MovieChat Forums > Histoires extraordinaires (1969) Discussion > Yes-- Toby Dammit 10-- the others, zilch...

Yes-- Toby Dammit 10-- the others, zilch !

posted 19 years ago by jhb-4
26 replies | jump to latest

I swear this tale is true! When this film first came out in the US I
saw it with friends at one of Hollywood Boulevard's finest theatres-- I
think the Pantages. We suffered through the first two films-- the lugubrious Roger Vadim piece and the unfortunately dull Malle take. Then were
projected the title "Toby Dammit, or Never Bet the Devil Your Head,"
and the credit "Directed by Federico Fellini"-- at which the crowd
cheered. I inadvertently cried out aloud: "Oh, Great Fellini! Please
save my three dollars!" The audience howled and cheered some more! True
story-- and I'm proud of it.
And indeed Fellini did save my three bucks!
jhb-4

[–] littleviking6 18 years ago

yeah he saves this movie. toby dammit is one of his best, which is nice when it comes to DVD because you can skip the first two stories :) when people haven't seen any fellini but want to 'get him' I always show them this. stylish heaven!

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] filmscholar35 18 years ago

That little girl in "Toby Dammit" was truly one of the most frightening looking things I have seen in a film for some time. She actually scared me.

[–] xine6500 18 years ago

I agree. Toby Dammit is one of the most classic shorts I've ever seen. I thought it was scary, hilarious (okay, a little long at the end, but hey), and totally inspired. The other stories were boring, even the Brigitte Bardot one. They were like amateur hour compared to Fellini.

As a bonus, Terence Stamp was a beautiful man when he was younger!

[–] filmscholar35 18 years ago

Indeed. He was one of the reigning studs of swinging 60s London. He and Michael Caine (ever see the original "Alfie", with Caine?). Stamp was also great during this period in William Wyler's "The Collector", and Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Teorema".

With regard to "Toby Dammit", though, that little girl was just creepy.

[–] charlietperez 17 years ago

It should be released on its own with the Fellini segment of Bocaccio 70.

Terence Stamp, I'm sure, still has a lot of aces up his sleeve.

Love the man!

Seen The Collector?

[–] M-Petri 17 years ago

It's all true. Although Jane Fonda is lovely to look at, the Vadim segment is BORING. Although Bardot is also lovely to look at, the Malle segement is basically disappointing, and the ending is, let's face it, stupid. But the Fellini segment is a masterpiece. Worth having the DVD for, which is nice because you can skip the first two and just watch Toby Dammit. This is the most "Fellini" Fellini film I have ever seen. Simply fantastic. If ou like Fellini's weirder stuff like "Juliet of the Spirits" then you MUST see this film. Amazing!

[–] nankerphelge1964 17 years ago

Yea Toby Dammit a 10. The one with JFonda maybe a 3, the BBardo a 5. Not a zilch.

[–] evansharkfan 17 years ago

I agree with you all by saying that the segment Fellini did is certaintly the best.But I also believe you underappreciate the other two. I found the segment with Jane Fonda to be very good. I enjoyed the music of that segment and I found the settings to fit the story well. Its the worst of the three but still enjoyable. The one of William Wilson almost was my favorite. I found Alain Delon was the best actor in the trilogy. His presence was the most noticable. I havent seen any films with him before, but his acting was just superb. As a whole I enjoyed the trilogy of segments and I truly believe that they were all great.

[–] Kinematico 16 years ago

Fellini's segment: Toby Damnmit is the best, no doubt about it. But I also enjoyed Louis Malle segment "William Wilson". The segment that I find boring and "senseless" to some extent, is Roger Vadim's one. The only good thing about "Metzengerstein" segment is to see the ravishing Jane Fonda wearing some very sexy outfits! but that's all.

Toby Dammit: 8/10
William Wilson 7/10
Metzengerstein 3/10

Overall: 7/10

[–] chimboalhorno 16 years ago

I do not agree with this board. Most of you are saying here that the louis malle episode is not good and that is a lie!!! i actually prefer this one more than fellini but that is just a matter of taste. What i am doing here is trying to encourage people to watch his segment too, because is good, is well directed, is very intersting, great story and very Edgar Allan Poe. I loved this one.

[–] charlietperez 16 years ago

Well it's not a lie chimboalhorno but a difference of opinion. For me, the Fellini episode is the best for a lot of different reasons but I accept fully that you prefer the Malle episodo. That's what makes the world go round, don't you think?

[–] chimboalhorno 16 years ago

Indeed my friend!!! And i just prefer the Malles episode but i still think Fellinis is great.

[–] brainofj72 16 years ago

Fellini's is great, yes, but I'm in the minority with Vadim's segment, which is probably my favorite of the three. It reminds of me Jean Rollin's stuff, and I love Jean Rollin. Malle's segment is meh, though.

------------
She's gone to warn the wizard! Come on, get my tin hat!

[–] tudormon 16 years ago

I hate to break this to you gentlement, but I actually enjoyed the first 2 segments more than the one with Toby Dammit. They seemed calmer, deeper and Toby was in my opinion overdone.

[–] filmscholar35 16 years ago

Supposedly, Janus Films have done a remarkable restore on the feature length, stand-alone version of "Toby Dammit", and will be re-releasing it theatrically soon.

This means that a Criterion DVD of it is almost certain to follow.

[–] ckocher 16 years ago

A "feature-length" version? Where did you hear this?

Great as "Toby Dammit" is, I can't imagine it has enough plot to be longer than it is now.

[–] timmy_501 12 years ago

Ha, I'm surprised to see people actually seem to like Fellini's segment. I thought it was easily the weakest of the three. It seemed rather similar to his other work, which I didn't need to see rehashed here.

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[–] directorscut 12 years ago

You people are freaking nuts. The Fellini segment, like most of his later work, is self-indulgent wank and is easily the worst of the three.

The Louis Malle segment is by far the best segment. The card game being the highlight of the film.

So sezeth I, so sezeth the world.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] gribfritz2 12 years ago

I didn't get the Fellini nonsense at all. It could have easily been 10 minutes long. Talk about padding.

[–] RRozsa 12 years ago

timmy 501 - I'm glad someone else said that. I was starting to think there's something wrong with me -- I was mainly bored through most of Toby Dammit. The TV interview and then that "Parisian Oscars" segment were so long and drawn out (What was the relevance of the woman who came up to him in his drunken stupor, took his hand, and said she would look after him forever?) that I ended up fast forwarding through his stumbling flee from the ceremony and most of the car ride -- I was ready to just get to the end by then. And how would he lose his head with a windshield?

I don't know -- I just saw Toby Dammit more as a shaggy dog story without any real plot to set up the shaggy-dog ending. Maybe it's because I'm not familiar with Fellini so I just had no appreciation....

The other two segments were pretty good. I loved the use of music and setting in the Jane Fonda segment, particularly.

Life's a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!

[–] nickrogers1969 12 years ago

Here is another one who thinks Fellini's segment is the BEST of the three. I enjoed Vadim's part because Jane Fonda brings some life to it although the story fizzles at the end with her riding into the fire...

The dullest episode is Malle's. Delon and Bardot acted well enough but I couldn't wait for it to end. I have yet to see a good Louis Malle movie.