Hysterical Blindness

Amazon.com

Uma Thurman is painful to watch in Hysterical Blindness--and that's a compliment. Thurman completely gives herself over to her trashy character, a pathetically self-deluding good-time girl who hangs out in a tavern in Bayonne, New Jersey, circa 1987. She occupies the bar stool next to her best bud (a dead-on Juliette Lewis), willing herself to believe that an obviously indifferent pick-up is Mr. Right. Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) directed this familiar but nicely-rendered HBO production; her visual style, full of obscured sightlines and opaque glass, emphasizes the heroine's inability to see clearly. Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara, as Thurman's mom and her gentleman suitor, add an echo of Cassavetes realism. But it's Thurman's tour de force, capturing the kind of lost soul whose idea of first-date chat is to break an awkward silence by boasting about her best sexual skill. She will make you cringe. --Robert Horton

Description

Uma Thurman and Juliette Lewis, two of today's most sensational actresses, tackle what it was to be single in the 80's in a new movie with a terrific 80's soundtrack. It's 1987 in Bayonne, New Jersey. The bars are full and smoky and Debby (Thurman) and Beth (Lewis) are out looking for a good time. Debby is searching for the kind of love they sing about in songs, the kind that lasts forever. What she can't see is that most guys are only looking for a love that lasts one night. From Mira Nair, director of Monsoon Wedding and Mississippi Masala.

Customer Reviews:

A demanding role nailed!.......2007-07-23

I cannot say enough about the performances of Thurman and Lewis in this wonderful character study set in the late 1980s. Thurman nailed her character -- a lonely working girl who spent her nights in a bar looking for love. I ached to hear her struggle to connect on any level with the guy who took her home for nothing more than sex on his living room floor. In desperation to hang onto this man, Thurman heartbreakingly begs to make him breakfast, which he refuses, then asks to make him a dinner of fillet mignon. Lewis is pefect as the too-young mother whose sense of socializing is stalled at age 16. Kudos to the make-up and stylists, too. The raccoon-smudged eyeliner and stringy hair punctuated by overcurled bangs was perfect. Thurman and Lewis are two very gifted actors

What A Fresh, Well Acted Film.......2007-05-28

This movie shows a side of human behavior I've never seen in cinema before, but have indeed in life. Uma Thurman, Juliette Lewis, and Gena Rowlands give nuanced, believable performances that suck you in to what is essentially a character piece. The story is thin, but that doesn't matter because we can all relate to what the characters are going through. It concerns 2 best friends (Uma and Juliette) and their quest for love at their local hangout, the neighborhood bar. We all know how hopeless, futile and tragic that is. Great slice of life film.

I cannot believe this movie hasn't been more critiically acclaimed.......2007-01-28

I just cannot understand how this movie didn't get critically acclaimed. It is an amazing piece. At times cringingly reminiscent of my own mistakes in my youth, but an extraodinary script and the most amazing acting story.

It is about two women, 'pushing thirty' as it says in the blurb above. The difference here is that they have never grown up into adult relationships, they are searching for something which they think is an adult relationship, but searching in the same places, the bar the have always gone to. The men are all just the same, and everything is towards a casual one night stand.

It is set in the mid 1980's, the hair is Jersey-big, the jeans skinny stretch stove pipes and the accents nasal whines. But Juliette Lewis and Uma thurmas utterly pin their characters down. They are helped along but an extraodinary script and great direction. The neediness Uma Thurman's character, at once picky and judging, the next whining and needy, and then in another moment, coquettishly naive. I am not normally a fan of Juliette Lewis but she absolutely takes this character, the lost dreamer, and makes it her own. She is almost stifled by her need to help Uma's character, and support her own daughter, that her own life becomes crushed (willingly it seems) beneath everything else.

I bought the DVD in the end because I found it so powerful and multilayered that I wanted to see it a few more times and watch the extraodinary relationships and subtle subtexts of the movie.

If you want to watch something that really show cases these talents, and yet does it without grandstanding you will enjoy this. It is very much a story of hope, and if nothing else it has a great 80's sound track!

I LOVE this movie...the 80's feel and the cast are top notch.......2006-12-28

"Hysterical Blindness" Is such a good movie because its so accurate and honest plus the performances are amazing.
Uma Thurman Plays Debbie an insecure young woman whos life revolves around the neighborhood bar "Ollies " She and Her best friend Beth played by the equally talented Julliett Lewis haunt Ollies looking for mr right only to find that he isn't there.
Thurman's portrayal of the desperate, promiscuous Debbie is heart wrenching but amazing to watch. .The always wonderful Gena Rowlands who also gives an exellent and endearing performance as Debbies mom Virginia a waitress at the local diner who meets a man played by Ben Gazzara and falls in love only to have love woes of her own.
Some of the scenes with Debbie "Uma" and Rick played by the sexy Justin Chambers "whom she meets at Ollies" are painful to watch and make you feel embarrassed for her because of the way she throws herself at him and almost begs him to love her.
The reason I love the movie so much besides the script and cast are the soundtrack and the dead on accuracy the director captures of the mid 80's also it reminds me of myself and my best girlfriend when we would go out and run straight to the ladies room check our selves spray our hair apply more make up then strut out like 2 peacocks and get our drink on. I highly recommend this movie it has something for everyone ,I watch it atleast 5 times a year.

live for the moment.......2006-12-21

This movie is emotional and real. The characters are ones that you can understand and at times seem to be the mirror image of you. Uma's drive to be in a relationship clouds her mind to what is going on around her. As the movie progresses you see how low and desperate this drive can be and when she hits rock bottom it is a pain that you can emphasize with. The end show that you have to enjoy life for what you have and not for what you don't have. Her desperation and jealousy lead her to be "blind" to what is going on around her. She doesn't share the joy that is around her and as a result she is bitter. This movie is a must have for anyone that has ever been though this or felt that way. By watching her mistakes one can see how damaging those feelings and actions are.

