Oh! Calcutta!
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Main Program: B
You may have heard of Oh! Calcutta! yet not seen
it, because it is as much a counterculture work as Hair, but instead of
being an outright musical, it is a comedy about sex and a smart, intelligent
one at that. The mostly unknown cast
here is the original, but many will recognize Bill Macy from the TV classic Maude. Like Hair, there is a big helping of
nudity that seems as progressive still as the idea of a mature look at sexuality
with true humor seems lost on new generations.
That is all the more reason this smart series of skits
written by the likes of John Lennon, Samuel Beckett, Sam Shepard and Jules
Feiffer needed to arrive on DVD and that this 1971 taping still exists is testament
to how good the original production really was. The skits cover all kinds of sexual aspects without being a
shallow fetish parade and are particularly focused on male/female relationships
in a way we do not see or hear enough about.
It is not some cheap, stupid, tired XXX romp. The time has come to take a second look at this classic.
The 1.33 X 1 image shows its age, as shot on old
professional NTSC video that is in decent shape, but has a disclaimer about its
quality before it starts. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 sound is mono, but holds up a little better than the picture. The only odd thing is the added sitcom laugh
track, but being from the great era of innovative theater and TV it comes from,
it is not as bad or used as often.
Brief text on each cast member is the only extra.
- Nicholas Sheffo
