Customer Reviews

Every Which Way But Loose [VHS]

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Okay, okay, before I start getting e-mails up the waz detailing the differences between monkeys and apes, I know Clyde (the main character in the film owns an orange, male ape) wasn't a monkey, but `Clint and his orangutan' just didn't have the same zing...Every Which Way But Loose (1978), directed by James Fargo, who, back in the mid to late 70's seemed to have a promising career, working with Eastwood earlier in 1976's The Enforcer, but after the predictable and hokey 1982 Chuck Norris martial arts actioneer Forced Vengeance, he soon found himself relegated to the domain of the small screen, directing episodes of such 80's television shows as The A-Team, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and Hunter. Starring in the film is Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven), one time Eastwood co-habitator (that means they shacked up together, but never got hitched) Sondra Locke (The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Gauntlet), Geoffrey Lewis (Salem's Lot, Bronco Billy), and one of the more curmudgeonly actresses I've ever seen in Ruth Gordon (Rosemary's Baby, Harold and Maude). Also appearing is Beverly D'Angelo (National Lampoon's Vacation), Bill McKinney (The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Gauntlet), and John Quade (Bad Company, High Plains Drifter) as Cholla, leader of the Black Widows, what has to be the most inept biker gang ever committed to celluloid...

Eastwood is Philo Beddoe, a truck driver who earns a little extra income as a bare-knuckled fighter in what appear to be unsanctioned street fights, with his friend Orville Boggs (Lewis), a tow truck driver as his sort of manager (well, not really manager, but Orville researches the opponents and makes the bets). Philo, along with his pet orangutan Clyde, and Orville live with Ma Boggs, a cantankerous old biddy who's constantly complaining about how Clyde defecates all over the place, and constantly steals her Oreos. Anyway, life seems to be going alright, that is until Philo falls for a country singer named Lynn Halsey-Taylor (Locke). After making the bumpity bump between the sheets and accepting a good deal of money from Philo (there is a name for women like that, but she did give Philo a rather convincing sob story), Lynn mysteriously up and leaves without so much as a how do you do, headed back to Denver...which prompts Philo to pick up and take after her, with Orville and Clyde in tow. Along the way they make a few enemies in a couple of cops who carry a grudge way to far (just let it go boys, you'll live longer) and also in a particularly lame biker group calling themselves the Black Widows, led by their portly leader Cholla (John Quade), both groups in pursuit of Philo for what we in the business like to call payback (which also happens to be the name of a really good Mel Gibson film based on a Donald Westlake book). Philo does finally find Lynn, the cops and the bikers find Philo, and Philo finds himself with the opportunity to face off against the legendary street fighter Tank Murdock, supposedly the best there is...

The production notes state that when this script was originally presented to Eastwood, it was done so in the hopes that he would pass it along to Burt Reynolds...but Eastwood, who was looking for way to break from the western genre that launched him into stardom, liked it so much he decided he wanted the role himself. Also, many around him at the time, especially the studio executives at Warner Brothers, tried to dissuade him from making the film as they didn't think it would fly, but, after the film's release it ended up being the top grossing film of Eastwood's career, so successful it spawned a popular sequel...I often wonder how many wonderful films got quashed by know nothing studio execs because the script didn't have the juice of someone like Eastwood behind them...anyway, this film is just a good time, and doesn't tend to take itself too seriously. Eastwood carries the movie, with his laid back machismo, but he did have a bit of competition in the ape and Ruth Gordon who tend to steal most of the scenes they're in (probably my favorite scene is when Ma's home alone, confronted by the biker gang searching for Philo, and is forced to use her shotgun which I think is similar to what someone might use to hunt elephants). Also, I know many people would probably like to credit individuals from `da hood' with starting the whole wearing your baseball cap crooked fad, but I contend it was actually Geoffrey Lewis' character Orville that made it popular. Locke did well, but I always felt she exuded an inherently creepy quality (check out the confrontation scene between her character and Philo near the end), no matter what film I saw her in (she appeared in like seven of Eastwood's films, that is until the relationship took the last train to splitsville), and here is no different. Maybe it's her excessively large eyeballs, or her borderline albino condition...and I really can't review this film without mentioning the soundtrack. Normally, I don't listen to country and western music, but I really did enjoy its' usage in here, featuring performers like Eddie Rabbitt, Mel Tillis, and Charlie Rich...also Locke performs one or two number surprisingly well...and the memorable theme used for the Black Widow gang...I found myself humming along every time they made their appearance in the film.

The wide screen (1.85:1) picture looks very good on this DVD, and the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound comes through reasonably clear. Special features include a theatrical trailer for the film, production notes, and a filmography for Eastwood. I would've liked to seen a cast commentary included, as I think everyone had a great time making the film, and probably could have shared some wonderful anecdotes, but whatever...this film was followed by the equally popular sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980).

