8 HEADS IN A DUFFEL BAG
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.5 Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 4/18/97 (wide) Running Length: 1:30 MPAA Classification: R (Language, mature themes, body parts) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Joe Pesci, Andy Comeau, George Hamilton, Dyan Cannon, Kristy Swanson, David Spade, Todd Louiso Director: Tom Schulman Producers: Brad Krevoy, Steve Stabler, John Bertolli Screenplay: Tom Schulman Cinematography: Adam Holender Music: Andrew Gross U.S. Distributor: Orion Pictures
8 HEADS IN A DUFFEL BAG definitely isn't for everyone. But if you have a twisted sense of humor and can see the comedy in films like WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S, this movie is right up your alley. For my part, while I wasn't overly impressed by significant chunks of the movie, there were times when I was nearly doubled over with laughter. 8 HEADS IN A DUFFEL BAG works very much like a series of skits cobbled together into a movie -- some of them work, some don't. When they fail, they're painful to watch. But when they succeed, they can be hilarious.
Not surprisingly, the most interesting performer in the film is lead actor Joe Pesci. In the midst of all the madcap zaniness, Pesci plays his role mostly straight -- a weary hitman who just wants to complete one last job so he can retire. Some of 8 HEADS' best moments come as a result of Pesci's even-handed approach to the material. In fact, the movie's comic momentum has a tendency to flag whenever he's off-screen for more than a few minutes.
Pesci's Tommy Spinelli is charged by mob boss Big Sep (Howard George) to transport the heads of eight dead men from New Jersey to San Diego. Tommy's trouble starts on the airplane, when he's forced to check his bag because it's too large to be carried on. Then, in California, there's a mix-up between his luggage and that of college student Charlie Pritchett (Andy Comeau), who's on the West Coast to vacation with his girlfriend (Kristy Swanson) and her parents (George Hamilton and Dyan Cannon). Charlie ends up with Tommy's eight heads and Tommy gets a bag full of clothes. What follows is a series of offbeat misadventures as Tommy attempts to retrieve his duffel bag while Charlie tries to get rid of it.
A lot of the humor in 8 HEADS is expectedly lowbrow and grotesque, but there are some truly inspired moments. In a scene that recalls the work of the late English director Dennis Potter (PENNIES FROM HEAVEN, THE SINGING DETECTIVE), the heads starting singing "Mr. Sandman" while their decapitated bodies dance around. Tommy also has a solution for a foul-mouthed old lady (Ernestine Mercer) that may remind a few people of THROW MAMA FROM THE TRAIN. Writer/first-time director Tom Schulman (who, curiously enough, penned DEAD POETS' SOCIETY) clearly knows how to use macabre circumstances to get a laugh, although by the last reel he has become repetitive.
While this is ultimately Pesci's film, there is a fairly sizable supporting cast. Newcomer Andy Comeau does a nice job making Charlie seem both likable and inept. George Hamilton, Dyan Cannon, and Kristy Swanson all have their moments, but, in general, their work here is largely forgettable. Todd Louiso and the ever-irritating David Spade have roles as a pair of college students whom Tommy kidnaps and tortures to learn Charlie's whereabouts. While Louiso's interaction with the heads is worth at least a chuckle, Spade is constantly more annoying than funny.
8 HEADS IN A DUFFEL BAG offers humor of the most irreverent, and sometimes downright disgusting, sort. As a result, it belongs in the same group as films like THE MONSTER and CEMETERY MAN, neither of which could be described as examples of sophisticated taste. And, while this particular entry is not really a "good" film in the traditional sense, it's hard to make it all the way through without laughing your head off at least once.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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