The classic film "Moment by Moment" is FINALLY coming to Blu-Ray!! DL rejoices!

Honestly, every time I think about this movie I'm flabbergasted. I wonder WHAT were the studio execs and producers THINKING? Even if the public at that time didn't know Travolta and Tomlin were both gay, certainly everyone in the industry knew, so why would they pair them together in a movie that's supposed to be sexually hot and provocative with its May-December relationship? Why!?! Their romantic/sex scenes are painful to watch. Absolutely NO sexual chemistry. As bad as Jodie Foster with...ANYONE.

Lily Tomlin as a top.

I need to see this.

With commentary by film historians!

Will they explain to us the layers of meaning behind Travolta's character's name: Strip?

"Strip! Oh, this is ridiculous. Strip. Strip!"

Thank you, but I will always have Dogfight with River Phoenix and Lili Taylor for this kinda movies.

A moment like this

Some people wait a lifetime

For a moment like this

So people search forever

Oh Strip!

This movie is even more boring than you've heard.

"superb romantic melodrama"? So irony is dead, I guess.

This film is completely nuts. At the time of its initial release the whole world knew Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner were a couple. Honestly, Lily is talented but she has trouble playing a straight character is such awful material.

Were Lily and Jane on drugs at this time? I'm not being mean....just wondering how to explain this movie. They're both so smart and talented....I speak as someone who SAW this thing when it came out, whoops, I mean, was released. You had to move FAST, because it disappeared.

I believe the New Yorker's Richard Brody is the only person who thinks highly of it. But he's one of those "It was misunderstood" people when it comes to terrible movies.

I found this clip of the movie. He was so cute back then. Her part was very sour. Maybe that’s why it didn’t work.

The lovely Yvonne Elliman singing the ‘love theme’ [ remember Love Themes?]

The absolute worst.

The soundtrack has some good numbers

It was a magical love between two very different people who ultimately had more in common than they ever would have realized!

Blu-ray? Really? WHY?

It's an absolutely awful movie.

Save your money and buy a copy of MYRA BRECKINRIDGE. That one turns out not to be a great film, but very funny and a wonderful artifact of its time.

R16: you are giving money to Disney by buying a copy of that film. They own it now because of the Fox deal.

I totally agree, R11. It wouldn't have been a really good movie regardless, because the premise was just one big, soggy cliché. But the fact that Lily spends the entire film looking as though she's been sucking a lemon completely torpedoes it.

Lily is great at making us laugh, so casting her as a humorless SoCal matron is a headscratcher. Who did they think this would appeal to?

Lily was trying to stretch her credentials at the time--she had garnered an Oscar nomination and serious critical acclaim for her non-comic role in NASHVILLE. She had believably seemed sexually hung up on Keith carradine in that kmovie, so they hoped ahe could do the same in this one with Travolta, who was much hunkier.

Most people in Middle America (thus, most people in America) did not know Lily Tomlin or Travolta were gay back then. People had no idea outside of Hollywood who jane Wagner even was. There was no Internet in those days, so gossip could not spread nearkly as fast.

I counted 5 exclamation points.

What R19 said. Of course the genius of Nashville is in the script and direction, none of which were present here.

It was also the final film of Travolta's 3 picture deal with Robert Stigwood which had included Saturday Night Fever and Grease so he may have just been looking to complete that obligation (like Streisand with Funny Lady) so he could be a free agent again.

Of course, aside from Urban Cowboy (which didn't catch on the way Fever did) and Blow Out (a critical if not box office success), it was a long time between this film and Pulp Fiction in 1994 - with a lot of shit in between.

So does this mean there's going to be a sequel?

Travolta can sing and dance, and he was very attractive in his 20s. But he's never been much of an actor,. and he has very little range.

[quote]The cover art looks gorgeous and captures the sexual heat in the film!!

I'm dying of hypothermia.

Which was worst, Moment by Moment or Two of a Kind? And why do they seem like bookend projects of each other and a dreadful, but campy, double feature?

This movie is about as gay as they come!

Does lily show her tits or cunt in this one?

Please, R27! She's not Glenda Jackson.

Have either of them discussed or acknowledged this disaster since it’s initial release?

It's disappointing that neither Travolta or Tomlin are doing commentaries for this. It would be so interesting to hear about their love scenes, how they hung out with each other to create their magical chemistry on screen. Was Tomlin bashful when she had to kiss Travolta? I'm sure there are many cute stories they could tell about making this classic.

