The Main Event (a companion to the O'Neal threads currently running): Was it Barbra Streisand's Worst Movie and Performance?

For me, The Main Event has at least three cringe-worthy sequences that give me nightmares to this day, starting with Babs literally hoisting her butt into the camera in the opening scene. (sorry, couldn't find the clip).

the Fockers movies are her lowpoint but this would be right after them in the bottom of the barrel

Dear God, OP, ENOUGH already with the endless threads / Ryan O' Neal worship!

At this point, perhaps DLounge Needs to change to ROLounge

My favorite negative review headline for A Star is Born was A Bore is Starred. Still makes me giggle.

I remember Main Event being enjoyable but sometimes irritating. I'll have to rewatch again.

Jesus, I just watched Paper Moon cuz of the other thread (loved it) and then tried to watch Certain Fury cuz of the Tatum thread (Tatum calls Irene Cara the 'n' word and I gasped out loud) and have started watching Barry Lyndon - DAMN IT!

"The Main Event" is a fun movie until they get to the training lodge. Babs, Ryan, Whitman Mayo and Patti D'Arbanville are all funny.

At what point does this equate to severe mental abuse? Don’t tell me to not read. Eventually all these threads will be of Ryan O’Neal. If we all quit our membership, it will all be Ryan O’Neal threads, with no one commenting, because no one gives a shit! Has datalounge hit the bottom of no return? Ryan O’Neal officially destroys everything beautiful.

Yes and yes.

Keep it up, OP. I'm enjoying this weird obsession with Ryan O'Neal [italic]et famille[/italic]!

The theme song is the best part

Touché Op. I said this movie and Killdozer were my all time horror movies. So now I’m putting you on my haunting list. You’re just behind my brother, who is a super douchebag. I’m gonna haunt you so bad, you don’t even know!

I'm watching it now. How was Paul Sand EVER a thing?

The first scene is funny with Barbra going through her dialogue like a machine gun rat a tat tat

"Why smell like a flower unless you want to shack up with a bee"

My 9yo birthday party included pizza, cake and going to the Westport, CT cinema to watch The Main Event with 8 of my best pals. We LOVED it!

Maybe, but the theme song is awesome and Ryan O'Neal is fucking HOT in it.

I loved it! I was 16 years old at the time and the media didn't consider her anything of a sex symbol. Yet, she tried it. The media focused on her big nose and she literally opened the film with it.

Who was the naked black guy...don't recall.

R15 What? The media did not focus on her nose. She was the paramour of some great leading men. Barbra was so big at this time, no one said anything about her looks. This was the time before plastic surgery. Women like Barbra and Liza could actually be leading ladies.

My young gayling self drank up Ryan like I was a camel with water, yum!

Plastic surgery had been around a long time before Liza and Barbra came on the scene. The modern era of plastic surgery began with reconstructive surgeries performed upon soldiers wounded in the First World War.

R13, just out of curiosity, were your parents surprised when you told them you're gay?

The Main Event was the first movie I was allowed to go to without an adult (my older cousin was with me, though), and we both enjoyed it. It will always have a special place in my heart for that reason, but I suspect if I were to watch it again as an adult, it wouldn't hold up well.

My fighter is not going off in any 'ambuhl-ANCE!'

And to give Babs credit, she didn't want a nose job for fear it would affect her singing.

R20 my mother always knew!

[quote] Barbra was so big at this time, no one said anything about her looks.

That's just not true. All John Simon did in his movie reviews of the 70s was talk about how homely he considered Barbra Streisand and Liza Minnelli.

John Simon was one of the most vile writers of his time. And he hated women as anything but sex objects as smart as he considered himself.

I saw the Focker's movie the other night- I did find myself laughing in spite of myself. That little kid saying asshoooole.

A Star is Born will always be her lowest point to me. I've never been able to finish that movie and I've tried 4 times. It's so boring and there's no pace at all. You don't care what happens to either of them. The "Evergreen" song is nice and that's about it.

