Customer Reviews

People Vs Larry Flynt [VHS]

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's sad to discover that *some* people (who have posted reviews here) have overlooked the merits of this film... and focused only on Larry Flynt as a man. Well, listen up... a movie is not WHAT it's about, but HOW it's about it!

Don't complain about the actions of Mr. Flynt in the movie... after all, he (Flynt) overlooked the production... he really did those things. Perhaps Milos Forman should've CHANGED the events somehow? No!

This film is essentially a sad love story. Nevermind the politics and Ammendement speeches... what we have here is a destructive relationship in the vein of Sid Viscious and Nancy Spungen. It is masterfully directed, beautiful to look at, and deeply engrossing.

Whatever your feelings about Flynt, remember that he did play an important role in our era. Think he's a horrible person? You probably won't get an argument from him, as this film demonstrates.

"The People vs. Larry Flynt" has long languished in a no-frill, barebone widescreen edition. Now Columbia has finally released a Special Edition that includes bonus material that fans of the film can appreciate: two full-length commentary tracks (both free of the excessive "back-patting" that other commentary tracks devolve into), a pair of interesting deleted scenes (though they are very brief, they include commentary), and some other bells and whistles.

The featurettes deserve a special kudos as they're actually quite good, not the normal fluff studios usually put in DVDs. Both were produced in 2003 for the Special Edition and allow the interviewees to reflect on the entire production and theatrical life of the movie and the backlash it recieved from the Left. The interviewees include Foreman, Flynt, Harrelson, the producers, screenwriters, and as a commendable surprise, Rev. Jerry Falwell himself. The featurette on Larry Flynt's life (narrated by Dennis Hopper) gives a brief synopsis of Flynt's entire life -filling in areas that the movie did not cover (like his service in the Army and Navy) and putting the events of the movie in actual chronological order -making it interesting to compare to how the movie interprets the truth.

As for the movie itself, I would recommend that you rent a movie before buying a more expensive "special edition." I personally enjoyed it a lot when it was theaters. Milos Forman's style is very visual, and he's able to keep his subject at enough distance to allow the audience to make up their own minds about him. Harrelson's performance is top notch (he recieved an Oscar nomination) and the rest of the cast definitely fits the bill. It stands alongside Forman's Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Just be forewarned, it is quite graphic -so if sexual situations bother you, it may not be something you'll enjoy.

As a final note, the DVD is actually contained within a jacket (the stripes you can see in the picture), when you pull the DVD case from the jacket you get to see the original "People vs. Larry Flynt" film poster that wasn't released due to it's parody of religion, sex, and patriotism -a good synopsis of the film indeed.

I love this movie, and I recommend this movie to anyone that does not like Larry Flynt-it has the potential to change your opinion. This movie was tongue in cheek, and it was tragic. This wonderfully directed and acted movie will show people that Larry Flynt may not be the most moral person (in some people's minds), but it shows that he has fought for every American's rights.
Courtney Love blew me away as Larry Flynt's late wife. Every movie I've seen with her, she proves that she has a talent, and this movie let her shine with her acting ability.

"The People Vs. Larry Flint" is one of the most controversial releases of 1996, starring Woody Harrelson, Edward Norton, and Courtney Love. It earned two Oscar nominations and two Golden Globe wins. This real-life film wonderfully desplicts Larry Flint's struggle to publish "Hustler", a sexually explicit magazine. He risks his freedom to prove that the bans violate the First Amendment on the US Bill of Rights, which is freedom of speech. Through every step, he causes tremendous controversy throughout the country. Some love him, some hate him. Either way, nobody can get enough of him. The plot is brilliant. The daring material expressed deserves tremendous respect for doing what few writers have dared. The climatic story keeps audiences interested in every scene, always wondering what Flint will say or do next. The unexpected events keep the energy intact. His eccentric behavior adds a more interesting flavor to the film.

Woody Harrelson and Courtney Love prove that they were made for their roles. Harrelson's Oscar nominated performance as Larry Flint is the best in his career. Nobody else could have played Flint better. Love makes a triumphant film debut in her Golden Globe nominated role as Athena, Flint's wife. Her erratic behavior is wonderfully displayed through every scene. Athena's life struggles are beautifully expressed. Edward Norton's role as Flint's lawyer is beautifully performed. All other performers also acted their roles wonderfully.