Cookieman108

Wow, do you mean to say that Hollywood actually made a movie that was not condescending towards working class America? Oh, that's right, this one came out 27 years ago. Watching it for the first time since boyhood made me painfully aware of just how much our culture has changed for the worse. Nowadays, presenting a character like Philo Beddoe would necessitate the inclusion of some sort of Jerry Springer incest plot just to make it believable. Yet Eastwood's Philo is anything but the kind of immoral dullard we are so used to seeing shout onstage at his half-sister paramour; in fact, his morality is exceptional given the circumstances. His honor is can be easily juxtaposed with Sandra Locke's "hustler" mentality. Their romance is an incredible beating, but Philo takes the pain with the same grace that he does in the unofficial underground ring. My favorite part of the film is when Eastwood approaches a college girl in a country bar to say hello. She is nasty in return and looks down her irritable nose at him. The only reason she's even at the tavern is to study primitives like Philo, and then report her findings back to the civilized world. His response is in keeping with what all of us would like to say after being friendly to someone who's above that sort of thing, "What are you mad about?" I'm sure she could not even tell him even if she wanted to.

On the whole, Every Which Way But Loose, is a campy timecapsule harkening back to days when we could still laugh at what was funny, and love for reasons that aren't reasons at all. If you ask me, this one has all the intangibles of a successful movie: strong men, feminine women, motorcycle gangs, old ladies packing curses and shotguns along with an amorous orangutan who is a better mate than Sandra Locke. Yes, this one is worth every Olympia beer and pick-up truck you see onscreen.

By now its unlikely that you haven't already seen this movie. This is one of those flicks like Animal House or Walking Tall that when you're flipping channels at 3:00AM its impossible to walk away from. Work be damned. But if you've been watching one of the butchered versions of this classic comedy on TBS/TNT or even AMC, then you haven't seen this movie in its full glory.

This movie is hilarious. There are so many lines in this full presentation DVD I'd never heard before including one from my Junior High days when Cholla, the leader of the wrongway biker gang refers to his boys as "GD morphodites" as they are being pummeled by a shorthanded trio of truckers. Not even the droll and ultra boring Sondra Locke (Clint, what were you thinking?) can kill the vibe of this nonstop actioner as Philo Beddoe wades through one bare knuckles contest after another. Geoffrey Lewis makes a great sidekick and very matter of factly picks up Beverly DeAngelo along the way. Ruth Gordon makes me laugh, I wish she was my grandmother. Funny funny funnneeeeeee!

The all new digital transfer and 5.1 remastering has to be seen to be believed. Most of Clint Eastwood's better films have gotten this treatment including Any Which Way You Can, Kelly's Heroes, and The Outlaw Josey Wales, among others, and they are all magnificent! 5 Towtrucks

Like "Smokey & the Bandit" before it, this movie had the same kind of charm, & despite being set in Los Angeles, it had a down home southern feel to it, offered to Clint to give to his pal Burt Reynolds, Clint liked it so much he asked Burt why he should do it, Reynolds told him to do one, & like "Bandit" did for Reynolds, this one did for Eastwood, who stars as Filo Beddoe, a truck driver who falls for a local singer in a nearby bar only to discover that she has a questionable past, this is pretty much the plot that has a series of running gags where Filo pals around with an ape known as Clyde who basically steals the movie as does Ruth Gordon as Filo's mother who constantly curses Clyde, Filo's run-in with a local motorcycle gang is funny to watch as the leader has a look on his face as to how he ended up with such misfits, as Filo searches for love he encounters all kinds of misfits, in addition to the gang, he runs afoul two idiot cops, & bar room brawlers, a fun movie that was a change of pace for Eastwood, & featured his then-girlfriend Sondra Locke who has a secret all her own, if you liked "Smokey & the Bandit", you will love this one!!!

I've been waiting a long time for this movie to be released on DVD....
It still hasn't been released on DVD in Britain, so I bought it from the USA. (I have multi-region player)
Superb comedy classic.
Excellent re-mastered sound & music, and pin sharp picture.
Unforgettable performances from Clint, Ruth Gordon, and of course Clyde.
You will laugh from start to finish. Buy it now !!!

Clint Eastwood is wonderful in this light hearted and yet at the same time heart moving Road Movie/Romance. The country music score provides a great source of atmospheric pleasure, and the back up characters are colorful and well acted. A must for all Clint Eastwood fans.

Take one truck driver by the name of Philo Beddoe (Clint Eastwood), mix with a beer drinking orangutan named Clyde, his neighbor and friend Orville (Geoffrey Lewis), Orville's ma (Ruth Gordon), and a love-em-and-leave-em country and western singer who goes by the name Lynn Halsey-Taylor (Sondra Locke), and you have one of Clint Eastwood's strangest movies ever.

