of flowers. Were the flowers a symbol not of love but of the stains of "human beings" that soiled her, or did the flowers stand for the universal love she believed in? And with the starfield scene reappearing at the closing credits, did Candy turn back into that ball of light and set out across the universe for somewhere more civilized than this sick planet Earth, where she was besmirched over and over?

Finally, I'm sick and tired of reading all these negative things about Ewa Aulin. Okay, so she looks like rape-bait with that innocent look and short skirt, speaks like she was drinking Nyquil like it was Coca Cola, and eyes that alternate between being drooped as a result of said Nyquil and that deer-caught-in-the-headlights look. The point is, she succeeds as that well-meaning idealist or alien who truly believed in that idea of giving freely of oneself. After one look at that dazed sensual gaze, all I want to do is just hold her in my arms and tell her I love her for what she is.

Candy Christian is the blonde, blue eyed embodyment of Hollywood's image of female beauty. And, of course, everyone wants to score with her for all the wrong reasons. In the case of Ringo Starr as the Mexican gardener, it is for ethnic or economic revenge. In the case of the General, it is to breed the master race. And each of the others has his own axe to grind. It turns out that no one wants Candy for her individual qualities. They want her so they can make a statement, or because she is what Hollywood has instructed them that they should want.

The untimate irony of the movie is that she (and by implication anyone else) who conforms to the Hollywood image of female beauty and is seeking romance is doomed.

The genius of this movie is that such an edgy message - one that is easier to ignore than to recognize and bring up to the conscious level - is so well concealed in the medium of the very kind of mindless and plotless sex comedy which so frequently exploits the very same image.

This satire, based on Terry Southern's novel of the same name, does not have the book's bite and is dated, but it is still loads of fun, with a tremendous cast and crew. As a matter of fact, probably the only principal you will not know is the star -- Swedish teen model Ewa Aulin, who is absolutely stunning (in a blonde naive pouty way) in her acting debut. Everyone else is quite recognizable -- Richard Burton as the narcissistic poet with a giant need, Ringo Starr as a Mexican gardener with political issues, James Courn as an ego-driven surgeon, John Astin as the lecherous uncle, Walter Matthau as a megalomaniacal general, Charles Aznavour as a physically handicapped criminal and Marlon Brando as a guru travelling in the back of a semi. (If it sounds bizarre, that's because it is!)

The crew is nothing to sneeze at, either, wih Doug Trumbull (Blade Runner) on special effects, Fellini cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno behind the camera, Buck Henry writing the script, and Dave Grusin (with the help of The Byrds and Steppenwolf) writing the music. Unfortunately the weak link is director Christian Marquand, who rarely seems in control of his actors or the action.

I'm puzzled about the film's advertising, which asks "Is Candy faithful? Only to the book!" because it seems inappropriate to ask if Candy is faithful to anyone here. Rather, she is continually and persistently accosted by older men who abuse her trusting and giving nature in order to use her body. How can she be faithful to lechers who want one-night stands? It seems that the marketing guys are using poor Candy too!

The film is definitely flawed but marvelously entertaining in a time-warp-ish way. Aulin is just beautiful, and it's great fun to watch Burton and Brando and all the rest ham it up. If Marquand had had a better grip on things, this could have been a classic. As it is, it's a curiosity that will probably entice you to read the book and look for other Aulin films!

The dvd has decent extras including: a trailer, radio spots, stills and interesting cast & crew bios.

Candy is a mad movie and, after all these years, it is still a hoot! I'm not sure of its appeal to anyone under the age of 40, but for the 60's generation it truly is a swing down memory lane.

The film was considered outrageous in its day but it seems pretty tame by "modern' standards. Ringo Starr received good reviews when the movie was released but in retrospect his performance is almost embarrassingly poor. But the incongruous cameos by a few of the biggest stars of the day are a great part of the film's appeal. (Remember, this was one of the first "X" rated films to be seen in wide release and, goodness, there were FAMOUS people involved!)

Sir Richard Burton is riotous as are Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau and James Coburn, but the cohesive bond in the whole plot is the dual performance by John Astin who portrays Candy's stuffed-shirt father as well as her lecherous uncle, Jack. And, not too surprisingly, Ewa Aulin is still ravenously beautiful as the naive nymphet, Candy!

Another shining attribute is Dave Grusin's soundtrack, very 60's, no doubt, but in the end it actually holds up better than film. Songs and incidental pieces by The Byrds and Steppinwolf sound fresh and invigorating.

Younger people who want to experience a glimpse of the 60's "counter-culture" would do well to start with this trifling sweet, Candy!