Average customer rating:

hysterical
EGAD
Who remembers the Hudson Brothers?
Good and silly
Hysterical

Hysterical
Starring: Bill Hudson , Mark Hudson , Brett Hudson , Cindy Pickett , and Richard Kiel
Director: Chris Bearde
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000055XM6
Release Date: 2001-01-30

Description

The Hudson Brothers and a variety of familiar faces star in this hilarious murder mystery spoof. In the tradition of "Scary Movie," "Hysterical" parodies horror films such as "Dracula," "The Amityville Horror" and "The Exorcist," as well as classics like "Jaws" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." In the spirit of "Airplane!," this fast-moving laugh fest also boasts plenty of physical comedy, farce, satire, Marx Brothers style-wordplay and outrageous musical numbers.

Customer Reviews:

hysterical.......2007-01-03

well the titles says it all. it is comedy at its best with scenes and references we all know twisted into gutbusting laughoramas.

EGAD.......2005-10-24

Well after watching this movie..i know why the hudson brothers never won any oscars....Well at least mark hudson did some decent record producing..Bill spawned kate hudson...the acting horrible..lighting was shabby..have to be a REALLLLL big hudson brother fan to enjoy this

Who remembers the Hudson Brothers?.......2005-10-13

For fans of bad tv variety shows this movie is a must. The Hudson Brothers were very amusing for a comedy team but not the best actors in the world. Kate Hudson will probably be the best product from their past (yeah I know only one of them is her father but I can never remember which one). The movie spoofs just about every adventure and ghost movie that was out before it. Lots of Indiana Jones jokes. My favorite line is still a well-worn "Your Doooooomed!" Good movie for Halloween to get a break from blood and guts - lots of zombies, little blood. It is a comedy after all.
The DVD doesn't offer much in the way of extras but the transfer is good.

Good and silly.......2005-09-23

This movie isn't Shakespeare, but it is awfully amusing. Growing up, my mother found this movie somewhere and, like most boys between 10-15, I could watch it over and over again. Since then, it holds a special place in my heart, but I did go back recently and watch it again and I still found it pretty amusing (so it isn't a matter of me favoring this movie for nostalgic reasons). It's full of visual puns and silly dialogue and ridiculous plot threads, but I would still recommend it to anyone who can avoid taking it too seriously.

Hysterical.......2005-09-02

I think this is a classic for all horror movie lovers. It is a parady of most horror movies made in the 60's and 70's. If you Like movies such as Airplane! , Transylvania 6-5000, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Top Secret, or the Files from Police Squad, this is another movie you need to have, or need to see.

Average customer rating:

A demanding role nailed!
What A Fresh, Well Acted Film
I cannot believe this movie hasn't been more critiically acclaimed
I LOVE this movie...the 80's feel and the cast are top notch
live for the moment

Hysterical Blindness [Region 2]
Starring: Uma Thurman , Gena Rowlands , Juliette Lewis , Justin Chambers , and Ben Gazzara
Director: Mira Nair
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00019HORC

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

A demanding role nailed!.......2007-07-23

What A Fresh, Well Acted Film.......2007-05-28

I cannot believe this movie hasn't been more critiically acclaimed.......2007-01-28

I LOVE this movie...the 80's feel and the cast are top notch.......2006-12-28

live for the moment.......2006-12-21

Average customer rating:

Hypnotized and Hysterical
Starring: Amira Casar , Marina Foïs , Olivia Bonamy , Charles Berling , and Sergi López
Director: Claude Duty
Manufacturer: Synkronized USA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Def Leppard- Hysterical Pyromaniac Unauthorized

Average customer rating:

Def Leppard- Hysterical Pyromaniac Unauthorized
Starring: Def Leppard
Manufacturer: Video Music, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000VWQUDI
Release Date: 2007-11-20

Average customer rating:

A demanding role nailed!
What A Fresh, Well Acted Film
I cannot believe this movie hasn't been more critiically acclaimed
I LOVE this movie...the 80's feel and the cast are top notch
live for the moment

Hysterical Blindness
Starring: Uma Thurman , Gena Rowlands , Juliette Lewis , Justin Chambers , and Ben Gazzara
Director: Mira Nair
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00008S0EJ

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

A demanding role nailed!.......2007-07-23

What A Fresh, Well Acted Film.......2007-05-28

I cannot believe this movie hasn't been more critiically acclaimed.......2007-01-28

I LOVE this movie...the 80's feel and the cast are top notch.......2006-12-28

live for the moment.......2006-12-21

DVD:

DVD

DVD