Customer Reviews

Flesh

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Certainly not for everyone's taste (the first camera shot will establish that) but a great introduction to the JOE TRILOGY. Just for the record, Andy did NOT direct this or any other of the Joe films! These are all Paul Morrissey! The opening shot however was an homage to the early static films that Warhol was famous for, more specifically 'SLEEP'. At any rate the sound was edited 'in-camera' and there are even whole sequences without sound AT ALL!!!! So don't be surprised by the poor audio. The film was also edited likewise and there is an audible POP at each edit. Do not attempt to adjust your set or return the dvd, it;s all part of the experience!!! Oh... and Joe D'Alllesandro stars in it (sometimes with his clothes on).

I've never seen any Joe Dallesandro film, but watching thisfilm made me into an instant fan! In my own opinion, this is a trueclassic. I can't wait till next payday so I could get the rest of the Warhol/Morrissey movies! The movie was just so real and so documentary-like -- I just love it!

Some reviewers are clearly unaware of the backstory to this film. Andy Warhol only participated in this film and those produced after it has Producer. Warhol only was only involved with the stars who were close friends, such as Candy Darling. Of course it is very easy to understand why; this film was shot only weeks after Andy was nearly murdered by SCUM founder Valerie Solanas (Salonas only starred in one of the infamous Audition reels, and had a brief role in I, a Man so I don't think she's deserving of the title Star). The closest that Andy ever came to directing after the incident was fueling the tension between his three Beauty Queens in Women in Revolt over the phone.
But making Joe a Street Hustler was Andy's idea. Andy was greatly dissapointed that the film Midnight Cowboy became so successful, he felt that it stole its plot from his film My Hustler starring Paul America. Joes original profession in this film was a Boxer, but Andy remembered hearing Joe talk about his days working the streets and asked Morrissey to make the change.
The Plot Synopsis that Amazon has given is inaccurate, Joe and his Wife are not Junkies. The real reason he is trying to earn money that day is to pay for his Wifes lovers abortion. You following me?
Flesh is best remembered for pushing the boundaries of male full-frontal nudity, but it has a great story to. The most obvious problem that I think people will encounter is the in-camera editing. This editing style gives a flash effect that does become a bit annoying, but it was done by Morrissey to reming the audience that they are only watching a film and probably to make them annoyed because you end up missing entire conversations. Also there are entire sequences done with no dialogue, and there is really no musical soundtrack to accompany the film.
My favorite part of the film is the characters who Joe encounters. This includes a hilarious artist with the habit of talking to himself, whom Joe models for, Joe's ex-girlfriend, a topless dancer, and her friends (one is a drag queen and the other is a pre-op in real life, but this isn't stated in the film), and Joe's friend, the dialogue hints a lover or regular customer, who was badly burned by a flamethrower.
In the end, I do believe that this film was made for a certain crowd. But it's not necessarily a "gay" film, and it's not just a nudity fest; there is a real and touching story to the film. For example, there is a very moving sequence where Joe is feeding his young daughter, it's moments like these that make the Warhol/Morrissey Films so great.

These films are classics of the Paul Morrissey/Andy Warhol era. A great set. Get them before they go out of print again!

# Classic Paul Morrissey Titles.
Flesh, Trash and Heat.

Both Heat and Trash are classics of American cinema.
If you have not seen these 2 brilliant films, what the hell are you waiting for.

Holly Woodlawn in Trash is translucent.
Sylvia Miles in Heat deserves an oscar.
Andrea Feldman in Heat defies all preconceived notions of performance in a film.

And Joe D. - well, just press play and watch.

Main reason [and only reason,really] why I bought this collection is because of the handsome Joe Dallessandro, of course. Pretty vivid and shocking overall though; and I love it. With all the great absurd dialogue and constant drug use, awkard sexual advances and mental fits from crazed young lunatics and not to mention the glorified scenes of joe's naked body. Niiiiice..

