Part 1 by David from ThatMomentIn.com
Our story goes . . . one particularly uneventful Saturday evening, on a particularly starry night, in the early weeks of 1981, two boys, having never met, watch the same episode of BBC’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Hours later, they both dream the same dream of being Arthur Dent (and totally making it with Trillian) when Zaphod Beeblebrox initiates the Heart of Gold’s Infinite Improbability Drive. When they awoke, their fears that the dream was real are found untrue. Their lives have not been altered and life goes on the same. Until one day, quite recently actually, each still unknowing the other exists, they arrive home and discover that their easy chairs have been turned into boxes of pristine 1980’s video cassettes. And their bags of Tostitos’ and jars of dip, fully functioning VCRs and remotes. They take to Twitter and it is here that the Eric from The IPC and David from That Moment In find each other and learn of their random, connected fates. A note in the box reads:
You must watch every 80s movie in this box. For each movie, a summary would be nice. Nothing crazy. Maybe something short. Your call. Then you must review the film! To do so, choose and describe these five moments: 1) The Best Moment 2) The stupidest Moment 3) That Special 80s Sexy Moment 4) The Now’s A Good Time toTake A Pee Break Moment and finally 5) The Most Cheesiest Silly Awesome Eighties Moment. Good luck. We are watching you.
Third out of the Box: Stir Crazy (1980)
Inserting tape into VCR. Dimming lights. Pressing play. Fixing tracking . . .
Ah, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor at it again. After working together on the very funny Silver Streak in 1977 (and both being involved in Blazing Saddles before that – Pryor was one of the screen writers), the two comedians join forces for what is easily their best film together. I first saw this on HBO way back when, and hadn’t laughed that hard since watching Tim Conway and Don Knotts as bungling burglars in the Disney family film, The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975). Of course I crazy young at that time and my humor senses weren’t so well-fined. Fart noises had me rolling on the floor. Wait, that hasn’t changed. But there was a rawness to what Wilder and Pryor were doing that struck right at my core, or maybe funny bone. I endlessly quoted this film and there wasn’t a guy in my school that wasn’t struttin’ around the halls saying they were bad in terrible Richard Pryor impressions. I think I wanted to dress as a giant woodpecker that year for Halloween, too, but mom said no and poked holes in my sheets again.
Quick Summary: Two down-on-their-luck friends work odd jobs as they head for Hollywood and the land of dreams, but are wrongfully sentenced to life in prison for a bank robbery they didn’t commit and decide that with no hope of appeal, to break out of jail during a prison rodeo. Kind of like the Great Escape except with rodeo clowns and a folk singing serial killer.
The Best Moment: There can be no other. When the two men are sentenced, they are hardly the criminal type, and thus try to “get bad” by acting tough, which for these two stringy men is about as convincing as Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist working at Russian ICBM base in Kazakhstan. Or Denise Richards as a nuclear physicists working at an American ICBM base. Or Denise Richards as a nuclear physicists working anywhere. Pretty much Denise Richards as anything. Seriously, I’d be more apt to accept Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs. Oh right. That happened. Either way, when Wilder starts karate-chopping the air like he’s got a spinal tick, it’s time to put the milk down or else it’s gonna get sprayed in all directions.
The Stupidest Moment: Skip (Wilder) is an overly-optimistic kind of guy and at one point, he sees a fight between a businessman and a cab driver that he thinks is merely a misunderstanding and can be resolved by communication rather than by violence. The businessman has stiffed the cabbie for fare, and the cabbie, considerably smaller but twice as scrappy isn’t backing down and has already begun some “communicating” on his own. He has a grip on the other man’s um, happy stick with a pair of pliers. Skip is somehow unbelievably unaware that the bigger man is a twist away from castration, even though he is standing right between them, carries on talking with them, thinking it is he who has resolved the problem and not a hand tool. Skip. (Ha, a recommendation and a character’s name. Bonus.)
The Special 80s Sexy Moment: Okay, yes, there is a short scene in a titty bar with a bevy of naked bodacious boobs and bums all bouncing beautifully, but that special 80s sexy moment is actually JoBeth Williams at that titty bar undercover as a waitress. She, in her super tight designer denims, baby-blue Western cowgirl shirt and that oh-so-shexy cowboy hat is the real tingle-inducing hot spot. The only girl with any substantial part in the film, she spends most of the movie trying to prove the boys are innocent and giving horny Skip something to think about during those alone times in the prison bathroom.
