Friday 17 June 2016

Ruthless People (1986 Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker)

How do three people direct a film? It's based on that O. Henry story 'The Ransom of Red Chief' which was previously filmed in O. Henry's Full House, written by Dale Launer, and relying heavily on coincidences, featuring two energetic, enjoyable performances from Bette Midler ("I've been kidnapped by K-Mart!") and Danny de Vito, plus Anita Morris. If you can believe winsome Helen Slater designed anything (let alone be a kidnapper) you'd believe anything. Judge Reinhold is the other, Bill Pullman the super-thick henchman in largely badly acted film.

Jan de Bont has colourfully filmed Donald Woodruff's grotesque eighties sets.





But the best bit remains when Bette realises how much weight she has lost.



The hideous Linn drum, programmed to one single beat, is omnipresent, and there's another of those funny cars:

Apparently a 1970 AMC Gremlin

A 1980 Excalibur Series IV Roadster


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