Daily Archives: March 27, 2020

Divine Madness
Directed by Michael Ritchie
Written by Jerry Blatt, Bette Midler, and Bruce Vilanch
1980/USA
IMDb link
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] I wouldn’t say I invented tack, but I definitely brought it to its present high popularity. — Bette Midler[/box]

Nothing like a Bette Midler concert to get the old blood circulating in the midst of Lockdown.

This is classic Midler from the period not so far away from the days she drew crowds at New York’s gay bathhouses.  She takes raunch and camp to extreme levels, then follows these funny bits with some awesome powerhouse singing.

I enjoyed this so much.  Recommended to fans.

Ruthless People
Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker
Written by Dale Launer, based loosely on a story by O. Henry
1986/US
IMDb link
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant

 

[box] Barbara: [seeing the Donald and Daisy Duck masks Ken and Sandy are wearing] Oh my God! I’ve been kidnapped by Huey and Dewey![/box]

I have seen this hilarious comedy several times over the years so I knew it was a perfect candidate for the Lockdown.

Sam Stone (Danny Devito) is a philandering, ruthless, vile fashion tycoon.  He hates his loud, obnoxious wife Barbara (Bette Midler).  He is planning her murder with great relish, revealing all the gruesome details to mistress Carol.  She in turn confides in her moronic lover Earl and they plan to blackmail Sam.  But before Sam can take action, Ken (Judge Reinhold) and Sandy Kessler (Helen Slater), perhaps the nicest and most wholesome couple in America, kidnap Barbara.  Sam had defrauded Sandy of the money she should have made from designing the spandex mini-skirt.

Ken calls Sam and demands $500,000 ransom, threatening to kill Barbara if his instructions are not followed to the letter.  Sam refuses to pay and orchestrates a huge media circus.  He is overcome with glee at this turn of events.  But Barbara is more than a match for Ken and Sandy and they continue to reduce the price.  Then the tables turn in a couple of very interesting and outrageously funny ways.

I love this movie so much.  It’s mean, it’s raunchy, it’s outrageous and it has one hell of a satisfying ending.  Danny De Vito and Bette Midler are just splendid.  If you are looking for a good belly laugh or five, check this one out.