The Now’s The Time To Take A Pee Break Moment: The prison warden has big money on a rodeo competition against the rich kids over in the camp across the lake, I mean the prison in the next town. He recruits prisoners by way of a mechanical bull in his office, which, surprisingly, Skip can ride at top speed with no problem! (He was the Frisco Kid after all.) But Skip learns the rodeo is a scam, and refuses to join, so the warden tries to break him by putting him in solitaire, stringing him, up and finally, hitting him where it hurts by gripping his happy stick with a pair of pliers, er, no, putting Harry in the prison infirmary and threatening to take out his appendix. Story point aside, the scene is just dreadful as it’s another few minutes of Harry making strange faces and being shocked by what’s happening, something we’ve seen many times already before. It’s topped off with an ugly stereotype to boot. Pee time.
The Most Cheesiest Silly Awesome Eighties Moment: A strange thing happened in the nineteen eighties, and it wasn’t just the fad of parachute pants and high top basketball shoes with rayon net tank tops. No, it was mechanical bulls, made popular, or at least more so, by John Travolta, who we can blame for disco as well. He starred in a paint-by-numbers drama/romance called Urban Cowboy that inexplicably had everyone clamoring for a chance to prove themselves worthy by not falling off a fake boy cow with a motor for a heart. At the time, I was clamoring for a chance to date a girl named Suzy, which ended up feeling a lot like getting thrown from a bull so naturally I blame John Travolta for that, too.
Stir Crazy is a pretty solid film throughout, even though it makes a fairly abrupt shift from comedy to drama in the last third during the prison escape. Oh right. Spoiler alert. There’s a prison escape. Wilder and Pryor are consistently funny, though the guffaws, cowering, whimpering, and flailing end just about when they should, especially from Pryor who spends most the first two acts in a state of a kind of guttural, mumbling panic, which is tear-inducingly funny until it gets to be a character trait. Good movie. Let’s see what Eric thinks . . . .
These post totally rock guys, another job well done.
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Thanks! Sure are fun to do, and I love that people seem to like them.
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They always make me laugh without fail.
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Me likey you laughy.
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I likey that you likey me laughy, if you get what I mean.
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We are some weird dudes. And I’m totally okay with that. Ha.
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I believe everyone is weird in their own way.
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Thanks Vincenzo!!!
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Vincenzo, I like that as a nickname.
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Awesome review David! I always thought these two comedic geniuses made a fantastic team. Hmm. Kind of like you and Eric. 😊
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Thanks much. I so like Gene Wilder movies. This one and Silver Streak are two of my favorites. We’ve got lots more coming soon!
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I loved Silver Streak! I can’t wait to see what you and Eric come up with next.
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I think you’ll like the next one. I really like the film. It might be unexpected. Hope you will like it.
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Spoiler: Serious as fuck bomb down in the basement!
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I’m looking forward to it David.
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Isn’t this great??? It’s so nice to see some GOOD writing on here occasionally!!!
#lovekim
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Now you’re just being silly! Your posts are always brilliant! 😊
#hugs
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I concur. Hundred Percent!
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You are so good to me!!!!
#squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze
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Aww! I try! 😊
#manymany
#manyhugs
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I LOVE IT!!!
#hughughug
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I’ve completed my mission then!
#ginourmoushugs
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SMOOCH!
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No, no my good friend. The good writing all come from you.
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We could argue all day but I’ll just say THANK YOU!!!
These are great!
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Awesome. This is one of the few Gene Wilder movies I have never seen. Or else I have and have just completely forgotten about it. Either way – great stuff!
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Go. Watch. It!
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You’ve never seen Young Frankenstein???????????
#bestcomedyever
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Agreed. All time funniest movie.
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I was watching it the other day and I think I agree – best comedy ever!
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Hands down. It’s pure genius.
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I have and…. I didn’t like it. Not a big fan of parody humour or slapstick usually. It actually pains me to watch films like that. Saw Young Frankenstein once – never again.
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Yowza!
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Most are certainly hit or miss, but there is something about YF that strikes just perfectly for me. I think that is has an affection for the source material that others don’t, such as the Scary Movie franchise that just imitate rather than innovate. How about other Mel Brooks movies?
