MGM/UA
Home Video | Review by Dan Taylor
In this overblown, indulgent,
masturbatory vanity piece, star Craig Sheffer
reinvents himself as some sort of post-punk
Woody Allen, slaving away at his hit tv
show -- which the network has, of course,
ruined -- while desperately trying to win
the heart of the girl of his dreams (Chelsea
Noble).
Playing Zane Smith, Sheffer
is the creator, producer, and co-writer
of "Rock & Roll PI," a cop
show about a musician/PI and his adopted
dad who sing and solve crimes. (The character's
original premise was about a writer and
his son, based on he and his father.) As
the stars of the show, David Cassidy and
exploitation vet William Smith provide the
film with its only watchable moments.
Stealing elements from several
of Allen's films (the sell-out writing partner
from ANNIE HALL, the lover-gone-lesbo from
MANHATTAN, the nebishy behavior from any
of Allen's films), INSTANT KARMA tries desperately
to satirize the tv business.
Ok, so tv sucks... this is
a news flash? This is a daring statement?
Jeez Craig, the death of good
tv has been lamented for several years now... you're
not exactly breaking new ground.
Though I don't think he's
done anything watchable in a loooong time,
Woody Allen simply came off as a nebish;
not pathetic, just unlucky. Sheffer's attempts
at similar cinematic charm evoke no audience
sympathy; instead, it's just embarrassingly
pathetic. His character is a rich asshole
who complains about tv, yet lives an extravagant
lifestyle because of it. When pressed for
what he likes most about the job, he can't
decide if it's $ or the "art."
By the time he decides no one cares.
I'll admit Sheffer was okay
in NIGHTBREED, and he was suitably hatable
in the underrated teen flick SOME KIND OF
WONDERFUL. Here, he's just an ass, and the
Executive Producer as well... so he has nobody but himself to blame.
