Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid (1981) User Reviews

Peculiar sex melodrama

[barnabyrudge · 3/10 · 24 July 2003]

Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid is a strange title for a film, but it works as a metaphor. The ticket is Richard Harris's penis, and the reason it is no longer valid is that he can no longer get an erection.

The film is about a business mogul named Jason (Harris) who has a younger lover called Laura (Dale). As the pressures of his deteriorating business begin to tell on him, Jason discovers that his sex life is also affected. He is losing his ability to get an erection and satisfy her in bed. To make matters worse, he begins to have dreams about a gypsy stud having sex with her, and finds himself shamefully excited by these dreams. In the end, he contemplates suicide in order to spare his lovely lady the unhappiness of a sexless relationship.

It's a bizarre and often tasteless film, with the most unusual cast you could ever hope to find in such a project. However, the performances are pretty good, especially Harris who somehow manages to convince in one of the most near-unplayable roles of his career. George Peppard is good too as a racist rival banker, who uses dirty language like "f@ck" and "c*nt" as if it's going out of fashion. Beyond the performances, there isn't that much to recommend the film. It tries to deal with its themes seriously and meaningfully, but it ends up playing like a campy sleazefest, mixed in with some fake overtones of tragedy.

a lot of talking but still one to watch for the weird storyline

[trashgang · 5/10 · 19 September 2011]

I have the VIZ Movies VHS copy, strangely it has a misprint. In the US it's known for "Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid", here in Europe it's called "A Slow Descent Into Hell" but on the VHS and cover it's written Decent. So for that reason alone it's a collectable. But is it a collector for other reasons. Well, it's a strange flick to watch. It has some for that time being big names in it, George Peppard and Richard Harris, both no longer with us and Jennifer Dale still in the business as an actress and producer. It was up to now never released on DVD. But it's easily to obtain. It's all about a man on top of a national which empire is decaying and has to sell it. But not only that, he has some sexual problems too due his age. He can't take it and is as the title says descending into hell. It's a really slow movie but somehow I kept watching it because you want to know what will happen. Richard is the main lead and did an excellent job as did Jennifer. George doesn't appear that much and is so typical himself, it could have been Hannibal from the A-team. There is some nudity in it from Jennifer and full frontal from some stripper at a bar. Not that it was sexy because in the eighties full bush was the way to go. And admit it, seeing the stripper in a sexy costume and seeing pubic hair coming out is really a turn-off. There isn't any action in it, it's all blah blah and as I said some weird scene's in it like the one with the thief in a dressing room. And the last minutes are strange too, the story about a sex slave...The movie ended suddenly and things are still left open to discuss what is happening next. It's exactly 30 years old and it is what it is, it's a bit slow and lame for times being but if you're into those actors then I recommend it.

The bus conductor's lament

[JohnSeal · 4/10 · 20 January 2008]

If only they'd had Viagra in 1981--then we would have been spared the male midlife angst of Your Ticket is No Longer Valid. Beyond the preoccupation with priapism, however, there are a few things to recommend regarding this unusual Canadian film. Richard Harris is quite good as businessman Jason, whose financial fortunes seem to be failing him concurrent with the advent of his plumbing problems, and George Peppard excellent as randy best bud Jim. The female leads aren't quite as lucky, with colourless Jennifer Dale offering little as Jason's vapid lover Laura, and Jeanne Moreau is given too little screen time. Soundtrack mavens should note that Michel Legrand's score has its moments--including a completely wacky cue composed for sitar which accompanies a scene of domestic burglary! Side effects from watching Your Ticket is No Longer Valid include dry mouth, dizziness, and weight loss, but on the other hand, it will work wonders for some insomniacs. Is this the best film ever made about erectile dysfunction? I don't know, but if you spend more than four hours pondering that question, consult a physician.

A Strange and Twisted Tale

[jrsmom · 7/10 · 1 September 2000]

This was a rather disgusting movie is alot of ways, but at the same time, I think it was really wonderful. It was a gross-out way to show men the extent they will go to in preservation of their sex drive or lack thereof. Richard Harris is wonderful as the man who's losing everything at the same time, and goes to the most extreme measures to hold on to his fortunes in business and romance. The sex fantasy sequences are stupid and gratuitous, it could have been a much better film without them. I don't want to give too much away but Harris' performance as "Jason" is a tour de force. Jennifer Dale is excellent as "Laura", the young girl who would love him no matter what.

great film.

