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| Oh! Calcutta! | 
| Director: Jacques Levy
Actors: Nancy Tribush, Bill Macy, Mark Dempsey, Gary Rethmeier, Patricia Hawkins
Studio: New Video Group
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $16.06
You Save: $10.89 (40%)
Buy New/Used from $16.06
Avg. Customer Rating:  (10 reviews)
Sales Rank: 53949
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: X (Mature Audiences Only)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 100 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: NVG-9779
UPC: 767685977934
EAN: 0767685977934
ASIN: B000CRR3JW
Release Date: May 30, 2006
Theatrical Release Date: June 1972
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Debuting in 1972 to shock and fascination OH CALCUTTA! was an X-rated off-Broadway show made up of sexually themed skits and musical numbers designed to probe the boundaries of social mores. Devised by the brilliant theater critic Kenneth Tynan and including input from Samuel Beckett Sam Shepard and John Lennon (among others) the show dealt indelicately with all manner of sexual peccadilloes and though it was critically ridiculed it ran for over a decade. The release contains a film recreation of the scandalous show. System Requirements:Running Time 100 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:MUSICALS/MUSICALS Rating:NR UPC:767685977934 Manufacturer No:NVG-9779
Amazon.com
This 1970 television production of Oh! Calcutta! preserves a live performance of the notorious Broadway show only a year into its 17-year run. You may know the show only by its reputation for copious full-frontal nudity, and indeed there's nudity in spades here. But as a whole, the show doesn't hold up that well. There's a lot of talent behind it: the numerous sex-themed skits were conceived and written by the likes of Samuel Beckett, John Lennon, Sam Shepard, and Jules Feiffer, and the whole production was created by Kenneth Tynan and directed by Jacques Levy. But the humor plays like an undistinguished 1970s sketch comedy crossed with a Radley Metzger film, and it has only a handful of musical numbers written without much distinction by Robert Dennis, Peter "P.D.Q. Bach" Schickele, and Stanley Walden. Probably the best-known member of the cast is Bill (not William H.) Macy, who played Bea Arthur's husband on Maude and appears with his future wife, Samantha Harper. Oh! Calcutta! is definitely worth a look for the curious who want to experience the opening "Taking Off the Robe" number or the nude ballet, but ultimately it seems like a historical artifact rather than an entertaining time. --David Horiuchi
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 More hype than substance. August 29, 2008
Yes, this has nudity, but it is dull and a poor attempt to capture the Benny Hill flavor of comedy. You can watch this, but I think it is boring and tries too hard.
 Sexy erotic romp! July 28, 2008
For mature audiences only! This gem on video or DVD is a keeper. It is a product of the 1960's and early 70's where people started to question sexual mores and values, and it pokes fun at our beliefs, inhibitions and hang ups about the human body, nudity, and sexuality.
The video is based on the stage play of the same name. I have never seen the live play, so I cannot comment on how it compares to the live play, but I do know that it is a introspective about our attitudes on one of the most important of topics of human nature -- none of us would be here without it.
There is full frontal male and female nudity and simulated sex scenes.
It is basically a series of short skits dealing with various aspects of human sexuality including swinging and dating, being sexual naive, victorian repression, fantasies, sexual experiments. And there are also parts that simply celebrate our sensuousness, sensuality, sexuality, such as the beautiful nude ballet scene.
This is a classic of film.
The DVD is just made from the VHS video.
By the way, the title "Oh! Calcutta!" has nothing to do with Calcutta in India. It is a corruption of the French, "O quelle cul ta!" which means "What a nice rear end you have!"
This review is taken from my review of another edition of the same DVD.
It was fun to see evidence of the early 1970s March 14, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was a child when this play came out, but always heard of Oh! Calcutta! Very surprised when I stumbled upon this DVD ( which according to another reviewer here who said he was in the show: the actors were not paid? Sorry Amazon, if that is true I can not buy this DVD)
Even by today's standards, and I am not a prude or anything, there were elements of this play that were raunchy and surprising but overall I really enjoyed it. ( rape scene-awful!!! scientists studying 2 people having sex-funny!) I can see where Saturday Night Live may have been influenced by this play. Several of the skits were really clever, such as the 5 singers sitting on stools, wearing formal wear singing about fantasies. I had to play that scene again, the music/singing was fantastic!
Now another reason I liked it and maybe others would not, is because I have a thing for early 70s music, style, history,aura...and if you want to go back in time and get a big sense of the era, this DVD will take you there, from the opening shot of the audience ( styles of clothes, their makeup , etc) to the semi psychedelic hippyish music and the scene of naked frolicing outdoors...it was a time warp!
Definatly worth renting but again, if what that other reviewer says is true, i can not endorse buying it. It was wrong not to pay the actors fairly.
WOW. WOW ! March 9, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
How does one rate this flick for a review ? VERY CAREFULLY, I think ! Make sure all the Kiddies are tucked in nicely before rolling this one ! What does this movie leave to the imagination ? = NOTHING ! Is this movie naughty ? = DEFINITELY ! Is this movie Raunchy ? = PROBABLY ? Movie theme =exposure ! Movie plot = exposure. If your pleasure is exposure wrapped in nudity,? this is your flick ?
Not as bad as they say January 12, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
While, sure, it could have been better written, better filmed, better preserved for transfer... it's worth seeing. Everything is clean enough to see. Words are intelligible, and the dancing is beautiful.
I'd suggest borrowing it from Netflix or some other rental place before investing in the DVD yourself.
But from someone who is denied, by virtue of not having been born in 1974, of having seen the show onstage, I was delighted to find it.
They simply don't do naked theater anymore, and I think nudity can convey elements of the human condition that costume cannot.
It reminded me quite a bit of "Free to Be You and Me"
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