Customer Reviews

Foul Play [VHS]

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After his meteoric rise in popularity from starring in the inaugural season of the ongoing, late-night TV comedy variety show "Saturday Night Live" (1975-), now veteran film actor Chevy Chase effectively began his big-screen career along side veteran big-screen comedic actress Goldie Hawn in the hilarious 1978 film "Foul Play". Taking place in the beautiful city of San Francisco, the single librarian Gloria Mundy (Goldie Hawn) becomes unwittingly entangled in a mysterious terrorist plot to kill Pope Pius XIII (Cyril Magnin, 1899-1988) when (while visiting San Francisco) he attends a performance of the 1885 opera "The Mikado" by William S. Gilbert (1836-1911) and Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900). After Gloria witnesses a brutal killing and escapes an attempt on her own life, she is interviewed by bumbling San Francisco police detective Lt. Tony Carlson (Chevy Chase). Not totally convinced about her seemingly outlandish story of being attacked by an albino (William Frankfather, 1944-1998, in his big-screen debut) or the warnings she received about a dwarf, Tony nonetheless keeps a watchful eye upon Gloria whom he is attracted to. As Gloria continues to evade the killers, she meets the satyrical musical conductor Stanley Tibbets (the hilarious Dudley Moore, 1935-2002) and mistakenly confuses a short & innocent bible-salesman, J.J. MacKuen (Billy Barty, 1924-2000), to be the infamous dwarf. With a myriad of chase scenes, wistful dialog, unusual characters, Hitchcockian mystery and 1970's nostalgia, "Foul Play" is sure to bring a smile to most viewer's faces.

Memorable scenes in the film include Gloria meeting Stanley for the first time, Stanley's apartment, J.J. MacKuen at Gloria's front door, Gloria visiting J.J. at the hospital, the "massage" club, Gloria's friend & landlord Mr. Hennessey (Burgess Meredith, 1908-1997) taking on Delia Darrow (Rachel Roberts, 1927-1980), trying to get to the opera house, the Japanese couple (Rollin Moriyama, 1907-1992, and Mitsu Yashima) and the "Mikado" performance. Other memorable characters include Gloria's friend Stella (Marilyn Sokol), Archbishop Thorncrest/Archbishop's brother (Eugene Roche, 1928-2004), Rupert Stiltskin (Marc Lawrence), The Turk (Ion Teodorescu, 1934-1985), the truck driver (M. James Arnett) and Esme the snake (Shirley Python). Overall, I rate "Foul Play" with 5 out of 5 stars and am very happy to see it finally released on DVD. In an interesting bit of trivia, the name "Gloria Mundy" was derived from the Latin phrase, "Sic transit gloria mundi," which means, "So passes the glory of the world."

This comedy has stood the test of time; don't listen to detractors. Leonard Maltin says the film is "protracted" but is perfect by today's standards (think about the 3-hour epics to which audiences readily flock). "Foul Play" is also an OBVIOUS homage to Hitchcock, not a "plagiarism of Hitchcock" as Maltin shortsightedly declares. Colin Higgins does a great job mixing suspense with comedy (something Hitch fans will recognize). Sure, this is Goldie's movie, and Chevy plays it laid-back (if Chase were to ham it up he'd be distracting); they make a terrific duo. Saying Goldie was the 70s Meg Ryan (as one reviewer did) is like comparing diamonds to junk jewelry (Meg Ryan is paste; Goldie's the gem). Supporting actors show inspired casting, especially Dudley Moore as the kinky conductor. Sets are pure 70s in full-tilt (a retro-decorator's dream). Car-chases with lots of point-of-view will induce vertigo on larger screen TVs (in the theater it was like riding a rollercoaster): it's grand scale entertainment! "Foul Play" can easily be judged a classic -- delightful, fluffy, colorful cotton-candy which should be enjoyed as such. If you're in the dumps, this film will pick you up. Paramount should have the good sense to release "Foul Play" to DVD in it's original theatrical aspect ratio...SOON!!!!

