Product Details

• Actors: John Travolta, Tom Conti
• Directors: Robert Altman
• Format: NTSC, Color, HiFi Sound
• Language: English
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Prism
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B000MRTVNS
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,316 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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3.0 out of 5 stars John Travolta channeling his future comeback role in a Harold Pinter Play for TV , May 15, 2008

By	sideshowvideo "sideshowvideo" (NYC) - See all my reviews

"The Dumb Waiter" was a made for TV production directed by acclaimed filmmaker Robert Altman (mash - nashville). It is an obscure 60min. short film based on the story by British playwright Harold Pinter (betrayal).

"The Dumb Waiter" was actually just one part of a two part ABC TV series by Robert Altman. The series was titled "BASEMENTS" it featured two short films. "The Dumb Waiter" and "The Room". The TV episodes were titled "BASEMENTS" because both story lines revolve around characters in a basement.

Both "The Room" and "The Dumb Waiter" were released on US VHS by Prism Home Video Entertainment separately. Neither film is on DVD yet. The Room stars singer Annie Lennox in a rare film role. These two films should be watched together to be best appreciated.

"The Dumb Waiter" is an odd film for many reasons. John Travolta seems miss-cast here opposite Tom Conti. This was during Travolta's dry-spell right around the time of the bomb "The Experts". So, it is not surprising the film disappeared until the internet brought it back.

What is truly bizarre about "The Dumb Waiter" is John Travolta's character's uncanny similarity to the character he would later portray in his 90's comeback film Quentin Tarantino's "PULP FICTION". Here as in Pulp Fiction Travolta is a Hitmen who is at odds with his partner. They quibble about meaningless and mundane issues as they impatiently await instructions for their next hit. The scene of him discussing odd British pleasantries over tea with his partner (tom conti) is shockingly similar to the same conversation he has in Pulp Fiction over the French translations of the McDonalds hamburger names with his then hitman partner Samuel Jackson.

There is much more to this short film that I can go into here. The piece by Harold Pinter is loved and hated by many people. I won't go into detail on the screenplay because there is ample information about the writing on the internet. This type of story line is definitely not for everyone. It is a slow moving piece that does not translate well to TV. That said, this type of risky experiments in TV is simply not seen today and should be at be commended. -sideshowvideo