8 HEADS IN A DUFFEL BAG
A film review by Walter Frith
Copyright 1997 Walter Frith
Comments on this review may also be sent via email to wfrith@icom.ca
Joe Pesci won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor in 1990 for his no holds barred portrayal of a mobster with a sense of humour in 'Goodfellas'. Pesci's other film credits such as 'Home Alone' (1990), 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' (1992), 'JFK' (1991), 'Lethal Weapon 2' (1989), 'Lethal Weapon 3' (1992) and as far back as 'Raging Bull' (1980) distinguish him as a unique and inventive actor. '8 Heads in a Duffel Bag' is a deliciously wacked-out and ingenious dark comedy complete with all of Pesci's trademark wiseguy antics.
Pesci plays a New Jersey mobster whose job requires him to deliver the heads of eight men murdered by the organization he works for to a crime boss in San Diego. Pesci transports them in a duffel bag aboard a commercial airline and encounters a medical student (Andy Comeau in a very impressive film debut) on his spring break who has an identical bag. Naturally, the bags get switched at luggage pick up in San Diego and the rest you can figure out for yourself. Comeau meets his girlfriend (Kristy Swanson) at the airport and she introduces him to her parents (George Hamilton and Dyan Cannon) and the four of them leave for a vacation in Mexico.
Your enjoyment of '8 Heads in a Duffel Bag' will depend on how strong your tolerance to black comedy is as the film leaves no stone unturned in its pursuit of laughs and delivers on many levels. There are plot holes in the script by writer/director Tom Schulman (Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay in 1989 for 'Dead Poet's Society') but they are covered up by good pacing and a frenzied climax. The film borders on extreme silliness from time to time but contains all the right tempo and build up to a satisfying and hilarious conclusion.
Surprisingly, Pesci, as good as he is, takes a back seat in this film as Comeau is the film's protagonist and David Spade from SNL and the two disasters 'Tommy Boy' and 'Black Sheep' and who stars as Comeau's college room mate who gets caught up in the insane antics of this story, provides some great one liners. Spade steals the show from Pesci in many scenes. One classic scene is worth the price of admission alone as Pesci has a nightmare about the heads doing a little musical number. Is '8 Heads in a Duffel Bag' bizarre? Of course. Original? Definitely. Worth seeing? Yes but don't blink or this film may cause you laughing pains you won't be able to get rid of anytime soon.
OUT OF 5> * * * 1/2
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