"The People Vs. Larry Flint" is a great film for those looking for something risque. This is sure to please audiences of all kinds.

the people verses larry flynt was a moving and powerful movie based on a true sory in so many differnt ways. free speech the main storyline and the there is with enough money minipulation in the court happens and can even turn into a circus it shows if little poeple like us had all the money our courthouse would be a totaly different place today. larry flynt is a decent man who wasent given a fair shot we just called him a prevert insted. with all the pain he has indured realy who cares about nudie pictures.

I have watched this movie multiple times and have always found it to be a fascinating portrayal of colorful characters. Larry Flynt, played convincingly by Woody Harrelson, and his real life brother Brett Harrelson, playing brother of Larry in the movie, was a nice touch. I think that added to the believabilty of the portrayals too. The most fascinating in a movie award goes to.

Courtney, I LOVE you in this role. Never have I seen an actress play a role so convincingly as musician and actress Courtney Love played the Althea Flynt character. She was no less than mesmerizingly wild, beautiful, neurotic and one step away from self destruction from the beginning of the film. Then once she joins Larry in taking his pain medication after the assasination attempt outside the courtroom paralyzes him forever, she spirals into oblivion so genuinely played,you can't wait for her scenes. In my opinion, she makes this movie achieve greatness.

Ex-NYC mayor Rudy Guiliani's ex-wife, Donna Hanover, plays a great role as evangelist sister of ex-president Jimmy Carter, Ruth Carter-Stapleton. She introduces Larry to the re-born life, only to lose him again after he is shot, and the epiphany he experienced through her mentoring, is lost.Edward Norton is also wonderful as Larrys long suffering lawyer. When they go up against Jerry Falwell in court, Woody is truly hilarious as Larry at his most ornery. All in all, a very entertaining movie that the prudish, or devout won't care for...but they know who they are, and probably wouldn't be watching this film anyway. For the rest of us, even if we don't like the man, or what he stands for, we will be entertained by this biopic.

I didn't know too much about the man that was Larry Flynt before the other night. I new he was the man behind 'Hustler' but that was about it. Watching this surprisingly tastfully done biopic on the man opened my eyes to what he stood for. Pulling himself out of nothing, Larry Flynt (Woody Harrelson) stood up for the rights of every American when he fought for the publication of his magazine. Starting out the owner of an exotic dance club but looking for more he started a newsletter advertising his 'girls', but after his little side project took off running it was apparent where his big break was going to fall. The film follows Flynt throughout his life, from his marriage to dancer Althea (Courtney Love) who is just as excited about his magazine as he is, to his arrest's and constant battles with the court over the right to publish 'smut' as they called it.

His legal battles are really where the meat of this film lies for is really shows the hypocrisy of the legal system. They were forcing opinions on citizens instead of inforcing law. There was no law against the publication of porn, but it went against what many people belived to be good morals. As Flynt so noted, he was guilty of nothing but bad taste.

As the film progresses we see the aftermath of a shooting gone wrong, a man obviously upset over the magazine shot Larry outside of the courthouse paralizing him from the waist down. This has to of course be a terrible blow to a man obsessed with sex. Just before the shooting Larry was starting to turn over a new leaf after being converted the Christianity. He was trying to turn his magazine around (even though he ended up making it worse) but after the shooting he swore off god altogether and became athiest. Through the course of the next three years he and his wife became addicted to pain killers and his wife ended up suffering the fatal price when she was diagnosed with AIDS. The film shows beautifully, as well as heartbreakingly, Larry's devotion to his ailing wife and there illicit love affair that was in all sense of the word genuine.

The film helps show the triumph of the everyman as he battles for the freedoms we all enjoy and is relentless in doing so. He's not doing this for the money or the fame but to prove that we all want the same thing. It doesn't matter whether we agree with what this man did or what he promoted, for theres not one of us who doesn't enjoy the freedom we have in this country, and all Larry Flynt wanted was the right to enjoy that freedom as well. What this film proved, and better yet what Larry's life proved, is that once you start taking away the freedoms of one person based on our own viewpoints we start to limit ourselves and everyone around us. If we started punishing those who didn't think like us the world would be a much colder place.

Now what needs to be mentioned, and what makes a film like this so great, is the brilliant acting on the part of the entire cast, from Harrelson's brilliant take on Larry Flynt to Edward Norton's turn as his cautious lawyer. I wholeheartedly agree that Woody should have won the Oscar for this, for there is no one else that could have pulled this off the way he did. Courtney Love is another cast memeber who deserves heeps of praise for her scene stealing performance as Larry's bisexual, drug addict wife. Her performance blew me away with her commiment and dedication to her role. She was the def. of commanding and stole every scene out from under Woody's feet. I believe Courtney to be a huge star, and if she would only harness that drive she showed in this film then she could be much further then she is now. As a whole, in everyway, this is a great film that is about so much more than 'porn' but about growth and the fight for the American dream!

