Joe | 
| Director: John G. Avildsen
Actors: Peter Boyle, Dennis Patrick, Audrey Caire, Susan Sarandon, K Callan
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $7.53
You Save: $7.45 (50%)
New (30) Used (13) Collectible (1) from $4.96
Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 18176
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 107 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 1003336
ISBN: 0792852230
UPC: 027616874856
EAN: 9780792852230
ASIN: B00005V9HL
Theatrical Release Date: July 15, 1970
Release Date: April 16, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
An odd friendship grows between a wealthy businessman Bill and a blue-collar worker Joe as they search together for the executive's runaway daughter. As complications ensue they react with an orgy of violence.System Requirements:Starring: Susan Sarandon Peter Boyle Audrey Caire and Dennis Patrick. Running Time: 107 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2002 MGM Studios.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 027616874856 Manufacturer No: 1003336
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 A Weird, Grim Classic From 1970 September 16, 2008
M. B. DaVega (Columbia, SC)
First off, I would not suggest 'Joe' (1970) as an ideal date movie. This 70's contemporary urban drama from director John G. Avildsen is pervasively raw, gritty and unflinching in its storytelling. However, this is in no way meant against the film in a negative way. On the contrary, its hard, grim style and mood serve the movie well by giving it an honest quality about it. Commendably, it attempts to accurately depict the harsh realities of urban and suburban life as well as society as a whole during the early 70's. The movie has a cool, weird vibe about it and one can tell right away that they are in for a unique moviegoing experience just from the opening credits, which are creatively displayed entirely within the main title image of the word 'Joe'.
The story of 'Joe' begins with the runaway daughter of a wealthy business executive, Melissa Compton (played by a very young Susan Sarandon), who has recently been shacking up with her sleazy, dope-pusher, hippie boyfriend, Frank (Patrick McDermott), in a decaying tenement within New York City. They argue, take lots of drugs and have languid, stoned-out sex. One afternoon after Melissa follows Frank on one of his street-pharmacist sale meetings, he gives her some speedball and sends her on her way home. She instead ends up in a bargain store where she experiences a bad trip-out and breakdown and subsequently ends up in the hospital. After being located by her parents, her father, Bill (Dennis Patrick) ventures to the tenement where Frank and his daughter have been staying to recover some of her clothes and belongings. While inside the apartment, Bill encounters Frank returning home from his latest sale to two teenage girls within the building. After a brief exchange between the two, Frank provokes Bill by taunting him about Melissa. Bill briefly loses his temper and inadvertently kills him in a momentary fit of anger. Afterward he flees the scene and takes with the stash of drugs Frank has brought with him.
The situation progresses from bad to worse when Bill attempts to relieve the stress and anxiety of what he's just done with a drink at a nearby bar, The American Bar & Grill. It's here that he encounters notorious regular customer and titular charcater, Joe Curran (Peter Boyle in a top-notch performance), a dangerously conservative, racist and overly-opinionated working-class factory worker. Joe passionately despises hippies, liberals, blacks, jews, homosexuals, anti-war activists and anyone else he perceives to be a threat to his values and way of life. (Joe is actually not much different from the average denizen of Fox News, or Faux News as I like to call it.) After Bill impulsively admits to Joe that he just killed the hippie, drug dealer boyfriend of his daughter to Joe, Joe is instantly intrigued. Joe's intrigue and wonder are later confirmed when he reads the story of Frank's murder in the newspaper three days later. After this, Bill becomes a personal hero to Joe and the two and the two meet up outside of work and strike up an unholy partnership and odd friendship that glaringly contrasts the socio-economic differences between Bill's life of affluence and prosperity with Joe's blue-collar schlub existence. At first, Bill doesn't share Joe's prejudices and views, but after listening to Joe's rantings and speeches, he gradually begins to believe that he may have done a noble thing by killing Frank.
After Melissa learns of Frank's death and escapes from the hospital, Joe and Bill decide to find her themselves by infiltrating the local underground hippie subculture they both so hate to learn of her whereabouts. It's at this point the film takes a turn for the rather amusing and comical when the two manage to win over the trust of a young group of hippies with the tantalizing promises of the drugs Bill still has in his possession. They're invited back to a party where the two oddly start to momentarily get into the scene by taking drugs themselves and even both getting laid! After they're robbed by the group, though, they quickly snap back into focus, tracking the group down to upstate, country retreat where the film changes gears totally and races to violent, tragic and shocking ending.
As you can probably guess, 'Joe' is not politically correct nor is it pretty. In many ways it's quite an ugly film but is honorable in the fact that it makes no attempt to sugar-coat its subject matter. There are several uncomfortable scenes, most notably those of drug abuse. If you're an ultra right-wing nutball, you'll probably love this movie. If you consider yourself to be liberal, this movie may not be for your taste. I can understand why some critics don't like this movie and can understand why most liberal individuals wouldn't like this movie, but as a viewer who isn't concerned with politics and simply likes a good story for its own sake, I was fairly entertained, so I'm not going to act like 'Joe' is the most horrible, hateful movie ever made.
Peter Boyle's bold and outstanding performance is definitely what makes this movie. His potrayal of Joe is all at once impassioned, powerful, hypnotic, darkly humorous and definitely stays with the viewer. Watching him in this movie is like watching a train-wreck ; you just can't take your eyes off of him. Watch for the tense but darkly comical dinner scene where Joe and his wife Mary Lou (K. Callan) have Bill and his wife, Joan (Audrey Caire), over for dinner at their place where Joe proceeds to proudly show off his gun collection to Joan. Let's just say he's a long, LONG way from his beloved role of Frank the ornery grandad on the hit TV sitcom, 'Everybody Loves Raymond', a character that he makes look tame and innocent by comparison. Fans of Peter Boyle from that show may want to avert their eyes (and ears) from him here.
