Bad Medicine

Some reviewers panned this movie rather severely, but my wife and I thought it was hilarious. Arkin is great, no matter what accent he is using. I especially like Lalo Schifrin's wonderful score. We still occasionally roll the tape and enjoy it again. From some of the comments I have read, I can only gather that the writers confused this picture with the much less entertaining "Stitches", released the same year.

This movie is hilarious to those of us, over 10,000 people in the US, who attended the school that this movie is based on. Yes, there really is a school like this. The guy doesn't get a test grade because he was in the wrong seat - yep, they really do that. You know how the people in red jackets come to take attendance? Everyone runs to their seats as soon as they see them coming. There are armed guards in the streets, guards on the road to search your car or bus. It was quite an experience and adventure being there. The movie is a fun remembrance of life in Mexico,....eh um Guatamala I mean....I loved it! There is some macabre humor with the cadavers, but for most people in the medical field that's how the deal with working on them.

'Bad Medicine' is not one of the best med-students comedy that I have seen. It's method of comedy and hilarity wavers frequently, perhaps some of the jokes are just too subtle or perhaps they are too dated and the finished product reminds me of Young Doctors in Love, a movie full of stupid comedy that should be funnier but for some reason, just isn't.

Steve Guttenberg plays Jeff Marx, a struggling first-year med student at a fourth-rate, sketchy medical school in Mexico. Classes are taught in Spanish, they all share one cadaver, and their praticioner field trips are little more than public relations opportunities. Despite the family trend of medical professionals, he is certain that he doesn't want to be a doctor, but the outrageous situations that ensue are about to make him reconsider. The ambitious students, which includes Curtis Armstrong as pharmacology expert, Dennis Gladstone, Julie Hagerty as the soft-spoken Liz Parker, Julie Kavner as the witty Cookie Katz, and Robert Ramanus as Carlos. Working cleverly under the nose of the self-involved school director, Dr. Ramón Madera (Alan Arkin), they seek to secretly help the town peasants with their medical ailments.

The movie tends to drag on at points, but this particular comedy might be one of those 80s comedies best suited for lazy weekend 'noon viewings. If nothing else, viewers might be attracted to its fairly familiar cast, which also includes Gilbert Godfried (not doing his shtick) and my personal favorite, Taylor Negron as Pepe the Cab Driver (who ironically, also appeared in Young Doctors in Love).

I first saw this movie when I 10 years old. I came across it again last year, after finishing my second year of medical school. Its quite hard to find, and I hope they release it in DVD(which I doubt cause they never even released it in LD). My country was even mentioned in the film. They said that there's a med school in the Philippines that's accepts any one who applies. I've seen Gross Anatomy, Vital Signs, PAtch Adams, and the Interns. But this one is my favorite. This is Steve Guttenberg best movie but it is Curtis Amstrong (From Revenge of the Nerds) who steals the show. This is a must-see for medical students.

This typical 80's comedy "Bad Medicine"stars Steve Guttenberg as Jeff Marx,a young guy who does'nt want to follow his family tradition,but when cold-hearted cynic Dr.Madera(played brilliantly by Alan Arkin)uses a"saving the peasants"field trip as a publicity stunt,he soon changes his mind.Set in a spanish medical school,he meets new friend such as Jeff Gladstone(played by Curtis Armstrong,infamous as"Booger"in"Revenge Of The Nerds"),a hickish drug addict,Carlos(played by Robert Romanus,whose decent,but was better in"Fast Times At Ridgemont High"),Cookie(played by Julie Kavner,before her Marge Simpson voice fame),and Liz(played by Julie Hagerty,whose cute as a button as the dead-pan love interest of Guttenberg's).The movie is full of incoherent humor with mexican stereotypes and medical stuff.It does get gross after a while(notably,Guttenberg's flesh wound from being shot by an unsatisfied patient),but this comedy is very good.Guttenberg delivers the same lines and witt he's done in other films like the"Police Academy"series,"Short Circuit","Three Men And A Baby"and"Cocoon".Alan Arkin's performance is also great,this film should of been a major box-office hit.I give Bad Medicine a 8 of 10.