Too many fans seem to be blown away

One of my all time favorites.

Expected more

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Movie star Marlo Manners walks down the aisle for the sixth time; her latest love is a rich, titled Brit, but their honeymoon plans are thwarted by her work, her ex-husbands hanging about, and by an international conference taking place in the same ritzy hotel. It would be easy to criticize this harmless comedy, the final cinematic bow from Mae West, based on the fact it is nothing more than a showcase (i.e., vanity project) for its star, adapted from her 1926 play, "Sex"; and yet, all it aspires to be is a frivolous enjoyment for fans, with campy musical numbers, grinning musclemen in a gymnasium sequence, a mini-fashion show (with Mae modeling elaborate Edith Head ensembles) and one-liners galore. What's fair is to say the movie looks cheap and terrible, and most of the supporting performances are terrible, and our star (84 years old at the time of filming) can hardly move around. Timothy Dalton is breezy as Mae's spouse (who tells columnist Rona Barrett he feels 'gay', leading her to believe he's homosexual), and the two have a lovely duet on "Love Will Keep Us Together"; also, Dom DeLuise has fun singing the Beatles song "Honey Pie" while tap-dancing on a piano. Still, no U.S. movie studio wanted to distribute the film after it was produced independently, so the production team released it themselves, meaning that somebody believed in the picture and thought it was worth the effort. Not exactly a happy Hollywood ending for Mae West, though it allowed her a small bit of renewed glory before her death in 1980. * from ****

What exactly can anyone say about "Sextette"? Ostensibly a Seventies-era reworking of Mae West's 1926 play "Sex", this movie exists within it's own continuum of both camp and sadness. You either laugh at the complete absurdity of it all or feel a deep pity for everyone who signed on to participate in the hot mess the whole enterprise turned into. West, who was in her mid- 80s at the time of filming, had been rediscovered by audiences who had no idea who she was by appearing in Michael Sarne's career killing version of "Myra Breckinridge" (1970). Mae's infamous feud with Rachel Welch during the filming of "Myra" brought her into the public eye again, so six years later, "Sextette" was trotted out to cash in on Mae's newfound camp appeal. The time had passed for Mae to be nothing other than a caricature of herself, there's a certain cruelty evident when she appears on screen here. No special effects could hide the years Mae was carrying, she looks like a mummy slathered with makeup and topped with a gargantuan blond wig. She arthritically weaves, wobbles, sashays, and gives her all in a performance that uses her most famous double-entendres. The poor thing tries, but she's now a visibly tired cartoon. A dirty joke about a supposed sex- bomb who's decades old and a horny granny to boot. Newly wed Mae cavorts in a British hotel with her young husband (Timothy Dalton) in a farce straight out of the 1930s. Several plots are running simultaneously: a global peace initiative is taking place at the hotel, Mae's tape recorded diary (on a pink cassette) of her marriages and sexual secrets has gone missing, the British press thinks her new husband is gay, American muscle-men are working out at the hotel, and nearly all of Mae's ex-husbands are wandering around the joint interrupting her wedding night. Mae contends with all the madness around her by constantly changing her Edith Head costumes, which are anachronistic in the extreme and verbally sparring with the ex- husbands played by Ringo Starr, Tony Curtis, and George Hamilton. Mae sidles up to the muscle in the gym, evidently clueless to the fact that they're all more interested in each other than they are in her, and finally saves the world at the peace summit talks. Throw in many sad cameos and the last film appearances of Mae, Walter Pidgeon, and George Raft. Throw in musical numbers that border on the surreal. Add a soundtrack by Van McCoy, the composer who gave the world the disco anthem "The Hustle". Mr. McCoy gives Mae a frightening disco-ized version of "Baby Face" to warble, a bizarre "Hooray for Hollywood" production number, and the inimitable Dom Deluise belting out the Beatles' "Honey Pie" while faking tap dancing on top of a piano. Rockers Keith Moon and Alice Cooper show up. All this, and more. Undoubtedly, this whole enterprise probably sounded like a good idea at the time. Hollywood legend returns and everyone gets down to Boogietown! Boffo box-office! In reality, no one cared or paid to see this. Mae died two years after making this, which is very sad indeed. Instead of going out remembered as an icon, she went as a mummy looking for sex and wasting 80-odd (very odd) minutes on a set up for the last line in the movie. "Sextette", then, is an artifact from the era of platform shoes and pet rocks, two things no one needed even at the time. Best viewed after ingesting LSD and wearing polyester clothing.

