Funny on the page, but on the screen, ouch.
John Cobb | Austin, TX | 02/05/2000
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Got a chance to read a script of "An Alan Smithee Film" a couple of years back. Funny, funnier, funniest. Not much plot, but funny, believable, outlandish circumstances. Joe Eszterhas lays some Hollywood realism on the line for us all to enjoy.Too bad funny on the page doesn't necessarily transfer to funny on the screen. Eric Idle: not funny, Richard Jeni: less than not funny, and Ryan O'Neal: torturously cruel and inhuman.Sandra Bernhard as someone's wife? Always funny.The little cameos aren't even cute, although you gotta appreciate the irony of Gavin Polone's appearance. Too bad Michael DeLuca wasn't available.Coulda, woulda, shoulda...translates to better ways to spend your time."
Embarrassing Beyond Belief!
the-disco-kid | Bay City, Babylon 7 | 11/19/2001
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Badly written, badly cast, badly acted, badly directed - it's all here. And the embarrassing cameos don't help. At all. One would be hard pressed to pick out the worst of the bunch; Whoopi or Weinstein? Would've been way better if Billy Barty had Ryan O'Neal's role though.However, there's this 'inspirational' line in there somewhere: "If we believe in film - and we do - then don't we have the responsibility to protect the world from bad ones?" Indeed.Too bad the film makers didn't take it to heart."
Deeply Diabolical!
D. Colley | England | 01/13/2008
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Not much to say, considering that the majority of the reviews here have already warned people off this turkey.
The main culprit for the movies downfall is the terrible script, though the over the top performances from all really help sink it. You have to feel sorry for some of the stars who signed on, especially Whoopi Goldberg, who as an OSCAR winning actress, really deserves better. Eric Idle comes off unfunny, even irritating, which, as a Python star I'd never thought would be possible. Sly Stallone seems fed up, but maybe thankful for the work after his career was beginning to dry up (though his career seems to be revived at the moment).
It says a lot when the parody (this film) seems worse than the movie genre it is taking a shot at. Some movies are so bad that they have a 'secondary audience' who watch to laugh at it. This is just bad, and, very embarrassing. Avoid. Full stop."
Interesting but.....
snlkidsinhall | Topeka, Kansas United States | 06/10/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Funny at some parts, very witty too. Alan Smithee (Eric Idle) has just made the biggest Hollywood Picture ever starring Jackie Chan, Whoopi Goldberg, and Sylvester Stallone. But when Smithee kind of goes crazy the film doesn't come out and it makes a lot of people mad. This is the story of that. Has a lot of potential, this movie that is, but doesn't quit live up to it. Very funny in some parts, then it lags and get's annoying in others. If you liked "Waiting for Guffman" and could stand and liked Julia Sweeny's "God Said 'Ha'". Then this is your movie, otherwise, let it go by."