There's few things worse, cinematically speaking, than an unfunny comedy, and Dan Aykroyd has had his share of them...Caddyshack II (1988), Nothing But Trouble (1991), Canadian Bacon (1995), Sgt. Bilko (1996), Celtic Pride (1996), Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), the list seems endless...but know this, at some point in the past, he did appear in some classic comedies like The Blues Brothers (1980), Neighbors (1981), which I wish would see a DVD release, Trading Places (1983), and this film titled Doctor Detroit (1983). Co-written by Bruce Jay Friedman (Stir Crazy, Splash), Carl Gottlieb (The Jerk, Caveman), and Robert Boris (Some Kind of Hero), and directed by Michael Pressman (The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, Some Kind of Hero), the film features, as I mentioned, Dan Aykroyd, along with Howard Hesseman ("WKRP in Cincinnati", This Is Spinal Tap, Rubin and Ed), Donna Dixon (Spies Like Us), Lydia Lei (Vice Squad), T.K. Carter (Seems Like Old Times, The Thing), Lynn Whitfield (Silverado, The Josephine Baker Story), Fran Drescher (The Hollywood Knights, This Is Spinal Tap), George Furth (Blazing Saddles), Nan Martin (Toys in the Attic), and Kate Murtagh (Waxwork II: Lost in Time), who can also be seen on the cover of Supertramps' biggest selling album "Breakfast in America", posing as the diner waitress holding aloft a glass of orange juice.
Aykroyd plays Clifford Skridlow, a professor of comparative literature (primarily focusing on such antiquated notions as chivalry and honor) who fancies speed walking, Indian food, foreign cinema, and lives with his parents (Cliff's father, played by Furth, is chancellor of the university)...basically the antithesis of cool...on the flipside we see Smooth Walker (Hesseman), man about town, making his living peddling the wares of his rather fine stable of ladies, who are coveted by Mom (Murtagh), the big cheese in town, and to whom Smooth is in debt up to his eyeballs. Mom's willing to settle up (everything Smooth owes, including his ladies, in exchange for his life), but the quick thinking Smooth creates a fictional character called Doctor Detroit, claiming he's in charge of show, and is also trying to muscle in on Mom's territory. After a couple of coincidental meetings, Smooth sets the naïve Cliff up as the patsy, and splits town. With the help of the girls and Smooth's driver Diavolo (Carter), Cliff dons the role as "the bad man from Michigan" out of a sense of honor and duty towards the ladies, assuming the role of their protector. The situation quickly spirals out of control as the strain of leading a double life wears on Cliff, culminating in his worlds colliding when an alumni dinner and the player's ball are scheduled for the same night, at the same hotel, both of which he's supposed to be in attendance, in one persona or another...not only that, but Mom, along with her goons, decide to crash the party and settle the good doctor's hash once and for all.
This was a pretty ridiculous movie, but I enjoyed it, and thought it was pretty funny. Aykroyd does a great job in his dual role, but is helped considerably by the supporting cast, especially the women, who are often dressed provocatively and hard not to notice (oh momma), including Ms. Dixon, who met and married Aykroyd during shooting of this film. Also doing a great job is T.K. Carter, as Smooth's driver, and Kate Murtagh as `Mom', the film's heavy (both figuratively and literally). Did anyone else notice Mom's baldheaded henchmen were named Johnny and Carson? Get it? Johnny Carson? And if the one playing Johnny (Hank Salas) looks familiar, it's probably because he also played Mike, the thug Matt Dillon's character Melvin Moody hired to protect his interests in the 1980 film My Bodyguard. The comedy doesn't flow as smoothly throughout here as in some of Aykroyd's other films of the time, but it is present, and in healthy doses. A few of my favorite scenes include the one where Aykroyd dresses up as a southern gentleman lawyer to get one of the girls out of trouble (the courtroom judge was a real cracker), the scene where we first see Aykroyd as Doctor Detroit, dressed in a scruffy Kato Kaelin wig, yellow sports jacket, green polyester slacks, white platform boots, and a metal gauntlet on his hand, and then near the end, during the finale, when Doctor Detroit does battle with Mom at the hotel. Another scene I really liked was during the Player's Ball, when James Brown was performing. I've never seen a 50-year-old man do the splits like Brown did here, sliding back up as smooth as you please. While I'm going that way I wanted to mention the music, which helped the film a lot. There were some excellent songs spread throughout by such artists as Pattie Brooks, Devo, Rick James, Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers, and The Godfather of Soul, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, Soul Brother Number One, Mr. James Brown. The film is rated R, but only because of profanity...alas, there is no real skin to be had here, which was kind of a disappointment given the attractive supporting female cast.