They had the same hair!

Sexual heat? OP you are quite the kidder! I'm a old lesbian and I love Lily Tomlin but she was just awful in that film. And poor John Travolta reminded me of someone in a hostage video. Quite possibly one of the worst movies ever made. The studio executives and producers who greenlighted this thing were probably coked to the gills.

Hilariously unconvincing reappraisal from "The New Yorker".

"It’s a mark of imaginative direction when a film displays control of time—a sense that the drama itself walks on a tightrope, and that the actors and the characters are energized by a moment passing between them. So it is with “Moment by Moment,” in which the element of time serves a special, melodramatic purpose—it infuses a recognizable version of middle-class life with a sense of destiny."

Travolta was at his peak charisma and looks. You can totally understand Tomlin's character desiring him sexually.

She is the audience.

She is us.

r34: Mary!

This movie is a piece of shit, but not one that's so bad, it's good. It's a total fucking snoozefest.

Also, Kino Lorber absolutely SUCK when it comes to remastering or doing extras. They rarely do any remastering and oftentimes just plop the old transfer onto a blu ray. It's better than nothing, but not worth the cost. And they usually get the dullest no-nothings to do commentaries. Not that they would have gotten Lily or John, but their extras are woefully inaccurate. I hate this label.

Maybe it’s just needs to have Rocky Horror Picture show interaction added to it?

How does it compare to "From Justin to Kelly"?

Say what you will about how bad Lily is this this movie, but her performance here, even just in this scene alone, is one of the most masterful ones ever put on the screen. So much is happening under the surface and the arc of emotions she is experiencing can only lead you to believe she is about to shatter into a million pieces.

Perhaps, R39, much of the credit for the impact of that scene goes to Robert Altman. It was constructed masterfully.

In "Moment by Moment," if I recall correctly, Lily Tomlin gives pretty much that same performance when things fall apart between her and Strip. But in a shitty movie, instead of a great one, that performance garners a lot of snickers from the audience members. Not Oscar nominations.

I never got the raves for Lily in Nashville. There were so many better female performances in that film, beginning with Ronee Blakley (who should have won the Oscar), Barbara Harris, Gwen Welles, Karen Black... I think Harris should have had Tomlin's nomination.

That being said, I thought Tomlin did great work in The Late Show, and of course, she was GOLD in 9 to 5.

[quote]That performance garners a lot of snickers from the audience members. Not Oscar nominations.

Lily did garner a coveted Stinkers nomination. Sadly, she lost to Farrah Fawcett-Majors.

He never had any chemistry with women. I think he's like 110% gay.

She seems to be playing Violet Newstead and he, Vinnie Barbarino, in "love".

Lily's brilliant TV special where she runs for President. You'll never guess who shows up. Scott Baio.

Lily also tries Vegas. She actually looks pretty good as a showgirl and her act would play Vegas today. The dishy blond showboy is none other than Charles Ward of ABT and Dancin. The early San Francisco tryout is great and the audiences got it, unlike the Vegas audiences who seem to take it all seriously.

There was a rumor that they were considering Fran Lebowitz in Tomlin's role.

R43: Coca-Cola didn't want to be associated with [italic]Grease[/italic] but gladly allowed their logo to be seen there?

The searing HEAT of lesbian/gay romance!

It's like watching John make out with his sister Ellen.

Ellen Travolta looked like Miss Gulch.

I remember first reading about this flop in the "Golden Turkey Awards" book. What a waste of time and money to bring this to Blu-Ray.

Kino Lorber also brought [italic]Song of Norway[/italic] to Blu-ray.

They passed on [italic]Flower Drum Song[/italic].

For a second I thought great, I'll be the Blu-ray and have a viewing party. Then I watched two minutes of that clip and I my head almost exploded from the boredom.

I have never seen a less attractive leading lady than Lily Tomlin.

WTF is a Kino Lorber? I’m only half kidding. What’s with that name?

r39 I need to see this.

[quote] Even if the public at that time didn't know Travolta and Tomlin were both gay, certainly everyone in the industry knew, so why would they pair them together in a movie that's supposed to be sexually hot and provocative with its May-December relationship?

Even if Tomlin were straight, who on Earth ever asked to see her in a May-December romance??? I love her, but sexually hot and provocative she is not. I genuinely laughed out loud reading this thread and remembering what a colossally poor and inexplicable idea it was to make this film. Cannot believe the New Yorker defended it!

