moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (01/18/86)
Look in the paper. Gosh, THE COLOR PURPLE and RAN are both playing in
Seattle! Films with great reviews! I think I'll go see -- HEAD OFFICE!
What differentiates, say, an ANIMAL HOUSE (which I found very funny) from a
SPRING BREAK? Well, for one, good jokes. Also, characters who are not deep
(if they had any development AND were funny, they'd be in a Rob Reiner film)
but who are likeable. Pinto is likeable (though he eventually goes back in
time and becomes an obnoxious composer). Otter is likeable. Bluto is
likeable (though perhaps not in your living room). What's-his-face from the
Porky's film is not likeable; he's gross.
HEAD OFFICE is in the vein of ANIMAL HOUSE humor; madcap, but not crazy
enough to qualify for Monty Python or AIRPLANE. The question is, does it
work? The answer is yes and no. The first half hour works immensely well
-- corporate satire mixes with very funny character acting and everyone is
kept just inside the thin line of utter lunacy, which makes it even funnier
as a satire. The rest of the film goes slower, and the satire weakens
(there's not a great deal you can do to top the chaos of the first half
hour). But we get back to the ANIMAL HOUSE syndrome. We got likeable
characters here. We have Judge Reinhold, an MBA vagabond who is smarter
than he looks; Richard Masur, a child of the 60's who survives power
struggles by making no decision; an a very attractive woman whose name I
can't remember. Make no mistake, this is not up to ANIMAL HOUSE's level (It
lacks the amazing range of characters, the constant level of humor and an
ending which reminds you of a good Warner Bros. cartoon); however, with this
film you can at least *see* where the comparisons can be made.
Maybe worth it for $4.50, if you find corporate satire. Definately worth
$2.50, especially the first half hour.
"Simple, candid, crazed and madcap
(quintessentially retarded) our hero fights an
with a PLUCK and SPIRIT that is totally American
to the core!!"
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA
UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty
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