Let's just begin with, if you're in the mood for a funny prison movie, you'll find both The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile ten times more humorous than Stir Crazy.
Yeah, I know this is (barely) the 1980s, but hell, this was more like a 70s sitcom pilot that needed to be cancelled before aired. Aside from obviously-thrown-in-for-an-R-Rating stripper nudity and some mild swear words, this truly felt like some dated half-hour comedy on CBS of decades passed.
This is sad since it started off so promising. No laughs, but it did manage to get a couple of big grins from me in Act One where our "heroes" get fired in New York City and decide to move to Hollywood to make it rich and score as many women as sand on the beaches. But, about a half-hour into the over-long two hour runtime, our boys wrongfully and apparently, willingly end up in prison. With the odds so stacked against them from not living out their remaining days behind bars, the movie really loses all steam, cleverness and fun.
Of course, there's a silly turning point for them: a public rodeo that might serve as means of an escape. Throw in many characters to ensure the crazy in the title and you have your "film." Oh, and lest I forget: the biggest and most unlawful copout conclusion to any prison movie.
I was shocked to learn all this from my first viewing last night. I thought this was supposed to be a cult classic. A laugh-out-loud riot signifying the Pryor/Wilder pair into cinematic history. Nope. In fact, I'm all-but upset I wasted two hours on an extremely humorless "comedy."
I didn't laugh once NOT ONCE. Like I said above, I smiled a few times indicating that scene or "joke" was somewhat clever, but it didn't get a chuckle out of me. If not for the chemistry between the boys and that the film was somewhat competently made, I'd rate this much lower.
But, even with filmmakers knowing how to shoot scenes and two leads that work perfectly together, this movie is sorely NOT recommended. My first viewing of this comedic-duo was in See No Evil, Hear No Evil in theatres in 1989. I LOVED that movie. Just skip this 36-year-old dated movie and go with the 27-year-old timeless comedy: See No Evil, Hear No Evil.
***
Final thoughts: Whelp, that wraps up my Wilder Weekend. I figured I'd go with a trilogy of Gene Wilder films I had not seen in respect of his passing less than a week ago: The Producers, Young Frankenstein and Stir Crazy. The first and last I wouldn't recommend, but Y.F. I would totally support. That was one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time.
Yeah, I know this is (barely) the 1980s, but hell, this was more like a 70s sitcom pilot that needed to be cancelled before aired. Aside from obviously-thrown-in-for-an-R-Rating stripper nudity and some mild swear words, this truly felt like some dated half-hour comedy on CBS of decades passed.
This is sad since it started off so promising. No laughs, but it did manage to get a couple of big grins from me in Act One where our "heroes" get fired in New York City and decide to move to Hollywood to make it rich and score as many women as sand on the beaches. But, about a half-hour into the over-long two hour runtime, our boys wrongfully and apparently, willingly end up in prison. With the odds so stacked against them from not living out their remaining days behind bars, the movie really loses all steam, cleverness and fun.
Of course, there's a silly turning point for them: a public rodeo that might serve as means of an escape. Throw in many characters to ensure the crazy in the title and you have your "film." Oh, and lest I forget: the biggest and most unlawful copout conclusion to any prison movie.
I was shocked to learn all this from my first viewing last night. I thought this was supposed to be a cult classic. A laugh-out-loud riot signifying the Pryor/Wilder pair into cinematic history. Nope. In fact, I'm all-but upset I wasted two hours on an extremely humorless "comedy."
I didn't laugh once NOT ONCE. Like I said above, I smiled a few times indicating that scene or "joke" was somewhat clever, but it didn't get a chuckle out of me. If not for the chemistry between the boys and that the film was somewhat competently made, I'd rate this much lower.
But, even with filmmakers knowing how to shoot scenes and two leads that work perfectly together, this movie is sorely NOT recommended. My first viewing of this comedic-duo was in See No Evil, Hear No Evil in theatres in 1989. I LOVED that movie. Just skip this 36-year-old dated movie and go with the 27-year-old timeless comedy: See No Evil, Hear No Evil.
***
Final thoughts: Whelp, that wraps up my Wilder Weekend. I figured I'd go with a trilogy of Gene Wilder films I had not seen in respect of his passing less than a week ago: The Producers, Young Frankenstein and Stir Crazy. The first and last I wouldn't recommend, but Y.F. I would totally support. That was one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time.