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Since the release of his breakthrough 1970 film "M*A*S*H", Robert Altman has put together one of the most fascinating filmographies of any director working in that span of time; a partial list of his works would include such landmarks as "McCabe & Mrs. Miller", "The Long Goodbye", "Thieves Like Us", "Nashville", "The Player", "Short Cuts" and "Gosford Park" (any one of which would have been enough to make a career) as well as quirky, lesser-known gems like "Brewster McCloud", "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" and "Popeye". One of his greatest films, 1977’s "3 Women" has, sadly, become one of his least-known in recent years-for various reasons, it was never released on cassette or laserdisc and cable/revival showings have been few and far between. Thankfully, The Criterion Collection, the video company that has made a specialty of giving obscure films the treatment that they deserve, has finally corrected that grievous error and have granted the film its long-overdue DVD release, allowing film buffs to give it a fresh look and realize that it is one of the towering achievements in a career filled with them.

One of the most fascinating things about "3 Women" (although it was also the reason why many dismissed it when it was first released) is its utter obliqueness-I have seen the film several times over the years (on a tape made from a cable broadcast) and I must confess that I am still not entirely sure what it is all about in the end. Supposedly inspired by a dream Altman had one night, it stars Altman regular Shelly Duvall (who won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her performance) as an oddball working in a desolate Southwestern retirement home who takes in her new co-worker (Sissy Spacek) as a roommate. The newcomer, it transpires, idolizes her and gradually begins to assume many of her characteristics until the two virtually transform personalities.

There are many ways to approach a set-up like that; I can see it as a wacky comedy or as a horror flick along the lines of "Single White Female". Altman’s take on it, however, is utterly unique-there is no simple way to describe how he has chosen to tell the story (describing it as akin to Bergman’s "Persona" is not necessarily inaccurate but hardly does it justice) or how it resolves itself in the end. Like "2001", it allows the viewer to interpret the proceedings in any way they so desire; as a result, this is one of those rare films that will always seem timeless and open to interpretation because there is no fixed explanation about what happened or why. The main bonus on the disc is a commentary by Altman himself but, as much as I have admired his commentaries over the years, I think I am going to skip listening this one to avoid any hearing any of his possible explanations so as not to ruin the magic of one of his true masterpieces. (Hey Criterion-while you are at it, how about a deluxe edition of "Quintet"?)

Starring: Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Janice Rule, Ruth Nelson, John Cromwell. Directed by: Robert Altman. Rated PG. 1977. 122 minutes. A Criterion Collection release. $39.95

FOOL FOR LOVE (MGM Home Video. $14.95): If "3 Women" has whetted your appetite for oblique, hard-to-find Altman, you might also want to given this film, shot (and barely released) during a period in the 1980’s where, all but ostracized by Hollywood, he passed the time by making low-budget film adaptations of plays for indie producers. Sam Shepard (who wrote the original play) and Kim Basinger are impressive in this tale of a long-separated couple who reunite one evening in a seedy motel for a long night of drinking, arguing, loving and more arguing-all while dancing around the shocking secret that both tears them apart and brings them closer together.

GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROAD STREET (Fox Home Video. $14.95): Quite possibly the single lowest artistic valley achieved by any member of the Beatles (and yes, I am factoring in Ringo’s solo albums and the fact that George produced "Shanghai Surprise"), this Paul McCartney vanity film is one of the dumbest rock movies ever inflicted on audiences. ("Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band", by comparison, was a model of narrative drive and cohesiveness.) The plot is ludicrously simple-minded: McCartney, playing himself, loses the master tapes of his new album (not necessarily a bad idea if you remember most of his output of the time) and faces disaster if he can’t locate them by midnight. Of course, this is just an excuse for a bunch of lazy-minded vignettes in which McCartney, wife Linda and various buddies get to screw around while a mix of dull re-recordings of Beatles classics and dreadful new tunes plays in the background. The only worthwhile aspects of the film are a brief, bright performance by then-unknown Tracy Ullman and the inclusion of "No More Lonely Nights", perhaps the only decent song McCartney recorded during the 1980’s without the help of Elvis Costello. An awful film, though it is one so dreadful that it almost deserves to be seen and disbelieved.

REEFER MADNESS (Fox Home Video. $14.95): This legendary camp classic about the "dangers" of marijuana, a fountain of misinformation when it was released in 1938 and a cult hit ever since, has been released by numerous companies over the years (most notably by Something Weird as part of a "THC Triple Bill" with its contemporaries "Marihuana" and "Assassin of Youth"), so why should you bother to pick up this version? Well, this disc features a commentary track by Michael J. Nelson, one of the geniuses behind "Mystery Science Theater 3000", the show which hysterically deconstructed dreadful movies every week with a barrage of jokes, puns, arcane references and silliness that was always a joy to behold. Although not a full "MST3K" reunion (no Crow or Servo), this should serve as the next best thing and will hopefully prove to producers (either for cable or DVD) that there is still life in the concept-crappy movies will never go out of style and neither will the urge to mock them.

Copyright © 2004 Peter Sobczynski
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Used with permission

While the views expressed by Peter Sobczynski do not necessarily reflect the views of Criticdoctor.com, the Critic Doctor will occasionally examine Mr. Sobczynski's film reviews to bring forth an honest examination of those views expressed.