the audience applauded

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Disapointment

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

This is a very special film, a crazy comedy, directed by a great director, Otto Preminger, who made only dramas. A lot of big names in it, Groucho Marx, Mickey Rooney, George Raft, Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Jackie Gleason and a few others. The film is neither bad nor extraordinary, it has some cool moments. Mostly for those who love actors even in bad situations/stories/scripts.

If you dig Firesign Theater's late 60's - early 70s' comedy LP's, you may really like this. It would be familiar except for name stars in this movie. (Artistically) they didn't need to put Skidoo on film. Maybe it would be more highly regarded if it remained a work of sound - it could have remained theater of the mind! The cast generally has VERY distinctive voices and I really do mean that this story would be fine as longform comedy LP, requiring a narrator and some excellent foley work. The "Skidoo" story also would have made for a fun off-off Broadway happening! The Firesign Theater connection I notice means I'll need to take another look at Skidoo from DVR'ing on TCM, though there is nothing easily found to show any connection in the making of Skidoo of any Firesign principals; some of their aural devices and trippy plot devices may have been influenced by this movie and the 1968 movie "Head" additionally. "Head" is its' visuals. "Skidoo" is an idea that becomes shortchanged, enhanced, loved and notorious in parts by it's sets, props and the look of the actors. Anyway, I would say if you like either "Skiddoo" or "Head", see the other one!

The conventional wisdom on this movie (amply supported by both positive and negative reviews here on IMDb) is that it's either an awful, embarrassing, train-wreck of a movie that wastes it's star-laden cast, or that it's hugely entertaining, but only because of how terrible it is. I beg to differ on both counts.For starters, people, it's a satire! It's not supposed to be taken at face value, although I believe it has a serious message underneath all the silliness. Satirized at various points throughout are gangsters, television, the judicial system, consumerism, playboys, technology, government, and (very gently) hippies. I think some people probably have trouble following the movie because the plot is fairly intricate; if you're not paying close attention you will miss plot points that make later events more comprehensible. The first time I saw this I was mildly amused, but each time I watch it, it gets better and I get more out of it.There are even scattered moments of brilliance, dare I say it. The opening scene of Jackie Gleason and Carol Channing dueling with their TV remotes, flipping between the sadly too-realistic senate hearing and amusingly insipid commercials is priceless and spot on. Gleason's assessment of Law's hippie character also brought a smile to my face ("How come you're driving a beat-up Rolls instead of a beat-up Ford? How does that fit with your beliefs?") The acid-trip sequences are actually quite well done, more closely resembling an actual trip, and especially the behavior of those on a trip, than many expressly drug-oriented movies of the time (except maybe for the dancing garbage cans), perhaps because Otto Preminger actually experimented with LSD before making the movie. And everyone from the big names to the bit players are excellent in their roles and play everything straight—with no mugging or winking at the camera—all the way. Austin Pendleton, in particular, as "Fred the Professor," is in top form and nearly steals the show. (And is that Corbett Monica dancing on top of Slim Pickens's switchboard?)I see this more as a critique of dog-eat-dog capitalism (as represented by the gangsters) than just a meaningless farce. I think the most telling scene is where Gleason ("the best torpedo in the business") drops acid, "loses his ego," and realizes just how morally/spiritually bankrupt the violent, money-obsessed gangster life is. And while the hippies are occasionally gently mocked ("If you can't dig nothing, you can't dig anything") I really feel that the film's heart is on their side, making Skidoo essentially a 98-minute commercial for peace, love, and understanding, and really one of the best countercultural movies of the '60s (especially since it was made by a 62-year-old "member of the establishment"). Compare this to other '60s "youth oriented" cheese fests (which I love) such as Riot on Sunset Strip, The Big Cube, The Love-Ins, etc., and you'll find that Skidoo's depiction of the hippies is actually more realistic (and sympathetic) and that it carries a more serious message (!!).Try to clear your head of all the "train wreck" and "so-bad-it's-good" propaganda before watching this and I think you'll find a rather sly, sophisticated, and quite funny comedy. I think Preminger was light-years ahead of both audiences and critics in 1968 (and apparently still is), accounting for its failure at the box office more than the quality of the movie itself. That, and the fact that it's so hard to pigeonhole: is it a gangster movie, a comedy, or a youth-market drug flick? The recently released Olive Films DVD is bare-bones, with no extras other than chapter stops, but is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, and the print is in overall great shape, with good color and contrast and virtually no blemishes or other damage. If you're a fan of this film, pick it up and support the release of obscure gems like this. You will not be disappointed."It's only my opinion, but it's one that I value highly." —Henry Fool

After watching Skidoo tonight all I can ask is what was Otto Preminger thinking when he did this film? Better yet what were all these talented people thinking when they signed on?The plot has Jackie Gleason, once the mob's number one hit-man, but now retired and living with wife Carol Channing and daughter Alexandra Hay who has taken up with the hippie lifestyle and some hippies, much to the consternation of Gleason and Channing. Those two alone as parents might make anyone want to join a commune.Cesar Romero and Frankie Avalon bring a message from God or at least that's what syndicate boss Groucho Marx. Groucho wants mob informer Mickey Rooney killed, but Mickey's in prison. Never mind the mob can do anything, bust Gleason into prison and bust him right out once the job is done. But Rooney won't let people near him, but since Gleason's an old friend he'll be vulnerable to him. Which is what Groucho is thinking.Since Gleason balks, Groucho captures Alexandra Hay and brings her on his yacht from where he runs things. At that point with Marx having him by the short hairs, Gleason agrees to the contract.The big idea is to get the entire prison tripping on LSD so no one will interfere. But of course things do go wrong as you'll see if you care to watch the film.No matter how many big names were packed into Skidoo, nothing could get this picture off the ground. Otto Preminger packed the film with a whole lot of people he had used in previous films like Peter Lawford, Burgess Meredith, Slim Pickens, but all to no avail. The jokes fell flat as a punctured soufflé, the situations were just not funny, in fact even Groucho apparently wasn't in the mood to ad-lib any of his patented humor.In fact Groucho playing a character called God WAS the funniest thing in the film. It has serious theological implications for those of us who thought George Burns or Morgan Freeman was God.In its own way Skidoo was as big a disaster, even bigger than Plan Nine From Outer Space. And Preminger had a much bigger budget to work from.