Doin' Time

"Doin' Time" was handled by the same production outfit that in the previous year gave us "Police Academy". Obviously, the idea was to spoof prison movies in the same way that "Police Academy" spoofed police movies. However, the movie in comparison makes the "Police Academy" sequels look like comedy classics. The movie is a real mess; there's barely any plot, and the shoddy editing shows no clear direction and gives the impression that the filmmakers were making things up as they went along. But the biggest problem is with the humor. The closest the movie gets to generating a laugh is with the Elvis impersonator who sings in front of the prison's parole board, though in the end even that gag fails as much as the other attempts at humor. The other gags in the movie are even more lame as well as unimaginatively conceived and executed. To sum up, this movie is a really cheap and amateurish effort by all involved; even the close- captions for the movie are unprofessionally done! Only for those who want to see John Vernon do a near nude scene.

Typical picture from the mid-eighties after the successful Police Academy this comedy followed the same steps, door-to-door salesman Duke Jarrett (Jeff Altman) gets caught in an adulterous affair with a Governor's wife and is sentenced to death in a jail managed by a muddled Warden and replaced by the hard-line Mongo Mitchell (Richard Mulligan) at the behest of fooled Governor to punish Duke and nullify the leader of Jail Big Mac (John Vernon) who used to command the whole system at own way.

Initially Mongo demands a ward working in a new road nearby that ends up a total failure at the unveiling carried out by Big Mac and the inmates that made a proper entrapment at Governor's car, later Mongo enchants for his gorgeous secretary Nancy Catlett (Colleen Camp) harassing her steadily, thus to avoid Duke be sent to electric chair and they get rid of the vicious Mongo, Big Mac and Duke settle a plan to ridicule him on open TV, they broadcasting it cross-country his sexy night with Nancy where Mongo exposes his weird sexual behavior for everyone tuned on TV.

A kind of sexploitation storyline, inflicting many laughter from the audience, in several funny sequences, a slight tawdry for some, overall a funny entertainment for those less demanding viewers, silly sex-related jokes on countless unsuitable scenes, therefore a little bit controversial offering, nonetheless far away to be bad.

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First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: Youtube / Rating: 5.5.

In 1985, I had the good fortune to be cast in this movie below as inmate Angelo Crispini (link below) and Muhammad Ali, one of my heroes, graced this comedy film with a small cameo playing himself. I was lucky enough to meet and perform an original poem for him that I used to do him in my Stand-up act, about his loss to Leon Spinks and his Championship Title. (I would bring up a guy from the audience to play him and I would stand behind him and recite the poem. It would always get big laughs.)

He complimented me for my impression of him with just one word, but that one "word" has remained with me all these years later and there is no better word he could have used to communicate my mediocre impression of him, "IDENTICAL!" He said with eyes wide open and and that trademark smile. When he spoke to you, he made you feel so special, so important, and that's an incredible quality to have. Ali was showing signs of Parkinson's back then; a little slower, a little more deliberate in his mannerisms and speech, BUT, he was still very coherent and he was ever so kind, gentle, and humble with me, and everyone else that clawed their way to get a second of his attention. He spent all of his time off camera doing magic card tricks for us which took forever because of his Parkinson's, but no one cared, it was Ali doing them.

I told him how I was in acting class, just a couple years earlier, with Veronica Porsche (his 3rd wife and mother to Laila) and even spent a night in his home (he was out of town) when Veronica decided to invite the entire acting class over for a slumber party, and the next morning she asked me to drive HIS convertible Rolls Royce to go get coffee and donuts. (Talk about being scared stiff!) And to be in his room with all his Championship Belts, Medals, (except for his Olympic Medal which he threw in the Mississippi river) Awards; well, it was simply surreal and overwhelming, especially for me a big sports fan which I have always been. (I wish I had had an iPhone then) He asked me, "Did you take anything?" Then he smiled and said that he was glad I had a good time.

When I asked to take a picture with him, he grabbed my hand and whispered to me to make a fist. Then he took my fist and put it to his chin and made a face, you know the face; it was fantastic! (I am so, so, heartbroken that I cannot locate that pic anywhere.)

And even though we were not related, weren't best friends, nor do I think he would even remember me, (Porsche would however) I feel as if I knew him and I find myself very, very, sad this evening, as if I lost another friend ... again! Funny how a person you don't even know can do that to you.

Goodbye Champ ... you are and forever will be, "The GREATEST!"

In 85, we had Night Patrol, Moving Violations, and this. All I can say is thank god we have Jeff Altman, the film's only saving grace. Altman is a door to door salesman, caught in the wrong house in the wrong bed with the wrong woman who screams rape. This hot middle aged philly at first lures Altman to the bedroom, so you can probably imagine, just how angry he feels when he ends up in the clink, amongst some well known faces, like John Vernon and JJ from good times, amidst other comedy stars of this 8O's type. The philly gets her just desserts later in a funny scene. You'll get the pun when you see it. In this insane prison, run by an evil warden, Mulligan, it actually turns out to be a real fun environment, where eggs are cooked on electric chairs, rock bands perform and the prisoners have their own t.v. station. Jeff Altman adds his own funny parts too, his full body inspection farting scene is good. But Doin' Time is a pretty weak comedy, and runs third place to the other comedies. A lot of intentional funny moments fall flat on their face. I like the prison band, the lead singer singing I'm all f..ked up instead of shook up, raised a few laughs, where there's a far and a few between. Also Judy Landers flashing her two prized assets in front of Mulligan, in his office, getting him so hot, he has to make a few runs to the bathroom is another funny scene. But this film is just a weak effort. I watched this film a few times, in most cases, never really getting to the end of it, which I found a hard process. Take my advice. See the other two films mentioned above, before seeing this one. You may have a difference of opinion, but I would be talking about a very small majority here. May'be we should have the film's director do some time, in a non fun environment.

This film was extremely underrated when it was first released back in the 1980's. This movie used to play on HBO many times. I can't believe no one reviewed this film on IMDb previously. Pat McCormick is hysterical as the warden of the jail, who is then replaced by Richard Mulligan. Richard Mulligan is hilarious as Mongo the warden. Jimmy Walker is also funny. The scene on the rock pile where Mike Mazurski tells John Vernon how much he likes him is a gem. The humor is silly low brow stuff, but in any case this film deserves a DVD release. I have it on VHS in an oversize Warner Bros clamshell box still. *** Worth a look.