When Philo is not driving trucks for a living, which we only see at the beginning of the movie, he is wrestling with Clyde and earning extra money as a bare-knuckle fighter. Life is pretty good for Philo until he becomes smitten by Lynn Halsey-Taylor. In real life Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke were dating and this movie was one of several that boyfriend Eastwood put Locke into. Perhaps Clint was as smitten in real life as he appeared to be in this movie. After Halsey-Taylor heads east for Denver, poor Philo just has to follow; Philo is a poor puppy dog in love.

Somewhere during the beginning of the movie Philo manages to beat up a number of bikers belonging to the dreaded Black Widows. The Black Widows have to revenge their honor, so they go seeking Philo. Philo also manages to beat up a policeman, and the policeman and his partner also go looking for Philo. So Lynn Halsey-Taylor is headed for Denver, followed by Philo, Orville, a pretty young lady named Echo (Beverly D'Angelo), and Clyde, who are followed by the two policemen and the Black Widows biker gang.

Did I tell you about ma yet? Ruth Gordon is hilarious as Orville's mother. She keeps trying to get a driver's license even though she can barely see. She also rants on about how she is defenseless just before she blows away several biker motorcycles with her shot gun in perhaps the funniest scene in this movie.

We follow Philo and his friends through Albuquerque and Santa Fe, heading toward Denver. Along the way it seems Philo has a lot of adventures. The policemen catch up with Clint, but they seem to have difficulty with the local wildlife, and after rolling their expensive truck into a lake Philo is able to get away. The Black Widows also catch up to Philo in Georgetown, but Orville, who is quite handy with a variety of vehicles, decides to tidy up Georgetown by stacking the biker's motorcycles with a garbage truck. While the bikers are perturbed by Orville's actions, they are no longer in a position to do anything about it. The only thing that puzzled me is that Georgetown is west of Denver on I-70, and when we last saw Philo and company they were on I-25 heading north. Considering that they seemed to head to Denver afterward, the side trip to Georgetown seems improbable.

Eventually Philo meets up with Lynn Halsey-Taylor in the Denver area. I will leave you to discover what happens between them. Philo also meets the legend of bare-fisted fighting, Tank Murdock (Walter Barnes). There is quite a fight scene, and the ending may be a bit of a surprise so you need to watch that part of the movie closely.

After their adventures in Denver, the troupe heads back west toward Los Angeles. As they travel they see the policemen and the bikers one last time before Eddie Rabbitt sings "Every Which Way but Loose" one last time.

This movie is laden with country & western music. The list of songs and artists is quite lengthy at the end. Two artists (at least) appeared in the movie. Mel Tillis and Charlie Rich both appear and sing. Sondra Locke also sings in this movie, and she seems to do okay. I did not recognize the other artists, but the music was generally good.

One other point of interest; each time Philo is preparing to fight someone Orville turns his hat around. I find it somewhat humorous that this style may have roots in this movie with its country & western flavor and yet hip-hop fans have adopted it.

The DVD edition I have is remarkably sparse with extras. There is a theatrical trailer and some written comments, but not a whole lot else.

I like this movie. It is funny in a lot of places. Clint Eastwood is the straight man, as you would expect, but he manages to come out of this movie with his characteristic charisma intact. The two funniest characters are Clyde and Ruth Gordon, followed by the Black Widow bikers. There were points where the Black Widow bikers reminded me of Disney bad guys. See for yourself. Though this movie is relatively lightweight, it is wonderful entertainment. There are quite a few four-letter words, much of it from Ruth Gordon, and there are a number of fight scenes, so this movie is far from being family oriented even though it is rated PG. However, if you ever wondered whether Clint Eastwood could do comedy, check out this movie and "Any Which Way You Can" from 1980. If you are a Clint Eastwood fan you owe it to yourself to watch this movie at least once.

How can you go wrong? Clint Eastwood, Clyde and a host of truly unique and funny supporting characters make this move a treasure. Subtle humor rides shoulder to shoulder with Three Stooges classic physical comedy, a script so tight it turns on a dime - A fun time for all! Transfer is very good (especially for a film of this age), and the sound is more than acceptable. Recommended.

This movie is a classic. Sheer genius.
Clyde was a finer actor than many of today's so called thespians. Lets get this celluloid gem on DVD.

Back in the Seventies Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds had a friendly rivalry as box office champions. They shared a "Time" cover story in early 1978 and later teamed up for the misbegotten "City Heat". Clint at the time was trying to soften his image and Burt wanted to be taken more seriously as an actor. Clint chose this vehicle to show off his comic chops. At the time of the flick's release it was savaged by the critics for it's alleged low-brow humor. Check out Leonard Maltin's movie guide and see it was given the dreaded BOMB rating. That didn't stop it from being one of the highest grossing films of 1978. Looking at it some thirty years later it holds up remarkably well. Clint seems to be enjoying himself particularly in his interaction with Clyde the Orangutan. The film is a classic in kind of a loopy way. Think of it as "Bringing Up Baby" with a redneck sensibility. Kick off your boots have a few brews and enjoy the show.