As an aside, does anyone actually still rejoice when a movie is released on Blu Ray/DVD? Never did own a Blu Ray player and can’t imagine still owning a DVD player or cluttering my apartment with DVDs. Seems like video equivalent of still collecting CDs. Assumed pretty much everyone just streams whatever they want to watch/hear.

There's plenty of collectors r57. I mean, I get what you say, but collectors are not about streaming or minimalist spaces. They want more and more Blu-Rays. They want the Blu-Rays with bonus features, deleted scenes, cover art, slipcovers, etc.

Kino Lorber is one of the main labels that reissues films. r36 does make some good points. I don't think KL is one of the best ones but I am grateful they still issue films on Blu-Ray and DVD. I much prefer Criterion, Shout/Scream, Arrow, Olive, Cohen Media, and Warner Archives.

Criterion is probably considered the top. They're a little too expensive for me but the quality is almost always top-notch. Shout/Scream are great. They get some flack on Blu-ray.com but I enjoy their releases. Warner Archives almost always do an impeccable job on their transfers, especially Golden Age-circa musicals like The Pirate, Showboat, Damn Yankees, etc.

[quote] WTF is a Kino Lorber? I’m only half kidding. What’s with that name?

It used to be called Fox Lorber but then they merged with a company called Kino.

Well, well, well the search for signs of intelligent life in the universe really needs to starts with who put this beauty together as a movie.

[quote] "The cover art looks gorgeous and captures the sexual heat in the film!!"

It's just a shame Cristal Connors wasn't cast in the Tomlin role. Tomlin doesn't have Cristal's heat.

What can you say about a movie that makes [italic]The Incredible Shrinking Woman[/italic] look like a classic?

We do need to question the use of “classic” in regard to this film, other then calling it a classic steaming pile of shit.

At least shit makes flowers grow.

R59 Thanks for the info. I’m still confused but that’s not your problem. You tried, I failed. ❤️

I don't blame you for being confused, R65.

And they have always been a shit label. They treated Akira Kurosawa like dirt, and now they treat dirt like Akira Kurosawa.

I remember a TV special - maybe it was a premiere party for Grease - where John and Lily were sitting with Robert Stigwood and spoke about their yet to be released movie together. John and Lily both looked glum.

Really now.

It can't be much worse than Stayin' Alive.

For all those complaining about this release.

But it is, R69. Because Stayin' Alive is over the top and campy, and Moment By Moment is just boring and dull and somewhat depressing.

I caught this yesterday. Wow. Just wow.

Nice cinematography of 1970's Los Angeles.

But NOTHING happens and the characters are so dull that it dooms the film.

And the editing was horrific. They should call it Moment by Moment by Moment by Moment by Moment.

Lots of lengthy scenes of Lily walking around town. Lily driving. Lily and John making out (I will not call it fucking because it was like watching your parents)

The most hilarious is the last 10-15 minutes which consists of Lily driving around east LA or some shit. Driving, driving, driving, looking at her little note book for address, driving, driving, looking at notebook, driving, driving, driving. Glancing at notebook, driving, driving, and driving. This was the director's idea of building "suspense" about 2 characters that you could give two shits about. And it leads to the most nothing ending I have ever seen.

Truly, the film did not have one funny line, one memorable scene. The most memorable is Lily walking around Beverly Hills at the beginning.

Stay Put

I’m ashamed to admit I wanted to see this a few years ago and ordered a copy through Amazon Germany. It’s dull like everyone says but I enjoyed looking at late 70s LA and Travolta on the beach in a tiny black Speedo. Lily’s performance seemed to be quaalude enhanced. She didn’t seem engaged.

The day of the DVD release should be a national holiday. Hint, hint President Biden!!!

DL should have a watch party

I remember this movie when it came out (not that I saw it).

Two things from looking it up on IMDB:

1. It has a 3/10 rating. That’s pretty low for IMDB.

2. Jane Wagner, Lily’s longtime partner directed it. It is the only film she’s ever directed.

Suddenly it makes sense why Tomlin was cast.

Christ, Bruce La Bruce wrote what must be his film PhD dissertation on it. He has some good things to say and analysis, but I didn’t get to the end of it.

R70: I don't think this movie was made for anyone.

I tried watching it on Universal HD in the 2000s almost as soon as I got an HDTV. It was excruciatingly bad. I couldn't even finish it. It truly is one of the worst movies of all-time, and I wish film "critics" would save their post-mortem defenses for unfairly vilified movies.

