Popeye (Robert Altman, 1980)

[Magic Hate Ball]

What a fantastic movie. Fantastic not only in the sense of being good, but the old-fashioned version of "fantastic", as in a fantastic journey, completely incredible (maybe uncredible would work better nowadays). Certainly not a perfect film by any means, but a fantastic one nonetheless, filled with clever puns, small jokes, and other fun things. The only real issue I take is that it peters out with the fight, but there's so much to enjoy, if only in the first two acts.

The characters and acting are all absolutely perfect 3-D renditions of their cartoon characters, especially Shelley Duvall's perfect Olive Oyl, probably owed in part to her costume. Honestly, it's too bad she was in so few films.

Discuss Popeye.

[sevenarts]

I could watch a whole 2 hour film just consisting of Shelley Duvall's performance in this. She's the perfect Olive Oyl. So funny and fun to watch. And "He's Large" is only topped by "He Needs Me" as far as gloriously bad singing goes.

As a whole, the film is clearly a bit messy and out there -- and Altman genuinely thought this would be a kid's flick? What the hell? But the mumbled dialogue and tossed-off jokes from Williams, the goofy songs, the ramshackle aesthetic of the sets, the cartoony performances. I can't imagine a better encapsulation of early EC Segar than this, in all its sloppy glory. I've been on an Altman kick lately and kind of expected this to be a big roadblock on the way, considering its rep, but was very pleasantly surprised. It's not a great film, but definitely a very good one.

[SheriffAmbrose]

and Altman genuinely thought this would be a kid's flick? What the hell?

I remember thinking that it didn't seem to fit its target audience. I think that Popeye is heard to exclaim "shit!" toward the end as if they knew that the kids would have been asleep by then.

Didn't Van Dyke Parks write the songs? gosh they were all brilliantly terrible. I think I have that record somewhere, I will hunt it down and listen to it tonight.

By the way ramshackle is the perfect word for the sets.

[zedz]

Didn't Van Dyke Parks write the songs? gosh they were all brilliantly terrible. I think I have that record somewhere, I will hunt it down and listen to it tonight.

Harry Nilsson (cue double-take): Van Dyke did the arrangements, I think.

I watched this recently and found it much easier to admire than to love. It's enjoyable observing the matching between Altman's and Segar's stock companies. As noted, Duvall is surreally perfect, and I think Paul Dooley is a similarly great J. Wellington Wimpy. Williams has a much harder job embodying the title role, and I just find him grating. His mimicry has one fascinating side-effect for me, though. Maybe it's just my imagination, but it sounds an awful lot like the phrasing and diction of his 'singing voice' is a Nilsson imitation. Did he just mechanically reproduce the demos or something?

For most of the film, Altman seems horribly constrained by the act of homage and the forms in which its embodied (e.g. the sets and special effects), and it's like he's traipsing dutifully through the script, the raison d'etre for the various set pieces, rather than 'exploring' his fictional world in an interesting way. So for me it seems much more static and plodding than almost any of his other films, and much less playful. I can't imagine it goes down well with the 6-12 year olds, but I wonder if it works better for very young children?

[SheriffAmbrose]

Duvall is surreally

Is it safe to say that she was so well cast as Olive Oyl that it sunk her career? I was just looking at her c.v. on imdb and it is pretty bare after Popeye. Is there a lot of demand in Hollywood for an Olive Oyl type?

but I wonder if it works better for very young children?

Actually I think I saw this when I was very young and I might have been speaking from experience when I said that I was asleep by the end. I definitely didn't think it was worth a second viewing then but now I think a second viewing is mandatory.

[Magic Hate Ball]

but I wonder if it works better for very young children?

Actually I think I saw this when I was very young and I might have been speaking from experience when I said that I was asleep by the end. I definitely didn't think it was worth a second viewing then but now I think a second viewing is mandatory.

Perhaps it's a children's film for adults.

[Faux Hulot]

Didn't Van Dyke Parks write the songs? gosh they were all brilliantly terrible. I think I have that record somewhere, I will hunt it down and listen to it tonight.

Harry Nilsson (cue double-take): Van Dyke did the arrangements, I think.

You are correct, sir. Thanks to For The Love Of Harry, you can download the original soundtrack album here, and the Parks-less demos here.

[Feego]

Is it safe to say that she was so well cast as Olive Oyl that it sunk her career? I was just looking at her c.v. on imdb and it is pretty bare after Popeye. Is there a lot of demand in Hollywood for an Olive Oyl type?

I love Shelley Duvall in this role. In fact, I love her in just about everything. I think there are a lot of things that contributed to her acting decline after "Popeye." First of all, she generally did not have large roles outside of Altman films, except in "The Shining," which from what I understand was not a happy experience for her.

Altman seemed to be the only director who really knew what to do with her, and he used both her eccentric personality and unique body image in "Popeye" as well as "Thieves Like Us," "Nashville," and "3 Women" (a staggering performance too).

Also, she turned toward producing in the 80s, and she really seemed to focus most of her attention in this area. She occasionally acted in some of her own series, such as "Faerie Tale Theatre" (I doubt that anyone else would have cast her as Rapunzel).

Anyway, her performance as Olive Oyl is classic, and nothing beats her rendition of "He Needs Me."

[Barmy]

Simply the best movie ever. =D>

[jbeall]

I love Shelley Duvall in this role. In fact, I love her in just about everything. I think there are a lot of things that contributed to her acting decline after "Popeye." First of all, she generally did not have large roles outside of Altman films, except in "The Shining," which from what I understand was not a happy experience for her.

Altman seemed to be the only director who really knew what to do with her, and he used both her eccentric personality and unique body image in "Popeye" as well as "Thieves Like Us," "Nashville," and "3 Women" (a staggering performance too).

While she was a good actress, I think she was woefully miscast in The Shining; maybe her dissatisfaction with the role is because it's not right for her. As Olive Oyl, however, she's perfect.

[Dylan]

Let's not forget that Giuseppe Rotunno was the cinematographer.

[flyonthewall2983]

Most apocryphal studio note ever: "Can he have both his eyes open?"

[Magic Hate Ball]

Most apocryphal studio note ever: "Can he have both his eyes open?"

Seriously? Wow. That's...that's what the character's named after...his pop...eye...

[flyonthewall2983]

Most apocryphal studio note ever: "Can he have both his eyes open?"

Seriously? Wow. That's...that's what the character's named after...his pop...eye...

I seem to remember hearing Robin Williams recalling that on his appearance on Elvis Mitchell's show.

[Magic Hate Ball]

For those in Seattle, the Northwest Film Forum is showing this on March 1 and 2, at 1:30 and 4.

Link.

[noelbotevera]

Popeye (Robert Altman, 1980)