Customer Reviews

Klansman [VHS]

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(6)
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1 star:		(7)

 

 

The DVD version of this film is a nightmare. When this movie was released I was the night projectionist is a grind house in downtown San Diego, California. It was so incredibly offensive that I immediately put it in my "Cult Classic" list. Imagine my horror upon watching the DVD. The sound track is perfectly horrible and the "editing" is nothing less than a hatchet job, to say nothing of being a close relative to book burning. The pitiful Pollyannas who did this have completely robbed the film of its impact. What kind of a world do these people think we're living in anyway? I strongly advise against buying the DVD in its current state.

In the Spring of 1974 Director Terance Young and company came to Oroville, California to film the Klansman. The locals were excited to have a big studio film made in the small town. However, when it opened at the State Theatre in Oroville, there was widespread horror.

The film included a castration, an attempted rape and two rapes, plus a whole lot of racial comments and some god-awful acting. You would have thought that Richard Burton would have done well with his acting, but he was one of the worse. He was drunk and chasing an under-age girl for most of the shooting schedule and could not seem to handle the southern accent. (This may have been the incident that destroyed his and Liz Taylor's marriage.)

Lee Marvin, Cameron Mitchell, Lola Falana and a few others did well in their acting but the script shot them down. It was full of racial stereotypes that probably set back racial relations for the next 100 years. (This was OJ Simpson's first film.)

I was there in 1974 and saw a lot of the shooting of the movie. It's only redeeming value to me is the fact that it showed a lot of areas of Table Mountain, Cherokee, Oroville and Sugarloaf Mountain (75 miles north of Sacramento in Northern California).
The scenery is beautiful but the movie is awful.

There are many scenes that are unintentially funny because of the bad acting plus a hilarious scene where Richard Burton "slaps" Cameron Mitchell into a blood pulp. A Classic!

All in all a minor film but worth seeing if you want a laugh or two. Warning, the rape scene with Lola Falana is not for the faint of heart! Plus the castration scene makes ME grit my teeth!

This DVD is Complete Rubbish! No, not because of the Racism, The Klan, Lynchings, etc., but because of the Poor Acting, Film Quality, and Editing. The DVD Producers actually turned this into a PG Rated Fim...Oh, it's still called an "R", but the Lola Falana Rape Scene was Spliced so heavily that it not only fails to move Me emotionally, I would miss it entirely should I blink My Eyes. The Original Opening Scene, Where a Topless Young Black Lady (Jeanne Bell) is tossed around by White Men standing in a Circle is Edited Out as well, the Producers try hard to omit Racially-Charged Scenes, but to do so leaves the Film empty, unfortunately they keep the Redneck Characters intact, the crappy acting from both Marvin and Burton, and a Dull O.J. Simpson, whose own Voice was overdubbed in this Film.....

This is such an atrociously awful movie that it's a joy to watch. You have to be aware of the real life events that were ongoing during the making of "The Klansman." Burton and Taylor were busting up and Burton was awash in vodka. He arrived in Oroville, California and promptly proposed to an 18 year Denny's waitress. His costar, Lee Marvin, was also drinking a bottle a day. Neither was sober for a single syllable of this terrible movie and their struggles to appear sober make for some hilarious moments.

Burton, as usual, dreadfully overacts and his attempts at a Southern accent are pitiful, to say the least. Marvin's acting is much better, but when he has to speak inane lines from a miserable script, he can't fare much better. The highlights has to be the scene in the bus station when Burton karate chops poor Cameron Mitchell nearly to death. The movie was so cheaply edited that you can clearly hear director Terrence Young yelling, "Cut, Cam! Get up! Cut!" They don't even bother to edit out the director's instructions. You will be laughing yourself into a choking fit during this lengthy bus station melee,

This is a great movie to watch with a couple of beers. If you appreciate a terrible script, crude sets and two major stars who were drunk out of their minds while filming, you'll love this one.

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Despite its bad press, THE KLANSMAN is -not- a terrible movie, nor in any way laughable-- the subject matter is far too grim to be humorous. Secondly, Richard Burton and Lee Marvin -do not- appear here either drunk or dissipated by alcohol. They don't mumble their lines or stagger through scenes, despite claims to the contrary.

Three decades of political correctness virtually guarantee this film could never be made today. It's far too repulsive with its racial slurs, hatred and stereotypes for modern audiences. The setting is a small Alabama town where whites are a minority that intimidates black citizens with Klan activity and extreme gang violence.

Some of the more repulsive moments:
Two blacks walking home from a bar are jumped by a large group of armed whites. They flee into the woods, where one is wounded by rifle fire. He is set upon, castrated and executed, as his helpless friend watches from nearby bushes. This man, played by O.J. Simpson, later becomes an avenging angel who clandestinely shoots one-by-one the men involved in his friend's death.

When a white woman (Linda Evans) is raped by a black, she's ostracized as unclean by church and community and abandoned by her husband.

The deputy sheriff (Cameron Mitchell) arrests a young black woman (Lola Falana) under false pretenses, and takes her (along with his buddies) to a warehouse where he viciously rapes and leaves the defiled virgin to hemorrhage on a dirty floor. Before agreeing to rush her to a hospital, the sheriff (Lee Marvin) coerces the girl into promising she will claim that four black men attacked her.

