Customer Reviews

The Man with One Red Shoe

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This review refers to the 20th century Fox VHS edition....

Tom Hanks shines early in his career, as he gives us an hour and half of pure fun.Although this film was based on the French farce"The Tall Blonde Man With One Black Shoe", I saw it as a kind of Mad Magazine spoof of North by Northwest. Not the same story but a similar premise.

Musician Richard Drew(Hanks) is minding his own business, wearing one red shoe(the other seems to have gotten lost), when unbeknownst to him he is targeted as a spy by the CIA. One of two rival CIA bosses(Charles Durning/Dabney Coleman) has set him up to put the other on a wild goose chase.The laughs are non stop as these bumbling agents turn Drew's house upside down, try seducing him with their sexiest agent(Lori Singer),and drug him. Through all this he never suspects what is going on and falls for the girl.

On the other hand his buddy (Jim Belushi) may be headed for a little R&R as he is the one finding the bodies left behind, and his over-sexed wife(Carrie Fisher) is trying to hide her affection for Drew. Carrie does a great imitation of Tarzan's chimp.. watch(or I should say listen) for that one.

It is Directed by Stan Dragoti and also includes Ed Hermann in this very funny cast. It is rated PG, but you might want to view it before watching with the kids, there are some moments closer to PG13.

The VHS has a nice clear picture and it is in HI-Fi Stereo. This edition also has closed captions if neccessary.

Enjoy......Laurie

more fun stuff:
Jimmy Hollywood [VHS]

Grumpy Old Men (P&S) [VHS]

Nadine [VHS]

Only the third movie of Tom Hanks' illustrious career, The Man With One Red Shoe is a hilarious comedy about a case of mistaken identity. With a star studded cast that includes not only Hanks, but also Dabney Coleman, James Belushi, and Carrie Fisher, The Man With One Red Shoe is a decent slapstick comedy that appears on cable television from time to time. Not exactly the greatest film in history, it is a fun and entertaining movie well worth the time involved...

When top level CIA operatives Cooper (Dabney Coleman) and Ross (Charles Durning) fight out a personal turf battle, Ross sends Cooper on a wild goose chase to find a fictional witness who can clear his name of some impending charges. Using planted information from a wire tap, Cooper stakes out the local airport in an effort to find the mysterious man...

Meanwhile, Richard (Tom Hanks) is wearing mismatched shoes (one of them red, thus The Man With One Red Shoe) because his friend Morris (James Belushi) played a practical joke on him. But the joke takes an odd twist when a CIA agent spies Richard's odd shoe pairing and fingers him as the target of their stakeout. In an effort to find out what the man with one red shoe knows, Cooper puts a tail on Richard, sparking a strange sequence of events which leaves the bike-riding violin player questioning his sanity.

But the snafu really turns serious when Cooper assigns top agent Maddy (Lori Singer) to the case. Maddy gets close to Richard (who easily falls in love with her). Cooper thinks he's getting closer to the information he needs when the unthinkable occurs - his top agent falls for Richard...

Tom Hanks plays the lead role to the best of his ability, playing the part of a character type he has totally mastered - the clueless, out-of-the-loop guy. He played similar roles in Big and Forrest Gump, but irrespective of those roles, Hanks is generally outstanding in any role which he's assigned. The Man With One Red Shoe is no exception. Hanks comes across as a genuine and likeable character, totally oblivious to the events which transpire around him.

Based solely on a case of mistaken identity, The Man With One Red Shoe is an interesting concept for a film. Despite stretching the limits of reality, the film nevertheless manages to remains within the boundaries of the sane and normal. The movie isn't over the top or utterly ridiculous like so many comedies of today. Instead, the lead characters remain serious while the circumstances of their situation provide the humor. A light-hearted and fun film, providing an early glimpse of Tom Hanks' much heralded career, makes The Man With One Red Shoe a definite must-see movie...

The DVD Report

I have fond memories of this movie from my late adolescence. True, it is hard to keep track of which thugs work for which side, but in the end, who cares? The trouble Tom Hanks gets them into by innocently going about his own business is great! Jim Belushi has some great moments too, later on in the film. I laughed out loud for several gags, and can watch the movie more than once.

