Search - Mad Dog Time (aka Trigger Happy) on DVD

A wonderful Gem

09/27/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes you think a given genre is washed out. You think maybe they can make the movie better but not different. Then a title like this comes along. Trigger Happy is a movie unto itself. It's a gangster movie that pushes the entire genre into the realm of myth, but with the tongue at least lightly placed in the cheak. Here, the players and situations are archetypal to the point of flirting with self parody. The story begins a short while before Vic, the owner of a swanky nightclub, is due to be let out of a mental institution. Those vying for power or a piece of his empire must now make their move. Among the players is Kyle McLachlan, who rests his hopes on a quick hired gun. There is also Burt Reynolds and his boys, Michael J. Pollard, who's been running the club in Vic's absense and Gabriel Byrne who is supposed to be one of Vic's right hand men. There's more, but why spoil it. Suffice it to say you have a great ensemble cast including Jeff Goldblum, Diane Lane, Ellen Barkin, Gregory Heinz, Richard Dreyfuss and a small handfull of cameos. It's a nifty story, with nifty tough-guy padder. Babes, guns, double crosses and all around wonderful performances. If this played the theatres, I don't remember it and it's a shame. It's so much better than most of the flicks out there, I makes you wonder why MGM didn't get behind it. It's certainly worth the price of rental, and some will want to own it when it hits a sell-thru price."

Gangsters make the world go Around.

Daniel B. Anderson | The Black Lodge, Ohio, United States | 03/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"MDT is a gem. Bizarre and very funny. If you like any of the actors in this film, and you have a taste for the bizarre and dark humor, chances are you'll find a lot to love here. Dreyfuss, Goldblum, MacLachlan, Reynolds, Silva, Byrne are all great. Be the first in your mob to discover this."

Completely Awful (Which Is Why You Should See It!)

Daniel B. Anderson | 09/01/2000

(1 out of 5 stars)

"One time a friend of mine asked me what kind of movie Ed Wood would have made if someone had given him a big budget and real movie stars to work with. (*Note: In case you just landed from Mars, Ed Wood was a B-movie filmmaker in the 1950s whose movies were completely and hilariously bad. "Plan Nine From Outer Space" was probably his most famous.) After seeing "Trigger Happy," I knew EXACTLY what kind of movie he would have made. Indeed I wonder if Larry Bishop (the writer and director of this opus) was posessed by Ed Wood's spirit at some time during the making of "Trigger Happy." I guess this was supposed to be some sort of satire on gangster films and "Rat Pack" machismo, but the premise is completely botched, the dialogue is mind-boggleingly awful, and all the famous actors (Richard Dreyfuss, Jeff Goldblum, Gregory Hines, and Burt Reynolds, just to name a few) look utterly lost. Thus, for those with a taste for high camp, I highly recommend this movie! In fact, this would make a great late-night companion piece to "Plan Nine From Outer Space." "Plan Nine" could be watched first for low-budget camp entertainment, and "Trigger Happy" could then be watched for high-budget camp entertainment."

Vic,Mick and Nick= a sick, slick flick!

Scatterflake | Bloomsburg PA | 06/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I accidently caught this on TV and couldn't beleive what I was seeing. All these A-list actors in one of the most bizzarro black comedies I've ever seen yet never heard of. I laughed, I cried...no, I didn't. But the wordplay, the silly references, the posh costumes, the retro B-movie feel of it all. I really enjoyed this film, bloodbaths and all. It was just enjoyable. Some rare movies make nary a ripple but you catch them once and then want to buy the video: Being There,Brazil,Buckaroo Bonzai,Army of Darkness,The Adventures of Baron Munchausen...Mad Dog Time fits the genre of odd movies you can't look away from. Try it."