I didn't even know that this one was readily available to watch but I immediately snapped it up when I saw it was available for rental from the local DVD store. Actually, I had watched the godawful MYRA BRECKENRIDGE (1970) on TV while I was in Hollywood a few months ago so I was really expecting the worst here. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a fitfully amusing affair…if a completely embarrassing one.Previously, I had only watched Mae West (with whom, I just found out, I happen to share my birthday) in her prime – SHE DONE HIM WRONG (1933), I'M NO ANGEL (1933) and MY LITTLE CHICKADEE (1940) – and I love all three of them. Despite her writing talents, West's main assets were always her figure and appearance so it's no surprise that she bowed out when she did…which, of course, makes her eventual re-emergence as a heavily cosmeticized octogenarian all the more outrageous and baffling! Over the years there have been numerous surprising comebacks in Hollywood – not to mention lavishly produced ego-trips – but I'd bet few reach the level of preposterousness attained by SEXTETTE! Hollywood in the Seventies, among other things, was an era of catastrophic, all-star attempts to recapture past glories particularly its musical heritage and therefore it's small wonder that SEXTETTE ropes in some uncharacteristic cameo appearances by contemporary music stars like Ringo Starr (as an Erich von Stroheim-like director), Keith Moon (as a flamboyant fashion designer) and, weirdest of all, Alice Cooper (as a piano-playing, bellboy crooner sporting a curly-haired wig)! The Beatles also make another appearance of sorts when Mae's agent, Dom DeLuise bursts into an exuberant rendition of Lennon/McCarney's "Honey Pie"…and guess who he was thinking of when he was singing it? Apparently, Miss West wasn't too keen on having these four stealing her limelight… However, she did approve of her leading men who, of course, are requested to still be lusting helplessly after Mae – an aristocratic Timothy Dalton (who gets to sing a duet with Mae and whose remarks are frequently misinterpreted in the press!) and mobster George Hamilton (who is also seen pleading in broken Italian to his "Godfather" - cue the Nino Rota score from that film!! - for the sakes of "Mario…Irving… Mozzarella…Marinara!"); other guest stars who make an appearance are Tony Curtis as a Russian powermonger(!), Walter Pigeon as a bewildered Chairman of the Board and a split-second cameo from George Raft - who co-starred with Mae in her very first film, NIGHT AFTER NIGHT (1932) - as himself.Ken Hughes helmed some good films in his day – THE TRIALS OF Oscar WILDE (1960) and CROMWELL (1970) – but, I guess, the producers of SEXTETTE only knew him from his comedic, big-budget extravaganzas like CASINO ROYALE (1967) and CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (1968) when they engaged his services for this misbegotten enterprise

I rented this movie and I really enjoyed it a lot! Why? Well mostly because I love movies and I am familiar with Mae West I guess. I think I have seen all her movies starting from her classics in the 30's and 40's on up.This was her last movie and I think she did a fine job in this movie. I really enjoyed it and liked it a lot. I thought that Miss West did a fantastic job with this film. I was very astonished that she was so remarkably the same as she was during her heyday in the thirties. This was a star that is one of a kind and make no mistake—there will never be another like her again.As I watched this film, I was in a state of shock because it seemed as if time had stood still and there seemed to be no gap from the 30's and 40's and the time this film was made in the late 70's. When Mae does that Happy Birthday 21 number there is absolutely nostalgia and magic because it is poignant and amazing at the same time.Mae sure aged well, she still possessed all those Westian traits and characteristics and I have to say, I do not believe I have ever witnessed this before with any movie star. She was totally amazing to say the least.Oh yeah, I know all about the negative comments about this film, but all I have to say is this: How can anyone rate a movie fairly if they are hostile and determined to criticize? I have to say the negative comments concerning this movie do say practically the same tired old things, and no one can fairly evaluate a movie if they are hostile or have pre-conceived notions.I think this movie was meant for fans of Mae West, was meant for total camp, and I have to say that I was not disappointed! One cannot evaluate a movie is one is prejudiced regarding age, appearance or whatever. One cannot evaluate a movie honestly and objectively if one is prejudiced in any manner—especially if one is age-prejudiced or only concerned about appearances.Negative comments here reflect exactly what I am talking about. If one is prejudiced about age or appearance, then the comments one posts reflect this. As soon as I read comments about a movie that attack one's age or appearance, then I know that those comments have lost all credibility. I thought it was illegal to discriminate against one because of a person's age? Is that not true? Then why does IMDb allow these negative comments only based on age??? That is completely unfair to say the least! If one wants to criticize then fine—but do so without attacking a person personally because of age, appearance, etc.! It is unfair, unthinking, and unfeeling to attack only because of one's age! I think that reveals so very much about a commentator too! Take it from there!!! This movie is far better than some people give it credit for. One must put aside pre-conceived notions and look at a film with non-prejudiced eyes to fairly evaluate a film. I have to say I thought this film was really perky, really good, and possesses a truly campy element. It is funny! It is good-natured! And most importantly—it is harmless!!! Of course I am not prejudiced in any way and I am also very open-minded so this reflects my comments.What is the matter with some of these "critics" that overly criticize? As soon as you read the attacks on Miss West's abilities, appearance, and age, then you know right away that those comments are without merit.I just can't believe that some people are so absolutely heartless to say some of the very, very negative comments I have read here. I would say, why did those like that watch this movie to begin with? I think the answer is because those people want to criticize and have something very lacking in their own personalities and qualities. If a person wants to comment negatively, then that person should, but they should also not attack a person personally because then the comments they make lose all credibility.No worse than lots and lots of films! It is also not an Academy Award winner, but maybe it should have been for effort!!!!! I give it as big 10 for Mae still doing what she always did best, and that is just basically being her sexy, amazing self!!!! Still love you great Mae!