COMA Cool (BroadwayWorld.com)

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wonkit

Broadway Legend
joined:9/30/08

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/13/12 at 08:56pm

She and Donald Sutherland did a strange and haunting movie called (I think) AN ACT OF THE HEART. I saw it in the theater when it was released (mid 1970's) but have never been able to find it since. He plays a priest and she plays a young woman (a student of his, I think) with whom he has an affair. I think the shocking ending is what has kept it from being more widely available.

Updated On: 6/13/12 at 08:56 PM

EricMontreal22

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Broadway Legend
joined:10/31/11

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/13/12 at 09:13pm

I have a copy of The Act of the Heart--it's one of my fave English language Canadian films (which isn't saying all that much). It won a bunch of Canadian film awards in 1970, and I found a copy on VHS fairly easily--it's too bad such a great film is apparently hard to find elsewhere.

Paul Almond wrote and directed, and he was married to Genevieve at the time--it was the middle of three films he did for her--Isabel and Journey are the other two, and while not as striking, are worth seeing too.

EricMontreal22

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Broadway Legend
joined:10/31/11

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/13/12 at 09:15pm

(Isabel is particulrly disturbing dealing with her coming to terms with incest, among other things--it has a great creepy atmosphere).

Playbilly

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Broadway Legend
joined:3/30/12

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/13/12 at 09:17pm

She was a fearless actress before it was cool be one. She and Vanessa Redgrave.

"Through The Sacrifice You Made, We Can't Believe The Price You Paid..For Love!"

EricMontreal22

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Broadway Legend
joined:10/31/11

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/13/12 at 09:43pm

I'd add Julie Christie to that list...

Jon

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Broadway Legend
joined:2/20/04

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/14/12 at 10:57am

It's not "Coma." It's "Robin Cook's Coma."

Playbilly

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Broadway Legend
joined:3/30/12

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/14/12 at 11:06am

Info about the remake

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/167015-Lauren-Ambrose-Steven-Pasquale-Richard-Dreyfuss-Ellen-Burstyn-Geena-Davis-Set-for-AEs-Coma-Miniseries

"Through The Sacrifice You Made, We Can't Believe The Price You Paid..For Love!"

EricMontreal22

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Broadway Legend
joined:10/31/11

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/14/12 at 05:42pm

Hrmm above average cast and crew for a tv miniseries, I hope it's decent (Cook has had a number of pretty craptastic TV movie adaptations of his medical thrillers).

Jay Lerner-Z

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Broadway Legend
joined:4/4/11

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/14/12 at 05:47pm

How queer, I didn't even know plans were afoot for a re-make when I brought this subject up.

AKA The Most Happy Fella

EricMontreal22

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Broadway Legend
joined:10/31/11

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/14/12 at 05:57pm

Yeah, gotta love coincidences like that... It sometimes seems like something's in the air.

Borstalboy

Broadway Legend
joined:2/9/04

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/14/12 at 06:53pm

Of course there's a f**king remake....AAARGH!!

"It's now rather very common to hear people say 'I'm rather offended by that'. As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more than a whine. It has no meaning, no purpose. It has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that'. Well, so f**king what?"--Stephen Fry

Roscoe

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Broadway Legend
joined:5/15/03

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/15/12 at 11:27am

I like the description in that Playbill article, that the miniseries will be a "modern re-telling" of Robin Cook's novel, as if the story was as ancient as King Lear or something. Not sure though that there's quite enough story for a mini-series.

The movie managed to get the whole thing done in about two hours, didn't it? I do seem to remember that Susan the heroine is a medical student in the novel, while she's a full out doctor in the film, and the romance between Susan and Mark, Michael Douglas character, is shown developing in the novel, while the film has them already living together when the film starts. Maybe the miniseries will keep the novel's version of events.

"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/

CarlosAlberto

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Broadway Legend
joined:6/29/10

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/16/12 at 01:10pm

COMA is such a great film. I remember seeing it when it was originally released. The original artwork was really iconic:

I also have to agree that Bujold is terribly underrated.

I don't care who's wrong or right. I don't really want to fight no more. It's time for letting go.

tazber

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Broadway Legend
joined:5/10/05

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/26/12 at 07:34am

TV remakes usually suck. To me, Coma is a semi-classic incorporating all the paranoia that was a hallmark of so many 70s films.

For what it's worth though, here is the teaser to the A&E remake:
COMA

....but the world goes 'round

tazber

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Broadway Legend
joined:5/10/05

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/26/12 at 07:56am

Just saw that the original is hitting BD on July 10th.

....but the world goes 'round

best12bars

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Broadway Legend
joined:6/29/05

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/26/12 at 09:15am

I love her in "Anne of a Thousand Days" (an Oscar-worthy performance in a riveting film) and even in "Earthquake" (yes, it was a smash hit in its day, costing $7M and grossing $79M in the US alone).

But somehow, I managed to miss Coma. I remember when it came out, I remember seeing flashes of it on TV, but I've never watched the whole thing.

Perhaps with the release (and remake) looming, now is the time.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

Updated On: 6/26/12 at 09:15 AM

Jay Lerner-Z

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Broadway Legend
joined:4/4/11

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/26/12 at 06:03pm

Hm, the remake doesn't look atrocious (based on 30 seconds...)
Who doesn't love Geena Davis?

Be sure to watch the original first, best12!

AKA The Most Happy Fella

PB ENT.

Broadway Legend
joined:6/11/03

COMA Cool
Posted: 6/27/12 at 08:07pm

Loved the original COMA, but I have a real life past drama-related story RE: COMA.

Just prior to my first C-section (yeah you need to hear this right?) Drs. gave me a spinal injection that didn't work. They started to cut my belly as I screamed "I can feel that knife". "That's only pressure dear, relax", they said.

I ripped out my IV started screaming "OH NO, You're not taking my body or my baby. This isn't the movie COMA!" They quickly gave me a general knock out and delivered my son.

Can't watch COMA without a flasback when she's in the room filled with bodies!!!!

www.pbentertainmentinc.com "Bring Broadway to You" Masterclasses/Workshops/Theater Programs

Updated On: 6/27/12 at 08:07 PM