A Review?

Schools out. I am running Camp Grampa and trying to get some of my exstensive collection of Ms. Lane videos viewed. I will also be adding a couple of titles and will be offering those up also. I hope no one minds.

I got this DVD a while back and hadn't had the time to watch it; until yesterday.

I do apheresis donations every so often and they set me up with a personal DVD player, so I use my two hours to check out older stuff with Ms. Lane or old Mel Brooks fliks. The nurses know me and of my infatuation for Ms. Lane so they check to see if it's a good film OR they kid me about my laughter bothering the other donors. With Blazing Saddles they told me that they hadn't ever seen anyone have such a good time sitting still with needles coming out of both their arms!

Do you see how long it is taking me to get to my so-called review of this film? That's comparatively how long it took to see Ms. Lane in the film. Her character was mentioned from the very beginning, but she didn't appear until the last ten minutes! She looked radiant, great smile and giggle. Nice delivery of her lines (about 25, that's it!) Her character and Ellen Barkin's character were sisters, but I must say that as attractive as Ms. Barkin is, her character was the lesser of the two.

Gabriel Byrne was fun, he looked as if he had a blast with his bit. "Brass Balls" Ben London was a great character. My favorite part of his was when he was shot in the shin. Twice. His response? "ow!" Both times! Then he was shot in the belly, the chest and the head. Before he expired, he ate a Tic Tac! He had a lot of other little one liners also.

Richard Dreyfuss also had a great part as the mob boss Vic (I don't think he was ever given a last name!). His triumphant return from the looney bin to his night club was just silly. He came from the looney bin in a limo. Still in his hospital issue bathrobe, johnny and slippers. His hair disheveled as if just having experienced a final round of electro-shock therapy.

My favorite character, aside from the lovely and talented Ms. Lane, was Mick Holiday, as portrayed by Jeff Goldblum. Goldblum can deliver a line with a twitch of his eyes or that trademark smirk. Deadpan and smart-aleck delivery. As he and Vic come up stairs and are confronted by the bad-guy, Wacky Jacky Johnson (Burt Reynolds, looking almost anemic), Holiday says "Maybe I should run back down and get those bullets?".

A lot of well-known celebrities. Besides the ones I've already mentioned; Richard Pryor, Paul Anka, Joey Bishop, Michael J Pollard, Billy Idol, Gregory Hines, and Kyle MacLachlan.

The other thing that struck me was how the script was written. Most writers stay away from names that rhyme or characters with the same names, so as not to confuse the audience. This film reveled in this variance. A Vic, a Mick, two Nicks. The other thing that most script writers avoid is any sort of poetic device. This film sought them out. Alliteration was a major part of the script. Rhyming was also prevalent.

Overall, a fun film to while away 90 minutes. But not for the youngsters. The "F" bomb was freely dropped. I was disappointed that Ms. Lane wasn't on screen more than she was, but not disappointed in the film itself.