Bagdad Cafe DVD

Bagdad Cafe
This West German film is set in the California Desert. A husband-and-wife pair of Bavarian tourists become stranded when their car breaks down; after a quarrel, the wife, Marianne Sagebrecht, gathers her luggage and stalks off. She stops at the Bagdad Cafe, a fleapit truckstop run by outspoken C.C.H. Pounder, who is also having husband problems. The Cafe has become a magnet for some of truly odd character: temperamental Hispanic cook George Aguilar, tattoo artist Christine Kaufmann, and onetime Hollywood set designer Jack Palance. Despite obvious personality differences, Sagebrecht and Pounder become friends. Bagdad Cafe was later adapted into a short-lived American sitcom starring Jean Stapleton and Whoopi Goldberg. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Marianne Sägebrecht as Jasmin Munchgstettner CCH Pounder as Brenda Jack Palance as Rudi Cox Christine Kaufmann as Debbie Monica Calhoun as Phyllis Darron Flagg as Sal Junior George Aguilar as Cahuenga G. Smokey Campbell as Sal Hans Stadlbauer as Munchgstettner Apesanahkwat as Sheriff Arnie Alan S. Craig as Eric

Crew Bernt Amadeus Capra - Art Director Byrnadette di Santo - Art Director Al Onorato - Casting Percy Adlon - Co-producer Eleonore Adlon - Co-producer Liz Warner - Costume Designer Regine Batz - Costume Designer Percy Adlon - Director Norbert Herzner - Editor Bob Telson - Composer (Music Score) Lee Breuer - Songwriter Bob Telson - Songwriter Lizbeth Williamson - Makeup Bernt Amadeus Capra - Production Designer Bernd Heinl - Cinematographer Eleonore Adlon - Producer Percy Adlon - Producer Percy Adlon - Screen Story Christopher Doherty - Screenwriter Eleonore Adlon - Screenwriter Percy Adlon - Screenwriter Johann Sebastian Bach - Featured Music

Bagdad Cafe
A cross between an existential European character study and a giddy Hollywood musical, Percy Adlon's desert fantasy introduced the offbeat character actress Marianne Sägebrecht to English-speaking audiences and revitalized the career of Hollywood veteran Jack Palance. Adlon presents his truck stop as a metaphor for the washed-up hopes of those cast aside by America, whether by discrimination and economic hardship (C.C.H. Pounder's caustic Brenda) or by the times (Palance's cowboy/artist relic Rudi). The variety show that brings the motley crew together and affirms their status as an odd extended family would be embarrassing were it not for the film's arid, deadpan humor. Without resorting to the precious, Bagdad Cafe achieves the kind of elation one can get from a great musical. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
 

Bob Telson: Academy, Best Song (nominated)

French Academy of Cinema, Best Foreign Film (winner) Independent Spirit Award, Best Foreign Film (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English, English, Spanish Sound Processing: 2: PCM stereo 5.1: 5 full-range channels. Includes 3 for the front speakers, 2 surround channels for rear speakers, & 1 low-frequency effects (LFE) channel to carry deep bass effects Additional Features: Original theatrical trailer English: Stereo Surround French & Spanish subtitles DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 92 min Part of Series: Avant-Garde Cinema   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 0. Scene Selections 1. Logos/Title/Credits [5:35] 2. Coffee, Anyone? [6:36] 3. A Canned Marriage [3:55] 4. "Ain't No Grand Hotel" [4:56] 5. "Hello, Stranger!" [6:49] 6. "Routine Check" [10:05] 7. Out Of Nowhere [2:50] 8. Massive Clean-Up [7:23] 9. Getting To Know You [3:51] 10. A Love Of The Arts [3:17] 11. A Magical Spirit [6:09] 12. The Vision Spreads [6:40] 13. "The Magic Is Gone" [4:45] 14. Harmonious Reunion [3:42] 15. "It's Showtime!" [4:26] 16. Proposal/ End Credits [3:09]