Overall rating: 4.654867 / 5 from 113 reviews.
This Blu-ray edition of 'Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers' is a restored classic featuring Holly Woodlawn, with positive feedback on its restoration quality, special features, and overall entertainment value. The product includes a commentary, an interview, and a bonus movie, all presented in great packaging.
Review topics: ["packaging","sound","work","film","release","comedy","movie","features","restoration","woodlawn","agfa","slipcover","title","gums","number","humor","performances","trash","songs","kind","vibe","camp","transfer","gem","exception","goodies","characters","cast","side","legend"].
"What a fantastic camp classic. I love all the grimy stolen 1970s New York City shots. Holly Woodlawn's performance is really a work of art, she even plays 2 characters! Pretty great transfer for such an obscure film. And we get the puppet parody Gums as a bonus flick. Great purchase!"
"One of the most accurate portrayals of parts of New York life that no-one ever puts in movies. Thank God 'Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers' was found. Thought lost for the better part of 50 years, this unironicly joyful underground New York musical is both a living cartoon and incredibly relatable as to what New York life is like. Warhol standout Holly Woodlawn (as in "Holly came from Miami F-L-A" from Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side," yes this is her) plays as aspiring star who comes to New York and, on a quest to find an apartment, meets wildly different potential roommates in different parts of the city. I've never seen the multiple NYC roommate encounter grind so perfectly captured on film and it gives a realistic logic as to the cavalcade of colorful characters we're being introduced to. This movie, the film debuts of Lily Tomlin (while she was on "Laugh-In" in an uncredited role playing her phone operator character) and Bette Midler (who contributes a few incredible songs) has so many more great talents, many of whom went on to notable TV, film and (in the case of legendary little person wrestler The Haiti Kid) wrestling careers. It also has (as found through my Google sleuthing) some very respected and liked 70s stage and cabaret actors in their only film role, allowing for an immortality of their talents on film. It also captures New York in the rare transitional year of 1972. Hip-hop and punk were a year away, the 60s countercultures were burning out or growing too cynical for film, and so 'Scarecrow' boasts the largely queer-friendly side of the New York underground that legitimately loved classic Hollywood glamour and used their limitations in conjunction with their greatest strengths to warmly put their own spin on it, creating their own style in the process. It's this element for New York nomads and transplants that 'Scarecrow' becomes unexpectedly deeply moving. With the whimsy of meeting so many new people of similar drive and passion but different approach, there's also the acknowledgement of what a feeling of safety these visions of youth in New York are. In a powerful sequence, a depressed Holly brings herself to the movies to cheer-up as Bette Midler's (movie exclusive) "Strawberry, Lilac and Lime" plays, with the moment Holly enters the theater transforming her into a sepia vision of a little girl again. The song and the sequence are about the safety of and for childlike innocence in the movie theater, and the sanctuary that these movies, no matter how old, can be. Something of a lullaby (and there's no real critical analysis of the lyrics online, but I'm guessing the title refers to the color scheme and floral patterns of those classic theaters) the sad end of the song discusses changes in those by-name New York destinations that happen with age and the pain of knowing the read world still exists outside the movies that we're all growing old with. It's that emotive subtle touch of reality that makes the joy of the rest of the film so infectious. Holly's still having her whimsical fun in New York looking for her big break, and you start to feel like the friendship and fun of New York is the real dream, the real best part about migrating to the city. 'Scarecrow. . . ' is not just an uncompromising genuine work of queer joy, but unfiltered uncut New York in a way rarely captured even in underground film. Seeing some of these locations over a half-century ago and knowing that same sort of vibrant love is still there, thought it takes vastly different forms, speaks to so much of why it's a dream destination for so many. Recommended."
"underground musical comedy that delivers an incredibly joyous, chaotic valentine to individuality"
"Unparalleled feature from an undeniable queer camp legend. Where else can you get something so strangely encapsulating of a NYC that both never existed and is gone forever? Looks and sounds like a high quality indie flick, with all the presentation of a studio feature."
"Holly Woodlawn had such a unique sense of humor that was perfectly captured in this film. Love that this is preserved for future generations to be inspired by her."
"Another gem from AGFA. Thrilled to find the Slip-Cover version too!"
"I was not familiar with Holly Woodlawn before this, but this is a great introduction! Also a great collection of special features, however I wish that Gums was the uncensored version. Glad it gets some form of release regardless"
"Not exactly my jam, but lots of great visuals, music, and even a surprise wrestling match. Holly Woodlawn really is quite a star in this too. Incredibly charismatic and funny. Would probably watch a movie of just her facial expressions reacting to stuff."
"AGFA providing us with more queer cinema. This is a great watch from start to finish. Highly recommended."
"An aspiring actress from Kansas comes to New York and meets a host of zany characters."
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