Pauly Shore's films typically failed to perform well in the box office, which is not a reliable judge of quality, as his prior films Encino Man, In The Army Now, Jury Duty, Biodome, and Son in Law were iconic 90's movies that are cherished, enjoyed and revered for their nostalgic value and silly comedic elements. However, the fact that "The Curse of Inferno" came out so soon after them is tragic.
After seeing a recent stand up performance, we felt inclined to watch this film, as we had never seen it before, but sadly we felt worse for doing so. It is the sort of movie that you could imagine an actor would make before he ever had any major films under his belt, written by college students with no idea of how to make a successful film. It fails as a comedy as there are only maybe three laughs in the whole movie, his attempt to portray a Texan is sad, and his character is almost totally unbearable. His sidekick character, played by Max Perlich, is completely unbearable.
The acting of Janine Turner is much more convincing, not surprising due to the fact that her parents were native Texans, and she grew up in Euless and Fort Worth. Her rapid fire line delivery in a native Texan dialect adds a much needed injection of authenticity.
The highlight of the film is the acting of Ned Beatty, whose character is intense and believable. Due to his resume, I feel he deserved a better film than what the writers and the people he supported were able to provide.
I actually felt depressed after watching this film. It was that bad. This is one of the most disappointing attempts of a comedy actor to try to portray a somewhat more serious role that I've ever seen.