A local landowner (Richard Burton) whose ancestor was lynched in 1861 when he refused to support Secession, is widely despised by local whites because of his hatred of the KKK and support of poor blacks. The film climaxes on the man's mountain with a deadly clash against several Klansmen. It's a sickening scene, one that doesn't turn out as you'd like.


THE KLANMAN is ultimately a competent depiction of outrageous events that soon build to a nightmarish explosion of violence. As brutal as it is, the story holds your interest even to its unhappy ending. Credit for this must go to a strong cast and script.

(Note: The PARAMOUNT VHS tape from 1999 is still the most complete version of this film. All subsequent releases are heavily edited.)

Richard Burton was one of the all-time great thespians and it's a travesty that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences never honored him with an Oscar for any of his numerous nominations. Lee Marvin was a dynamic actor in his own right as well. Why they are wasting their time in this ugly, worthless (...) movie is anybody's guess.
Many films that incorporate a racist theme merit importance when they depict the horror and any subsequent violence that such bigotry and hatred derives. This film does nothing but present a shallow glimpse into the racial tensions stemming from the South (a common and unfortunate stereotype).
One interesting note: OJ Simpson made his film debut here as a radical "Black Panther"-type militant who murders white folks whenever he has a chance. (...)

Firstly, poor sound. Secondly, the film has been cut, heavily.
Let us hope that Paramount release it on DVD soon, as it is their film. In the meantime, if anyone wants to see this film then just buy the Paramount VHS tape- it's very good quality for picture & sound & it is UNCUT! Do not waste your money or time on this poor attempt at a DVD release!!!

First off, THE KLANSMAN is -not- a terrible movie, nor in any way laughable-- the subject matter is far too grim to be humorous. Secondly, Richard Burton and Lee Marvin -do not- appear here either drunk or dissipated by alcohol. They don't mumble their lines or stagger through scenes, despite claims to the contrary.

Three decades of political correctness virtually guarantee this film could never be made today. It's far too repulsive with its racial slurs, hatred and stereotypes for modern audiences. The setting is a small Alabama town where whites are a minority that intimidates black citizens with Klan activity and extreme gang violence.

Some of the more repulsive moments:
Two blacks walking home from a bar are jumped by a large group of armed whites. They flee into the woods, where one is wounded by rifle fire. He is set upon, castrated and executed, as his helpless friend watches from nearby bushes. This man, played by O.J. Simpson, later becomes an avenging angel who clandestinely shoots one-by-one the men involved in his friend's death.

When a white woman (Linda Evans) is raped by a black, she's ostracized as unclean by church and community and abandoned by her husband.

The deputy sheriff (Cameron Mitchell) arrests a young black woman (Lola Falana) under false pretenses, and takes her (along with his buddies) to a warehouse where he viciously rapes and leaves the defiled virgin to hemorrhage on a dirty floor. Before agreeing to rush her to a hospital, the sheriff (Lee Marvin) coerces the girl into promising she will claim that four black men attacked her.

A local landowner (Richard Burton) whose ancestor was lynched in 1861 when he refused to support Secession, is widely despised by local whites because of his hatred of the KKK and support of poor blacks. The film climaxes on the man's mountain with a deadly clash against several Klansmen. It's a sickening scene, one that doesn't turn out as you'd like.


THE KLANMAN is ultimately a competent depiction of outrageous events that soon build to a nightmarish explosion of violence. As brutal as it is, the story holds your interest even to its unhappy ending. Credit for this must go to a strong cast and script.

(Note: The PARAMOUNT VHS tape from 1999 is still the most complete version of "The Klansman." All subsequent releases are heavily edited.)

This is such an atrociously awful movie that it's a joy to watch. You have to be aware of the real life events that were ongoing during the making of "The Klansman." Burton and Taylor were busting up and Burton was awash in vodka. He arrived in Oroville, California and promptly proposed to an 18 year Denny's waitress. His costar, Lee Marvin, was also drinking a bottle a day. Neither was sober for a single syllable of this terrible movie and their struggles to appear sober make for some hilarious moments.

Burton, as usual, dreadfully overacts and his attempts at a Southern accent are pitiful, to say the least. Marvin's acting is much better, but when he has to speak inane lines from a miserable script, he can't fare much better.

This is a great movie to watch with a couple of beers. If you appreciate a terrible script, crude sets and two major stars who were drunk out of their minds while filming, you'll love this one.

I remember watching the original when it came out on a cable television premium channel.
The parts that where horrifying and I would never forget, have been edited out.I will even say censored.
The castration scene, the rape scenes are all part of the horror of the film.
The movie in itself has alot of cliches but, the script is pretty honest in it revelations about how deep
racism is embetted in the southern communities, i.e. the demonstration rally for voting and equal rights, where the mayor notices no local blacks are participating and states if they were, he would "have their jobs" at his lumber company.
I have always thought about this movie and I have always liked it. I do not like how it has been CENSORED, which I guess, goes back to heart of the movie itself - change and the truth is hard to deal with. Somewhere the complete released movie is shelved away.