I will say again that the cinematography is gauzy and cool. Clearly Lily's girlfriend wanted her lit/photographed well-

And what was Travolta's characters name? Stretch? Stitch?

How many FUCKING times can Lily say that name in one scene?

Oh Stretch! Oh Stretch!. Shut the FUCK up!!!!

That whole fog-and-diffusion-everywhere mentality in the 1970s is how we ended up with LucyMAME.

Don’t cast people who look like they could be related as romantic couples.

They're bringing to Broadway as "Closet to Closet".

It's no wonder Tomlin and Travolta have never done any "commentary" on this movie. I think they both want to forget it ever happened.

How DID it happen? Well, I heard it went like this. Travolta, who was one of the biggest stars in the world at that time, met Tomlin. They hit it off; he loved her work and she was thrilled with him. So they decided to do a movie project together. A love story. BAD idea. The criticisms were scathing: it was dull, the dialogue was terrible, they have no chemistry, they look like brother and sister, etc. IT was so bad that it's generally considered one of the worst movies of all time. Some people thought it might end Travolta's film career. It didn't, but the film made him a laughingstock for a while. As for him and Tomlin, well, they never worked together again. I wonder if their friendship endured? I think "Moment by Moment" might have ended their personal relationship, too.

^ They should have made a buddy comedy about a gay guy and his lesbian pal who go on a road trip or something

That might have actually resulted in a watchable movie.

Maybe Kino Lorber actually wanted [italic]The Incredible Shrinking Woman[/italic] but could only get this instead since Shout! Factory got the rights to that. For all that film's flaws, its heart is in the right place and the message about the dangers of consumer products is true, and the Galaxy Glue jingle is catchy. Charles Grodin, may he rest in peace, at least is less unbelievable as her husband.

I've never seen this and I do not want to.

[quote]And what was Travolta's characters name? Stretch? Stitch?

Read the original post and R3.

Strip! Strip!! LOL

I just watched this last night and forgot his STUPID name.

In an interview with CrankyCritic.com during the late 1990s, John Travolta said of this film:

""I think I learned 20 years ago when I did Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978) and was touted the biggest star in the world; then I did a movie called Moment by Moment (1978) and you'd have thought I'd have sunk the Titanic. I was so mistreated as a result of that film that I can never again take any of it seriously. So I guess I learned that you've got to be tough and expect the worst, but nothing could be worse than that".

The pairing of Lily with John is yuk!

They should do a reboot, Muu-Muu by Muu-Muu. The Hat Sisters can do a cameo, natch.

They should do a reboot with cows having sex with each other.

I'm hoping for a remake starring Shawn Mendes and Queen Latifah

Lily was fun with Fred Willard in BIG BUSINESS.

It's a shame the remake with Michelle Rodriguez and Zac Efron never came to fruition.

Rosie O'Donnell and Macaulay Culkin.

Every time I see this title, I think of the Mervin LeRoy "Moment TO Moment," which I keep meaning to watch. It stars Jean Seberg, Honor Blackman, and someone named Sean Garrison.

That New Yorker article has a link to archive.org, where you can stream the movie for free. I've made it through seven minutes so far. Not sure if I'll continue. The scenes of 70s L.A. are cool, as someone said above.

(DL won't let me post the archive.org link in the link box, for whatever reason.)

Just post it in the body of the message.

Tried that and got an error message, R101.

Hmmmm

Here's the New Yorker link again. The archive.org link is in the first paragraph.

K, thanks. It wasn't taking mine, for whatever reason.

I swear I've linked successfully before! Don't judge!

R99- That's me! And I watched on the same platform.

[Quote] K, thanks. It wasn't taking mine, for whatever reason. I swear I've linked successfully before! Don't judge!

I'm judging you for having the parental controls engaged on your device... What have you been up to?

Does the New Yorker pay you to watch it?

"It’s a superb romantic melodrama that should have propelled Wagner into the front ranks of Hollywood directors and advanced its stars’ careers, as well." Whew! Sounds like the guy who wrote that New Yorker article is a nutcase. He sounds crazy, a total kook.

If they'd made it in the '50s, it could've starred Raymond Burr and Constance Ford. Or Tab Hunter and Lizabeth Scott.

