There is a reason why even this movie is forgotten within Brian DePalma's filmography. While evidence of his style exists, including some of his usual brilliance to it, the problem with this comedy is that it isn't funny. While that is a subjective answer, other problems include the fact that DeVito and Piscopo(ya, I forgot about him too) simply don't have the chemistry.
Then again, from the get go, how can we take seriously a premise where two loser crewmen for the Mafia lose $250,000 smackers for their boss, to which then they each are put on a special assignment that will clear their debts. The assignment for each guy? Kill the other!
I mean, DePalma I persume tries to make for some funny bits, like DeVito having to start a car, while his crew captains are betting on whatever he gets blown to bits or not, but again, WISE GUYS is a comedy that tries to be humorous, but its as flat as the floor of a very nice trunk.
Anyone ever notice how mob comedies in general are lame?
TIME AFTER TIME (1979) - ***
Before he arguably took the STAR TREK franchise to the height of its entertainment with WRATH OF KAHN, Nicholas Meyer made his directorial debut with this pleasing and actually refreshing time travel picture with a nice premise. What if the legendary sci-fi author H.G. Wells, besides writing his novel THE TIME MACHINE, had actually built one for himself in London's 1893? What if one of his friends happens to moonlight as the infamous Jack the Ripper? What if "Jack" used the machine to escape through time, and Mr. Wells(Malcolm McDowall) has to go back through time to catch him, in 1979 San Francisco.
A few things that still bug me about this movie, like the convient copout with the assumed fate of one character, but beyond that, TIME AFTER TIME is an nice movie to get one's head clean and try to express itself creatively.
THE STUNT MAN (1980) - ****
Richard Rush's career gem, this underrated picture that examines about reality and the art of making illusions, with both intercutting to the point that we have no clue which is which. An escaped conman(Railsback) flees comes to the company of an insane director (Peter O'Toole), who agrees to hide the conman in exchange for working as a stunt man on the production. Soon enough though, its quite apparent that perhaps the director wants this fugitive to do the biggest stunt of all caught on camera: His death.
Worthy picture I heavily recommend to my fellow critics like Hagen, DV, Omar, Sully, Capo, etc.
