Search - Rock Hudson's Home Movies on DVD

Not quite what the title implies

Charles S. Houser | Binghamton, NY | 07/09/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This film covers in a limited sense what THE CELLULOID CLOSET covers more professionally and comprehensively. The title refers to the reel of gay and homoerotic scenes from Hudson's studio films that he compiled for showing to his friends at parties. There are no candid home movie clips (no shots of Rock by the pool, Rock and Tab Hunter playing croquet, or of anyone dressed in women's clothes). If you can surmount that disappointment, it should be noted that the studio clips are mostly of extremely poor quality (as if photographed from a tv screen). On top of that, the film has an amateurish quality (a not-very-similar-looking actor plays Rock speaking from the world beyond, sometimes with his image inserted into the frame with the real Rock Hudson). I'm sure for some viewers these qualities will give the film a sort of underground cult classic feeling and add to its appeal. I found such effects distracting and annoying. On top of this, there are no interesting new revelations about Hudson (or about a Hollywood lavender underworld). All stones were left unturned.Even so, ROCK HUDSON'S HOME MOVIES did make me appreciate the sheer number and variety of films Hudson made (westerns, war, Douglas Sirk melodramas, as well as the familiar, fluffy technicolor sex comedies with Doris Day). Not the best actor America ever produced, but certainly one the camera loved."

Disappointing look at Rock

D. Gardenier | New York, NY | 11/28/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This was the longest hour watching a movie that I've spent in a long time. First, it's not really home movies at all, but cuts from Rock's movies that he is presumed to have shown at home to his friends. There is a guy who plays Rock speaking in the first person, but this obvious fiction is set in a documentary style as if it all really happened. That seems unlikely -- I can't imagine Rock himself was ever this boring. You'd be much better off watching Rock's real movies and inferring the gay content for yourself. Save yourself an hour and skip this one."

A great gay "essay" film

Mark Sprecher | Los Angeles, CA United States | 12/28/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can understand the other reviewer's disappointment with this movie if he was expecting some kind of narrative "memory" play. The movie functions as a deconstructive essay, much like Rappaport's subsequent "From the Journals of Jean Seberg". Think also of the kind of shoestring budget essay films that Orson Welles made toward the end of his life ("F for Fake" and "Filming Othello"). This movie delighted me, made me see some familiar material in whole new ways (how could I have missed all of that coded material in Howard Hawks' "Man's Favorite Sport"?), and was a fun consciousness raiser. I watched this with friends and everyone came away buzzing about it."

"Fantastic" documentary about Rock Hudson

Carlos Díaz Maroto | Madrid, Madrid Spain | 11/10/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A masterpiece about comedy, a perfect complement for "Pillow Talk" and other Rock Hudson's comedies. Here, Rappaport make a editing from Rock Hudson's movies of all times, selecting scenes that suggest you the homosexuality of the star/charachter. Very funny, for all Rock Hudson's lovers/fans and people without prejudices."