If they made it in the 1950s, then maybe it would’ve been good. Maybe you would’ve been able to see what the hell is going on because it wouldn’t have been shot through more filters than LucyMAME. And maybe something actually would be going on.

Ruth Roman and Monty Clift?

Farley Granger and Nancy Kulp

Tallulah Bankhead and Rock Hudson

Mary Wickes and George Maharis.

The robot from Metropolis and the robot from The Day the Earth Stood Still, they would be more animated and have better chemistry then Lily and John.

Lily was pretty slim and good looking for an almost 40 year old Lily n 1978, I guess they thought that's all she'd need. Women's Lib, younger man-older woman stuff was in at the time.

Travolta never commented (why would he), but Lily and Jane did (Jane Wagner write and directed). They said they were completely shocked and dumbfounded at the critical and popular rejection of Moment by Moment. They were not prepared for an instant for what happened. I'd guess it was a case of being too close to the forest to see the trees.

Lily and Jane also did promotional interviews together before the movie opened. I'm sorry I missed them (turned the channel) because it would shed some light on this turkey.

Did Leta Powell Drake cover this movie?

The heat is fueling the hot tub scene!

r119, you can just feel the hot, heterosexual heat!

Cold tub of erectile dysfunction.

They should show this film in those fundie Christian "abstinence" lessons. No kid will ever think about sex after watching this

A truly terrible film. The lack of charisma was stupefying. Travolta, at his sexiest here, wasn't even naked. That would have been the only redeeming thing. A pointless exercise in bad judgment across the board.

R55 - Kino is an older German / European word for a movie theater, or a “cinema.” Shortened form of Kinematograph, from French cinématographe “movie camera/projector.”

Kinema is Greek for “motion.”

As bad as they were, I could actually finish [italic]Staying Alive[/italic] and [italic]Perfect[/italic].

I wish I could say the same for this one.

My God, you can see Tomlin telling herself how to react as her character. Her acting is so bad. And Travolta! Eeesh. He's in high Sweathog mode.

Had Jill Clayburg already had her hit? It might have worked with Jane Fonda in Tomlin's part.

Maybe it would’ve worked with Bette Davis and mason Reese.

Is there any old adage about a director should not director their lover in a love story role because it would compromise the performance? Even if it is a cross engineered sexuality?

In this interview at 10:12, Lily talks about "Moment By Moment". Addresses 2 gay actors playing straight.

[quote]My God, you can see Tomlin telling herself how to react as her character. Her acting is so bad. And Travolta! Eeesh. He's in high Sweathog mode.

And that's another reason this movie is a disaster: it had a negative impact on the final season of [italic]Welcome Back, Kotter[/italic] as well.

Thanks, R130. Lily mentions her gay brother. I saw BOTH of them on Joan Rivers' daytime talk show in the early 1990s, he was a RIOT. The both of them really made the show something special that day. Years later of course I heard Joan on the radio trashing Lily because of her looks.

Her brother is also gay? What the hell did the doctor give their mother?

It's not unheard of for a gay person to have a gay sibling. Rosie O. has a gay brother

And they look alike, R133. He is so totally and completely obvious he make Lily seem straight. Funny too.

From what Lily's said, her family was very conservative Baptists.

Colton has a gay sibling.

r136 Haynes, Underwood, or Ford?

Haynes.

It is my sincere hope that Scott Evans has a gay brother.

I don't think Scott would be close with Chris is the latter were closeted. It would drive a wedge between the two actors.

*if the latter

this movie came and went so fast.....amazing how the internet bestows eternal life

Three of Thomas Mann's six children were gay. It happens. Mann himself was bisexual.

“Some people wait a lifetime, for a moment like this...”

Young Lily with Bobbie Wygant. Now Lily is 81. Wygant is sill alive at 93.

Article on the movie

[R132] I recall in an interview Lily discussing her brother coming out as gay. This was many years before Lily came out. He may have been in his late teens or early twenties so this would have been the early 1960's. She said her Baptist mother suffered what sounds like a nervous breakdown. She spent most of her time in bed for two weeks. Lily admits it would have been "career suicide'" for herself to come out even in liberal, gay friendly Hollywood. If she would have come out in the early 1970's her claim to fame would have been several years on Laugh In and then probably her contract not renewed. Then it would have been occasional gigs in Detroit coffee houses and obscurity. Lily is a smart business woman and knows what side her bread is buttered on. She had to "play it straight" for many years.

Lily Tomlin never played straight. Lily Tomlin played mute.