Customer Reviews

Fortune and Men's Eyes [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Interesting but significantly watered-down version of the claustrophobic, searing stage play concerning the sexual liaisons between young men in a juvenile prison. While the film is essentially explotative in tone, and comes no where near depicting the brutality of the prison system, it raises a number of legitimate issues and questions re homosexuality in prison and sexual role-playing in gay society. No laurels for the script, but the performers are strong and the film itself well-made. Not wildly memorable, but worth a watch.

This was a decent prison film that hooked the viewer & kept you interested in the plot. The characters were fun to watch & interesting. It appealed to the viewer on more of a psychological level. Overall, not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. Not over-the-top like many of today's prison films which heavily rely on blood & gore. This one has depth to its characters & I thought this was truly well done. It's based on a play by the same name. If you like good, offbeat prison pictures that examine its characters & maintains realism in the process, this is a good choice. It's a cult classic. I wonder when MGM will finally get on the ball & put this on DVD.

This is a brutally realistic prison film. The very naïve Smitty, the main character played by Wendell Burton, goes to prison where he is totally unprepared for his harrowing experiences. I saw this movie in the theater when it was first released. I was in high school and it was a very disturbing and frightening film to sit through. Director Harvey Hart's film is brutal, harsh and very realistic. Its effect is very claustrophobic as Smitty grimly comes to the realization that there is no one to turn to and no way out of his horrific situation. This film is several years ahead of its time, engrossing but at times hard to watch.

Way ahead of its time.I wish I could see this on the stage as it was originally done. Anyone has an interest in the seedy underworld of prison life will love it. Brilliant!!!!!!

I had seen this onstage in New York and a few years later ran into Michael Greer in a bar in Greenwich Village. He was playing a video game. Since I was an actor, I introduced myself and complimented him on both his stage and screen work in "Fortune." He was completely different than the character, "Queenie." He was a normal-acting guy, who was personable and chatty. Greer said doing the play was more fun, but he was happy to have it on film. We had a nice chat.

I liked the movie. Firstly, Ronnie Dyson did a wonderful singing job on the tile song. Just beautiful. The movie moved well and was never boring. One kind of sits on the edge of one's seat expecting the next explosive scene. The movie was well-shot, especially in those tiny cells. Wendell Burton was properly boy next door, Danny Freedman was sympathetic as a passed-around-for-sex gay boy and Zooey Hall played his part well, but I wasn't convinced with that haircut.

The other actors, especially Lázaro Pérez as "Catso" and and Larry Perkins as "Screwdriver" were very convincing. Michael Greer was completely outrageous as "Queenie" and all but stole the movie.

The gang rape of one young man sent chills down my spine, but when "Smitty" (Burton) was raped, it was graphic, but tastefully filmed. I own the VHS, but would love to have this and "Boys In The Band" on DVD.

I enjoyed it.

I have only seen this movie once because it is hard to watch, but well worth watching.

This movie is based on a legendary 1967 Canadian play which saw the light three years before the Stonewall Riots (and two before the queer comedy "The Boys in the Band"). Pity that Dustin Hoffman and (Angelina Jolie's dad) John Voight didn't play Rocky and Smitty, in fact Dustin loved the play and did play Rocky in an Actor's Studio workshop production but had to leave the cast before public performances. In 1969 out came the movie "Midnight Cowboy", incidentally. Instead, in this film we have Rocky played by Zooey Hall, who, most unfortunately, wears an outrageous period/trendy campy hairstyle which spoils the intended sordid prison mood. Apart from the lamentable lacquer bungle, the Rocky he plays is not straightforward macho/macho (as Queenie does call him a faggot, and a hustler), which helps him convey his reversal of character from domineering/master sodomizing to meek slave, slapped to humiliation, then... suicide. Wendell Burton as Smitty, alas, doesn't convey his essential transformation at the end (from sexual slave to pricky master), although Danny Freedman as the intellectual, sensitive Mona is believable and moving. His last line "I love you, Smitty", is conveyed subtly and briskly but nevertheless has a moving, long-lasting impact.

In France the play was called "Hommes" and was very successful, in a period marked with the 1968 Paris riots. Jean Genet went to the premiere. Would he have liked it? Well... the movie is not nearly as beautiful and poetic as his own "Un Chant D'Amour", yet, as the sole film version of John Herbert's landmark gay-themed play, it deserves better fate today than just this VHS format. DVD now please!!!! It might make an interesting (digital) coupling with another neglected rarity: "Who Killed Teddy Bear", starring Sal Mineo in outrageous homoerotic style. Sal incidentally, produced a Los Angeles staging of Fortune in 1971... starring young (Miami Vice) Don Johnson as Smitty. So there...

This movie is the predecessor for the HBO series on life in a prison. I like the raw quality to the guys, no make up, not all worked out, not models for sure. Just average guys. The theme was cool, and had some real funny parts. Worth the look for sure. I am just sorry it isn't on DVD.

This is a great movie. I really hope that this is one that is released on DVD in the future.

WENDALL BURTON (a Texas born actor) FROM THE MOVIE;( The sterile cuckcoo),oposite Liza Manelli
Gives a tour de force performace as, SMITTY a young man turned in by his father for pot posession.
He begins a 6 month prison term in Quebec. It's the EARLY 1970's, So pot was seen as a Big violation then.
SMITTY IS TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS TO PRISON LIFE AND THE FACT THAT BULL-QUEERS ARE FIGHTING OVER HIM.
ONLY QUEENIE KNOWS AS HE WATCHES THIS SENARIO IN DISGUST,He's seen it all before,.
Smitty is CONNED INTO BECOMING ROCKY'S SEX SLAVE,OR SUCUM TO MULIPLE-GANG RAPES,,
QUEENIE (WHO WELDS MORE POWER THAN FIRST LETS ON); COMVINCES SMITTY TO FIGHT ROCKY TO CLAIM HIS FREEDOM FROM THE ABUSE.
This is a good tale of how the most (unlikely) people can HELP YOU IN PRISON!
smitty kinda loses his self as he trys to make another weeker prisoner submit, you can loose site of who you are sometimes,.(i saw this movie 15 years ago ,not knowing what to expect,i bought it for the cover,I've seen alot of prison flicks,this one grabs you,.)
The Day-area gang rape ,is the most straight -on unflinching Rape scene put on film untill OZ came out.