Forgotten Fridays – Oscar

Thanks for checking out our Forgotten Fridays feature. This is a feature to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. They may not be old, maybe not forgotten, but they are not new. Just fun to share.

Today’s review is Oscar

Action star and pop culture icon of the 80s Sylvester Stallone surprised the hell out of me nailing this brilliant comedy. This is one damned funny movie that doesn’t fail to give laugh after laugh. It makes me wonder why Stallone didn’t do more straight comedies.

Release: April 26, 1991
Genre: Comedy
Director: John Landis
Staring: Sylvester Stallone, Ornella Muti, Don Ameche, Peter Riegert, Tim Curry, Vincent Spano, Marisa Tomei, Elizabeth Barondes

THE GENERAL IDEA

Angelo “Snaps” Provolone made his dying father a promise on his deathbed: he would leave the world of crime and become an honest businessman. Despite having no experience in making money in a legal fashion, Snaps sets about to keep his promise. He is faced with numerous problems: henchmen who know nothing but crime, the police who are convinced he is hatching a master plan, and Oscar, who has just got his daughter pregnant.

THE GOOD

EVERYTHING. Seriously.

The characters are all a joy. Masterfully played out stereotypes that are fun to see dance about in this ballet of laughs. At the time this came out, the closest anyone thought of Stallone in a comedy was Tango and Cash, so like many people I was hesitant.

Everyone plays their part so well that I can’t tell you who my favourite is. Every time a new scene comes on with another character – that’s my new favourite. Marisa Tomei is beautiful as always, and Ornella Muti is so beautiful. As is their other daughter (Elizabeth Barondes). The one that isn’t Lisa. (that line is so funny – you will thank me later) And Tim Curry is so good I have run out of adjectives.

Dear God this is a funny movie, and Stallone is brilliant in it. But the REAL comedy masters were the writers. Each scene steps so perfectly into the next scene, and there is SO much going on and all of it is funny. The amazing part is that you can keep up. Its not hard. Unless you missed a scene cleaning up the soda that just came out of your nose.

THE BAD

Don’t go pee. If you do, make everyone suffer your absence on pause. Don’t miss a scene. Catching up on this whole intricate mess is so finely woven that if one thread is out of place its all you will see. You will miss out on the awesome interaction of characters trying to figure out what happened.

OVERALL

This is the kind of movie that makes you want to clap in the theater when its over. You might forget to exhale as it goes along so remind yourself every now and then that laughing does require oxygen.

I am going to introduce a new rating system for my Forgotten Fridays picks.

TV – If you are at least a little curious, catch it if it comes on TV.
Rent – If it is something you have heard of and forgotten, or just remember enjoying this as much as I did once upon a time, go rent it.
Buy – But if you are like me, and you agree with my review you should go buy it. If its featured here, I already have.