I'm glad Gypsy doesn't seem to still be happening (though she's still teasing it at her concerts), because that would be such a sad note for her to go out on - playing a role she's at least 40 years too old for and wouldn't be able to properly sing with her current voice.

I like "A Star is Born" but oddly, I have issues with "Funny Girl." It starts so strong and funny and then there's this whole long stretch with no music and just drama and it isn't so fun anymore. I think, despite some drawbacks, "Hello Dolly!" is a stronger picture and more consistent.

OP here. (I just woke up). My point in starting this thread was to pivot away from the O'Neal threads. I'm also tired of them. I want to bring it back to a DL stalwart we never get tired of debating: BABS! ... and what I consider her worst movie/performance. (I don't really count Fockers because she plays a supporting role).

Did you hate as Event as much as I do? Do you love it? What movie/performance of hers is worse???

I'm surprised no one has mentioned All Night Long yet. I thought it was actually a decent movie with a great Gene Hackman performance. It was just poorly promoted. Streisand isn't bad, just really miscast.

R26 and R27 have the right idea. A Bore is Starred is almost as cringe-worthy, a very close second. But her Queen Bee is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Thanks guys. Carry on.....

Hello! Can we say Miscast?

kindred spirits, R28

The Main Event is indeed one of her worst. It disturbs me that she turned down Julia but made this. I don't know what she was thinking. But The Guilt Trip is also bad, as is For Pete's Sake. I think A Star Is Born has many real moments and I think Kristofferson is quite good indeed (it's really his movie). Barbra is terrific when she sings in ASIB. But generally, her film career just wasn't handled well. Sue Mengers wrote that the biggest problem of all in repping Barbra was simply getting her to work at all. Sometimes I think Barbra made the easy choices rather than challenge herself, which is a real shame.

Muriel needs to block any thread titles that have the words Best or Worst in them. Seriously.

Barbra had a string of pretty good to decent movies right out of the gate with Funny Girl, Hello Dolly, On A Clear Day, What's Up Doc, and The Way We Were, but she did take too many easy choices instead of really stretch herself as an actress. It's one reason why I like her odder films like Up the Sandbox and All Night Long. They might not be great movies, but you can see her trying to stretch herself. She really needed to do Gypsy in the 80's or 90s to really show people what she could do. I think her later career could have been much more interesting if she had. I still have a hard time seeing her as Rose, though.

Millions of baton twirlers of a certain age are thankful for "The Main Event/Fight". Inspired many a routine.

"For Pete's Sake" gets a bad rap but it has one of Streisand's most perfect comic moments -- the expert slow acknowledgement that the police dog has gotten on the subway with her. And my friend and I loved to imitate her "Bye!" gesture wen she tricks the dog into staying while she jumps off. Worth it for that entire section.

I remember a couple of chuckles in "The Main Event", but I laughed all the way through "A Star is Born".

I loved for Pete's Sake.

SPOILER ALERT: The moment where the husband takes the ring off her finger gets me every time. He made her think for a moment she'd blown it all; maybe she had that coming.

The guy who died she almost had to sleep with was the first Brooks on Another World.

I can't believe how long she kept that perm! Her hair looks like Melinda Dillon's in A Christmas Story in this...awful. She was very cute and sometimes even strikingly attractive before the afro perm of ASIB, but I don't think she's had a flattering hairstyle since...

R31 ["It disturbs me that she turned down Julia"]

Thank God she did. It might have been awful. One of Fonda's better performances. I can't believe Streisand was even considered.

Ryan had lost some of his What’s Up Doc looks in Main Event.

"For Pete's Sakes" was shot under the title "Porkbelly Blues", oy. Imagine that on a marquee. The new title wasn't much better. But, damn, Streisand can still get a laugh out of a comic scream. Like when she realizes she is being busted and kicks the lookalike cop (Her clenched teeth read on "I got de package" is also great) With a better script, it could've been another "What's Up Doc" but didn't quite make it, though Sarazin was cute and would have made a great Joe Buck too as originally cast..