[erlummis · 8/10 · 10 September 2005]

I remember I saw this film in 1981. Being in my early twenties, it had an impact in me. It deals about obsessions in a man that having not aged to well due to a excessively free lifestyle, has to coupe with the fact that his own sexual capabilities are fading. Now, he can only get his act together, sometimes, after he watches his beautiful girlfriend being fondled by other men. On one occasion, he even hired a guy to be with her while he watched from a closet. The case is, his girlfriend,trying to help him so that he could perform, agreed to the thing. For the man, not going all the way while making love was a personal trauma. The circumstances about his descend are very well shown, almost in a classy way.

Your ticket is no longer valid explores something that recent surveys have shown all to well: it is a fantasy of many men to watch their partners doing it with another man. Whether that comes true or not is another issue.

The surroundings of the film are great as well as its locations. It has its funny moments also.There is a short part from that great actor, George Peppard.

Alternately unintentionally amusing and boring

[Wizard-8 · 23 July 2011]

Canadian film producer Robert Lantos has basically proclaimed himself the savior of English-Canadian filmmaking, though if you look at his filmography you'll see that he has set many of his films in other countries as well as using Canadian taxpayers' money as funding for these foreign-set films, this movie included. An early effort by Lantos, this movie has subsequently been almost totally forgotten, with good reason. The central story isn't much of one, being somewhat short but stretched out to 91 minutes. The movie also has some unintentionally amusing moments, from dialogue that has lines like, "Don't underestimate the value of a partial erection", to goofy sequences of a sexual nature. Though speaking of those sexual scenes, it does give Richard Harris the opportunity to take off his clothes and get into sweaty sex sequences, so if you've ever wanted to see Harris do that, this is the film to watch.

Perfect for a giggly girls' night

[HotToastyRag · 8/10 · 19 March 2022]

If upon hearing the title of this movie, you don't immediately know what it's referring to, you shouldn't be watching it. This completely cheesy, ridiculously '80s sex-fest is hilarious - and totally entertaining to the ladies in the audience. I would absolutely watch it again, with a bottle of bubbly and a bunch of my girlfriends to giggle with.

Richard Harris starts off the movie with a high-end job, a beautiful young wife, and the world at his fingertips. But when he goes to a party and chats with his old friend George Peppard, he succumbs to the power of suggestion. George lets it slip that he's not the stallion he once was in the bedroom, and Richard is afraid that since they're both of the same advancing years, he might suffer from the same "partial" problem. It's a bit of a shock to hear George Peppard saying such racy jokes, but it's still very funny and naughty to see someone who acted before the Production Code was dismantled act in one of these movies. It will be an even greater shock - for those who grew up watching the Harry Potter movies - to see Richard Harris in graphic sex scenes. But those who are a little older and are used to seeing him baring his bod (still lovely to look at, even at fifty years old) won't find anything objectionable in this nasty drama. His striptease in the rain: there's nothing objectionable in that.

You'll be able to tell right away if this movie is for you or not. My motivation to watch it is obvious, but it'll pretty much be impossible not to get a crush on Richard Harris after watching this movie. You'll find out.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to graphic sex scenes, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

Richard Harris was in great condition, but he's dead

[alicecbr · 13 November 2002]

Ordinarily, I'm not disgusted with movies. And probably this movie did what it set out to do if its' aim was to disgust audiences. Subject: old guy can't get it up, nor can the other robber baron (played by George Peppard). Wife loves him, but he can't believe that since he's so concerned about his age, and her youth.

Kind of sad to see all this, pre-Viagra of course. It would be a great 2 hour ad for Viagra, but doesn't have much else in it; unless you like the snuff-dancing done by the dancer. Macho looking guy is turned into a slave in a very humiliating manner. It made me feel pretty dirty to watch this movie, as though I were a voyeaur.

Watching Richard Harris do his push-ups was a great spectacle, and I don't mind THAT kind of voyeaur-ing. No accounting for tastes, I guess.

Richard Harris - what a hotty!

[karlalikescake · 20 August 2001]

I totally recommend this movie if you are a Richard Harris fan (who isn't?), if you don't dig him, nix this as it is somewhat shameless. Once again, Richard is being his usual exhibitionist self...the way I like it. He is so utterly not self-conscious about his shameless parading, he becomes attractive for that very reason. Too bad there was no full monty a girl can be curious, right ).