Monday, December 17, 2007

that's one hour i'm never getting back

Over the years, I'd heard people reference that film Mannequin; the one where Andrew McCarthy makes a department-store clotheshorse who comes to life as pre-Sex in the City Kim Cattrall. Sure, it's a stretch of a premise, but I suspended my belief and got it off my Netflix queue, because I'd heard it referred to as a "classic."

The movie was ridiculous, people. Kim Cattrall was supposed to be an ancient Egyptian trying to get out of an arranged marriage to a camel-dung dealer, but "The Gods" sent her all over the world for millennia, only to end up a mannequin who can only be seen by this one random guy. I pretty much watched the entire film on 1X fast forward with the subtitles on, and I'll admit to skipping a few chapters. I just wanted to see how it ended. And I've gotta say, I was pretty disappointed. My mom even got up and walked out of the room about 1/4-way through.

I'm not sure if everyone my age loved that movie back in the day because we were 11 or because people in the '80s were way more forgiving than I am today. It probably didn't help that the movie I saw right before it was Kate & Leopold, which had just as ridiculous a premise, but executed it slightly better.

But at least I can cross this off the list. What's funny is that I had much lower expectations of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, but that one blows Mannequin out of the water.

13 comments:

Bri said...

Ack! Who told you that was a classic?! I will admit to seeing it, but on USA late at night when I couldn't sleep. 80's classics would be The Goonies or Sixteen Candles or The Breakfast Club... all three are ridiculous but fun.

WORDofRYE said...

I agree with the classics bri listed. Whoever told you THIS movie was a classic must have been playing a cruel joke on you - that's the only explanation!

Jon said...

Everyone knows that Andrew McCarthy is just a wannabe member of the brat pack anyways.

But the fact that Remo Williams trumps them all does not surprise me in the least. It might be one of the finest films of all time. I'm sure in a few decades, there will be entire courses dedicated to the many layers of Remo at all accredited film schools.

SupaCoo said...

I missed a lot of "must see" movies in my childhood that have made my adult friends horrified ("What do you mean, you've never seen Ghostbusters?"). I had a month or so where I went crazy on the Netflix and got all of the "classics." After struggling through Ferris Bueller and Silence of the Lambs, I gave up. Watching those grainy, poorly edited movies is just not for me, no matter how much it chagrins people to learn I haven't seen certain flicks.

naechstehaltestelle said...

I loved that movie. Especially the song at the end

Looking in your eyes I see a paradise
This world that Ive found
Is too good to be true
Standing here beside you
Want so much to give you
This love in my heart that Im feeling for you

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Speaking of movies...I saw the fuuniest movie on tv recently...I missed the name...about a little boy who fantasizes about getting a b.b. gun for Christmas...so many slices of life in it are hilarious. I have to watch it again if only I can get the name.

omar said...

GG: A Christmas Story?

I saw Mannequin, but I don't really remember it. All I remember is "Hollywood" and his sunglasses. And hair.

cadiz12 said...

yes, A Christmas Story is a true American Classic.

And Mesach Taylor was so much more fabulous in Mannequin than he was on "Designing Women."

Supacoo, i happened to see Ferris Bueller pretty soon after it came out--i think the abundant appeal is because ferris was doing all this cool stuff that no one could imagine a highschooler capable of: like Call Waiting! now, it's like yeah, big deal. but back then i remember being like Whoa, Ferris is a genius! I can't speak for Ghostbusters because i havent' seen that one either.

jiji said...

hmm im guessing that any movie starring kim catrall or meg ryan is not going to be very good. except for harry met sally! that's a classic.

Anonymous said...

all late on commenting. Mannequin is not a classic...but Andrew is a cutie!! And what about Estelle Getty as the dept store manager lady?! And that song! "nothing's going to stop us now!!!!!" I can't help but smile when it's on!

Jon said...

This might be a little nit picky, but you say that you watched the movie at 1x speed? I'm having a hard time seeing this as anything other than normal speed. 1 times x is still just x... Maybe I'm bringing too much algebra into this though... wouldn't be the first time.

cadiz12 said...

what you're saying makes perfect sense, jon. but the dvd people are the ones who named the speeds. perhaps it's actually 2x and i'm mistaken. either way, it's perfect for slow movies b/c at that speed the subtitles are still readable.

Librarian Girl said...

Mannequin is one of those movies that you love BECAUSE it is so bad.

Anyone who would try to defend that movie as anything other than that is LYING.