The Last Picture Show

[Flopper]

Flopper, I wanted to thank you for sticking to the topic, even though we disagree, without going on to personal insults. Sad that a couple of others couldn't follow your example.

I rarely every engage in personal insults directed at posters. It's pointless and derails the thread. I have always looked at the Reviews forum as a refuge from the craziness and hared of pollical forums. I knew when I posted a review of "The Last Picture Show", it would illicit elicit some strong comments from those lacking any tolerance for opposing opinions on sexual conduct.

 

[Mashmont]

I rarely every engage in personal insults directed at posters. It's pointless and derails the thread. I have always looked at the Reviews forum as a refuge from the craziness and hared of pollical forums. I knew when I posted a review of "The Last Picture Show", it would illicit elicit some strong comments from those lacking any tolerance for opposing opinions on sexual conduct.

I'd seen bits and pieces of the movie for years on network TV. I never really understood the allure, except for Cybill Shepherd's good looks. I'd thought it was just 70's slow and boring. I thought maybe I wasn't getting the full picture. So when I saw it was available on Demand TV, I decided to watch it from start to finish so I could see what the hoopla was about. I had no idea it had all the sexual stuff in it, the nudity, etc. I definitely now see why it got all the attention it got.

 

[Mashmont]

One good thing about Hollywood droning out 25 to 1 garbage films, you spend time looking at old movies.
I had seen parts of this movie a few times on regular TV, but it never really captured my attention. Perhaps due to 45 commercial interruptions.
Anyway... we watched it last night.
This is a great movie.
I had no idea it had so much nudity, that was a surprise.
It is a simple story of a couple teens growing up in a a dying small town. Sounds boring, but the quality of the writing/acting as well as a solid storyline keeps you easily interested.

Not to be missed...

Yes, our stories are similar. I hadn't read yours before I wrote mine. The movie was indeed a surprise, although my reaction is not nearly as favorable as yours.

 

[Flopper]

It wasn't just teenage sexuality. Two of the actors were portraying 17-year- olds being raped by adults in their 40s. The addled boy with the prostitute was likely 14 or 15. Any adult who does to a high school kid is going to jail for a long time for rape of a minor. I don't know why continue denying this.

There was no forceful rape and no statutory rape because 17 is the age of consent in Texas. When a group of boys takes their young, mentally disabled friend, Billy, to a prostitute to lose his virginity, he ejaculates prematurely and the prostitute throws him out. Teenage sexual behavior is often shocking to adults who dismiss what they did as teenagers.

 

[Flopper]

Here's the thing about young actors and actresses put in these sexual roles. People say "Oh, it's just a movie. It's just make-believe". But it damages these kids in real life. Bogdanovich seemed to push this kind of stuff in all of his movies. In TLPS, every victim of sex abuse in the movie, the real life actors had problems. All three have had multiple marriages. Cybill Shepherd's life has especially been a trainwreck. During the filming of this movie, she moved in with Bogdanovich after he left his wife and three kids, and they cohabitated for seven years. Each had multiple affairs during that time. Shepherd later married twice for about five minutes each, and had many many sexual liaisons in between as described in detail in her autobiography. Then there is Bogdanovich's Paper Moon. Here, NINE-year old Tatum O'Neal's character arranges sexual counters with adults, and observes her dad with a hooker. Yes, it's acting, but Tatum's real life has been a total disaster. She got so bad, she lost custody of her three children. She's been on drugs, and in relationship after relationship.

So guys, these kinds of movies with minors in sex situations CANNOT get made. Those that were made should be banned. Bogdanovich is a disgrace for doing this in movie after movie. They exploit and damage not only the young audience members, but the actors themselves.

These so called teenagers were 20 to 23 years old when this movie was made.

 

[Larsky]

This film is a textbook example of the rationale for the rating system.

While it portrayed a realistic view of the American condition, some viewers are emotionally unable to process it.