I just couldn't get past her hair

I recently saw Up The Sandbox for the first time. Interesting film. I understand why Barbra did it. It's flawed and a bit of a mess, but she has some great moments. This was Streisand looking for an artistic project, something off the beaten path. I think if this film had found more success, we might have seen a different trajectory to Barbra's film career.

No, her worst performace is The Mirror Has Long Nails. Or was it The Ego has Two Faces?

Am I hallucinating or was Leslie Nielsen one of Barbra's johns when she played a prostitute?

Yikes. I didn't need to see that, R46.

The Mirror Has Two Faces is humorless (unintentionally funny, though) and has no redeeming qualities. At least The Main Event has Ryan.

Mirror had 2 redeeming qualites: Lauren Bacall and Brenda Vaccaro

Jeff is cute in his academic gear.

I loved The Main Event as a kid. I still remember Patti D'Arbanville's incessant smoker's cough and her threatening to cut Barbra's tits off. I knew nothing about the LA area at the time, but I remember Barbra saying "It's a long way to Long Beach", so I always imagined Long Beach as a rundown area. The movie is typical fast-talking wise-cracking Barbra, which I never get tired of.

OP back again. I know I'm gonna get flak for this. But I also hated the song.

"FIght for what you want...Fight for what is real...FIght to keep,,,,," UGH. I just wanted to smash it over Barbra's head. I know many of you love it, but there has to be a few of you who feel the way I do....

And just to be clear, I have an extreme love/hate relationship with her. What's Up Doc is one of my all-time movies/performances. I could watch endlessly on loop, Barbra has never been more beautiful and appealing to me. She even seemed approachable. The scene on the roof of the hotel when the blanket falls off revealing her on top of the piano .... "You MUST remember this....." PERFECTION!

So there! :):)

It was Paul Jabara digging that "Fight" part out of some piano bench and tagging it onto the far superior "Main Event". Disco was my least favorite Streisand period.

The title song "The Main Event/Fight" was a hit for Barbra Streisand. It spent four weeks at #3 on the Billboard pop singles chart. The song was written by Paul Jabara and Bruce Roberts (Jabara won an Oscar for writing Donna Summer's "Last Dance").

Jeff Bridges is absolutely gorgeous in Mirror Has Two Faces. And Lauren Bacall gives a fabulous performance as the bitchy mother. Barbra has some nice moments too, especially when she breaks down in the bathroom with Bridges on the other side of the door. But overall, it's a Hallmark movie. Such a disappointment.

This was probably the last film Barbra was funny in. She got so serious there for some reason.

[quote] I recently saw Up The Sandbox for the first time. Interesting film. I understand why Barbra did it. It's flawed and a bit of a mess, but she has some great moments. This was Streisand looking for an artistic project, something off the beaten path. I think if this film had found more success, we might have seen a different trajectory to Barbra's film career.

It also has a gorgeous one-sheet (poster) illustrated by the amazing Richard Amsel who did Midler's first two albums and the Indiana Jones Trilogy. He died of AIDS at 37

Speaking of Paul Jabara......

Yentl was the worst. Too Jewish.

If by WORST you mean HER ABSOLUTE BEST, then I agree

I saw this in the theater as a kid. It has its moments, but, as someone said, it probably doesn't hold up today.

I do, however, LOVE the theme song and always have!

There's one thing I cannot stand is hearing an edited version of one of my favorite songs!!

Here is the full, 11-minute version...

After The Way We Were, ALL of Streisand's performances sucked, even later when she got some partially decent material. It's like she forgot how to be an actress and was consumed with being power movie maker, pseudo women's lib player, I AM Barbra Streisand bullshit. It was a shame because the 1970s (contrary to press at the time) was a decade where some very talented actresses worked in fine roles in good movies. I waited and waited for Babs to do something good, but she seemed content with acting her roles like a Jerry Lewis impression. She squandered all that valuable time.

