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Freaktana A Major Disappointment

dansview If you saw this film when it came out, the cultural atmosphere would have no nostalgic impact on you, even if you lived in L.A., because it was obviously present day for you.Which brings us to the main thing that so many of us like about the movie. We like to take in the clothes, cars, landscapes and musical vibe of a bygone era; one which we may have lived for and now long for. For younger people, there may be a fascination for the way part of the world was before they were born.I was there in L.A. at that time. As a very wide-eyed and impressionable teenybobber, I was standing in the background watching the grown ups and the older kids living out their 70s lifestyle. I was just a tad too young to join. My favorite line in the film is "Daydreams and Traffic," uttered by Keith Carradine, repeating what his blonde real estate agent said L.A. is all about. I totally agree with that vibe. It's addictive in an odd sort of way.Character development is vitally important to a film, and this one is short on it. For me, at some point, a character has to explain why they are the way there are. Or at least it must come out in related dialogue. It didn't here for the most part.I say "for the most part," because we do at least see through couplings and facial expressions, and monlogues, that they are lonely people who are not getting the love and devotion they had hoped for from their life partners and families.Yes, these are mostly shallow,self-indulgent losers, who characterize the worst aspects of their era and area. But it's o.k. to tell a story about losers, if they are the types you are familiar with. Like another reviewer, I too give the makers credit for not including movie people. That would be too easy and too clichéd.I loved the Richard Baskin music. His slightly off-key delivery made it better than it would be if it were perfect. Songwriters are not necessarily supposed to be great singers. They sing their own stuff with true feeling however, since they know the ethos behind the music better than anyone else. Of course in this movie, maybe the Keith Carradine character was supposed to have written the music.The nudity did nothing for me. The context was not sexy. I'm not a big fan of big boobs on a super skinny body. I like proportion.Even though I am a conservative person, I do often wish I could have lived as an adult during a period when everyone was open to one night stands. I love the idea of bonding with a waitress and enjoying an evening together with no strings. I know that makes me a bit of a hypocrite.I guess I envied the Carradine character's unearned millions, his cool house, his talent, and his ability to bed whomever he chose, whenever he chose. Enough said.

wilsonld-1 I saw this movie some years ago and never forgot it. I really like the way the characters are developed. They are quirky and flawed, but understandably human. It has an excellent sound track also which I found hauntingly flowed throughout the move and added to the story line. I recently saw another movie by Robert Altman called "Nashville" which again reminded me of "Welcome to LA". It has many of the same actors and the same piano player, Richard Baskin. Again I find the characters very interesting with interwoven plots as part of the story line. Just like real life we see the good and bad in people. I also enjoy the parady of typical character types. It is obvious but in my opinion, not overdone.

filmgoer-5 Twenty-three years after seeing this movie for the first time, my initial impressions still remain. What really sinks the movie is the TRULY AWFUL vocal delivery of Richard Baskin on the soundtrack. Had to go for the mute button every time. The only reason I even checked it out again was for Sissy, one of our best actresses. She's good, but her next Altman film 3 Women is more provocative. Welcome to L.A. -- Nashville it ain't!

Lleu I like many of Alan Rudolph's films, and this is one of his best (Choose Me is also good). Although it was made in `77, the story is still relevant today. The lonely, alienated characters whose lives sometimes intersect (but only briefly) has a resonance that somehow captures the modern urban landscape, and L.A. in particular. Keith Carradine, as a near-alcoholic songwriter is the central character.He has brief flings with several women, played by Geraldine Chaplin, Lauren Hutton and Sally Kellerman. This is hardly a cheerful film and some may find it too slow-moving but what stands out is the underlying atmosphere and pathos.