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If the sight of Lily Tomlin mounting John Travolta doesn't wake you up, I don't know what possibly could. How about if I boil that gif even further down to its divine essence?
Yeah that's what I'm talking about. These are of course from the infamous flop Moment By Moment, which starred Lily as a cheated-upon rich lady who finds romance and passionate, passionate lovemaking at her Malibu home with a young hirsute drifter. Can you believe this movie's never been released on any format? Somebody was nice enough to upload some scenes on YouTube though...
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What I would give to see this movie! Have any of you seen it?
Well til then after the jump some John Travolta speedo pics...
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I saw this atrocity when it was first released with about ten other people that were in the theatre. I snuck in from another movie since I was too young to get in. That was a mistake on my part!!!
God it was dreadful even if Travolta rarely wore many clothes during most of the running time. My big take away from it was Lily constantly calling Travolta, Strip! Strip! Strip! the unfortunate name given his character.
It used to be available on Netflix Instant and it's fascinating! I've included what I wrote when I saw it below.
When Lily Tomlin asks John Travolta if an unseen male character he's attempting to bail out of jail is "his partner," it has an unintended connotation that suggests Travolta and Tomlin's off-screen personae overshadow their on-screen ones. Because the casting deprives us of sexual chemistry, this romantic drama becomes an off-kilter comedy.
The very premise suggests this as camp. Gigolo Travolta casually stalks Tomlin, trying to woo her with prescription drugs and his speedo-clad body. Tomlin's midlife crisis is her reason for giving into him, but Tomlin's as sexless as actresses come. With all Travolta's Brando-esque swaggering, you can see why he'd be irresistible if he wasn't a gold digging stalker (and maybe even if he was).
There are scenes that work despite themselves. When Travolta's friend commits suicide, he shows up at Tomlin's doorstep teary-eyed and wet. She strips him naked, in a maternal way rather than an erotic one. The vibe is irresistibly odd, even sickening. The next morning she has her way with him, seemingly in control of the situation though it's just as probable Travolta used his friend's death as a way to trick her into bed. Such deviousness would almost have to be deliberately scripted, but with no one ever playing this tongue-in-cheek it's a tough call.
Gender, class, and age play heavy roles here. The dynamic in the relationship keeps shifting between Tomlin's wealth and infatuation and Travolta's romantic persistence and attractiveness. For a movie with a reputation for being dumb and dull, there's an awful lot of subtext to appreciate. The last hour is extremely boring, but the film at least doesn't always move in predictable directions. It gives the sense that a world in 1978 has no room for romance, but only relationships based on practicality. Then it mawkishly backtracks. Apparently sexual chemistry matters more. Well, I suppose that's a less bleak message.
You can get it on Amazon Germany if you have a region free player. Look for "Von Augenblick Zu Augenblick."
I used to make out with lesbians too when I was a gay man. But the I became a scientologist. :'(
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