Customer Reviews

Evil Roy Slade / Brothers O'Toole - Collector's Edition Embossed Tin!

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2 star:		(1)
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About the only movie I consider funnier than "The Brothers O'Toole" (1973) is "The Big Lebowski" (1998). Both have the same combination of huge exaggeration coupled with subtle parody, exploding film conventions of their respective genres with completely out-of-place dialog. My appreciation of this no doubt speaks to a twisted sense of humor and an appreciation of the absurd; of which there is so little in more mainstream comedy features. So if you happen to be "Duckman" off-kilter, then "The Brothers O'Toole" is a film that you should seek out.

John Astin's success the year before in "Evil Roy Slade" (1972), the other western parody on the DVD, inspired a sequel of sorts. Or at least a similar extreme outlaw character, this time named "Desperate" Ambrose J. Littleberry. When not busy terrorizing citizens, poor Desperate is a henpecked husband. An almost unrecognizable Lee Meriwether wonderfully overplays his shrewish wife Poloma. It is definitely her signature performance and I laugh every time I think about what the Miss America pageant people must have thought about this hysterical portrayal.

The humor in both films is nicely twisted but "The Brothers O'Toole" is several notches above "Evil Roy Slade" on the IQ scale, which may account for it being a bit more obscure. O'Toole is the "Support Your Local Sheriff" and "Slade" is "Support Your Local Gunfighter"; as an example of the same type of comparative difference.

For Astin this is a duel role, as he and Steve Carlson play the title characters; a pair of too sophisticated drifter brothers Michael and Timothy O'Toole. Michael is an unambitious cardsharp and Timothy is a small-time rogue and roué. They come to the tiny town of Molybdenum, Colorado (Molly B'Damn to the locals) from separate disasters. Michael has just been ridden out of another town and Timothy is fleeing the shotgun wedding bells and angry father of his latest conquest, Bonnie Lou MacClanahan (Miranda Berry who is flat out irresistible).

The town is a collection of characters played by a collection of character actors like Richard Erdman, Pat Carroll, Allyn Joslyn (the reluctant sheriff), Jessie White (the slimy mayor). Joslyn and White are especially good, as is Hans Conried who plays a financier obviously modeled on Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The main plot device is mistaken identity as Michael O'Toole is mistaken for A. J. Littleberry and thrown in jail. Michael's summation at his trial and a later diatribe about the town are simply comedy classics, as is pretty much everything done and said by Richard Jury who plays the town's greedy undertaker, Harmon P. Lovejoy.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

I am jazzed, gassed and just plain old excited about having found this double DVD tin of John Astin at his wackiest. I remember these movies from along time ago and I howled with laughter. The sight gags are plentiful and the side jokes are so subtle that you might miss them or get them 20 seconds later in the movie.
Of the two, the Brothers O'Toole is my favorite; The movie is definately under rated and under appreciated.

A good family movie, just funny in so many ways. Made when comedy wasn't crude or vulger. Enjoy the fun, watch it with a child for more fun, they relate to it better.

A classic that is long over due in DVD format. See if you don't get the "Stubby index finger" song stuck in your brain for a while.

1971. I like the collector's tin. And I like this movie. Haven't seen the second one yet, but Evil Roy Slade is very clever with a lot of sudden gags that'll have you chuckling for sure. Quality stuff here from a vintage year. Betsy is a knock-out and there are a lot of familiar faces including that of Mickey Rooney and the guy who played the Nazi leader in Blues Brothers. Other guys too whose names I don't remember, but John Astin as the likable Evil Roy Slade steals the show.

I remember this movie from the 70's. I had never forgotten it and I was thrilled when it came out on DVD. I liked this movie so much that I gave ten members of my family a copy for Christmas. I have always liked John Astin as a comedy actor. The writing of this movie was superb. Some folks may find it as simple comedy, however I thought it was brilliant. It's a movie that will just make you laugh!

This is a classic western comedy, I feel sure that fans of The Villian will find to be even more original and funny as it was out years prior to the above mentioned. Star studded cast and running gag lines, you cant go wrong!

Great deal for the old fans of John Astin.... Not only the 2 movies but a great looking tin embossed box... WHAT A DEAL

This set is great! I only buy dvd's that I feel confident I will watch more than once, and that definitely applies here. I've seen this a hundred times, and I still lmao every time. The tin is very nice. Just excellent quality.

I'm not going into the story lines, since those have been covered. I just found these movies to be pretty standard TV movie comedies that did not have any real laughs. They are humorous, but not that funny. I did not hate them, but can't really recommend them either. But at the sales price offered sometimes, you can own 2 movies for less than renting them, so maybe worth buying at that point to judge for yourself.