Die Couch

Don't be fooled by the title of this film.

"Glitch!" is such a bizarre, yet wonderful piece of cinema. For instance, look at a poster or a video cover of this film. It'll freak you out!!!!! You'll think it's like a totally 80s type of music video compilations or something. Nope, it's really nothing more than a couple of wackos that try to rob a house! It's stuff that makes me laugh until I die; it's that ridiculous! (and good)

Also, you got to feel sorry for that bad guy; remember those "Love Boat" opening credits where the bartender was acting cool at the camera? Sadly, that was him! I feel sorry for you, sir!!!!!

But still, get this movie if you are frowning and need a wonderful smile on your face!

My review was written in December 1988 after watching the film on Academy video cassette.

Action filmmaker Nico Mastorakis switches to comedy with okay results in "Glitch", an insider look at casting a Hollywood movie, that's being released direct-to-video.

After a very slow two-reel opening to laboriously set up the situation of two young goofballs (Will Egan and Steve Donmyer) breaking into Dick Gautier's mansion, pic warms up with the appearance of 100 beauties in bathing suits to audition for Gautier's new film "Sex & Violence".

Egan and Donmyer pose as producer and director of the epic and have fun testing the babes, except for uppity Jula Nickson, who stands up against their sexist behavior. Comedy complications ensue, including a visit from mafia enforcer Ted Lange.

Pic is fun until a name dropping finale in which Mastorakis turns rather preachy, defending the world of low-budget filmmaking (like his "Glitch") against Hollywood's penchant for overly costly blockbusters.

Gimmick of "all those girls" in the cast is pretty much a waste, while leads Nickson and Playboy mag model Teri Weigel are quite appealing on their own. Donmyer's routine of shifting from dullard to smart guy every time a sound occurs (after being hypnotized) is well done as are physical comedy shtick. Comical end credits are funny, including mention of a "bra wrangler" among crew members.

I watched it from the beginning to the end. It had a nice house for a set. The lead actor was cute enough to be a star but he did not have much of an opportunity to do anything with the poor script. The idea is great. A couple of guys want to rob a luxury mansion while the owner is away. Another burglar gets in the way and things quickly go from worse to worser and rock bottom. Burglary can be funny but this is not up to the standards of a great comic like Moe Howard or Chevy Chase or Phyllis Diller. This could have been well done with Bill Murray and Matthew Broderick if Harold Ramis had written it and taken out the breast buffet. A few scenes work well and some of the actors had their moments, including the bodyguard with his sword fight and karate kicks.

At the end of the movie, a conversation about how to be successful in Hollywood is quite well done.

The worst scene might be the pink toy helicopter and Ted Lange having a battle. A couple of poor stunt falls down flights of stairs shouts out "amateur." Photography is fine. Poor Dick Gautier. He must have owed somebody something or he would have run from this in the beginning. It is so far beneath his sterling comedy characterizations in Get Smart. Ted Lange was trying hard here but his role was very lame. Dick and Ted could have done much better with almost anything.

If you make it through the soup and salad and main course of this film, the dessert isn't bad. After that comes the nuts. I hope someone redoes this plot someday with a subtle approach and some great actors. The lead guy could have been OK if he had worked in something like Gotcha, but this wasn't that.

A dopey and oddball mistaken identity comedy from Nico Mastorakis that in the end doesn't get up to hell of a lot. Although Dan Speaker as Brucie the casting shoot's gay bodyguard did make the most of his scenes with the odd comical line of dialogue.

So the gist; Two burglars break into a skeezy movie producer's mansion, whose just left for a holiday trip. While in the process of stealing they're mistaken for the owners when a casting party (for a sleazy b-action pic) is accidentally scheduled for that day. Involving a-lot of bikini clad women. So begins the glitch (and the script's running gag) in the duo's plan. Thinking on the fly, lands them in even more trouble. Very unexpected trouble. Life-threatening trouble.

Also stick around to the very end of the closing credits for the thank you messages. Probably more amusing then the film itself. Even their own copyright warning message took me by surprise.

Two schmucks try to rob a rich guy's house. They get mistaken as the owners when beautiful women show up for a casting party.

I saw this on Comedy Central. What a s--- of a film.

The unedited version has nudity but who cares? Buy a copy of Playboy and feel sorry for Ted Lange (Issac the bartender from "The Love Boat") who plays the bad guy badly.