There have been threads that ask why didn't Bette Davis have a good follow-up to All About Eve, the same could be asked of Streisand - why didn't she have a good follow up to The Way We Were. Note I am NOT comparing these two films as equal.

"For Pete's Sakes" was shot under the title "Porkbelly Blues"

For Pete's SAKE was shot with the title "July Pork Bellies."

R57, I love the Up the Sandbox poster and have an original one-sheet I bought in 1972. TIME magazine sued, and they had to change the advertising to this garbage:

R62 I had many issues with Yentl, but I thought she was excellent in the middle passage of the movie. She had some great scenes with Mandy Patinkin and Amy Irving.

Body by Gilda's.

.....

O'Neal:

"She works 15 and 16 hours a day, checking to make sure we all do our jobs, but she does it in a feminine way..."

Translation: Streisand was (is) a micromanager

I love that LONG note Barbara sings at the end of "The Main Event". Is that the longest note she ever held in a song?

Interesting, Roslyn Kind plays an aerobic instructor in this.

Ryan O'Neal wrote that he should be the trainer and Diana Ross should have played the boxer

Whatever that means, Ryan.

Look at all these photos of Studio 54. The 70s really were the golden era, weren't they?

No, r67. The longest note she ever held was at the end of I Got Rhythm in Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments. She passed out the first time she sang it.

R67, have you ever heard of EDITING?

Don't forget worst song, OP.

she looks like steven spielberg in drag.

R67, I'm not sure if it's the longest note she ever held, but her final note in Piece of Sky from Yentl goes on forever and it's a high belt, too. It's beautiful. Of course, it could have been pieced together from multiple takes since she certainly didn't hold it the same way when she sang it live during one of her concerts.

Longer than the ones in "Enough is Enough" and "Woman in Love"?

Every big movie had a tie-in pocketbook novelization, usually with several pages of photos in the middle.

"The irresistible story that breaks all the rules. And the only winner is love!"

[quote][R67], I'm not sure if it's the longest note she ever held, but her final note in Piece of Sky from Yentl goes on forever and it's a high belt, too. It's beautiful. Of course, it could have been pieced together from multiple takes

That final note in "A Piece of Sky" was all real.

Carole Bayer Sager and Burt Bacharach had a dinner party with Barbra Streisand and Dolly Parton as guests. After dinner, they asked guests what they were currently working on and Dolly sang a little bit of a song she had just written.

They asked Barbra and she reluctantly went out to her car and retrieved a cassette tape of an unfinished version of A Piece of Sky, which she played for everyone. Well, everyone was understandably speechless and blown away. Dolly then asked her if that final note was looped, or if it she really held it that long. Barbra assured her that it was 100% real and not looped. Barbra said she even purposefully altered her vibrato during the note so people would hear that it wasn't looped. If you listen, you can hear this.

I prefer the short version of the song at r54. It's much easier to listen to than that 11-minute monstrosity at r61.

It's beautiful. Of course, it could have been pieced together from multiple takes since she certainly didn't hold it the same way when she sang it live during one of her concerts.

In the studio you only have to get right once.But true it's a great moment. I was theater manager and did great numbers with "Yentl" and I can attest, the staff would all get ready for the next show than gather in the back to watch that scene and hear a thousand people burst into applause. And almost no one would leave until the final credit tribute to her father.

Piece of Sky is one of the best things Barbra has ever done. It really is breathtaking. For her, too, I'd imagine. Did she pass out after that note?

Barbra would NEVER loop a note. It is beneath her. She is known for having the best breath control of any popular singer.

This is why I love this place, where else can you talk about a movie like this? I saw it when I was 13 and dreamed about Ryan all summer

Barbra Streisand performing "The Main Event/Fight" live in concert in 2000.

Now I'm going to be watching that all God damn day.

Hamlisch and that orchestra must have cost her a fortune and worth every penny.

[quote]Who was the naked black guy...don't recall.

Co-star Whitman Mayo.

Barbra insisted he do full frontal.

R82, I hope you're kidding.

I bet not many of you have ever heard this version. Stunning.