Customer Reviews

New Year's Day [VHS]

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

 

 

This film is better than "Venice/Venice" because it has a better narrative. Is it a gabfest movie reminiscent of Stilman's "Metropolitan" and anything by Woody Allen? Absolutely.

But what it lacks in budget is made up for in the performances and writing. The characters not only entertain, but by the end of this New Year's Day party learn something about themselves. Jakobson (who does her chimp noises in this film) is a star, period. This also marks one of David Duchovney's first appearances as Jakobson's boyfriend. If you're looking for a sit-down movie that won't give you a seizure, this is it.

The storyline is pretty awful. Jaglom is simply terrible as a screenwriter, actor and director.

But I give it four stars for the David Duchovny eye candy. Here he is as a young man in ALL his glory. He's absolutely gorgeous in this and he does a good job with his character, a real scoundrel and ladies' man. Warning, this movie contains male frontal nudity.

I first saw this move eight or ten years ago, and it has since become a favorite that I "visit" with every year on New Year's Day. The themes of life transitions, new beginnings, and finding one's place in the world are especially resonant on New Year's Day when so many people take stock of the past year and make resolutions for the future. The characters are no more or less perfect than anyone's circle of friends, which makes them all the more loveable. Watching this movie has become a beloved annual ritual.

The aspect ratio is fake.
The top and bottom of the regular full screen version has been cropped out of the picture to give the illusion your getting a widescreen - what your getting is less picture!
The studios should label the DVD's as they did when they cropped VHS video picture " this film has been modified to fit you tv screen" as in modified to fit a 16x9 tv in this case.
You have already lost one third of the picture when it was modified to full screen, now you loose an additional one third to one fourth of the movies image!
In this film the DVD version will show much less of Duchovny below the waist as the uncropped version reveals - sorry ladies!
The reason leterbox and widescreen has a demand, is that the audience or consumer wants to view the Movie as it was filmed and framed by the filmaker, and not loose out on portions of the movie that the director intended.
In other words the idea to release in widescreen was for the intention of showing MORE not LESS of the movies image.
The studios believe they can get away with this, since the average buyer does not have a full screen video version to compare with, or the consumer is just unaware.
I compared this DVD to a full screen VHS version, and in many cases where some DVD's come with both Full & Wide Screen on a flip disc, compare them before watching, many of the widesreen sides are just chopped versions of the full screen.
The picture quality is great on this and most DVD's, it is unfortunate though that it has to be a conciliation for cropped picture.
The movie I find very engaging, great acting by Maggie Jakobson(Wheeler), and very Woody Allen'ish type scripting and characterization by Jaglom.
The movie deals with relationships, personal interactions and emotions.
It's clever and has depth - with a vintage NYC social flavor.
This film is somewhat of a sleeper, also has many subtleties that grows after watching it more than once.
This movie has certain characteristics that arent for everyones liking, its a matter of personal taste.

If you buy this tape for any other reason than David Duchovny's presence in the film, you're in for a disappointment. Take my word for it--the story and acting are truly forgettable. Duchovny's 'appearance', however, is definitely worth the price....

All I can say is "WOW"

This is a quiet, unusual, independant film. If you like movies with car chases and things that "blowed up - blowed up real good", this one isn't for you. It takes place on New Year's day in NYC when three women are giving up their apartment to the new tenant. Maggie Jakobson is a stand-out in the movie. The scenes with her and director/star Henry Jaglom (falling in love) make the film.

Yes, I really liked this one. Released in '90 in Vancouver, Canada, I was intrigued by the review in the Vancouver Sun and went to see it one night in a rather packed and small cinema that no longer exists...and it remains not only the best film of 1990, but one of my all time faves. Is this Henry's shining moment? I don't know, I've seen Eating and one other whose title I don't recall but the writing here is superb, and that goes for the acting too. Milos Forman and Maggie Jakobson - among others - shine here. One of the more memorable scenes is when the character Winona is asking advice from her older brother. Truly warming. And there's the moment when Maggie first shows up in sunglasses as she approaches the breakfast table. Another is Maggie, with a smile, imitating a dolphin's screeching. Then the party grows and grows...Winona finally finding Mr Right. Maggie conversation with her shrink. 'You're listening to the wrong voices.' I still remember Henry's parting speech near the end of film. And that song by Cris Williamson, A circle of friends. And that last scene or Henry watching a video playback of Maggie with a dolphin capped the film excellent. Along with Goodfellas, this shared the #1 spot for my fave film of 1990. And I have the poster somewhere!

'Past - present - future. It all depends on which star you're standing on.' Live on.