Kind of a safe space for the hysterical.

 

[Larsky]

I agree with you!

The Last Picture Show was a great film!

Music was amazing and acting was amazing!

The talent in that film is unmatched, IMO.

 

[skye]

The talent in that film is unmatched, IMO.

I agree!

 

[Flopper]

The talent in that film is unmatched, IMO.

For the young actors, Cybill Shepherd, Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, and Randy Quaid, The Last Picture Show was the movie that put them of the road to stardom. It was also Larry McMurphy's first book to be made into movie.

Peter Bogdanovich did this movie on a bet that he could make a low budget independent movie that would win major awards, without any major stars, and make money. This apparently was that movie. The budget for Last Picture Show was 1.1 million dollars, none of the top 4 stars had made a major movie, it made about 30 million at the box office and won 3 academy awards.

 

[Mashmont]

These so called teenagers were 20 to 23 years old when this movie was made.

The characters were portrayed as minors. The three actors who portrayed rape victims by adults were 20, 20, and 15 at the time of shooting. All minors in 1970.

 

[Mashmont]

There was no forceful rape and no statutory rape because 17 is the age of consent in Texas. When a group of boys takes their young, mentally disabled friend, Billy, to a prostitute to lose his virginity, he ejaculates prematurely and the prostitute throws him out. Teenage sexual behavior is often shocking to adults who dismiss what they did as teenagers.

Sex with 17 year olds at the hands of 40 year old is damaging to the child regardless of the law. The treatment of Billy was not only immoral; it was illegal.

 

[Larsky]

For the young actors, Cybill Shepherd, Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, and Randy Quaid, The Last Picture Show was the movie that put them of the road to stardom. It was also Larry McMurphy's first book to be made into movie.

Peter Bogdanovich did this movie on a bet that he could make a low budget independent movie that would win major awards, without any major stars, and make money. This apparently was that movie. The budget for Last Picture Show was 1.1 million dollars, none of the top 4 stars had made a major movie, it made about 30 million at the box office and won 3 academy awards.

Big Bridges fan here. True Grit, Crazy Heart, The Big Lebowski, are all great films.

*edit: Hell or High Water, too.

 

[Mashmont]

For the young actors, Cybill Shepherd, Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, and Randy Quaid, The Last Picture Show was the movie that put them of the road to stardom. It was also Larry McMurphy's first book to be made into movie.

Peter Bogdanovich did this movie on a bet that he could make a low budget independent movie that would win major awards, without any major stars, and make money. This apparently was that movie. The budget for Last Picture Show was 1.1 million dollars, none of the top 4 stars had made a major movie, it made about 30 million at the box office and won 3 academy awards.

Cybill was OK. She wasn't great. Her anger scene didn't work at all. But without her good looks, the movie wouldn't have been nearly as successful.

 

[Flopper]

The characters were portrayed as minors. The three actors who portrayed rape victims by adults were 20, 20, and 15 at the time of shooting. All minors in 1970.

Age of consent is 17 and the15 year old did not have sex thus there was no rape. Are you so detached from real world that you do not understand that teens have sex. In fact, 60 Percent of Teens Have Sex by Graduation.

 

[Flopper]

Big Bridges fan here. True Grit, Crazy Heart, The Big Lebowski, are all great films.

*edit: Hell or High Water, too.

All good movies

 

[Mashmont]

Age of consent is 17 and the15 year old did not have sex thus there was no rape. Are you so detached from real world that you do not understand that teens have sex. In fact, 60 Percent of Teens Have Sex by Graduation.

You are incorrect. The age of consent under 17 law applies only if the participants are separated by no more than three years. The movie depicted rape by 40 year olds. Prostitution is also illegal in Texas.

You are also incorrect about Billy. Prostitution is illegal in Texas and may include even arousal in exchange for money.

So all three acts portrayed illegality AND immorality.

Perhaps it's time for you to drop this defense of these acts. We've gone over this five times now.