The movie as well as the hunk are beautiful! I fell in love with Joe as soon as I saw his body that no other guy can compete with.
The story is very good. Sensitive, fragile and desperate. We do not loose any minute with this film as Joe keep us under his spell all the way.

Came across this one in the 'art/cult' section of a video shop some years ago. Film has the non-edited appearance of a typical Warhol feature. Examines a day in the life of a hustler.Not very shocking today, it shows how prostitution and taking drugs are as commonplace as brushing teeth for the protagonist except that he probably doesn't brush his teeth that often. Slow moving but interesting in an offbeat way.

HUSTLER: An enterprising individual who engages in promiscuous sexual behavior especially for money, Meet: Joe (Dallesandro) an alluring kind hearted good nature sweet young man always aim to Please and a Family man with a wife and a baby to support. "FLESH" a Film Documentary so Direct and Sincere, a day in the life of this sensitive youth, who spends most of his time taking his clothes off for his clients, each one of them with a different request

The camera follows Joe as he goes cruising to the streets and meets an old Codger Artist who is into Greek Statues and Mythological speculations about body worshiping, two associates of his as they exchange various tips on how to improve their hustling skills, a couple of transvestites and a dimwit ex girlfriend who is a topless dancer now, and wants silicone shots, an acquaintance confident who was in Korea and suffered burns on his armpits due to a flame-thrower

A parade of Society's absurdly, distorted, ridiculously, funny individuals "FLESH" The First Film of the Warhol/Paul Morrissey Trilogy, "TRASH and HEAT" the others, so Candid and Honest, everyone using Joe for their own personal purpose even his wife cuddling with her girlfriend falling asleep as Joe watches, so touching so vivid and real with a sadness undertone, I felt almost like I was peeking into their lifes

Most definitely NOT a Film for everyone, nudity, sex, graphic language...etc, The abrupt scene changes and unsteady camera work, all adding up to the nature of a Film, that will provoke and make you laugh and also make you think!

A military brat who rasn wild, Joe Dallesandro did a number of nude modeling jobs for "physique" magazines before he stumbled into Andy Warhol about 1967. Whatever Warhol's gifts, he did have a talent for surrounding himself with extreme personalities, and for the next few years Dallesandro would be one of them, a fixture at Warhol's "factory" and a player in one Warhol-produced movie after another.

At least eight such films would be directed, written, and edited by the remarkably untaltented Paul Morrissey, who would basically come on the set and have the actors riff on whatever came to mind. As for acting there is none in any real sense; the performers are not artists and are vaguely interesting only because they themselves are so extreme. Dallesandro was not an actor, but he had a great body and tremendous sexual sizzle, and both are on significant display in FLESH, which is the very loosely told story of a male prostitute (Dallesandro) who is working to raise money for his wife's girlfriend's abortion. Other players include such Warhol characters as drag queens Jackie Curtis and Candy Darling and stripper Geri Miller.

Now, there's really only one reason to watch one these Warhol-Morrissey-Dallessandro flicks, and that is the hope that Dallesandro will get naked. Where FLESH is concerned, he does--but with a difference. In later films Dallesandro would acquire a rougher look and harder, dismissive personality; very often it was clear he was doing what he was doing for the money and nothing more. But in FLESH he is actually fresh, has a certain innocence, and actually seems to be enjoying himself. It makes for a lot of difference between this film and, say, the slightly later HEAT.

None of this is to say that FLESH is actually enjoyable as a motion picture. At the time the male nudity was startling, enough to make Dallesandro an American and European sex symbol for more than a decade, but beyond this FLESH is as ho-hum as other film that Warhol produced and Morrissey directed, and you will probably hit the fast-forward time and time again. Even so, given the fact that Dallesandro doesn't seem quite as rough here as he later became, this may well be the best of the lot. Recommended for his fans, but unless you happen to be into Dallesandro or want to see what all the 1960s "Warhol underground movie" fuss was about, you should probably give it a miss.

GFT