This is one of my favorite "comfort" movies. You don't have to think a lot, and there's not much deeper meaning. But as homage to Hitchcock, Foul Play is just plain good entertainment. THIS NEEDS TO BE ON DVD IN WIDESCREEN FORMAT!

There. Now I feel better. Watch this one with your sweetie.

It's a romantic comedy with a little action adventure. Amazing on screen chemistry between Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. This is probably one of the few films when Chase comes across as the sexy leading man, not the goofy father of Vacation. The story has lots of twists and turns and some very funny characters, like Dudley Moore, the symphony conductor with a dirty mind always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Burgess Merdith, the landlord with a pet snake, and a quick but memorable appearance by an Asian couple getting their first taste of America in a police chase through the streets of San Francisco. Simply hilarious.

As a great fan of this movie, I have been waiting for this film to be released on to DVD for sometime. One of the best comedies of all time. Goldie (Gloria) is super in this role and Chevy (Tony) is at his best... And who could forget the late Dudley Moore in the role of Stanley Tibbetts, from the moment I saw this movie, the song Stayin Alive has been forever altered in my mind seeing him girate around his flat pulling out everything the (then) pervert needed for a night of passion. Great Film, will enjoy again and again....

While the comic thriller has come a long way since FOUL PLAY, the movie still maintains its charm and effervescence, thanks to the charisma of Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. Goldie plays a lonely librarian who picks up a hitchhiker and then finds herself in the middle of an assassination plot. Chase plays the starry-eyed policeman assigned to protect her once they realize that she's not some looney tunes blonde after all. A young Brian Dennehy plays Chase's partner; the late Rachel Roberts plays a conniving killer; Burgess Meredith does his kung foo best and Dudley Moore plays a sex-starved orchestra conductor. The film is well produced and Barry Manilow's READY TO TAKE A CHANCE AGAIN garnered an Oscar nomination for its writers (Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel). A delightfully nostalgic trip down memory lane.

This movie is very funny, clean humor and suspenseful. I have yet to see a movie with a balance of comedy, suspense and drama. Plus it has great actors like Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, Dudley Moore, and the loveable, Burgess Meredith. I would say Chevy Chase's and Goldie Hawn's best movie, although, very few people know about this movie. Excellent!!!

Goldie Hawn plays a librarian fed with bad relationships but just about ready to get into circulation again. On her way home from a friend's wedding, she stops to pick up a cute hitchhiker. They make plans to meet again but she doesn't know that he has slipped something into her purse. When next they meet, he is almost dead and gives her a cryptic warning: Beware the Dwarf. With that, he dies.

These events naturally freak her out but there is a problem in getting anyone to believe her. The body has disappeared. Even so, strange things continue to happen to her as the bad guys try to recover what was hidden on her person. Her one believer is a cop, played by Chevy Chase, who thinks that her experiences might just be real. Together, they identify the bad guys, foil an assassination plot and fall in love.

Much of the comedy in this film is based upon mistaken identification and being caught in innocent but seemingly guilty circumstances. It is well done. Much can also be said for Dudley Moore who has a minor role that keeps reappearing throughout the film. He's just a guy that want to get his ashes hauled and circumstances keep throwing him together with Goldie as she tries to evade bad guys. He is hilarious in this role.

It's not great art; it's just great fun.

short and sweet, It's about time! I have been waiting for this for years! Goldie at her best...well, I am a sucker for The First Wives Club, and Seems Like Old Times also. 70's movie fans will be thrilled, along with any screwball comedy who done-it's of the past. A++

Foul Play is a movie I can watch again and again and laugh every time. Chevy Chase is at his finest, and the cast all around is excellent. Especially spooky is the albino hitman played by William Frankfather. There are so many classic scenes in this movie that they are too numerous to list here. Among them is the fight scene between Mr. Hennessy and Delia Darrow, Stanley Tibbets trying to put the moves on Gloria in his apartment, and Tony and Gloria's race across the steep streets of San Francisco to the opera house with a pair of elderly Japanese tourists in the back seat of a limo - Far out and Kojak bang bang! If you are looking to see a funny romantic comedy with generous helpings of suspense and excitement, Foul Play is a perfect choice.