The Loved One (1965)

A gem.

Based on the book by Evelyn Waugh, Tony Richardson's classic black comedy is a real gem. With a perfect cast, the comedy in the book is retained and is a great satire on the USA way of death.The Embroidered Corpse September 7, 2008

The Loved One

Not as cutting edge as it was 40 years ago, but worth a watch. Takes on Hollywood, funerals, the church...just to name a couple of key ones. August 12, 2008

Wonderful Value-Rare Movie

I am a Funeral Director and this movie is a, "black" comedy about the funeral industry. It is in black and white and was shot in the mid 60's. A cast of very famous people in it. It is considered a cult classic by people in the funeral industry. It is also pretty hard to get a hold of a good copy of it, especially on DVD.

I have purchased this same DVD several times for gifts for friends in the industry and personal friends that I think will enjoy it.

It is a very satirical look at the death care industry. Definately a good one....good for some laughs at what makes most of us cringe.

What is life if we can't make fun of ourselves? August 11, 2008

The Loved One

The book was required reading for me in 8th grade in an English course. We didn't have those standardized tests shoved down our throats then and we could enjoy ourselves. Of course this movie was probably not suitable for 8th graders so I had to wait until TCM showed it many years later. It is very funny and a good movie to watch. Good to see alongside a Six Feet Under marathon. I'm sure they took many an idea from this book and movie. May 19, 2008

An Excellent Movie

Reading Evelyn Waugh was already on my "to do" list, and this film only reinforces that. His reputation is for irreverent humor which you can enjoy without knowing anything about the time or place he's set it in, and I certainly felt that in this film.

Now, considering when the novel was written, I don't believe the rockets into space were part of it. The movie added that. But I suspect they stuck to the spirit of the original. I won't know until I read his books.

Something to offend everyone, the film promises. Yeah, it was out there. The humor remains funny, and outrageous when compared to some of Hollywood's current offerings. For its time, wow.

And at long last, I learned that Jonathan Winters can be funny. I've spent years seeing him on talk shows or Mork and Mindy and wondering what the hell people saw in the guy. Now I know.

This is another one that I'll watch again, and again, it's very rare for me to do that. May 6, 2008

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