I've wanted to see this lost Robert Altman film for years and finally found it serialized on YouTube (widescreen, even). It started off pretty well. During the setup scenes, about the first half hour, t was similar to "A Wedding," (a film which I enjoy very much). HealtH had one main location, one big event, lots of characters interacting, the naturalistic conversations, no real "plot" to speak of, etc. But about halfway through the movie just falls apart. And the funny thing is that it doesn't fall apart in the usual Altman-y way! It doesn't get shaggier and weirder as it goes along--it actually gets more linear and "normal." And Robert Altman trying to be "normal" is twice as crappy as a regular Altman failure (of which there are as many as there are successes). The dialog is forced, scenes are shot in very conventional ways, there is an uncharacteristic concentration on the supposed political "story," which is pretty stupid, but could have been funny if kept at a subtext level (like in "Nashville"). It is almost as though Altman started the film and someone else finished it. I've read that this film only had a couple of individual theatrical showings, and I know it's never been released on home video in any way. And now, after years of trying to dig it up--I know why it was buried.
HealtH
(1980)
Finally Saw It After Years of Searching! (Deserved to be Shelved After All)
19 February 2011