Monthly Archives: March 2013

DVD

Foul Play

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foul playThe night I introduced Lisa to Hopscotch is also the same night that I introduced her to Foul Play.  You could say the theme of the night was action/comedies that have faded from view but are still enjoyable.  Since “Quint” had not reviewed this one, I can talk more about the movie.

I have always mentioned how my parents, Mom in particular, have influenced my movie watching over the years.  There was a brief time in 1980 where I overdosed on movies due to the apartment we were living in at the time having HBO.  During that year, I caught up on James Bond, watched Grease way more than I should have, and watched movies my parents wanted to see.  Goldie Hawn was a favorite of both parents, so it was no surprise that they would watch a movie of hers when given the chance.  This was also the time frame that they started letting me watch more mature movies, where death occurred and certain situations were shown onscreen.  For the most part, I never realized those were there until I was older.

Foul Play is your typical tale of a person caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Goldie Hawn plays a newly single woman (never sure if it was a divorce or just a bad breakup, not that it matters) who is attending the engagement party of a friend.  She avoids being “picked up” by a clumsy stranger played by Chevy Chase.  As she drives home, she picks up a stranded motorist named Scotty.  From here, the story turns from a potential romantic comedy to a murder mystery that has Hawn reacting to upsetting events left and right.  That clumsy stranger played by Chase ends up being the police detective assigned to her case, and predictably, but gladly, becomes her romantic interest.

What makes this movie work is its cast.  Hawn is often portrayed as the ditzy blonde; here she is simply a caring woman reacting to all of the wackiness around her.  If this role were recast as a male today, it would easily go to Jason Bateman.  Chase used this movie to launch himself away from Saturday Night Live; his cockiness and smarm fits well with his character.  Amazingly, though, Chase does a good job of dropping the wisecracks and demonstrating genuine concern when needed.  Burgess Meredith turns in a great comedic turn as Hawn’s landlord and protector.  Brian Dennehy as Chase’s partner does the heavy lifting for the tough guy side of things.  What I always think of when I think about this movie, though, is Dudley Moore’s performance.  While he only has three scenes, those scenes are classic Moore.

My advice:  Pop this in the next time you have a date night where you are looking for something with a little more than the typical romantic comedy – and look for the scene where grandmothers play a form of Scrabble you would not expect…

DVD

Hopscotch

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hopscotch

One of the disadvantages to having a movie habit like mine is that you have to have a job that pays for said habit.  Periodically my job requires me to be available in off-hours, limiting my social options for that time frame.  Thankfully, I had a friend recently offer to cook me dinner and watch a couple of movies on DVD while I was tethered to my computer.  At the same time, “Quint” from Ain’t It Cool News was reviving his “A Movie A Day” column and wrote an interesting piece on a movie that I had in my collection, The Criterion Collection version of Hopscotch.  I wish I could say I could top Quint’s review, but sadly I cannot.  Here is a link to it for you to read after you finish this piece (there is strong language in his review):  http://www.aintitcool.com/node/60816 .

I remember when I first got this DVD.  It was in 2008 and was a free selection from a promotion that I do not remember.  I do remember being the most intrigued by it out of all of the other choices.  The fact that it was part of the Criterion Collection helped convince me.  For those not familiar with Criterion Collection, these are DVD and Blu-Ray releases that have been selected by an independent process to highlight story, visuals, and other examples of movie-making.  Most choices tend to be art-house movies or foreign films, but there are some more mainstream choices available.

Lisa had not seen this movie as it was not something she would have normally picked.  I chose it as one of the movies I would share with her in return for dinner.  So we settled in with some jambalaya and set our time machines back to 1980.

Walter Matthau plays our hero, a spy nearing the end of his years in the field.  He has spent years in Europe working against the KGB to further the American Way.  After completing a mission, Matthau finds himself benched by his pompous boss, played to perfection by Ned Beatty.  Matthau responds by doing what we have all wanted to do to our bosses at some point: give him his comeuppance.  Throw in a young Sam Waterston (Law and Order) and Glenda Jackson, and you have yourself the makings of a cast made to take advantage of the story.

Having seen it before and owning it, I obviously enjoyed it.  Lisa found it ok, but did remark that the pacing was slower than expected.  I would agree with her that the pacing is slow, but it is not a detriment to the movie.  Instead it allows the viewer to enjoy the setup of each scene and the performances contained in each one.

My advice:  Give this one a try if you are looking for a comedic look at the spy world that does not lampoon it like Austin Powers – if anything, it is a good reminder of how much the world has changed in 33 years…