Chain Letters.

Contributor(s):

Material type: Film

FilmPublisher number: 1548915 | KanopyPublisher: Mark Rappaport, 1985Publisher: [San Francisco, California, USA] : Kanopy Streaming, 2019Description: 1 online resource (streaming video file) (96 minutes): digital, .flv file, soundContent type:

two-dimensional moving image

Media type:

computer

Carrier type:

online resource

Subject(s):

Genre/Form:

Feature films.

Online resources:

Mark Arnott, David Brisbin, Reed BirneySummary: Made in Manhattan during the worst early depths of the AIDS epidemic, this LA RONDE-style series of twosomes and threesomes never directly mentions that crisis. But the intricately interconnecting relationships glimpsed in mosaic-like shards here exist in a similarly embattled milieu, an urban war zone: war between the sexes (or perhaps between the urges toward and against any kind of intimacy). With Tin Pan Alley standard "Taking a Chance on Love" as ironic theme song, Rappaport's characters reach out to one another but might get their hand bitten off as thanks. Among them are a Vietnam vet (Mark Arnott) with paranoid hallucinations; an emasculating ex-soap opera actress (Marilyn Jones) whose tender side comes out only when she sees herself in TV reruns; a gay man (Reed Birney) whose involvement with a straight hustler proves more than either of them can handle. As is this singular writer-director's way, the drama is elliptical, the comedy slyly in-jokey and the narrative can run any which way, encompassing a lecture on sharks, campy medical horror, double-team prostitutes and yes, actual chain letters. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

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Film

In Process Record.

Mark Arnott, David Brisbin, Reed Birney

Originally produced by Mark Rappaport in 1985.

Made in Manhattan during the worst early depths of the AIDS epidemic, this LA RONDE-style series of twosomes and threesomes never directly mentions that crisis. But the intricately interconnecting relationships glimpsed in mosaic-like shards here exist in a similarly embattled milieu, an urban war zone: war between the sexes (or perhaps between the urges toward and against any kind of intimacy). With Tin Pan Alley standard "Taking a Chance on Love" as ironic theme song, Rappaport's characters reach out to one another but might get their hand bitten off as thanks. Among them are a Vietnam vet (Mark Arnott) with paranoid hallucinations; an emasculating ex-soap opera actress (Marilyn Jones) whose tender side comes out only when she sees herself in TV reruns; a gay man (Reed Birney) whose involvement with a straight hustler proves more than either of them can handle. As is this singular writer-director's way, the drama is elliptical, the comedy slyly in-jokey and the narrative can run any which way, encompassing a lecture on sharks, campy medical horror, double-team prostitutes and yes, actual chain letters. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

In English