Larry Flynt is a sleaze, and he's not afraid to exlpoit that fact. The People Vs. Larry Flynt doesn't make him look like a saint, as some have said. Milos Forman is a great director, and he takes this material and turns it into a very compelling look at a man, (who is very sleazy, mind you), that cared immensely about the First Amendment and turned the judicial system upside down. (And made and spent lots of money!) Like it or not, Flynt is a crusader for free speech in the annals of American history. Great film, and FINALLY a great DVD. However, where's the Forman commentary?

WOW!! Here's a film that takes completely unsympathetic characters, and yet, makes us care about them. No small task for Milos Forman as director, but casting this film with Woody Harrelson and Courtney Love as Larry and Althea Flynt respectively, was sheer brilliance.

Woody Harrelson gives a knockout performance as formidable pornographer and publisher of the controversial "Hustler" Magazine. We meet him as a little backwoods boy selling moonshine with his brother, then a grown-up Larry selling a peek at bare-naked ladies, first in the flesh, and later in print, as he starts his publishing empire with his brother. I thought that casting Woody's REAL life brother, Brett Harrelson, as his brother in the movie, was a terrific touch.

Speaking of authenticity, a role has never been so perfect for anyone like the role of Althea Flynt was for actress/musician Courtney Love. I think she is a fascinating dynamic personality, and that works for her extraordinarily well on the screen here. From the moment she saunters out onto the stage to strip for Larry in the beginning, and for every moment she appears on screen through the end, she is truly mesmerizing and captivating. Love accurately captures the innate self-destructiveness of Althea that comes to fruition once Larry is paralyzed. When he recieves heavy narcotic pain killers by injection, she decides to partake as well, while injecting him. We have to assume she was seeking a substitute for the physical pleasures she and a paralyzed Larry, could no longer share. A little timeline shows us how several years go by. When the bedroom vault they've been holed up in opens, Althea is a stumbling, drug addicted, disheveled, punk caricature of her former attractive strong self. Love is SO great in her portrayal of this tragic figure, it is a crime she didn't win an award. She certainly deserves one for this outstanding performance. It's particularly funny, when Larry has the Delorean tapes, and an FBI agent comes to the door to see them. Althea opens up, bedraggled and wasted. When she tells the agent SHES Mrs. Flynt, the look of disbelief on his face is hilarious. We all know how the story ends, but in the film, the details are tactfully left out. Viewers can easily draw their own conclusions anyway.

Donna Hanover, ex-wife of ex-NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, gives a brief yet sincere performance as Ruth Carter Stapleton, evangelistic sister of former president Jimmy Carter. She gets Larry interested in rebirth through religion, but the "epiphany" he experiences, is shattered by a snipers bullet.

Edward Norton turns in a convincing portrayal of Larry's long suffering lawyer. Particularly amusing are the scenes where Larry at his most ornery, goes up against Jerry Falwell, or, as he unfondly and hilariously refers to him "Fartwell." You find yourself cheering for Larry as Norton fights for his clients ammendment rights.

There is no doubt that this film is not for the prudish, or the devout. There is much to be offended by when a story is based on a man such as Larry Flynt. If you are a person who might find this story, or its contents offensive, then you know who you are, and you know it's not for you.

For the rest of us, whether we like Flynt or not, there are parts of this film that will make you want to cheer, or even cry in sympathy when Larry loses what matters the most to him. When a film can make you CARE about unsympathetic characters, you KNOW you've experienced quality filmaking.

At the very least, I am sure you WILL be entertained by this excellent and highly fascinating biopic.

This is a very good film. It's well acted and well directed. I agree with the review written by Dennis Littrel., but write to add just two thoughts:

First, this is the type of film that should be made more often. It'd doesn't fall into the typical Hollywood formula of smaltzh, but instead actually has a message. Hate Larry Flynt if you will, but respect the fact that he did us all a great service by testing the limits of our tolerance for 1st Amendment values. It's a great civic lesson.

Second, Coutney Love is OUTSTANDING in this role. She has a charisma that cuts through the screen, and reaches the viewer in ways that I never would have expected from her. Ok, maybe playing a junkie was not much of a stretch for her. But she does it with pure magnestism. Bravo to Ms. Love.