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CHELSEA ON THE ROCKSMovie Reviews
Documentary about New York's legendary Chelsea Hotel which has housed numerous celebrities since it opened in 1883, from Mark Twain to Sid Vicious. Cast:Dennis Hopper, Ethan Hawke, Grace Jones, Milos FormanDirector:Abel FerraraRelease Date:October 2, 2009DVD Release:April 6, 2010From:OutsiderRating:RLength:1 hr. 28 min.
Chelsea on the Rocks played in limited release to fair reviews. • Nick Pinkerton wrote in the Village Voice, "Usually, the weaving eloquence of director Abel Ferrara's filmmaking suffices to draw one in. 'Chelsea' rambles — and in a way that makes you want to move down the bar." More Reviews Below...
Chelsea on the Rocks Positive Reviews (12 Reviews, reviews below)
Chelsea on the Rocks has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (4 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: POOR "...so intoxicated with the Chelsea's bohemian mystique it virtually consumes itself.... a hodgepodge of reminiscences, conversations, archival footage..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 10/02/09
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "Director Abel Ferrara's shaggy tone, which fits the iconic building, gets irritating. Still, if you come for the stories, you'll stay for the company."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 117 words, 10/02/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...entertainingly captures the West 23rd Street landmark in transition.... rambles a bit, but it's a real slice of New York history..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 253 words, 10/02/09
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: FAIR "Usually, the weaving eloquence of Ferrara's filmmaking suffices to draw one in. 'Chelsea' rambles -- and in a way that makes you want to move down the bar."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 438 words, 09/30/09
KEY CITIES (4 Reviews)
Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a fond if sometimes scary look back at Manhattan's Chelsea Hotel, a onetime den of bohemian iniquity on West 23rd Street that famously provided a home for artists..."(See all of Walter Addiego's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 414 words, 10/09/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...'documentary' is the wrong word for this movie. 'Impassioned scrapbook turned upside down and dumped on the kitchen table' would be more accurate..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 642 words, 10/16/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "...appears to have been made for a remarkably select audience: namely, people who have lived in the Chelsea Hotel and know everybody there already."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 391 words, 10/30/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's a cheap, vicarious high to hear the unidentified denizens reminisce about the orgies and overdoses that seem to have been included with the rent."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 285 words, 10/30/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: FAIR "Usually, the weaving eloquence of Ferrara's filmmaking suffices to draw one in. 'Chelsea' rambles -- and in a way that makes you want to move down the bar."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 438 words, 09/30/09
Betsy Sherman, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a visually poetic, if erratically edited, portrait illustrating how 'the energy of this hotel is bigger than the people in it.' "(See all of Betsy Sherman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 119 words, 10/15/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (1 Review)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: POOR "...so intoxicated with the Chelsea's bohemian mystique it virtually consumes itself.... a hodgepodge of reminiscences, conversations, archival footage..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 10/02/09
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "Who better than the director of such edgy fare as 'Bad Lieutenant' and 'King of New York' to chronicle the life and times of Manhattan's legendary Chelsea Hotel?"(See all of Michael Rechtshaffen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 378 words, 07/24/08
Stephen Holden, New York Times: POOR "...so intoxicated with the Chelsea's bohemian mystique it virtually consumes itself.... a hodgepodge of reminiscences, conversations, archival footage..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 10/02/09
19.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Chelsea on the Rocks's reviews are separated by an average 19.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Chelsea on the Rocks (12 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Chelsea on the Rocks's reviews cover 13.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 4,569 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 381 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Chelsea on the Rocks Coverage, Volume & Length (12 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 44.8 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Chelsea on the Rocks's reviews on average broke 44.8 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Chelsea on the Rocks's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Chelsea on the Rocks (12 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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