Customer Reviews

Passion Play [VHS]

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

 

 

This version is eleven minutes shorter than the orginal version based on the information printed on the DVD and listed in the IMDb. I saw this film a long time ago and was looking forward to seeing it again, but was amazed at how much they had cut out of the movie. The DVD packaging does not state that it is an edited version nor does the information provided by Amazon. They made it a totaly different movie with the editing that was done. I do not recommend this version to anyone. The orginal movie deserves better than this chop job.

anyone who thinks this is a good transfer must be daft. in addition as was mentioned earlier 11 minutes have been cut and as i remember the film they were some of the "best" scenes if you get my drift. if you want to see the original film this is not it. avoid at all costs.

Don't let the sex-kitten cover art or the silly title (it was once called LOVE LETTERS) fool you, this is not an explotation film in anyway, but a touching and thoughtful adult romance. However, that's not to say that it isn't sexy, it is.

The story involves a young DJ (Jamie Lee Curtis, in her best performance) who, losing her mom to illness and unable to connect with her verbally abusive father, finds mysterious love letters that reveal her mother had an affair while married.

Curtis dreams of having the same type of all consuming love and gets her chance when she begins a relationship with a married photographer. But once she sees the man with his wife and children she feels extreme gulit and self-doubt. Is she doing the right thing?

This is a wonderful little film that seemed to go unnoticed when originally released. Curtis bares her soul (and breasts) and the result is an entirely well-rounded character that viewers will love and relate to. Very though-provoking, this film asks some uneasy questions.

"Love Letters", starring Golden Globe nominee Jamie Lee Curtis, is an unforgettable love story. It desplicts a young DJ (played by Curtis) who loses her mother to cancer. After her mother's death, she finds some old love letters that contained material she least expected. All were written by a man whom her mother had an affair with in the 1960's. Suddenly, she meets a man with whom she almost instantly falls in love. However, he's married. This forbidden love story leads to a passionate, yet highly emotional film.

While the plot is highly interesting, it often moves too slow. Besides, it has some great scenes; yet, it has some unnecessary scenes. The unnecessary storylines, which do not relate to the overall film theme, often distract from the main theme. However, the romance and sex scenes are as enticing as they should be. They give this film the added rapture that stays interesting. The intensity places itself in areas that keep this film suspenseful. Sometimes, those scenes were placed in the unnecessary ones. Every interesting aspect contains its own spice that never fades through multiple viewings.

The best aspect of "Love Letters" is Jamie Lee Curtis's performance. Though all actors in this film perform well, she gives this film the added individual emotion thoughout. She even gives the slow moving scenes the added glare. After being hailed as a "horror movie queen", she proves that she's mastered the art of hardcore drama.

"Love Letters" will have mixed reactions, but it'll surely be remembered for a long time afterwards. Every fan of Curtis should own this film.

This movie is a little bit hard to get as it is no longer manufactured.Amazon.com has a list of sellers who own a copy.They're a little pricey but if you are a Jamie Lee Curtis fan this movie probably should be part of your collection.In this movie Jamie plays a DJ with an ailing mother.Her father seems a caring husband as he spends his time by his wifes bedside.It is after tne mother/wife dies that things begin to happen. The relationship between daughter and father spins quickly out control when the father takes to drinking to ease his pain.The father becomes abusive when drunk. The daughter (Jamie) finds some relief of sorrow by going through her mother's things.Here lies a great supprise.A package of letters hidden away revealing that her mother had a lover.Some how this revelation stirs a hunger in the daughter to pursue a similiar course.Enter James Keach. A photographer of some renoun Jamie's character is not only familiar with him and his work but is quite excited that she might meet him. Meet him she does and an affair developes. James character is up front with her in stating that he had nothing to offer her and she accepts those terms in the beginning. But, as the affair continues she finds she needs more.She becomes irrational in her quest of love even allowing a great job opportunity to slip through her grasp.All hope is placed in this affair.Everything blows up in a scene outside of James character's house where his wife and child can see.The real redeeming quality of the movie comes in the end where a time of healing is presented when Jamie's character meets her mother's lover.
This is only one of two movies that I know of where Jamie does a couple of nude scenes.
There doesn't seem to be much care in the quality of the lighting while filming. This was my biggest gripe.

[videocassette from Simitar Entertainment]

Jamie Lee Curtis' character believes that to concede to overwhelming passion as a threshold to true love, and have a physical relationship with a married man, is human, after all. She has a "friend" played by Amy Madigan, the ultimate vicarious "coach" who does everything *not* to dissuade her.
I have never seen Curtis act better than in this "oddball" flick that I assume is now in a well-deserved "Cult" status. She is both aggressive and vulnerable; at the end of the movie when it all comes crashing down she is especially impressive. Sally Kirkland plays the wife of James Keach and in a stunning scene shows great compassion for the young woman left trembling in the dark, at their doorway.
This movie might stir memories of movies like "Bodyheat", or any number of "film noir"(s) of the '40s, although it can stand comfortably on its' own.

A poor quality re-release of the Roger Corman B-movie, "Love Letters". Either this version has been extensively edited or the legendary nude scenes have been vastly overrated. Not particularly interesting or erotic. The only good thing I can say is: I'm glad I bought the used VHS, rather than the expensive DVD.

Jamie Lee Curtis looked great stretched across the bed. Her Lover looked appreciative, but the sight of the microphone at the top of the screen destroyed the illusion and any positive impression of the scene. Such lack of care left the entire production lifeless. IMDb lists this movie as a thriller, perhaps because it contains no adventure, action, romance, etc. Waiting for the "thriller" payoff was futile. Without a buildup to the central relationship of the movie, one is left wondering why it occurred. Although the primary difficulty in the relationship is anticipated at length, the encounter that resulted was lacking in tension and passed much too quickly.

If you are not a Jamie Lee Curtis fan you may not want to watch this

The best movie Jamie ever made. Also the best movie to see her gorgeous body in her prime. The story of her character having sex with a married man and ending up falling in love. This is a must have for Jamie fans. They did a great job with transferring the print to DVD. Also this film came out 1983 not 1984.

I was very disappointed in the current release of Love Letters (Passion Play) on video cassette. It appears to me that the master from which the tape was made was of low quality, the tape is recorded in EP mode, which further degraded the video quality, and the audio quality varies from woeful to just barely acceptable.