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Conference bookie::movies

Title:Movie Reviews and Discussion
Notice:Please do DIR/TITLE before starting a new topic on a movie!
Moderator:VAXCPU::michaudo.dec.com::tamara::eppes
Created:Thu Jan 28 1993
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1249
Total number of notes:16012

1031.0. "Baghdad Cafe" by SHRCTR::JMCNAMARA () Fri Feb 09 1996 15:22

    I'm new to this conference, so if this is a no-no please delete.  I did
    read note 1.* and didn't find anything which prohibits - so here goes-
    
    Several weeks ago I was sick and watching tv.  Saw most of a movie
    called "Baghdad Cafe".  Didn't recognize anyone in it other than Jack
    Palance.  But the gist of it was that a very large woman from Bavaria
    shows up at this truck stop somewhere near Las Vegas, which is run by a
    black woman with several kids.  The German woman basically changes
    their lives.  BUT. . . since I missed the beginning I don't know how
    the German woman came to be there.  There are some flashbacks involving
    a man who I think was her husband and she has a suitcase full of men's
    clothing.
    
    I was told by a friend that their was a short-lived tv show with
    Whoopie Goldberg based on this but no one can tell me what happened
    to "Herr ??""  - can anyone help??
    
    
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1031.1one of my favorite filmsTNPUBS::MARCOMon Feb 12 1996 17:4023
A "key" part in the movie is the function of the large coffee decanter that
seems to be the source of the magic along with the German woman that happens in
the movie.  The German woman (cannot remember her name in the movie) and her
husband have a fight while touring the american west desert.
She gets out of the car, grabs a suitcase and ends up at the Baghdad cafe
where she transforms the place and the people.  The yellow coffee decanter
is left by the side of the road, picked up by the husband of the woman who runs
the cafe/motel/truck stop.  The coffee tastes better from the decanter and
everything good seems to happen with its appearance and the arrival of the
German tourist.  As it happens, she grabbed the wrong suitcase and that is
why her clothes a re a little bizarre, she grabbed her husband's suitcase.
 
The German woman is played by Marianne Sagebrecht--a german actress who has
appeared in a number of both german and american films (I think directed by
Percy Adlon, butnot sure).  The first I ever saw her in was SugarBabies.  Then
came Baghdad Cafe and there was a third movie " [name] goes shopping.  I seem to
not be able to remember names today!

Baghdad Cafe was made into a series, a very short lived one of several years
ago.  Whoopie Goldbergdid a TV stint of it but I do not think she was in the
series.  The series just could not capture the sense of magic and light
and fun that was in the movie.   Too bad!

1031.2didn't much like that one, if that's herAPLVEW::DEBRIAEde gustibus non est disputandumMon Feb 12 1996 17:523
    
    	"Rosalee Goes Shopping"???
    
1031.3BUSY::SLABOUNTYDon't like my p_n? 1-800-328-7448Mon Feb 12 1996 18:233
    
    	Now THAT was a strange movie.
    
1031.4BUSY::SLABOUNTYDon't like my p_n? 1-800-328-7448Mon Feb 12 1996 19:003
    
    	Was her name Marianne Saegebrecht?
    
1031.5re .1SHRCTR::JMCNAMARAMon Feb 12 1996 19:403
    Thanks so much ( I was wondering about the coffee in the decanter). 
    Now I must see the whole thing - I'll have to try the video store. 
    BTW - her name was Jasmin -
1031.6Great Movie!MKOTS1::PENNELLATue Feb 13 1996 19:005
    I also caught this movie a couple of weeks ago and I really enjoyed it!
    Even though it was an American film it was still slightly odd enough to
    be mistaken for a foreign film... without subtitles.  I love to watch
    foreign subtitled movies  (Babettes Feast is my favorite), the stories
    always seem like old fairy tales.  
1031.7re. 6 interesting thoughtTNPUBS::MARCOFri Feb 16 1996 16:163
I never thought about it that way--it is like an old fairy tale.  Wings of
Desire is another German film that evokes that kind of feeling--sort of special
and magical.  Catch it if you get a chance, much like a lyric poem in celluloid.
1031.8More like this one please!ULYSSE::BUCKLEYFri Mar 01 1996 09:3513
    I saw this on video when I was giving blood the other day - a real shot
    in the arm! (sorry)
    
    
    I actually enjoyed the fact that there were no actors I knew.  And I
    know what you mean about it being as good as a "foreign" film - look
    out for the most important frisbee throwing sequence on celluloid ...
    
    I wonder what kind of budget this film had - makes you wonder if
    quality of film is in inverse proportion to the budget ...? (I'm going
    to post a note on Heat next!)
    
    Wendy