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Undescribable Perfection

the audience applauded

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This is a character driven comedy, drama, crime, mystery that defies definition. Back in the 70's some really fine films were made, and there were some really terrible ones too. But the movie studios were in the mood to make so many films that in the process some totally unique ones that just happened to be good were made. I don't know why this film never got the attention it deserved. When I first saw it in 1973 I have to admit I was under the influence of herbal substances. It was a favorite pastime back then to get a buzz on and see a movie. I thought it was very funny at the time. Seeing it for the second time last night I was delighted to find out that even without mood altering contraband it was every bit as funny as the first time. Now that's saying something.If you love really great character performances this one is full of em. Sally Kellerman appeared to be having the time of her life. It must have been a character actor's wet dream. It does not hurt to have a great script either. Slither had it in spades.This films will keep you guessing the entire time. I don't care how many films you have seen, you will not be able to predict the outcome of this one. But along the way be prepared for some incredibly dark humor that carries you along till the very end.I will make you a bet. There is a bit of an introductory plot outline that shows up before the opening credits. If you can stay with it till then, you will not be able to turn it off. I bet you a big black van that you will finish it."who are those guys anyway?" The fun of finding out is a real pleasure trip.

I just watched this again for the first time in many years. I had recalled what a twisted dark comedy this was, but I did not remember it in sufficient detail how it came to be that way.It has a wonderful, almost prototypical, '70s comedy cast but I don't think that the secret lies there. I really think that it comes from the writing and direction. There is an ambiguity and ellipticality to just about every sequence. As a viewer you are never sure quite what anything means and quite what was important in what you have just seen. But later, if you have been observant, little things start to come together in disturbing patterns.An example without getting spoilerish -- early on James Caan is thrown out of a ride that he has hitched because the driver has decided that he is a useless slacker (in reality the character hasn't had a chance to do anything useful as he's just been released from prison). The landscape is reminiscent of the stubble field of the airplane chase in 'North by Northwest'. However, there is an emergency phone with an attractive young woman (Sally Kellerman) in a stalled station wagon right there. She is on the phone asking for help, and seeing Caan asks him to help, which he does. Just then a cop pulls up (directed by the call?) asks if she needs assistance. She answers no. The cop tries to ascertain who owns and is driving the car. Upon finding out that it is her, and noting her increasingly erratic behavior, he tells her that Caan has to drive, as she's barefoot. Is the cop trying to hassle them, or is just trying to get them safely on their way and away from him when she is clearly not fully there? Shortly thereafter Caan asks her what she is up on, she answers that she had a glass of wine with a salami sandwich. It's pretty clear that alcohol is _not_ her intoxicant of choice. Later we see her popping unidentified pills several times.Watch for patterns and reappearances, some of them are quite subtle.I've got to give a shout out to my local video store which had a VHS copy (1990) on the shelf. This isn't available on DVD.

One could find fault with elements of this movie, particularly pacing and continuity; but the laughs and the ambiguous, fascinating characters make it great fun.Until the very end, we're never sure if anybody is who they seem to be. The quest for loot is fascinating, because it's not for a fortune, just a nice chunk of change that when split probably wouldn't amount to a year's wages at an average job. So the interest focuses on the people, their semi-silly adventure, and their uncertain relationships.One reviewer didn't like it because it wasn't tightly plotted, and he's right-- it's more realistic/absurd than that. Same reviewer also didn't find it funny, which is dead wrong. Some of the comic bits are a little shaggy dog, or sometimes crude, but most people should get a lot of laughs from it.Great cast, great acting, good enough dialog and "plot" add up to an under-appreciated (and, I suppose,under-seen) little gem.

I enjoy quirky movies, but more importantly, I enjoy movies that have a well-developed plot line. This movie is the former but not the latter. I'm not going to get into the details of the plot line because, though complex, it ends up being basically pointless. This is a movie that epitomizes the expression: "It's not the destination, but the journey, that counts." Sorry, but I only spend my hard-earned money and time on films that have a destination, that have some reason for existing. This one doesn't seem to. What is the appeal that this obscure movie holds for so many people? If a bordeline-slapstick storyline with strange but uninteresting characters is what counts for originality in film, then that must be why almost every review of this I have read says it's terrific. Evidently, it is a comedy, but I did not laugh once. Obviously, I must be missing the part of the brain that all these other reviewers have that makes them find this downright hilarious. There are some terrific actors here: James Caan, Peter Boyle, Sally Kellerman, and they can turn in good performances blindfolded, so their work here is what keeps this from being a totally bad film. Only Allen Garfield's scuzzy character showing up late in the film kept me interested. They should have just made a movie about him, instead. This movie is not a sleeper, it is a movie that's just asleep.