The Curse of Inferno

I found "The Curse of Inferno" to be one of Pauly Shore's best films. I like most of his previous films (I disliked "Jury Duty" and hated "Biodome"), and this one deserves special attention. Unlike the others, it isn't reaching in all directions for a big laugh every time you turn around.

Two small town guys who dream of being pilots in the Caribbean need $80,000 to open shop. They decide to rob a little bank. As they do, they find that the bank has a lot more money than it should (money is being laundered by rich businessman Ned Beatty and banker Stephen Tobolowsky). To make matters worse, two more robbers show up, causing the original two to botch the job by hiding the loot in the bank itself in order to escape. While plotting on how to retrieve the money, one of the robbers (Shore) meets and falls in love with a new police deputy (Janine Turner). That's when the businessman finds out Shore was involved with the robbery, and puts the pressure on him.

As I said, "The Curse of Inferno" doesn't try to be funny all the time. When it does try, it succeeds. I left it feeling pretty good, and that is a rarity. Zanatos' score: 8 out of 10. Check it out.

Chuck and Harold are not too bright, but they are about to rob the bank in the small town of Inferno, Texas. Chuck does not believe it is safe for Harold to have a loaded gun. And the two have cue cards to make sure they know what to say to the teller.

Our heroes put on their masks and enter the bank, and to say things didn't go well is an understatement. Something very unusual happens that I won't reveal because it's better if you don't see it coming. Anyway, Chuck finds a great hiding place for the money, and all the guys have to do is find it again. Easier said than done. An additional complication: How can a bank in a town this size have so much money? Something fishy is going on. And then there is Layla, a bubbleheaded cop who helps Chuck when he gets hurt--and seems to like him.

We find out later that Chuck was fired by Moles Huddenel, who owns everything in town and sees to it that no one else can get ahead. 'The curse of Inferno' is that no one can ever leave because no one ever has the money to do so. Chuck was going to buy a plane and start an aviation service in the Caribbean. Moles found out Chuck bought his old broken-down plane, and that's when Chuck got fired. The purpose of the bank robbery was to have enough money to fix up the plane and leave.

Chuck was a different character from others Pauly Shore has played. I would almost say that he showed he could do a dramatic role, except this was a comedy. But that's the way Shore came across. I won't call it good acting, but if you like Shore and loser characters such as his, he was entertaining. Max Perlich did a good job as the nervous and inept Harold. Janine Turner was good as the clueless Layla, who was too beautiful to be a cop. Or maybe she wasn't so clueless.

Ned Beatty was so evil I couldn't stand him. I don't mean I loved to hate the character of Moles. I mean I despised him, period. Probably a good performance.

And Clifford and Vince deserve mention. J. Edgar Hoover would never have put up with these morons in his FBI. Nevertheless, the FBI was involved with investigating the robbery.

There were a lot of laughs here, and plenty of excitement for the type of person who enjoys 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and 'Dumb and Dumber'. It's not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

Bumbling partners Chuck Betts (Pauly Shore) and Harold Cantrell (Max Perlich) try to rob the First Inferno National Bank to fix up their plane. They are interrupted by two other robbers. Chuck gets stuck in the bathroom and passes himself off as one of the victims. He falls for gorgeous deputy Layla Moanes (Janine Turner). There is a surprising amount in the small bank and Chuck suspects dirty money. Moles Huddenel (Ned Beatty) and bank manager Lonnie Martin (Stephen Tobolowsky) have been laundering $3 million.

It's a good thing that Pauly Shore isn't playing the wacky idiot. It would be even better for him to play a smarter character. There are a few more stupidity from the other characters. This needs to be a tight dark crime drama. It's nowhere near that level but it could have tried. This is caught in the middle. It's not the usual Pauly Shore silliness but it can't be taken seriously either.

This crime comedy establishes itself as such with two amateur bank robbers using flashcards to remind themselves what to say when they hold up a bank. Then, in one of the most ironic turns of events I've ever seen in my entire life, a more organized duo of robbers make their move after the amateur robbers have gotten more money than expected.

One of the punks, Chuck, is surprisingly successful at hiding the loot in the bank restroom before using a gunshot injury to look innocent.

This fails to impress me due to the questions real life cops are likely to maintain. Although this is set in a small town that might not have heard of stories where criminals injure themselves to look innocent, I for one have heard such stories, at least one of which occurred in March of 1996, by which time Pauly Shore's charisma had become a thing of the past, thanks to Bio-Dome.

Despite proving more watchable at the very least, this movie does nothing to salvage that charisma.

Finally saw this film semi-complete on a local TV station. This may be Pauly Shore's best film due to the script and the supporting cast. The sidekick Harold is one of the best "dumb guy" characters I've seen. Janine Turner as the beautiful local deputy and Ned Beatty in his standard "southern bad guy" role really round out the acting ensemble. The script is just funny enough with enough plot twists to keep it interesting. But mostly what makes this film work is Pauly in a semi-serious role with a Texas accent and a chance to show us that he really can act.