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I like Mel Brooks as an actor as he can be really good sometimes. Looking at his list of directing credits – out of those I have seen, I like none. That includes Blazing Saddles, Men in Tights and Spaceballs. Just not my kind of humour.
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How about Mike Myers? Jim Carrey? Jerry Lewis? Bugs Bunny?
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I didn’t mind the various Austin Powers. I like Jim Carrey when he does drama or something toned down a little like Liar Liar. I don’t care for Jerry Lewis. Bugs Bunny is the greatest. I have all the Looney Tunes Golden Collections.
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Okay, then there is hope for you after all. Ha!
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I loved this movie growing up, but watched it recently and realized how serious it kind of got at the end. And it’s very sloppy. And the ending is weird. Shouldn’t they go back to prison for their escape attempt?
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I thought they were deemed innocent so they rode off into the sunset so Wilder could write his play?
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Right they were innocent of the bank robbery, but masterminding a prison break, which also involved real guilty prisoners, is probably also illegal.
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Nothing is illegal in California.
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It’s set in Arizona.
Plus, they would also be arrested for multiple counts of buggery.
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I don’t know anything.
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Not true. You’re a leading expert on anal bleaching.
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This is very true. Have you been following my techniques?
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I never miss one of your instructional videos on PornHub.
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That’s where all of my hits are coming from!
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You do porn videos Eric? I’m shocked, hehe.
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Just anal bleaching videos!
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Well we all gotta make money somehow Eric. Sounds painful though.
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I couldn’t bleach my ass, can’t ruin my moneymaker.
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You gotta clean that thing some time!
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Hehe, I wouldn’t scald the skin off it though.
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No way!
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None of my clientele would wanna squeeze it if it was skinless, hehe.
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This is the truth!!
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Damn right, I couldn’t jeopardise my peachy ass, which I’ve been told looks something like this:

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Goodness!
Filth!
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It’s just what I’ve been told Eric, plus I don’t think Kim will complain when she sees this.
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Anal what?
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That is what is implied for sure. A quick wrap-up though. Forgivable. for sure
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So agree that this movie just kinda ended. The first three quarters are a different movie than the last third. But it’s fun.
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Nice reviews, dudes. I’ll check this one out again someday. Liked it at the time but know these things don’t age well. 🙂
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It holds up fairly well, though the ending is abrupt. I think you’ll like it.
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You two are just THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ❤ ❤ ❤
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Luv ya, Emma!
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Luv ya David, beware the moon!
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Now it is beware of the wind! We have a review to write! Ha!
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We do!!!! What are we doing it on? Haha!
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The Happening! Silly girl.
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That’s why I laughed I knew we’d discussed it, just my mind got fuzzed haha!!! Sorry 🙂
YES The Happening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One of the worst films ever made, hurrah!!!!! Loads of unintentional hilarity though 🙂
I just watched ‘yes I do’ twice more and giggled! Honestly the way John Candy says it twinned with the state of the car!
I’m trying to pin it to the top of my tweets so I can watch it pretty much constantly.
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Awesome idea.
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Awesome idea? I can’t remember what I suggested?
See!!!! I’m a complete mess! Ha ha ha
🙂
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Pin Youtube clip to twitter. Are you okay? Have you hit your head? Are you trapped under something heavy? Ha.
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Haha, I remember now!! I’m getting there now, been awake for almost 3 hours!!!! 🙂
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Well, we should find a way to make these awesome post plans in private!
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Send me an email? emmakwall@yahoo.com 🙂 🙂
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Ah. Okay. That’ll work.
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Just sent you a twitter message.
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Twitter / Yahoo – all fine 🙂
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We’re giving away all our secrets!
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Not for long!!
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Hmmm. How are we going to do this post? Any ideas?
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I usually ask the other person that! Haha. Would you like it set up in a similar way to your other posts? Or we both write a section each?
I really have no clue 🙂 but I know it’s a good idea!!!
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Let’s keep it simple. Top Five reasons why The Happening is the worst film of all time.
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Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
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I can make some speech bubble thing. Can you?
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Can I make a speech bubble? Yes I can!
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So hmmmm. Top five reasons why WITH speech bubbles. Totally random and fun. Letss do it.
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Yay! I love a speech bubble 🙂
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