BREWSTER MCCLOUD (1970) Directed by Robert Altman
DVD-R (via MGM Laserdisc)
THE FILM
The best. One of my all-time favorite movies. I first saw this on laserdisc back in 1996. I watched it and knew that it was superb. Only when it ended did I think "What the heck was that about?" It's a very well paced film that accumulates incident, characters and strange events. It all seems to move towards a conclusion but, after that first viewing, I didn't know where I was. A second viewing sorted some of it out. It took a few more before I believed that I figured out what it meant. But, there were still bits that eluded me. And, after seeing it on the big screen this past Friday (with Mr. Skull) and hearing Sally Kellerman and Bud Cort talk about it, I think only Robert Altman knows what everything meant. As it should be...
Brewster McCloud lives in the fallout shelter of the Huston Astrodome, circa 1970. He is building a set of wings to fly away from the world. He does a lot of exercising, eats health food and lives a Spartan, strange charmed life. Meanwhile, someone is strangling random people around the city and leaving bird doo-doo on their bodies. Frank Shaft, SF's #1 detective, is brought down to investigate. In a strange space, a man lectures us about birds. And, a very old, very interesting book goes missing.
As I said, all the different incidents begin accumulating. Watching it at home, you can keep some control over the events. When you can pause and move around the house, the film has some space around its scenes. It didn't have that in the theater...it's a juggernaut. Scene after scene. New character after new character. Throwaway bits. Bits that seem unimportant but matter and vice versa. The fact that this film was highly improvised is rather amazing. Altman pulls off a film that looks suspiciously loose (and, on occasion, definitely is) but turns out to be tight as a drum. When the man was on, he was incredible.
The movie is a profusion of bird-related ideas, like The Falls but with actors. I can see how people might have been very confused after M*A*S*H. Only the success of that film would have allowed for something as wonderful and personal and odd as Brewster McCloud. Well, I don't know. I gush about it. It is my favorite Altman film. One of my favorite films. Most of the things I have to say about it need to be said to someone who has just watched it and who I'm actually talking to...so forgive me if I'm vague here.
Sometimes you watch a film and it just clicks. Every minute makes you nod and think "This is it". Brewster, for me, is one of those films. It's a different feel from The Last Slumber Party or Don't Go In The Woods magic. There isn't a personal connection there, just joy. Brewster keeps me in awe. Everything works, even the occasional moment that doesn't quite work, somehow works.
Thank you, Mr. Altman. And, hey, your next film was pretty awesome too.
By the way, I do have my own theories about what everything (mostly everything) in the film means. I typed it up and then deleted it. It's better that way, I think.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Well, I have the old Laserdisc. The sound is acceptable. The picture looks fine. Although, I did see plenty of things on the big screen that I'd never seen at home.
EXTRAS
The LD is letterboxed. The only way to see it. The VHS was pan & scan and, from the few moments I saw, it stank. There's a trailer on here, which leads me to think that MGM had no idea how to market this film. I imagine there were a lot of bewildered moviegoers.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In 1970, MGM released Brewster McCloud. A strange, visionary, beautiful film that is still fascinating. In the first half of 2010, they released Hot Tub Time Machine. There must be something profound in that.
Brewster McCloud is a perfect example of the kind of films that were all over the American map in the late 60s/early 70s. It is, also, one of the best. Bud Cort said that this was Mr. Altman's favorite film. I agree with the filmmaker. It's funny, it's thoughtful, it's crazy, it's perfect.
— Dan Budnik, 04.15.10 | 
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