I first saw this film about 20 years ago on some pay channel, and have been waiting to see it again ever since. Okay, so it is far from the best film ever made, but does that always matter? Not to me. This is simply a fun movie. Overloaded with an amazing 'who's who' cast, a gorgeous heroine and an outstanding soundtrack (which I searched for at record shows and finally found) this film is the 60's incarnate. A silly, sexy, swinging good time. The limited edition DVD comes in a cool tin case and has a set of cards with comments and rememberances from most of the major cast members. It's a treat!

This film will be too dated and confusing for most, but if you are into the sixties you should understand it. Fans of the avant-garde should dig it as well. We follow a hot Nordic woman on a voyage of sexual discovery. Or so the blurb says, in reality it's pretty much just a drug influenced 60s post-modern avant-garde nihilistic... well whatever -- lets just say it rocks. Not too heavy on the nudity as you would expect, but it delivers. The music is great and the best thing about this movie is you never know what will happen next. It's actually not that dirty of a movie, especially by today's standards. This movie has an all-star cast. And speaking of stars, our pal Ringo Starr makes an appearance. If your into this sort of thing you're love it, but if your the kind of person that has trouble keeping up with the plots of today's' films, do yourself a favor and pass it by and rent "The Italian job" again.

This film is certainly like no other movie you've seen. You can tell from watching it that it could never have been made before or after the years between 1967 and 1970. It brings to mind "Casino Royale" and "Barbarella", but "Candy" is better.

This is a psychedelic "Candide" story. Our heroine, Candy, travels around the world and encounters a number of men, all weirder than the last. The supporting cast is excellent. Walter Matthau plays a sex starved general, Richard Burton a pretentious, self obsessed, alcoholised poet. Ringo Starr plays the Mexican gardener and Marlon Brando makes a hilarious performance as an Indian guru.

The film is two hours long and the story is thin, but it kept my interest up. It is filled with humour that is sometimes too dry for its own good, but whether you laugh with the movie or at the movie, it's still lots of fun. This is a one-of-a-kind movie that's not for everybody's taste, but it's definately worth checking out.

I saw this movie in the theater when it first came out; I remember all the hype. (If you don't trust anyone over thirty, stop reading now!) This movie is a time capsule for the late 1960's. Non baby-boomers might simply enjoy spotting all the name stars in cameo (and fuller) roles. Ewa Aulin does a great job in playing an impossibly naive teenager. Walter Matthau as the horny General with his wacky paratroopers is a hoot. Even seeing Marlon Brando in a more svelte role may surprise some.

If full nudity is what you are seeking, go elsewhere. This was made in the 1960's, for commercial release and there is more tease than explictness, which can be a refreshing relief. There is a touch of fun, rather than flaunting it all and letting it all hang out.
Yes, the movie suffers from some unevenness, but is fairly faithful to the spirit of the book. I remember reading the book, and wondered how they could ever put it on the screen. I think they did a pretty good job for the times.

The music by the Byrds and Steppenwolf certainly opens up a lot of memories, especially how good some of the music of the late 1960's is.
The movie is certainly not Oscar material, but neither is it in the trash bin. It is somewhat innocent fun and if fans like performances with lechery without vulgarity, this movie will fill the bill.

You can read any of the other reviews and get the idea. This film puts together vignettes featuring a panoply of famous actors (Brando, Coburn, Burton, Matthau, et al.)and not-so-master-thespians (Sugar Ray Robinson, Ringo Starr, et al.) It is fun. Ewa Aulin is nice looking and generates the one or two emotions required for the role. The film is entertaining more for seeing the cast do so well in silly situations than for serving any plot or theme.

The soundtrack is special. Dave Grusin is mostly known as a jazz composer and musician. His soundtrack has the simplicity of the rock sounds of the late sixties blended with jazz elements. The result is one of the best collections of music I have ever heard. In addition, there is "Child of the Universe" performed by the Byrds, co-written by Grusin, and "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf. My old vinyl disk has seen better days and I am not aware of this soundtrack ever making it to CD. Darn!

The combination of the various elements of "Candy" results in a movie I recommend viewing. I have the DVD and will view this every once in awhile for the fun and the music.

Many have written poorly about Candy. Perhaps, they took the movie too seriously because there are many moments that are genuinely amusing: the soldiers doing a dance number and eliciting a tear from their commander, Candy's uncle unplugging his brother as he recuperates in the hospital, the concept of a "Post-Operative Bash", McPhisto's made up stories, and the entire Brando scene.
What I think is the main reason for people disliking this movie is that it wasn't what they expected it to be. It's trippy and a little weird at times. The music is also amazing. If you don't like Steppenwolf or the Byrds, perhaps you shouldn't bother.
The Bottom line: this movie is a riot if you have the right mindset watching it.