Overnightscape Central – Bad Movies (2/2/16)
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2:43:47 – Clara!! Â Simon Returns!! Â Chad!! Â Frank!! Â Jimbo!! Â Ruben!! Â Doc!! Â A multi-visioned look at Terrible Film!! Â PQ Ribber is your host!!
Next: Â Open (pick your own topic)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.
Overall attribution by PQ Ribber , all other hosts appear courtesy of themselves.
Released February 2016 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts presenting  an array of talk-driven programs of distinction.
I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea of the Blue Brothers being anything other than a masterpiece miracle of a film that is nearly universally loved. It had, for its time, a huge budget (being one of the most expensive movies ever made at the time) and cast, which makes the quality of the movie even more perplexing as these sort of exuberant projects usually fall flat on their face. As far as the acting, it is all intentional for comic effect (Director John Landis) and also the film is a fantasy, comedic, musical, celebrating the blues and the world of music. The film in total grossed $57,229,890 domestically and $58,000,000 in foreign box offices for a total of $115,229,890, a good return for what was considered at the time to be absurdly high productions costs. The production was also absurdly high, but that is another story.
Comment by Chad Bowers — February 3, 2016 @ 7:17 am
The film you are thinking of PQ, is, I think, The Burglars (Le Casse) from 1971. It was Jean-Paul Belmondo doing the slapping and Dyan Cannon on the receiving end. In a piece of synchronicity, I wrote something about it on my blog recently and watched the trailer, which features the sequence you recalled, with the clap-activated light going on and off as Cannon is slapped. It used to turn up on UK TV all the time and was one of those multi-national heist movies that were popular in the seventies. It was also an attempt to star Belmondo in an English language film. As for bad westerns, my favourites are the ones which star Easterners like Tony Curtis, who are utterly unbelievable as Westerners and always look incredibly ill at ease on a horse. Another sub genre of bad movie I forgot to mention are sports movies – I’ve never seen a good one. In fact, one of my favourite bad sports movies was just on TV again – Yesterday’s Hero, with Ian McShane as a washed up footballer given one last shot at glory. It leaves no cliche unturned. Obviously, I watched it again.
Comment by Doc Sleaze — February 3, 2016 @ 6:21 pm
Ruben, sorry if my post sounded rude or full of ass hatery. I enjoyed your piece immensely, was honestly bewildered by the unique point of view. It may be my favorite film of all time. Love that it is one of yours as well.
Comment by Chad bowers — February 4, 2016 @ 5:26 am