Conference bookie::movies

120.0. "Kuffs" by 12035::RIVERS (may this vale be my silver lining.) Wed Apr 07 1993 18:05

    Rented this the other night.
    
    I've always kinda like Christian Slater. Not only does he have a great
    name, he's sort of attractive in that Guy You Couldn't Trust as Far as
    You Can Throw Him way.  Perhaps this has something to do with the fact
    that he looks like a very young, lighter-haired Jack Nicholson, but
    since I never found Jack Nicholson particularly attractive, go figure.
    
    Anyway, Mr. Slater plays one George Kuffs (a very BLAND name for a
    leading character if I ever saw one), a ne'er do well, who's cruising
    through life much as you'd expect of a twenty one year old male.  He
    has a girlfriend--ah, but she announces early on that she is two months
    pregnant.  George doesn't like this.  He informs us (via a Ferris
    Bueller "Breaking down the 4th Wall" interlude) that he's not ready for
    a  wife and a baby.  He doesn't have a job, he doesn't want the
    committment and she's much better off without him.  Please don't think
    him a louse for it.
    
    George proceed to San Francisco to meet his brother, who is a Patrol
    Specialist, sort of a cop for hire.  Per a rather surreal explaination,
    Patrol Specialists date back to the days of the late 1800's, where the
    SFPD couldn't handle all the crime and various districts contracted out
    to people to act as their own private police force (but only for that
    district).  The movie would have you believe this is still true
    today--I've lived close to SF for some years and never heard of it, but
    hell, I didn't live IN SF--albeit the Patrol Specialists have to get
    real cop training and are somewhat subservient to the 'real' SFPD.
    
    George wants to hit up his brother for money ("Have you heard about the
    big Gold Rush in Brazil?  Boy, if I only had $4000.00, I'd be out of
    here....").  George's brother (played briefly by Bruce Boxlietner,
    looking good if somewhat chunky in his police blues), would rather
    George come work for him.  "You gotta make something out of your life,
    George," is the sage advice George gets offered.  Naturally, George is
    not keen on this 9-5 sort of thing.  He'd just prefer the money,
    thanks.
    
    George's brother is quite an amiable sort of guy, the kind you'd hope
    you own big brother would be. He allows that he might be willing to
    lend some money to George, but first, he's about to go on patrol.  As
    is his custom, the brother goes into a large church to get a little
    religion before facing the dangers of his harrassed district.  
    
    Unfortunately, the thugs who have been harrasing the district take the
    moment to shoot George's brother dead.  George witnesses the act, but
    is helpless to stop it and through a series of half-believable police
    procedure, the thug who pulled the trigger walks away a free man.  
    
    George's frustration at this is tempered by the revealation that he has
    inherited the Patrol District, which means he's the boss.  This doesn't
    go over well with some of the Specialists, nor the SFPD. Nevertheless,
    George realizes the opportunity to get back at the guys who killed his
    brother and the rest of the movie goes from there, liberally mixing
    drama, comedy, cartoony moments and action, not always well.
    
    However, it's usually entertaining.  There's some real implausible
    moments here and there, but it's generally made up for in the amiable
    wise-assness of George and his comments to the camera.
    
    [one of my favorite parts: George is sending flower to his girlfriend,
    and instructs the florist to put the following on the card.  "Love and
    kisses on all your pink parts."  Perhaps not the sort of thing I'd
    laugh about in front of my mother, but personally, I'd become the love
    slave of any guy audacious enough to put that on a card and send it to
    me with flowers.  Since the only flowers I've received in my life were
    sent to me by my father, and that was some years ago, I think I have
    little to fear/look forward to.  Gad, I be a deprived wench.... ;]
    
    But back to the movie.  Despite the liberal fluffiness of the script
    and the tendency for a joke to be battered to death, Kuffs was fun and
    funny.  If you like Christian Slater, go ahead, rent it.  If you really
    don't, then it's probably not worth your while.
    
    **.25 out of ****
    
    kim

I saw this movie one year ago.
I only remember one thing. 

There was a poster beside the truck that said
"life happens while you are making other plans".

** of *****.

    I liked this movie; I thought Slater's character was believable and it
    was the first time I thought he was pretty cute!  It was entertaining.
    
    Leslie