I love this little movie. Carrie Fisher looks even hotter than she did in that bikini thing in Jabba's lair. Very funny writing and directing. The photography is excellent and the broadcast print has aged very well. It looks more like an early 90's movie, with only the blonde seeming a bit 80's. Surprisingly, this is an ensemble cast. Hanks, though at the center of all the action, is sharing time with a lot of other talent. From beginning to end I think this film works.

Years ago, when I was on tour with a rock band, I saw this movie in a hotel room. I was suffering from sleep depravation (and loaded to the gils to boot), and don't remember most of it.

However, there is one scene I will never forget. Hanks' character was performing. The femme fatale who was sent to do ill to him by the CIA was in the audience, and Hanks' character was gaga over her. The orchestra began Rimsky-Korsakov's Shaherazade. Those of you familiar with that symphony will know that after a brief intro, a solo violin part comes in. When it came time for Hanks' character to play it, he instead played a piece he composed for the femme fatale! David Ogden Stiers' was playing the conductor. He stopped the orchestra, turned to him and said "Tonight we are playing 'Shaherazade.' Would you care to join us?"

Perfect!

I have always liked this film.
I saw it in the theater in 1985.

Not perfect, did NOT do well at the box office. A forgotten film now a days.

Tom got top billing after "Splash".
First time Carrie & Tom worked together.

There are 3 scenes in the film I have always enjoyed & will watch more than once.

No extras on the DVD, of course, since the film was not a box office or critical success.

Some scenes where stunt people were used that OBVIOUSLY you can tell it was NOT the actor in question. Carrie (Paula) going out the window of Tom (Richard's) apartment.

Good to have the option to watch it widescreen.

Overall a nice movie ... but, not great. The story line is a bit confusing. You'll need to see the beginning 15 minutes several a couple times and read the jacket before knowing who's who and what it's all about. Belushi and Hanks both have some wonderful moments that make the film worth seeing and owning.

There is a competition of sorts between two groups of people in the CIA headed by the two bosses (Dabney Coleman and Charles Durney). One group sets the other up by claiming they have a spy/mole with some important information and that he's coming in on a certain plane. They leak the information by deliberately talking into the bugs they found planted by the other team. There is no one, but when part of their team goes to the airport, with the other team sets up with their men there to discover who the informant is, the team that has put the plan in motion, randomly picks out an unsuspecting passenger getting off a plane who just happens to be wearing one red shoe, which is Tom Hanks. They pretend to make contact and then, Tom Hanks, completely unaware of anything unusual is now under surveilence.

Tom Hanks is a musician who travels to different countries playing with a concert. He and his friend and his friend's wife (who has the hots for him) have just returned from one of his trips.

He is tracked and followed by both teams, one to spy on him and the other to try and protect him, his place is turned upside down, a beautiful agent is sent to get close to him, his friend's wife is hitting on him, wanting him to go to bed with him. She likes to play Tarzan in bed and makes some wild noises, which is recorded by Dabney's team and later heard by the wife's husband as they play the recording in their van and he thinks she's in it, and so on... You get the picture. Lot of things going on all the time. The whole time Tom Hanks is completely unaware of any of this and is falling for the beautiful blond. Not a whole lot of depth, but a fun little movie and actually has parts in it that are quite believable in this day and age. Enjoy!

I had high hopes for this one when it was released; the original French movie 'The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe' is one of my favorite comedies, and hey, who doesn't like Tom Hanks?

But this remake is streets apart from that - for all the mayhem in the common plot of intelligence intrigue and unwitting decoys, the remake plays it lots meaner and uglier than the original...and then is downright prudish on the sexual angles that made the original a pleasing adult comedy.

Maybe if you never saw the original you can like or tolerate this one. As for me...Sacre bleu, it stinks.

Hanks is very funny in this tongue-in-cheek remake of the "Tall Blond Man With One Red Shoe". With a supporting cast of Carrie Fischer, Jim Belushi and Dabney Coleman it is hard to beat. The music by Thomas Newman is excellent and provides a dramatic mood for a relatively dark comedy.