Das Pechvogel-Quartett

Watched this recently for the first time in many years on Netflix, as I thought it might be the same movie I enjoyed when I was a kid, and it was! 'The Longshot' is a fun, breezy way to pass a rainy afternoon with a few chuckles, and I must say some good laughs.

The plot concerns four buddies who love betting horses at their local track. With not much else going on in their lives (They are presented as lovable losers), they fall into a scheme to bet a fixed horse race with money borrowed from the mob! Tim Conway (Who wrote the script) Harvey Korman, Jack Weston, and Ted Wass are the four buddies who take part in the action. We get a glimpse into each characters home life, where they are browbeaten husbands, content to play cards in Conway's garage, or, in a great scene, happy to grill steaks in the back of Ted Wass' possessed station wagon. It really is a funny movie with some good comic performances from all the actors. I won't give away the ending, but suffice to say it'll leave a smile on your face as the credits roll.

Two bonuses, Eddie Deezen (Of 'Grease' fame plays a funny bellhop in a cameo, and Jonathan Winters brings the laughs as an old tow truck driver. Give the 'Longshot' a chance, you'll be happy you did!

It appears that the major Hollywood studio that backed this so-called comedy didn't give it much of a promotional or distribution push. Watching the movie, it doesn't take long to figure out why the studio heads got nervous. "The Longshot" is an unbelievably lame comedy. Most of the fault has to go to Tim Conway, who wrote the not ready to be filmed screenplay. There is barely a story here, and the movie frequently comes to a complete stop for minutes on end to try and deliver humor. That wouldn't be bad if the humor was actually funny, but for the most part it isn't. In fact, I only laughed once, at a sight gag involving Tim Conway dressed only in his underclothes. Conway and the rest of the cast have shown talent elsewhere, but they simply can't do anything with this screenplay and the dull direction by Paul Bartel. However, if you've ever wanted to hear Tim Conway do an old school style rap number with Ice-T, this movie will give you your chance.

Prior reviews which stated the film as a series of skits strung together indicates a lack of appreciation for comedic films in the genre of farce. Without generating a spoiler, reference the film summary for the plot line. The cascade of thoughtful plots builds into the 'chase' by the mobsters who are owed. Genius.

Considering that this film did not follow the typical formula for the mid-1980's by casting the "brat packers" or saturating the musical score with music from the "chill generation," it has a stunning brilliance. It has enough toilet humor to fascinate the "American Pie"-crowd. And, the hapless characters are surely inspiration for such shows as 2.5 Men & Big Bang.

It's a classic comedy.

I've never been into horse races, so "The Longshot" shouldn't be the sort of movie that appeals to me. I took an interest because it's directed by Paul Bartel (of "Eating Raoul" fame) and because the cast includes Harvey Korman, Tim Conway and Stella Stevens.

It's a mixed bag. There are some slapstick scenes (namely the toilet) and some sexy ones (Stella Stevens was always a babe), but it's not exactly laugh-out-loud funny. Maybe it wasn't trying to be. Either way, this is one movie that won't appeal to everyone. Definitely more sedate than I prefer.

The rest of the cast includes Anne Meara, Edie McClurg, Eddie Deezen and Jonathan Winters.

Awesome comic cast is pretty much wasted in this only sometimes funny story of a bunch of losers trying to make it big on the horse racing circuit. Best is Jonathan Winters. If you're a fan of any of the cast members (Winters, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, etc.) you may like this, others beware!