Fuzz

Burt Reynolds is so laid-back in this picture I thought he might fall over. He, Jack Weston and Tom Skerritt are cops at the Boston Precinct trying to stop a serial killer from blowing up more politicians, Yul Brynner is the bad guy who knows just what clueless cops these guys are, and Raquel Welch is the new badge in the building (the guys humiliate her for awhile, but she's tough and proves her merit). This is a routine cop comedy with dramatic and sometimes violent overtones, not unlike "MASH" (which it attempts to emulate in its cynicism). It was moderately popular in theaters in 1972 mainly because Burt Reynolds had just posed for Cosmo magazine and the ads and the movie one-sheet played that up. I liked Welch's scenes defending herself in the office (where she's been unceremoniously dumped at a desk) and the climactic moments are well done. The end vocal by Dinah Shore is a wonderful bit (Burt was dating her at the time). But that very last shot is perplexing: there's no explanation for it, and I'm sure it left audiences baffled. It's an artistic shot, done with humor, but considering what happens before it, it makes no logical sense. **1/2 from ****

This is billed as a Burt Reynold's vehicle but he is actually part of a great cast in this Ed McBain 87th Precinct comedy-thriller. The police in Boston are searching for an extortionist dubbed "The Deaf Man" who is demanding cash or he kills a high ranking city official. Reynolds along with Tom Skeritt and Jack Weston are the cops on the case. The film really has a great ensemble feel and, I hope, accurately predicts the goings on inside a police station. Raquel Welch co-stars as a female detective out to snag a rapist. Yul Brynner, who must have been having lots of fun at this point in his career, is "The Deaf Man." His screen time is minimal but he does a good job. Familiar faces pop up in nearly every other scene with guys like Charles Tyner, Albert Popwell, Tamara Dobson and a very young Charles Martin Smith in small roles. The film's only major problem is that it neatly wraps up everything in the end. Seriously, every crime the cops are investigating is solved in one scene that relies heavily on convenience.

Bryner (whose fun) plays a assassin who threatens to kill all the city leaders one by one. It's up to some 'zany' characters at a crazy police station to stop him.

Attempt at bringing the irreverent, anti-establishment, comedy-drama of M*A*S*H to the police squad, is a complete disaster. The 'wacky' humor is both empty and annoying. Throwing in some strained sentiment and jarring action makes it even more baseless.

The actors seem to be just walking through their roles and the direction has no energy or vision. The pacing is disjointed without any rhythm or logic. Just about every shot is dark and shadowy. Like it was filmed on a camera with a very bad exposure.

The police station just never seems real. The precinct on BARNEY MILLER is more believable. Also having Reynolds and Weston dress as nuns just to catch the bad guy is a perfect example of forced humor.

The lowest point involves a unnecessary story thread where Welch goes after a prostitute killer. The final confrontation scene between her and the killer is a complete and pathetic rip off of the similar scene in KLUTE (complete with those chiming piano chords). This alone solidifies it as one of the biggest bombs of all time. If that's not enough you also have Dinah Shore singing "I'll be Seeing You" over the closing credits.

The whole thing is just excruciating. Does feature a young up and coming Tom Skerrit. Also has Charles Martin Smith as a punk who sets street bums on fire.

If one goes to the movies a lot, it is often a bit more interesting when one has read the original work first. Ed McBain was also known as mystery writer Evan Hunter when he wrote the first of many stories surrounding his famous 87th Precinct. The series centered mostly around the reoccurring characters in his Police Station. This compilation series became the basis for the Hollywood movie called " Fuzz. " In the film, Burt Reynolds plays Det. Steve Carella, Jack Weston is Det. Meyer Meyer while Tom Skerritt plays Det. Bert Kling. With the arrival of newcomer Det. Eileen McHenry (Raquel Welch) the precinct sets out to solve a trio of baffling crimes. Formost in their sights is the mad bomber (Yul Brynner) out to extort millions from high city officials by threatening to kill them if they don't pay up. Although there is a serious attempt to convey real police drama concerning juvenile assaults, multiple arson and serial rape, the comic atmosphere and jovial levity, renders all efforts moot. Interestingly, the drama was attempted, but the end result proved more humorous than serious, rendering the movie a silly exercise with no solid resolutions. The surprising appearances of Albert Popwell as Lewis and Yul Brenner as a heavy, meant it was not a total loss. ***

The film's poster indicates that Fuzz is a raucous Burt Reynolds vehicle. When it is a gritty ensemble piece that mixes slapstick, comedy and crime drama.

Based on Ed McBain's 87th Precinct. The screenplay is written by McBain using his real name and it has criss crossing storylines featuring the cops from 87th Precinct relocated to Boston.

Detective Steve Carella (Reynolds) is posing as an homeless man as someone is setting the local bums on fire. Detective Eileen McHenry (Raquel Welch) is a specialist transferred to the precinct to deal with rape crimes.

There is an extortionists known as the Deaf Man (Yul Brynner) who calls the police station making demands for money. If his demands are not met, he will kill a city official.

The Deaf Man has targeted the station because the cops are inept. Some of them cops are irritated by the wisecracking decorators sent by the city's maintenance department.

I expected Fuzz to be more like the French Connection with Reynolds as the main lead. It ends up more like MASH. An uneven hybrid of genres. It is a good but patchy film.

The film's conclusion is a messy series of coincidences.

Somehow it is also ahead of its time anticipating television dramas like Hill Street Blues that would arrive by the early 1980s.