The widescreen (1.85:1) anamorphic picture on this Universal Studios DVD release looks very sharp and clean, and the Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio comes through very clear. Surprisingly there are no special features, not even an original trailer, to be had, but I know the film didn't do very well at the time of its theatrical release, gaining more of a following, I think, from cable viewers (this was how I originally saw the film, since I wasn't old enough to see it in the theaters). One thing I noticed was a couple of errors in the subtitles. The one that stuck out was near the beginning, when T.K. Carter's character calls out to Skridlow (whose speed walking) from his car, "Hey man, nice legs." In the movie, Skridlow replies "Thank you", but in the subtitles he says something very different...watch with English subtitles activated to see what I mean.
Cookieman108
By the way, while the film does feature Detroit in the title, much of it was shot in Chicago, the exteriors at least, a favored location of Aykroyd.
Guilty Pleasure
All right, so it's not Shakespeare but it is almost as original. One of my personal favorites. Dan Aykroyd chews up the scenery as an appointed "hero." Some fine cast members like Fran Drescher, Howard Hesseman and the groovy T.K. Carter make this one a guilty pleasure. This finally made it to DVD. Make an appointment.
Finally on DVD
A relatively obscure cult classic, the movie is worth it just to see Aykroyd as Dr. Detroit doing battle with Kate Murtagh as Mom. Don't expect a great plot since the storyline exists only to connect a series of otherwise disjointed scenes, but there are parts that still make me laugh out loud. Fran Drescher does a great job as one of the hookers, and George Furth and Nan Martin as Aykroyd's parents are hilarious.
I love this movie! It came out when the 1979 Frank Langella Dracula movie came out. When Count Dracula is evicted from Castle Dracula,because it is becoming a training camp for Training Athletes. So,Count Dracula and Renfeild go to New York for Cindy Soundheim,a fashion Model. I love The Bat scene where a puerto rican family,"Why don't you go to work,old man,We have nothing to eat." The husband is reading the newspaper. He says We do now,and the bat flys in,A Chicken,A black chicken Look Dad, a Chicken. I also love the part where Cindy said she had a man in bed,Count Dracul,waves his hand and uncovers nothing in bed.I also like the Funeral scene,and The Courtroom scene.Say What, A Vampire. I loved seeing Count Dracula and renfield as the heroes. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): George Hamilton - Susan Saint James Director(s): Stan Dragoti DVD Release Date: Released the 12 July 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The movie made me laugh a couple of times and chuckle several times, but I would not own it if it weren't for the Tubes song over the closing credits. The song is not available anywhere else, so that alone makes the DVD worth twice the price. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Chevy Chase - Patti D'Arbanville Director(s): Ken Shapiro DVD Release Date: Released the 22 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Despite the presence of hack director Arthur Hiller, this hybrid comedy-thriller works most of the time as pleasant faux Hitchcock. Gene Wilder is a book editor who is relaxing by taking a cross-country train ride. Then he gets caught up in a murder--and becomes a suspect. It's up to him to prove his own innocence. As noted, the script, by Colin Higgins, owes a big debt to Alfred Hitchcock; but the mystery isn't all that mysterious and the comedy isn't all that hilarious--at least not until Richard Pryor shows up, which is at least halfway through the film. Things definitely pick up from there. Jill Clayburgh, as the love interest, is merely along for the train ride. Wilder and Pryor eventually teamed up for several other films, but they were never as funny together as they are in this... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Gene Wilder - Richard Pryor Director(s): Arthur Hiller DVD Release Date: Released the 14 December 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Not short on murder, mayhem, or any other screwball '70s conventions, Foul Play is a wonderful vehicle for Goldie Hawn. She plays Gloria, a librarian "ready to take a chance again," who ends up the target of an assassination ring. Chevy Chase, fresh off of Saturday Night Live, does the closest thing to real acting he would ever achieve (okay, maybe Fletch) as Tony, the cop assigned to protect Gloria. Dudley Moore made an indelible impression on American audiences as Stanley Tibbets, a surprisingly kinky symphony conductor. But it's the quirky things that make this film: the grandmothers playing Scrabble with expletives, Burgess Meredith's snake Esme, the old Japanese couple in the back of the careening limo. From the opening credits with Barry Manilow crooning the... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Goldie Hawn - Chevy Chase Director(s): Colin Higgins DVD Release Date: Released the 16 November 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Another B movie worth watching.Max Gale(Wojo)is good.Real semi-slapstick humor.Bill Maher(I can't stand him)in an early bit role.Mr. T is back. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Joel Schumacher DVD Release Date: Released the 01 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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