Despite its controversy, 'Joe' deserves to be seen and is commendable for its unflinching realism and honesty, which puts it in the same category as other social commentary-themed flicks of the late 60's and early 70's such as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, Dirty Harry and Death Wish. While it's decidely not pretty, it remains an important film for what is: a cultural slice of early '70's, Vietnam-era Americana and its potent reminder of the consequences that result when we take our hatred and prejudices too far.
(Be sure to listen to the lyrics of the titular theme song for this movie, as they are morbidly hilarious.) Macabre humor throughout.
Doesn't hold up well September 10, 2008
ken fogelman (Sullivan, Maine USA)
After Peter Boyle's death, I remembered this older movie of his with a very young Susan Sarandon as being a good era piece. After ordering and re-watching it I was saddened to realize that like so many other films from our youth, the acting, script, message just don't permeate the years in a beneficial manner. Good to see it again, but dissapointed with what either it was, or what I have become. Can't really say that it's worth a watch.
 Saw it on college date; saw it again now. August 20, 2007
Paul Preston (California)
When watching this movie again today it reminded me of a quotation I heard while watching a documentary on the Mafia about the Las Vegas - 1940's era. A former Mafia "girlfriend" type was saying about all of the killing: "Nobody ever got killed that wasn't supposed to be." Somehow, "Joe" has the same philosophy.
Unintentionally Funny April 6, 2006
directions (Flushing, NY United States)
3 out of 15 found this review helpful
I would like to preface this review by saying I do not think that the issues that the movie deals with that culminated in the Kent State tragedy are what I am finding humorous. Also some of the actors/actresses in the movie have played better roles (e.g. Peter Boyle's "Wizard" character in Taxi Driver, though a minor role is more believable than the "Joe" character). I don't know what side the movie is on, all of the characters are stereotypes, generated by either the left or right wing. I guess the "Joe" character did inspire Archie Bunker but who cares? Joe is just as stereotypical as Archie Bunker but more pathetic and totally unsympathetic. However, on the other side the hippies appear to exist only to get high and get laid. This is exactly what middle America thought of the counterculture. Though some of the scenes are disturbing there are some that are unintentionally hilarious. The scene where the Dennis Patrick character and his wife are having Chinese food with "Joe" and his wife could have some comedic value if it were not so heavy handed. When he and Joe try to track down his daughter, they decide "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" participate in a hippie orgy and can't get into the sex and are unable to get high from the pot. The ending, though serious (I won't reveal it) comes out of nowhere and is totally unbelievable. If the director John Avildson had just played this movie for laughs as an exploitation flick, then it might have worked but I guess with Altamount and Charles Manson and all that on people's minds they weren't ready to mine humor out of the cultural wars yet. For a real and grittier take on the same topic, see Taxi Driver or though not quite as good, Hardcore.
Still Very Relevant June 30, 2005
Grinalltheway
18 out of 19 found this review helpful
Caution-possible spoilers ahead..... Just watched 'Joe' for the second time. The first time was 30+ years ago on an Air Force Base. I was reminded of that by the Air Force overcoat with Tech. Sgt. stripes wore by the boyfriend/dealer; we airmen had quite a laugh the first time that appeared on the screen because that is a 'lifer' rank. Over the years I have carried several other images from the film. Foremost was the absolutely beautiful and vulnerable daughter of the executive. As someone else commented, you could not take you eyes off her. I did not realize until now that this was a 20-year old Susan Sarandon in her first movie. What a loss that she did not do more movies when she looked like that. I also recall the irony of having a counterculture hero like Peter Boyle playing the title role of a right-wing gun nut. Not unlike George C. Scott playing generals in Dr. Strangelove and Patton. And of course the shocking ending made a lasting impression.
30+ years ago it was the most talked about movie that ever played on the base. We thought it was a great film then and I have been reluctant to see it again because I was afraid that it would be as disappointingly dated as Easy Rider. But watching it today I was amazed at how well the film has held up. It is a very strong script with few holes although you have to wonder about the boyfriend immediately getting out of the bathtub when Sarandon gets in with him.
Searching for an explanation of why this film is still so entertaining I have to think it has something to do with the perfect physical casting. Boyle was physically believable as Joe (as others have pointed out his portrayal would inspire the Archie Bunker character a few 'years later). Did Ted Knight model his 'Caddyshack' character-Judge Smails after the Dennis Patrick's advertising executive in 'Joe'? They look alike and sound alike. Patrick was totally believable as the wrapped-too-tight upper middle class executive. And Sarandon's doe-eyed innocent with the Raggety Ann doll still evokes a protective response from all male viewers-perfect casting.
The nude and drug scenes actually hold up (they were very provocative for their day) and are as explicit as anything to be found in 'Thirteen'. About the only thing that dates this film is that the violence is not realistic or graphic. 'Joe' was about the same time as 'The Wild Bunch', and the tone of movie violence had a just begun to change.
Another reason this film holds up is that events in the past couple of years have brought back the relevancy of the theme and context of this film. In the film both types of 'conservatives' are portrayed as full of fear and hate toward the unconventional ways of the counterculture; and filled with envy at their free and hedonistic lifestyle. The counterculture is portrayed as mocking the straight culture; and although paranoid toward conservatives (legitimately so given that this was just a couple months after Kent State) they cannot resist flaunting their lifestyle in an attempt to antagonize. The political landscape is not all that different 30+ years later. I'm not sure conservatives envy young people and liberals as much as 1970, but they fear and hate them more.
An excellent film that surprisingly is as relevant now as it was in the early 1970's.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
|
|
|
