filmtopia (filmtopia) wrote,
filmtopia
filmtopia

ONE FOOT ON A BANANA PEEL, THE OTHER FOOT IN THE GRAVE - SECRETS FROM THE DOLLY MADISON ROOM (1994)



Directed by: Juan Botas, Lucas Platt
Narrated by: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Paul Bellman, Daniel Chapman, Eugene Fedorko, Luis Hernandez, Steven Landman, Bernard Morisset, Tim Pettifer, Joe Picciotti, Ron Pullen, Tyrone Speight, Jeffrey Virden, Dallas Wingo

79 minutes
(NR - adult themes, strong language, explicit dialogue)

Quickshot:
A documentary following a group of gay men, suffering from advanced stages of HIV and AIDS, as they gather to share their stories in their doctor's office.

Initial Reaction After Viewing:
"...poignant..."

Bottom-line:
Quite possibly, one of the hardest documentaries to watch. Mainly because, everyone featured in the film have since passed on due to this dreaded disease. As they relate their tales of their early life before and since contracting the virus, there's an intense feeling of kinship and compassion that flows out of the viewer. You quickly look pass sexual orientations and see your fellow man suffering. But, it's not all gloom and doom as their stories are so insightful and entertaining...and, yes, sometimes humorous...that you see that this is less a documentary about dying, as it is a celebration of their lives.

Most of those featured also appeared in the Oscar-winning 1993 film, "Philadelphia", as extras.

VERDICT:
a deeply human experience

4 PLEDGES TO NEVER FORGET AND TO CONTINUE THE GOOD FIGHT OUT OF 5


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