Foul Play features character actors Rachel Roberts and Eugene Roche as villains, Burgess Meredith as a martial arts-happy landlord, and Billy Barty as a long-suffering religious bookseller. It also packs in a memorable 'throwaway' gag involving a profane Scrabble game played by sweet little old ladies Queenie Smith and Hope Summers.
When, unbeknownst to Gloria, a microfilm cassette is left with her by a dying agent, she becomes entangled in a complicated series of events. She's pursued by a dwarf and an albino, and becomes convinced that they are out to kill her. Finally, with the help of San Francisco detective Tony Carlson, she begins to turn the tables on her pursuers. It becomes clear that the nerfarious crew after her are plotting a dastardly deed indeed - to assassinate the Pope as he visits the city to see The Mikado. Gloria and Tony must race against time to prevent this terrible crime. Right, just for a change, I have decided to review a film that I didn't originally see on my Mum and Dad's old Phillips V2000 Video player.
Instead, I saw this one on the first weekend (a Saturday to be precise), when it went on general release throughout the U.k's Cinema's, and, once again, it left it's mark. You see, being around eleven years old, at that time, with certain manly feelings (no doubt, you get my drift) beginning to arise (no pun intended), I found myself falling bang, head over heals in love/lust with Goldie Hawn (after seeing her for the first time in this film).
She was then, still is, and, no doubt, always will be, a BABE! Added to which, she's not a bad Actress, either! For me, 1978 was an awesome year, especially where Films are concerned. I mean, so far I have taken the time to review just three films for the IMDB (The Silent Partner, The Fury, and this one), and all three were released during this year. Strange how puberty can have such an effect on a young man's out-look on life, isn't it? Anyway, this aside, what do I actually think of the Film itself?
It's funny, intense, exciting. In short, I find it a pure joy to watch, and some! In fact, it's pure class (of a 1970's style).
Most notable, aside from Chase and Hawn that is, are Dudley Moore's excellent portrayal of an English Swinger in 1970's San Francisco (Stanley Tibbets); Billy Barty's unfortunate J.J.MacKuan (the scene where he gets seven shades beaten out of him by Hawn's Gloria, after she mistakes him for someone else, is, without a doubt, one of the funniest ever put to film); the old Japanese couple in the back seat of the Limo, as Chase and Hawn race to get to the Opera house; and not forgetting the two old ladies, playing a very dodgy game of Scrabble in their Apartment. I could go on for hours about this film, but I wont. Instead, I'll just say do what ever you need to, to see it. Beg, borrow, steal (Uh. Perhaps you shouldn't go that far) a copy if you have to!
But see it, you must! Trust me, you wont regret doing so, and remember.
Beware the Dwarf!!!
Tone is comic; however, characters are killed in a variety of ways and with a variety of weapons: stabbing, knife-throwing, a falling wine rack, a wine bottle, and gunfire. People bleed. Comic mayhem: lengthy karate fight, man thrown out of window, man injured in rolling barrel. Several abductions occur, one with chloroform. Lengthy wild car rides and crashes.
Hand-to-hand fighting. A woman is held at gunpoint. Many suspenseful sequences, including some with false jeopardy (i.e., a snake slithers toward the heroine). Hero and heroine kiss in multiple scenes and wake up after an implied sexual encounter; no nudity. Sexual humor and innuendo throughout. Extended sequence shows man trying to seduce woman in a sexually adorned apartment: a comic ready-to-order bed appears, a closet is filled with sex dolls and paraphernalia, and there's a comic seductive dance.
Scenes take place in massage/sex parlor; a sexual painting hangs on a wall. A brief film clip from a porno film is mostly blocked. A woman is obsessed with sexual predators and comically instructs her friend about safety. Parents need to know that Foul Play is a 1978 slapstick mystery with funny scenes, violent action, romantic moments, and sexual farce all overlapping. An all-out effort to stop a terrible crime is at the heart of the story.
The film's very innocent heroine finds herself in danger from beginning to end, and sometimes she's aware of it and sometimes she isn't; the audience is always aware. Characters are knifed, are shot, bleed, fight fiercely, fall, are kidnapped and held hostage, careen through the streets crashing into everything, and generally find themselves in highly suspenseful situations, with scary music and effects. Sexual situations include a comic seduction (a semi-striptease by a man in an apartment designed to highlight sexuality); a sweet romance in which newly enamored characters kiss, then wake up together in the morning; and an action sequence that takes place in a sleazy massage parlor. Occasional coarse language ('damn,' 's-t,' 'sonofabitch,' 'hell'); one comic scene shows two elderly women playing Scrabble using several forms of 'f-k.' Some social drinking occurs, characters smoke, and marijuana is offered and rejected.
Best for teens and up. Gloria Mundy can't catch a break in FOUL PLAY. Still wary of dating after a difficult divorce, she's focusing on her job as a librarian and spending time with friends - at least until she meets Scott, a man who seems nice enough, at least nice enough to see a movie with. But Scott, poor guy, isn't what he seems. After he secretly places something in a Marlboro cigarette box, drops it into her purse, whispers something in her ear, then dies in the seat next to her, dripping blood into her popcorn, Gloria Mundy is in for the ride of her life. It seems everyone is after her and she has no idea why. With the help of a very attentive detective , a snake-loving landlord , and a few other hardy souls, Gloria must outwit a gangster, a terrifying albino, a dwarf, and an evil bishop, all who are part of a nefarious plot to assassinate a very important man. And then there's that oversexed fellow who can't seem to get out of his own way.
What is in that Marlboro box? Is the pushy dwarf really a Bible salesman? What (and whom) is the bishop trying to hide? Will Gloria fall in love with the clumsy detective? And finally, what more terrifying surprises are in for the trusting librarian?
In this purposefully Hitchcock-light comic-mystery, there are enough laughs and outrageous characters to compensate for its silly plot, outlandishly inept villains, and predictable romance. Both Chevy Chase and Dudley Moore had their first major motion picture roles in Foul Play, and in the case of Moore, it was a breakout performance. Over the decades, 'Stanley Tibbets' (Moore) remains a vivid example of hilarious, vanity-free acting. Hawn, too, is at the height of her adorable, ingenuous sincerity. Writer-director Colin Higgins gleefully celebrates Alfred Hitchcock, borrowing music, plot elements, and suspenseful set pieces directly from the master. Seen again, decades after its theatrical release, it's an uneven film but with enough memorable and original material to remind fans why they liked it so much the first time around. Fine for teens, even mature tweens, but the graphic violence, even though much of it is meant as humor, makes it inappropriate for most kids.Families can talk about the fact that Foul Play has been described as a comic 'tribute' (or 'homage') to movies.
If you're familiar with Hitchcock's films, what specifically reminds you of his work? Did you recognize any of the music? Any of the suspenseful scenes?
How did the filmmakers make Hitchcock's original ideas humorous?.This film blends romance, comedy, and mystery. What kind of challenges do you think a filmmaking team faces when trying to combine all three genres (i.e., making a scary scene funny or a funny scene romantic)? Do you think writer-director accomplished his goal?.Look up the film term 'false jeopardy.'
Which scenes in this film fit into that category?.How does the portrayal of Gloria Mundy reveal the era in which the film was made (1978)? How might that character be different in a present-day film?